the tilbury

the setting is great and the service is not bad, but the food was really disappointing. all 4 of us didn’t live any of our courses. the flavors were very strong and not in agoodway. also for what we got, it was quite overpriced. as was the wine list. the restaurant is trying to be upmarket and silver service, but is missing the mark with its menu and the execution. maybe why it was quite empty on a friday night... ps. my wife says that based on the food, my rating of 2 is too high...

good food andgoodlocation - renovated pubgoodfood - love it!

the tilbury x zomato meet up started off on an extreme high with the entrée platter consisting of tuna tataki, smoked mackerel, ox tartar, and wild boar terrine. the tuna tataki was so delicious and i really couldn’t get enough. coupled with the wakame, what’s not to love especially when this seaweed brings with it so many health benefits! as much as i didn’t want to, i really enjoyed the ox tartar, it was highly addictive and my fork went back again and again. i stopped at one with the mackerel but the accompanying vegetables were great – really fresh and flavourful.

onto the main, i had the trout with broccolini, almond, broccoli puree, red & white quinoa. plated beautifully, i found the broccolini and puree very tasty but the fish itself was slightly overcooked and salty at times. almonds were a great addition and with the quinoa further brought this dish into the healthy but tasty category.

i was back up way way high again after trying the sides especially the truffle chips, because they were insane! reallygoodso needless to say i was a little devastated when i got back from the bathroom and they were gone! swiftly taken away for the desserts to come, or demolished by everyone else because they were that good. either way, i need them back in my life! we also tried the eggplant, potatoes, and carrots roasted in cumin caramel, and all did their job perfectly. great sides to have with your main, leaving you extremely satisfied and full.

that’s not to say there’s no room for dessert, because let’s face it there’s always room for dessert. i don’t have much of a sweet tooth but the brain’s in charge and even mine opens up the dessert stomach the majority of the time. we were once again served up a gorgeous platter – this time with 4 different desserts.

on a scale of 1 to 10 i’d say my adventurous level when it comes to food is about 4. meaning i’m not all that into trying strange things. nothing on this platter was completely farfetched, but there were definitely some interesting combinations. at the sound of coriander ice cream i was pretty excited which is a little out of character but agoodstart nonetheless. this was to go with the carrot & walnut cake which sounded great. we also had the tilbury’s gin & tonic jelly (also sounded interesting), a chocolate brownie with malted barley cream and vanilla pod ice cream, and a pineapple upsidedown cake with pineapple & fennel sorbet.

little did i know i was in for a rollercoaster ride. initially the coriander ice cream was like a kick to the face, i had no idea what hit me and i did not like it one bit. however, strangely enough i kept going back to it, each time still not enjoying it but continuing to do so. and you know what? i got used to it and with the carrot cake it became acceptable. i suppose it just takes some time to adjust and also depends on personal preference (although i do love coriander). if you’re up for something a little different, give it a go – you might love it! and also because the carrot cake is scrumptious. the chocolate brownie is a much safer option and the cream and ice cream complemented it well. now to the other highly anticipated treat – the gin & tonic jelly. it’s very pretty with the flowers and fruit, but the jelly was far too strong for me and i suppose the citrus fruits didn’t really help either. for those who love strong, punchy, refreshing desserts, you’ll surely love this. and finally the pineapple cake which is another safe option, and you won’t be disappointed as the sorbet is great together and quite refreshing also.

such a fun night with the food journey and i thoroughly enjoyed trying new and different things. there were some real keepers and also some i’d require a little more courage for, but overall a lot of yummy food with quite the variety so you’re bound to find something you love!

it's been a while between visits to the tilbury and boy, has she had a makeover. the downstairs dining room is a contemporary, welcoming space, overlooking the outdoor courtyard, and offering comfortable seating and a lovely ambience.

our dining party of seven was treated to a tasting plate of entrees, our choice of main course, and a dessert platter.

our waitress for the evening was professional, polite and attentive; and demonstratedgoodproduct knowledge, explaining each of the items and answering questions as each of the shared platters was served. we were also never without beverages or water for the table.

