Do not eat at Bert's at The Newport — I have been a patron of the Newport for well over 50yrs. Yesterday I met up with friends from out of the area. Although I have never dined at Bert's, my friends were eager to have lunch there. It is absolutely stunning so I agreed. I was totally unimpressed and embarrassed. We were greeted and shown to a table, where the lunch took a turn for the worst. We ordered drinks,all good, then had to ask for our order to be taken.We waited an hour for the meals. I asked 3 times over the hour where our meals were. Staff fumbled to find the appropriate reason. When the meals arrived Ii was shocked at the standard, keep in mind it is a totally overpriced menu, we expected better than what was put in front of us. I can assure you I will definitely never step foot in Bert's ever again. The food and atmosphere plus service downstairs in all the different areas of the Newport are 100% better. !!!!!
Bert's Bar & Brasserie
Claimed162 reviews
Total disappointment — We are locals and have been coming to Burt’s since it has opened. We had lunch there and were totally disappointed with both the food , drinks and service, just not what it used to be and the food overpriced. My wife ordered a glass of Chandon, and about a quarter of a glass was poured. My wife asked was this right and he said yes, we pour 125 ml, he then unhappily added a bit more. This wine is about $34.00 a bottle from a bottle shop and they charge $22.00 for what looked like about 100 ml or less. I ordered the half lobster at $277.00 per kg , it was covered in pesto and not cooked through, just chewy. The plate was loaded up with so many fried chips it was completely off putting. My wife’s steak was ok. The best part of the meal was the Sourdough and oil, very nice bread, everything else was not so good. We had to wave down the waiters each time we needed something, it was never like this before, they used to really take care of their guests but not now. Just very expensive lunch and experience.
Overprice meal and lacklustre service — We’ve been going to Bert’s in Newport since it first opened, and sadly the experience has really changed post-Covid. The service, menu, and pricing all feel different — and not for the better. The lobster pasta was delicious, but $175 for half a lobster and some pasta feels excessive. Our bill for two people came to over $500 for oysters, pasta, and crumbed fish — not what you’d expect for the value. Service was mediocre, with staff looking tired and disengaged. As locals, it’s disappointing to see what was once a standout dining experience become overpriced and lacking in energy. We love fine dining and have no issue paying for quality, but this felt more like location-driven pricing than true value. That said, Bert’s is still a beautiful spot for afternoon drinks and light bites — but dinner was a letdown, and unfortunately we won’t be rushing back.
A fool and his money are soon parted — Invited to attend a late lunch here by family for a milestone birthday, we didn't know what to expect really. Bert's is a beautifully decorated and atmospheric restaurant with a pleasant outlook, but that's where it ended for us. The menu is sooo boring and pedestrian. it has dishes with absolutely no innovation, imagination or inventiveness whatsoever. And the prices! OMG absolutely ridiculous. Everything is so overpriced for what it is. Unfortunately Bert's seems to be the place for the superficial show ponies who just come here to say they've been. We had to wade through a sea of influencers posing in the corridor to get to the bathrooms! The only blessing was we didn't have to pay for this awful ordeal! No photos - not worth it.
High level dining — High end restaurant in the popular suburb of Newport in Sydney within the Newport Arms hotel. Luxury dining at its best with top level service and cuisine. The menu is limited, which makes it extra special and the wine list is extensive. The food is superb. No one dish is a disappointment. The decor is old Hampton style furniture with lots of white and white tablecloths adorning the tables with subtle table lights as an accompaniment. Green plants in pots and ceiling rafters to give that touch of elegance. It’s not a restaurant for the faint hearted wallet. Highly recommend for that very special occasion or intimate dining to impress.
Food is currently off the mark — Have been to Bert’s in several occasions. The atmosphere and view were the big draw card. They still are. The king prawns in burnt butter remains the favourite. The oyster selections (two different nsw locations) expensive but a great touch and lovely to compare. Steaks cooked to perfection. The let downs: 1. Truffle pasta - tasteless. Could not taste the truffle through the butter in the pasta. Were they not fresh truffles? Not sure? but could not taste them! When you order truffle (and pay the price) you expect to taste it. The crab component was OK but very subtle in flavour. The combo doesnt work. 2. Seafood options - none were local!!! Here we were sitting smack bang in the middle of the northern beaches of Sydney beside the Pittwater Estuary, one of the most famous fisheries in Australia known for its diverse suite of fresh seafood, yet all that was on offer was fish imported from New Zealand and South Australia! Strange to say the least. The whiting was presumably imported frozen as it was from SA and rather tasteless. Advice to Berts: in summer months go to the Fish Markets and order a selection of never fail local fresh summer fish. Local favourites like Dusky Flathead, local Red Snapper and fresh sand whiting / school whiting are seasonally always available, fresh, and you cannot go wrong with them. Avoid the imported stuff. It is a let down Note: The waiters and sommeliers were brilliant! Because of the food had to give an average score this time. Hopefully better next time.
