Been wanting to eat here for ages. I've spoken to different managers here and they have been very kind so I wanted to try. Today was the first lunch sitting with Covid. Atmosphere was busy and the decor upbeat bar bistro. Food prices were up there so I had great expectations but it all was very average. I had the veal and potatoes. It probably could have used a wine sauce or something to give it some ooomph but even presentation was lacking. It was ok, but nothing that would draw me to come back to this restaurant for. More can be done with this awesome venue and I think needs to up its game in a city of brilliant foods at reasonable prices. read more

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Post conference event hosted for clients went extremely well. Eclectic mix venue on the third floor with a rustic look and feel. Amazing bar with timely service, leading to a diverse menu spanning modern steakhouse, combined with creative side dishes and desserts. Lost track of the excellent main courses and side dishes through out the night. Strong recommendation when hosting a large party, they treat clients well read more

Irritable staff. Inflexible. Never took a drink order. Caesar salad was OK, I suppose, but was missing some advertised ingredients. Pleasant ambiance, but I will not be coming back. read more

The steak and frites is the only main with a side dish. The side dish are fries with a selection of three sauces. Vegetables would be ordered separate for an additional cost. Steak well done tasty a little fatty on the edge. I've had better, staff was friendly food could be better. Sour Bread was hard and dry possibly not a good choice for an entree. The entire cost for the feast $48.50 that included a capuchino. read more

Gowings Bar & Grill - Steak and frites well done with a bread as entree and a capuchino to finish up $48.50. Steak are served without side dish that will be extra - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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We came here for breakfast and late dinner (at the bar) while we did a staycation here at QT Hotel. The breakfast menu is extensive, mainly egg dishes. The prices are quite expensive but it is very filling. I really like how the scrambled eggs were done :) coffee was pretty decent as well. I gave a three instead of four stars is because the bar food (dinner) was so-so. I ordered a beef burger & chips one night and the buns werent toasted and were soggy from the heat of the meat patty. I didnt enjoy the burger at all. I would definitely come back for the breakfast items ! read more

Gowings Bar & Grill - Breakfast menu - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Hmmm ok my previous review was glowing! Granted it was completed very very soon after they opened their fine doors. Things have shifted to a more relaxed vibe. Last night we popped in for a drink before an 8pm dinner. The bar staff were not very interested in providing the attentive service I had welcomed in my last two visits. It is still good service but not what I had come to expect. Throughout dinner our waiter changed 5 times with very limited access to waiters at parts of the meal when required. We have to wave people down to get things like condiments and the bill. I will still recommend this place however it no longer deserves 5 stars. read more

I love this place because its swanky. There, I said it! That's it. The end. The food is good, but frankly didn't blow me away. It all reads quite swish and is not bad when it comes out by any stretch, but doesn't live up to the copy, in my opinion. And I don't even care! I love this place. Its the perfect spot for a glitzy lunch or brunch in the heart of the city. Très superficial, darling. Know your role. read more

Gowings Bar & Grill - Eggs & caviar in a brioche bun for brekkie! - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

A few of my girlfriends and I decided on this place as the venue of a well overdue after work Friday drinks catch up back in July. One of the girls rocked up nice and early and snagged a lounge in the upstairs bar, fighting off lounge-encroachers until the rest of us arrived. The bar is dark and stylish and the waitresses were lovely, coming to take our orders so we didn't need to leave the lounge. Unfortunately, it has a bit of a wanker-banker vibe (apologies to the non-wanker-bankers out there!), which floats some people's boats but is not really my scene. Fast forward a few months and I met the same group of girls last night (for another long overdue catch up) but this time we settled on the quieter and brighter downstairs bar so we could chat. Again, the waitresses were awesome and we scored a complementary meat and crostini platter which went really well with a couple of bottles of wine. We did venture upstairs at the end of the night and the Gowings Sour I tried was divine. read more

Gowings Bar & Grill - Gowings Sour on the right, I don't remember the name on the left! - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

New bar in town - be in early for a table. Not to bad a venue - bit crowded around the bar - could do with some more or less seating, as it is very crowded. Restaurant looks nice, will be giving it a whirl. The whole Gowings building renewal has been very well done, and this is a great part of it. Look forward to trying some of the other bars and the restaurant read more