the meal commenced with a chunk of delightfully flavoursome, chewy sourdough from iggy's, served with olive oil and balsamic.

on the shared entree platter we had the following;
wild boar terrine, confit rhubarb, basil, sourdough
blue mackerel fillet, smoked mackerel, horseradish pate, pickled beetroot
ox tartare in coal oil, kohlrabi, egg yolk jam, charcoal cracker
tuna tataki, ponzu dressing, sesame, wakame

the boar was slightly gamey but had a delicious flavour to it. the tuna tataki was a crowd favourite, with its delicious sesame crust and kick of ponzu paired beautifully with the seaweed. the ox was okay but not to everyone's taste. the mackerel was done well, and the tiny globes of pickled beetroot added big pops of flavour.

all the main courses sounded amazing making it difficult to choose. between the seven of us, there were six different meals selected, increasing the risk of food envy but giving the restaurant the opportunity to showcase a range of dishes.

the general consensus was that the meat dishes definitely trumped the fish dishes as a few of them were overcooked. we had the cowra lamb cutlets, white bean stew, heirloom tomatoes, capsicum and the venison ragout, papardelle, cepe mushroom, parmesan, parsley. the lamb was beautifully cooked, pink and tender. the accompanying white bean stew was rich and flavoursome and would have been completely satisfying as a stand-alone meal, it was that good. the venison ragout was not too gamey at all and had a rich meatiness that paired well with the fresh pasta and mushrooms.

the sides we received were;

crispy eggplant, yuzu, & coriander dressing
butter kipflers, rosemary salt
carrots roasted in cumin caramel
hand cut chips, truffle, parmesan

these were tasty and went down well especially the carrots which had a delicious sweetness. the kipflers were just regular potatoes so wish they advised of substitution.

the evening ended on a sweet note with dessert including;
carrot & walnut cake, coriander ice cream, carrot & vanilla purée
chocolate brownie, malted barley cream, vanilla pod ice cream
pineapple upsidedown cake, pineapple & fennel sorbet
tilbury's gin & tonic jelly, citrus fruits & mint

of all the courses, dessert was possibly the most polarising, as would be expected when you are presented with something as intriguing as coriander ice cream. people either love or hate this strong flavoured herb, and here it is transformed into a zingy and refreshing sorbet, a unique and unexpected accompaniment to the carrot cake. the brownie was dense and decadent and is one for the chocolate lovers. the accompanying vanilla ice cream was reminiscent of street's blue ribbon ice cream, which isn't a bad thing. like the coriander sorbet, the gin and tonic jelly garnered mixed reactions, but the delicately flavoured jelly and tangy citrus fruit were a nice pairing. the pineapple cake was nice and crumbly although the flavour of the pineapple only came through on top of the cake. the accompanying sorbet was nice.

the tilbury offers a wonderful choice of meals, with inventive and sometimes unusual pairing of flavours. their focus on local, seasonal produce is apparent in every dish.

overall, it was an evening of great food and service amongstgoodcompany.

thank you to zomato for organising this zomato meetup and keiren for hosting the event.gabbys79 anna bread pitt baz juan pablo sanchez keiren

i came here a few years ago, but walked into a completely different restaurant. the tilbury is an unusual butgoodcombination of sophisticated but somewhat casual environment. from fairy lights and beers to a nicely served venison. extremely impressed with how accommodating it was, no matter what the mood!

the tilbury has had a complete makeover and it looks quite special. 3 weeks of n and they still have some sorting out to do. food wasgoodand hopefully my meal was just a bad day. presentation excellent but chicken so dry

when it comes to feasting around woolloomooloo ‘in-the-know’ locals venture beyond the fine dining restaurants along woolloomooloo wharf. the wharf restaurants, with their sparkling harbour views, bring that ‘loving life in sydney’ feeling, but it’s usually followed by a pretty hefty bill. those looking for a taste of the real woolloomooloo withgoodhearty food, alfresco drinking and a lively local atmosphere head to the tilbury hotel.