The Hard Stuff Was Hard to Fault, but the Easy Stuff Was Full of Faults — Yesterday, my husband and I dined at Bert’s for lunch to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Having booked well in advance and requested the best available table, we arrived with high expectations. Bert’s has traditionally delivered an unbeatable trifecta: exceptional food, atmosphere, and service. Sadly, something seems to have shifted. While the lunchtime crowd was a mix of diners, the best tables were consistently allocated to young Instagrammers nursing a glass of wine and snapping photos. Meanwhile, we were seated in what felt like the least desirable spot in the room, facing empty booths set for two. For a restaurant operating at half capacity, this seemed a missed opportunity to enhance a special celebration. We started with high hopes—and a glass of Veuve. Originally, we had planned to toast with Dom Pérignon 2013, but were surprised to see it listed at $110 a glass, up from the $70 we’d seen online, and while it didn’t derail the afternoon, it felt inconsistent with past experiences and should be noted by management. The food, as expected, was outstanding. The handpicked crab remains the best seafood dish you can order in Sydney—fresh, luxurious, and utterly satisfying. The king prawns in brown butter were divine, and our waitress’s suggestion to enjoy them as a middle course was spot-on. These dishes were followed by the Kidman steak, cooked and rested to perfection, paired beautifully with creamy Dutch potatoes and a crisp salad. Every bite reminded us why Bert’s has earned its reputation. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the wine service. My husband ordered an aged Riesling by the glass, but when it was poured (without a taste being offered), it was clear the wine had turned. We raised this with the sommelier, whose dismissive attitude made us uncomfortable. His curt explanation of the “petroleum characteristics” of aged Riesling came across as condescending rather than informative. When we mentioned the strong rubbery and blue cheese notes, he abruptly reinforced this is what can be expected from an aged Riesling and suggested we should have ordered a Chardonnay instead. The interaction left us feeling uncomfortable and reluctant to order more wine—a stark contrast to the warm, polished service we’ve experienced in the past. We ended our meal with an affogato, which was simple yet delicious, and a satisfying conclusion to an otherwise uneven experience. While the food was exemplary and our waitress delightful, the overall experience fell short of Bert’s usual high standards. The lack of acknowledgment for our special occasion, a poor seating choice, and the sommelier’s dismissive approach detracted from what should have been a memorable lunch. Bert’s has always been a place where the details matter, and we hope this feedback encourages management to ensure the “easy stuff” receives the same care as the “hard stuff” which is some of Sydney’s best food.
What's the Story with Bert's these days? — We have been going to Bert's since it opened. We were there in and out of COVID lockdowns when the staff were exceptional and seasoned. We had it rated our number one restaurant in Australia. Today was a special day celebrating a magic birthday. The food was ok not great and the service very poor. We had miscommunication with the food order, which led to our main course needing to be partially remade. The steak was ordered medium well and served medium rare. We requested bernaise sauce but were told it was not possible to make. We ordered the sauce with the fish with the caviar on the side, but it was mixed with the sauce requiring it to be redone. Fish was pretty cold once this had been done. Choice of size fish was very poor with a 560gram fish being available and then the next size up being 1.7kg. Very linited so we shared the 560g fish between 2. Many different servers contributed to the overall confusion and overall poor experience. Service here used to be impeccable. We had the cost of the steak and caviar taken off, but that wasn't the point, really. It was a poor experience marred by particularly poor service. We each agreed the restaurant no longer ranks in our top picks in Sydney and only hope the standards improve to its old glory days. Food is very expensive and mains not served with any sides.
Lonely lunch — Family away on holidays so I’d treat myself to a nice lunch Well I’d had hoped. Started with sourdough and olive oil, very hard to go wrong. Nice start. Skipped entree and had Ruby snapper and a side of crispy Brussel sprouts. The snapper I thought was a bit dry and tasteless, the Turkish peppers I thought were better than the fish. The crispy Brussel sprouts were far from the best I’ve eaten, slightly crispy but left an oily taste in your mouth. Had a banana soufflé for dessert which was super light with some not a slight banana taste more egg than banana. Ambience I’d give it a 12 / 10 and service brilliant. Unfortunately food a big let down, no where nere the worth of what it cost.
Time to make each stand out separately — We were regulars at Merivales Fred’s at Paddington until they lost their wonderful chef and menu at the beginning of 2023 and now the 3 Sydney restaurants are the same. Don’t get me wrong the decor is beautiful and the service great but the food is the same now at Fred’s, Bert’s and Mimi’s. Plus they seem to love to use excessive salt on their greens at all 3. I’m going to have to move on I’m afraid just to get a different experience not because it’s not a lovely experience.
Must Visit — Awesome vibe, ambience and service. The anchovies are great and a must try for anchovies lovers. Very romantic place and very good food! Don’t miss this place if you are around
Don't bother! — Rubbish. The food, the service, the pricing all sub par. Don't bother. We made a day of it and took the seaplane....wish we hadn't gone to the trouble. Another Hemmes fail.