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The octopus was amazing, the duck a solid good, the pavlova, most beautiful but the cream to merengue ratio was off so the last bites were dry. I liked looking at it a lot though. The NZ house white was good and round. My cousin loved his ribs. I wasn't too keen on the tuna on lettuce, but I am not keen on tuna. It's genuinely a beautiful restaurant, very glamorous, and on a Friday night had a great atmosphere. As a tourist walk in, it did cross my mind the host might have been reluctant to sit us as we weren't dressed as well as everyone but we did get a table in the end. She did say it was fully booked a week ago. So make reservations! The waiter was efficient and laid back. Hard to find him sometimes as he had a lot of tables, but the service was good. I really liked being in the restaurant. It had a great vibe, and considering the prices in Sydney, it was very reasonable for the what the place was. I left my jumper and the waiter called me to let me know himself. That was really nice of him. This is just a fun place to dress up and be in. The food is good too. If you don't know what to do on the weekend, or visiting and want some Sydney cool, pop in. read more

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Having been here a number of times, even staying here at the QT Hotel which is part of the same building - I've always had mixed experiences. Staff service has always been great, except when they are trying to get you to move on. I've experienced this perhaps twice on non-peak periods. I hosted a staff function for my colleagues here once and I had to go through 3 different people to book a table. The hostess had no clue what was actually good on the menu. If your expecting quality for the price your paying, look elsewhere. Like many of the Event Hospitality groups businesses (Event Cinemas) staff are few and pricing is maximised for limiting options or quality. They do have a stunning decor that I cannot fault them on, but it's rather pointless if there isn't anything worthwhile to hang around for. read more

Now that the heritage glamour QT hotel has opened (in the old Gowings building), of course they were going to have a bar. A classy hotel bar. The upstairs bar is apparently called Gilt Lounge, which is a silly name, so people just call it the Gowings Bar. The downstairs part is the restaurant (also with bar spots). It's very dark, the waitresses have pseudo-flapper outfits, and the bartenders wear suspenders and waistcoats, and spend a lot of time throwing glass in the air. It's easy to get disoriented in here - there are little stairways around the place, and lots of mirrors. The atmosphere would be perfect - intimate, classy and 1920s retro-chic - were it not for most of the clientele ... who unfortunately remind you of the fact that it's a hotel bar. Sigh. So ... it was a little bit sleazy, and there was a little bit of avoiding old men... and there were inebriated older women leaning across us stealing our pretzels. Not that I have anything against inebriated older women, in a general sense. It was the pretzel stealing and the shiraz breath, mostly. The drinks prices are hotel prices (although high priced drinks are getting to be standard in Sydneys's CBD bars...). It was very crowded with the after-work crowd, but after about 8 there was plenty of space. The bar-staff respond very well to tips. The music was surprisingly excellent - spinning all sorts of old classics, without being too cheesy. read more

In case you've been hiding under a rock and are not aware the Gowings heritage building has been transformed into Sydney's newest and hippest designer boutique hotel, please take note. QT Sydney has opened and you need to know about it. This is not your average hotel. This place is spesh. The fit out is unmistakably artsy with bright colours, a vintage cabaret feel and accents that will make you smile. It's fun, it's quirky and it's my kind of place. I think I just might have to find a reason to spend a night here soon. The 200 room hotel also houses a spa (spaQ), restaurant (Gowings Bar and Grill), lounge bar (Gilt Lounge) and cafe (Parlour Lane Roasters). Mr V and I visit QT this evening to dine at their European Brasserie, appropriate named Gowings Bar & Grill. Well known Sydney restaurateur Robert Marchetti (you may remember him from such establishments as North Bondi Italian Food and Neild Avenue) is behind the concept and the food is described as 'offering the freshest produce from Australia's best artisan providores, prepared with cooking techniques featuring wood fired rotisseries and ovens'. We decide to commence our evening by having a drink in the bar, which is a glamorous space with an impressively sparkling bar smack bang in the middle, separating it from the restaurant. We order cocktails: * Gilt '75 - Plymoth Gin, Aperol, Rosemary Syrup, Fresh Lemon, Prosecco * Spiced Pear - Belle de Brillet Pear Cognac, Ginger and Pink Peppercorn Syrup, Fresh Lemon, Brown Sugar Before long, we finish our drinks, and it's time to move through to the restaurant for dinner. A large open kitchen is framed by glitzy bronze hanging lights and hand painted plates adorn the walls and the ceiling. It hits the mark with the eclectic designer vibe. The extensive menu is a little overwhelming at first, but much more easily digested (pun intended) when you break it down into sections and they've made it easy for you to do so. You have everything from raw fish, to rotisserie birds, to wood oven pizza's, to steaks. I can tell you now, you are going to struggle to make your choices. Finally, Mr V and I decide on: * Tartare of Yellowfin Tuna - fresh horseradish, preserved lemon, sesame grissini * Pasta with mussels (special) * 1/2 Crisp Spiced Duck - served with Paris mash potatoes, steamed warrigal greens and salt bush * Sauteed Mixed Mushrooms, River Mint, steamed in a paper bag * Steamed Spinach, Shallots We enjoy our meal and decide it would be a crime not to have dessert. We choose: * Hot German Doughnuts - Dusted in Cinnamon, Nutmeg Sugar * Frangipani Tart (special) I love the QT hotel and Gowings Bar and Grill. This is definitely one to add to your wish list. It's pretty impressive. read more