had valentines dinner with my partner last night and it was the first time trying out this restaurant. the food was amazing!!
i didn't hold a high hope from the restaurant as it looks like an ordinary local pub , however, the food proves me wrong. the valentines dinner set menu blew me away, it was surely fine dinning quality.
the first course was stuffed tomato, it looks like a picture of sunset, all the flavour was well balanced with the crunchy crumble olive and feta, it was agoodstart to the menu. then it comes an even prettier dish which is the compressed watermelon with sashimi, it was refreshing with the watermelon and pea purée. if i have to pick on anything. i would have to say the duck leg ravioli was a touch too salty and the mignon was not top quality meat. the chocolate fondant was all you need to a perfect finish. considering the price it was surely great value for what you get, only if the service was more friendly it will be a gem hidden in this classy neighbourhood.

tilbury standards. previously the restaurant of choice. easy parking, excellent food but what has happened.
a table for four on a thursday, but all for this day, - non alcohol drinkers. ordered four sparkling mineral water but none was available although it appeared on the menu. had to settle for lemon infused tap water. not agoodstart.
the slow cooked beef as a main, was ordered "medium".it just fell apart but was only warm and was rare. it was so rare that one gagged with the taste of raw meat.
i normally never send anything back. but this was an exception at $38, and was inedible. it came back after ten minutes but was unchanged. still raw and gagging. it remained uneaten and to the credit of staff, they did not charge for that plate.
but it, along with the no sparkling mineral water, put a dampener on the whole meal.
then there was the usual trouble when one sends a meal back, getting any attention at all from the staff. almost had to trip them up to get to order desert and coffee.
normally i don't give a restaurant a second chance to absorb my $120 for a meal, but then perhaps.......three other guests were satisfied.

tuesday night. "amazing beef burger" comment by preferentially vegetarian daughter! great service,goodquality local aussie pub.

awesome night. i have been to the tilbury quite a few times now for dinner and it just keeps getting better! last night i had dinner there with a friend. we were keen to try the new menu and it was amazing!! although we were tempted try the 'lamb three ways' we had a selection of the starters to share: seared scallops with pancetta (gorgeous), tuna tartare in a soy marinade with avocado cream (superb) and the lancashire hot pot with red cabbage ... perfect for the chilly evening. the real standout though was the chicken "salad" - the chicken was flavoursome, tender, moist, beautiful!
everything came out on these gorgeous slate platters which looked incredible and it was all so beautifully presented we took photos of everything!! (i am not someone who usually takes photos of my food...)
anyway onto dessert. we shared the pannacotta, which was pretty good, and the black forest cake which actually melted my face. i mean it was sogoodi wanted to kiss the chef. he seemed a bit perplexed by this so i didn't...
it's a bit pricier than it used to be but worth every penny - this experience puts the tilbury firmly in the fine dining category and the service was attentive and friendly. the waiter made agoodwine recommendation and was very helpful at explaining how to eat each dish (have a little bit of everything on your fork at once, apparently).
i've always kind of seen the tilbury as serviceable pub food - a little on the "dude" side (spaghetti, roasts, steak etc) but this was several notches above what we've come to expect. the flavours were delicate and as i said the presentation was beautiful. loved it!! will definitely be back.

awesome venue,goodfood, nice drinks, average service.

elegant decor, friendly and unrushed! loved it. really enjoyed the lunch today. we ordered 3 entrees: the fig and prosciutto, the alaskan crab with wet polenta and the confit of pork belly. we also had the following for mains: barramundi with scallops, spaghetti with crab, saffron gnocchi. we didn't have time for desserts as we had to dash. sat down at 12.30. left at 2.15pm. service was faultless and friendly. the meals did take some time to arrive. the table adjacent to ours arrived later, had their orders taken after us and had their entrees arrive before us and their mains at least 5 mins before us... took just a tad too long between entree and mains. the dining room wasn't very very crowded either. if not for our midday appointment, i would have liked to try their dessert as well! a great meal!goodflavours,goodplating, fresh produce and a very comfortable setting!

i will go back again for sure!