Beautiful setting - go during daylight — This is a lovely looking restaurant and sprawls over an upper and lower section. Service is polished and the food skewed to seafood as you would except, but also red meat options for the carnivores. It’s the only restaurant I can recall where they fillet the flounder in front of you. Saves having to flip it which was a nice touch. Lighting is very flattering although you may struggle to read the menu. I only wish I went during daylight to see the view.
Don’t go — Service is impeccable, venue is great however the food is terrible and overpriced would not recommend for a meal, you can go to a local cafe and pay 15% and get a better result. Fish was over cooked, the lamb undercooked @$128.00 for x 4 cutlets and a pasta special for $78.00 so small in serving, entree size with imagination you could suck it up through your nose. Never again!
Can't give less than 1! Service was ordinary, food is ridiculously overpriced and mainly imported looking at the boxes next to the bins in the car park. Another Merivale joke that is overpriced and staff more than likely underpaid. Don't waste your hard earned
Dinner for 4 Overpriced, overrated and still hungry. — We went for dinner for a special celebration. Reception, ambiance, interiors were very warm and welcoming. Service was polished and professional. The food and the menu were limited for choice and the prices were very expensive. We started with a cocktail each. We ordered a few entres, 4 meals and sides and were told the dishes are all designed for sharing. As such we were expecting a reasonable serving size relative to the price and the 'sharing'. Our first meal of pasta (Bucatini With Pipis & Cuttlefish $44) arrived and it could have been mistaken for a kid's meal portion. So small I think we each had a strand of pasta each and maybe a pipi each. The eggplant & ricotta pasta ($44) had about 7 small pieces of Agnolotti (raviolli like pockets of pasta) which we rationed. The fillet of coral trout ($68) we portioned out to 4 squares about 4cm pieces each. The fries were very average. Bottled water at $22 a bottle was continually replaced without asking if we wanted another bottle. Dinner for 4 incl only one round of cocktails $550 + Overrated rip off. Caveat emptor.
Beyond overrated — We were SO excited to go and what a SERIOUS disappointment. This place is sheer highway robbery. Lunch for 2 without dessert and only one person having alcohol (plus we only ordered one main dish).......$814+ The food is average at best. Don't bother getting a seaplane - don't bother ubering either. There are PLENTY of better venues about. There is simply nothing special about Berts. Nothing.
My husband, brother and I came here for a Saturday lunch on the last day of my husband's trip to Sydney. I'd long since heard of Bert's and have been a fan of Merivale, so I was excited to finally try this restaurant. Bert's has parking on the street nearby but there's no train station and not much public transport around here, so driving is advisable. The restaurant has a really beautiful ambiance that would make for a nice girls' lunch or upscale meal. Unfortunately the food didn't live up to expectations though. For appetizers, we shared the oysters, smoked fish pate, sourdough and heirloom tomatoes. Nothing was terrible, but the food was bland and lacked any discernible flavor. For mains, I got the rock cod, while my husband had the ricotta agnolotti, and my brother had the bucatini. Their pastas were fine but nothing special. My rock cod was especially boring. It tasted like a plain white fish without condiments, even though it had them. I would not come back to eat here based on this experience, especially given the prices here.
Disappointed — We were celebrating a special birthday so decided to lash out on Bert’s. The service and attention given to us was excellent but the food was average. We both ordered the cod which was the most appealing fish on the menu but it arrived dry and overcooked - hardly something we expected from such a supposedly top rate restaurant.Desserts were lovely but overall the menu was short of selections. Everything is overpriced and definitely doesn’t live up to its reputation. “Once bitten , twice shy “
Valentines Day Surprise — We arrive at 7:00pm for our booking we’re greeted welcomely and escorted to our table Where we were greeted by our waitress who was very good told us about the menu we were having and we order a couple of cocktails .. the food from the first courses to desert were excellent well presented and plentiful we were in no danger of going hungry. Not sure if I had a favourite but the lobster was excellent and the anchovies were as always delicious. The steak tartare made wine choice difficult from the start but erred on the side of caution with a Rose with the help of the wine staff we were lead to the more expensive side of the Rose’s which may or may not have been required but it was a very nice bottle of wine! Maybe a wine matching option should have been available? Two things took the shine off the evening both of which might have been communication issues. Firstly when we had finished our sparkling water towards the end of the meal the wine staff asked if we wanted another I said no but 5 minutes later the other waitperson bought another bottle to the table and filled our glasses very efficiently! The second was more of an issue when I asked for the bill it came to the table and I looked at it and said does this look correct ? She didn’t know what I was talking about until I showed her the booking receipt clearly showing we had payed a dep at the time of booking. She quickly grab the bill she’d given to the table next to us and we then heard comment like yeh we haven’t had deposits in a while. So possibly a system error but how many didn’t pick the error up? But neither should have occurred but they did take the bliss of what was a great evening with good food and wine. It won’t stop us going back again as it is one of our favourites although no Flora Dora on the cocktail menu ..