rockpool bar & grill

lovey!. the food is awesome with a nice view.. makes every dinegreatespecially with your loved ones.

are pretty much guaranteed to get amazing food when you come here. the venue isgreatbecause, even though there are heaps and  heaps  of tables (there’s even a secret upstairs balcony you can dine on!) it still retains a hushed sense of dignity and you don’t feel like you’re eating with the crowds. the service is impeccable – rarely have i seen suchgreatservice in sydney. best to book here though, even on a monday night this place was packed with (what i presume to be) the usual crowd of post-work revellers. what we ate: the mother, ds and i shared two entrees to start off with. their portions are really generous; another refre

dinner date. service - 10/10
food - 8/10,greatfood but nothing special
drinks - 9/10, extensive menu with non-alcoholic options
ambiance - 8/10, tables were too close and no privacy (had to hear about how the woman on the adjacent table watched shahs of sunset..)

once it arrived and i had taken my first bite i was easily proven wrong because the patty was top quality withgreatflavours and a soft texture, overall one of the best burgers i have had. the only downside of the burger is that it falls apart quite easily and it was a little difficult to e

tuna tartare: 9.5/10 - one of the best, if not the best tartare we’ve ever had. literally melts in your mouth! if you’re a fan of eggplant too, then you’ll definitely love this dish because the eggplant just adds another bonus to the flavours and textures of the dish. (only reason it didn’t get a 10 is portion size)

denver: 8/10 - i’m not usually a steak fan, but i was very impressed with this cut! definitely the best piece of steak i’ve ever had. so tender, juicy, non chewy whatsoever (which is usually what i experience with every steak i’ve had). so if you’re unsure of what to order & you’re also not a massive steak/meat fan, try the denver.

mac & cheese: 8/10 - i’m also usually not a mac & cheese fan but this was actually impressive. not too cheesy, or thick or sickening (which i know is what most mac & cheese fans look for in the dish, but not me sorry). i loved the saltiness from the dish which a lot of places lack. you definitely need that saltiness to cut from the richness of the cheese.

rib eye: 6/10 - not a fan. before coming to this restaurant, i did hours & hours of research and reading of reviews, and the most surprising thing i learnt is that most people love the rib eye cut. it’s one of the most popular cuts to be ordered here. but i was pretty disappointed. not sure if it was the fact that our steak was a little undercooked, we asked for medium rare and it came out pretty much rare. or maybe it’s just not our preference in steak. it was super chewy, way too textured, too fatty (& i’m an advocate for fat, but this fat was chewy as hell).

passionfruit pavlova: 6.5/10 - too sweet. texture wasgreatthough, super fluffy, super light but the sweetness just made it really heavy to eat. also, we over ordered so it didn’t help that we were going to blow up any second 😅
if you’re wanting to order a dessert, please try their cupcake dessert!!! tbh i don’t know what it’s called but we got a free cupcake because it was my partner’s birthday but i asked the lady and she said they serve it. it was the best cupcake we’ve ever had wow!!

last thing to add: we ordered their fries/chips on the side and that was tasty too, crispy thick cut chips.

i really enjoyed the steak at rockpool! they definitely have some premium cuts of meat and agreatwine selection. it is a bit on the pricier end so that would be the only downside, however it’s agreatplace to splurge for a special occasion!

what a beautiful building with high ceiling! our friend was in need of béarnaise sauce, was surprisingly difficult to find one that was open on a sunday. luckily rockpool came to our rescue.
highlight: beautiful restaurant, perfect béarnaise sauce, good wine pairing recommendations. and of course attentive service. lowlight: agreatrestaurant but i’m not sure if anything was a super stand out.

i was coming to rockpool with high expectations as i’ve been here twice before and the hospitality that was provided was amazing. however, this was not the case this time as upon entry we waited to be welcomed to our table only for a couple that had come in after us to be greeted and had the coats taken first. we had to take the initiative to reach out to the staff for them to recognise we were even there. this is quite unfitting for a fine dining restaurant.

we had a booking at 8:45 only to be seated half an hour later, with no acknowledgement or apology for such delay. we were told by a staff member, prior, to wait 5 mins as our table was being prepared - only to see that there was a still a full party of 5 still seated finishing up the dining experience. it would have been better to be transparent by letting us know that they’re running behind schedule.

besides a lack of customer service, the food wasgreatand cannot be faulted. the tuna tartare is definitely a winner entree if you’re looking for a light entree to start. i do recommend ordering medium instead of medium rare as i find that their medium rare is far too rare than your average.

the food was great, but the place where we were seated near the bar adjacent to the accessible exit was very dark even to read the menu.
no such agreatthing, even if one's to maintain a certain ambience.

service was amazing. food came out fast, was fresh and tasted amazing. the second time i’ve been here and would come back again for thegreatquality service and food. the staff were very polite as they catered for our needs. was celebrating my partners birthday and they were aware of this so they had a little surprise at the end of the meal and gave us a delicious cupcake to celebrate. would recommend this place to anyone.

today i was looking forward to agreatlunch and dessert at rockpool bar and grill.
to my disappointment i ordered the wagyu burger medium well and it was served the same as my friend who requested medium rare. the burgers were cold too! the shoestring fries came out cold and i asked for another bowl of fries! the fries are hard to eat as they are not thin, straight-cut fries that used to be served, they are curly and dry! be aware the rueben sandwich is not your typical american style, it is equivalent to the aussies cheese toastie!
unfortunately, the customer service was absent today, whereby i did not bother rectifying the issue with the burger. the staff did not seem to care or love what they were doing. 
after we ate our meals they removed our plates and left us sitting there for 30min without asking if we wanted dessert, so we then got someone's attention and finally we asked for the bill. i have been to the bar and restaurant many times, however after today's experience i will not be going back anytime soon and will ensure others know what to expect.