What a space !!!! If you have read my previous reviews, you would all know I am a HUGE fan of open kitchens and sorry Vasse Felix Winery, you have been trumped !!! Completely speechless. Came here on Tues night and booked a table for 6. I could not believe my luck when they ushered us to the table RIGHT next to the kitchen - I mean, talk about getting involved!! At one point, I felt like a saucier at the meat station (ohh and for the record, this was the best station across the kitchen - the woodfire oven was in direct view) - my idea of dining heaven. The advantage of sitting so close to the kitchen is you can see exactly what these chefs get up to including the tasting and poking and prodding of meats to get the "doneness" just right (good thing I didn't see them licking their fingers or picking at places they shouldn't be). The food, well, what can I say? Let me go through the list of the food that was delivered to the table - John Dory, a minute steak, sirloin steak, roasted quail, roasted half chicken, spanner crab salad, silverbeet salad, detox salad and fries for the table. I can only review the John Dory and the silverbeet salad - everything was fine but my chef must have had a heavy hand when it came to seasoning - there was a fair amount of salt on my fish. As a side note, I think they may be rationing out the condiments - those with the steaks were asked once and once only if they wanted mustard or sauce to only have one teaspoon placed on their plates - too bad if you're a sauce obsessed diner. The waitstaff were helpful when you were able to get their attention (looking around practically breaking your neck to find them will have the closest waitstaff run to your aid - neat trick). Regardless, we all had a fab night and would def hit up this restaurant again. read more

Gowings Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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This has been my go-to restaurant in Sydney, always reliable, and i'm devastated by my recent experience to celebrate a birthday. My friend and I had been looking forward to a Friday night dinner all week and found that there is a new chef who has changed the menu?? What? not dramatically but enough.. No more Macadamia Mac&Cheese? Why take that off. I know i'm not the only fan. The replacements were interesting but unusual - peppers ? asapargus ? Then after finding an alternative side, we were advised there was no more Chips? Or Mash? How does a restaurant not cater for enough Mashed potato or Chips and a Bar and Grill?? You have got to be kidding. Then dessert - again disappointment - the favourites had run out. I though Friday night dining wound be more organised and planned. I felt like i was in an RSL at 9pm on a Tuesday night. read more

Really cool vibe and clearly a great place for a drink. Stopped here for lunch and sat at the bar as the restaurant was packed to the rafters. Was a bit unsure at first... Took forever to be served, but once we were we had a fantastic time. The food is excellent, not cheap, but certainly not going to break the bank either. I reckon this would be a great spot to take some friends you want to impress without coming across like a w***er. :P read more

Gowings Bar & Grill - Pork belly with Paris mash and crackling. Drool... - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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We were staying at the QT for a couple of nights and went to the Bar and Grill for breakfast both morning. Prices are a bit more than your other locals, but service is good, coffee is great and they have some different based breakfast options such as fish tacos and a few mexican-ish options. I'm a huge fan of different breakfast menus - it gets a bit tired seeing the same menus constantly (I know, FWP). I do love the venue, its got a great atmosphere and the US type service of having a hostess take you to the table is always nice. Will go back. read more

This really is a well thought out place that delivers in every aspect. The food is exceptional, the place looks great, but where they really win me over is in the complete experience they create for their guests. The staff not only all look the part but play the part too. Every part of the visit was carefully managed down to the music in the lift which detects the amount of people in it and changes accordingly. I arrived alone and got a cheesy ballad about loneliness, when leaving in a group we got an upbeat electronic track. I will be going back to try the bars and would love to stay in the hotel too. I'm just really impressed with the effort QT Hotel has gone to to create such a well thought out and fun place to go to. read more

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This review is for the breakfast experience. We were early (6:30 am) and nobody was at the entrance yet. Though after we entered and found someone, service was excellent. The lady was kind enough to ask the chef for a sample of the granola when we asked how spiced is the granola (Honey Spiced Granola). We tasted it and it was mildly (and deliciously) spiced. We ordered that, along with pancakes and the brain bowl. The pancake was delicious. It was subtly flavored, crisp o on the outside and soft on the inside. It also had some ricotta which nicely complemented the pancake. Hubs said it was the best pancake he has ever had. Wow. The coconut yogurt that accompanied the granola was delicious. My kid ate most of that dish. My Brain Bowl was good, though I ordered a side of their pork sausage. They added some kraut to go with it, and it blended nicely with the rest of the plate--nicely boiled eggs, avocado, and some veggies (some pickled). The coffee we ordered was also good. All in all a great experience considering we were super early. read more