wow. what a place to dine! the menu here is so extensive that it's makes choosing difficult. but what makes things much easier is knowing that whatever you end up ordering will be fantastic. i have always said that i would rather pay more for agreatmeal than pay peanuts and get monkey food. nothing is more frustrating than a food let down and i know that i'll be back here for a guaranteed good feed, good wine, good ambiance and good service. highly recommended.

we had a christmas celebration dinner at rockpool tonight and it was agreatexperience! we ordered quite a few dishes and left more than satisfied.

we ordered:

1. yellowfin tuna tartare, moroccan eggplant, cumin mayonnaise and harissa

this was fantastic, perfect balance of acidity and richness from the tuna. the flavour was perfectly calculated. highly recommend.

2. woodfire grilled bone marrow with milanese crust and herb salad

a popular choices ordered by many tables. the marrow was on point and it was a pleasure to eat with accompanying crusty bread.

3. veal shin ragu with hand cut pappardelle and pecorino

the pasta was incredibly fresh and just the right texture and thickness. however the tomato based ragu sauce was a bit bland.

4. free range chicken with heirloom carrots and tarragon

this dish was a bit of a let down. the chicken meat was tasteless and the base sauce that came with the chicken failed to lift the flavour. the chicken skin however was wonderfully thin & crispy, full of flavour.

5. ranger valley dry aged 300 day grain fed rib eye on the bone 550g 39 days

super super tender, and it was portioned when it arrived at the table which was a lovely touch. we ordered medium rare, however the meat was slightly on the blue side. but perhaps that’s how you can better appreciate the meat. it would’ve been better if the fat was more rendered as mouth of fat was not pleasant on what otherwise agreatpiece of steak.

6. potato purée

hands down best potato mash in the history of mash.

7. mixed sautéed mushroom

this was such a surprised treasure. i have read comments that it’s on the saltier side, i found it perfectly seasoned.

cocktails:
1. bellini - pleasant
2. on the cairns - not a fan
3. tiki punch - very nice

the service was very attentive and polite. we were seated at the private function area, it was nice and quiet, less chaotic than the main dining hall. agreatatmosphere for conversation and catch-up. lucky us!

the staff was very professional and we were very well looked after!

a quite cozy restaurant withgreatatmosphere and good service which is nice for dating. their beef ribs were tender and juicy and they also offered sauces. we picked two of those, the bbq sauce was a bit spicy but good for appetizing and balancing the taste while the other one was quite salty and different and seemed like having cheeses in the sauce. from my perspective i’d rather recommend the bbq one. we had two kinds of beefs, cape grin dry aged rib eye and fillet, both of them were excellent, the fillet was more tender and the rib eye was much more savory with a wonderful aroma. the pavlova was agreatending for the dinner and i like it as well. despite of the price it took, the experience was amazing.

when choosing to dine at rockpool bar & grill, you can expectgreatfood, impeccable service and an upscale dining experience. it is one of sydney's top restaurants nestled along hunter st. in sydney's cbd. 

stepping inside the posh dining area is like taking a journey back in time with its stunning opulence. the palatial space with awe-inspiring columns provide a heritage flashback of the once city mutual trust building's grand lobby. with its mesmerising art deco interior and wonderful features, it is considered one of sydney’s most iconic buildings.

we dined here in the middle of the week, the atmosphere was lively with a mix of business people trying to close deals over food and wine, a group occupying a long table, tourists, and diners like us. as an option, a mezzanine floor is available with fewer tables if you prefer to be seated away from the main dining area. once seated, you will feel the luxurious vibes along with the dramatic lighting. tables and chairs are arranged nicely and table lamps can be adjusted to full glow or dimmed for that subtle romantic effect.

the menu is extensive focusing on modern australian cuisine along with a comprehensive wine list. from cold starter, pasta, seafood, steaks to name just a few, you are pretty much covered here. for high end, like caviar with crème fraîche - sterling, 125g $600 from the us is also available. if in doubt, just ask the floor staff for any questions, they are very attentive and knowledgeable including food and wine pairing. our server was from italy, and her accent added a special touch to our whole dining experience. 

we started our meal with yellow tuna tartare $39 came in two separate servings for us to share. this is a melt in your mouth tuna freshness with moroccan eggplant, cumin mayonnaise and harissa adding flavour to the tuna. rich, gelatinous and delicate, the wood fired grilled bone marrow $29 with milanese crust and herb salad. it has a hint of sweetness, really worth giving a try. 

 bread and butter came as complementary.  a bottle of 2016 journey wine yarra valley pinot noir $75 washed down these delectable entrees. for main to share, we had the king george whiting $58 served with herb salad and aioli. the flesh of the whiting was so tender and juicy, squeezing the accompanying lemon wedge enhances the fish flavour, a truly tastebuds delight. i found the serving a bit smallish though for its price, only 3 fillets. 

the other dish we shared was cape grim dry aged 36 month old grass fed fillet 250g $59. the steak was tender with smokey notes, perfectly grilled and just right temperature when it was served. juice oozing out with every bite. boiled mixed greens $12 with olive oil and lemon was the side dish to accompany the mains. 

we finished off with petit fours $8, a tempting selection of small bite-sized sweets just perfect to complete the meal.

dining at rockpool bar and grill is well worth including on your sydney to do bucket list. it’s a little pricey but the overall experience from food, ambiance and service warrants what you’re paying for. the bar is also well worth checking out.