Very trendy place in CBD of Sydney. Had drinks and stayed for dinner. Quite pricey but the King George Whiting was worth it. The bar was noisy and crowded with after work people. It was quite busy in the dining room. Service was a bit slow. Servers spent a lot of time talking to people at tables they knew. We had to ask for our check so we could leave. read more

Awesome bar/restaurant that feels like it should be in NYC instead of Sydney-- a bit loud (but what Sydney bar isn't these days), but you'll feel very swanky here. The food is overpriced and average at best- our table ordered a few steaks and the mussels, and had to ask about the mussels as over half of the pot was only shells! The steaks were cooked well, but weren't anything special- and for the price that Gowings charge you'd expect it to be amazing. This would be a great date place to catch a drink, but skip out on the food to avoid a massive bill and disappointment. read more

The setting of this restaurant is very swanky and trendy and you get a great view of the kitchen from most tables. The menu is extensive and the food was good. I feel this place is let down by the slow and inattentive service. We repeatedly had to place orders for drinks and waited a long time for our orders to be taken or to receive menus for dessert. We also sat waiting to pay for 30 mins. When we made our booking were told that the table was needed back at 8.45 but we were lucky that we were not booted out and could enjoy a longer dinner. read more

It's not cheap and it is noisy but it is classy and very global. The food is good to great but not as good as the prices suggest. Good for a date you want to impress but not talk to. wheelchair accessible read more

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. We got a complimentary breakfast for staying in the hotel. My partner had the blueberry pancakes, which looked incredible. I had the breakfast, which unlike a lot of cooked breakfasts was just the right amount of food. The scrambled eggs were the best I've ever had. I'm not a massive fan of eggs but I ate the lot. The whole meal was cooked beautifully, presented well and tasted great. Definitely coming back read more

This restaurant has a lovely interior and the breakfast options are fantastic. Enjoyed the indulgent black truffle scrambled eggs. Will be back to try other dishes in the near future! Staff seemed attentive enough and coffee was good too. Pretty expensive though! read more

Gowings Bar & Grill - Black truffle scrambled eggs with a side of bacon. Very creamy eggs. - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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We stayed at QT for a few nights so got to experience several breakfasts and one dinner at Gowings. Overall, we were really impressed. LOVED the open kitchen - it's so great to be able to watch the chefs creating the dishes, and taking things in and out of the woodfired oven. The restaurant has a really nice feel and the decor is great, and in keeping with the rest of the hotel. We were impressed with the staff, more so during dinner than breakfast. We found the breakfast staff quite formal, whereas the waitress we had for dinner was the perfect mix of professional but fun. Standout dish was the eggs rockefeller for breakfast. We were a bit overwhelmed by the dinner menu and took a long time to make our choices but it was all delicious, and the steak was cooked to perfection. I also really enjoyed the yoghurt breakfast dish. The coffee was good, and the freshly squeezed juices were also a hit. The only downside was the prices. Though the food was excellent, I'm not sure it was that much more excellent than places charging a lot less, particularly for dinner. read more

We have been to Gowings three times before. This latest was our fourth and possibly our last. Sadly this was the first time we have brought other people to share what we thought would be a great night out... we left embarrassed. For starters one of the best things about the menu (triple fried chips) had been removed. Ok, no matter... things change I guess and what we DID order was very nice. But what really let the place down this time was the wait staff which unfortunately can undermine everything. The booking was complicated (my fault and they were very patient and accommodating ) and the kitchen staff did a great job as always. However, our waiter seemed disinterested for most of the part and when he did offer interaction it was gruff to say the least. When we asked about the absence of the aforementioned chips he merely shrugged and pointed to the shoestring fries and announced "I've only worked here a few weeks. " No offer to enquire or anything. Definitely a "like it or lump it" approach to our enquiry. In addition, one of our party suffers from celiac disease and since nothing on the menu was marked GF (which is unusual on this day and age) we had to ask what was gluten-free. Another shrug and a shuffle of the feet and in the end we had to all but ram home the suggestion that he go and see what, if anything, could be modified. But credit where credit is due... once the kitchen knew this they did modify and they did a great job. Our wine was twice removed from the table and put on a shelf across the room. I know this is now a trend but if they do this the least they can do is keep an eye on the glass. A lot of the time I had to wait to drink again and in the end went to retrieve my bottle meaning I had to squeeze between two other tables and in doing so disturbed other diners. Embarrassing and undignified. Shame. We really liked the place. read more

Seated without menus, took 15 minutes for anyone to come over and introduce themselves as our waiter, in fact we didn't really have a singular waiter or waitress the entire night - led to confusion with ordering and the check, there was obviously a big mix up regarding our table ... garden salad was meh, wedge salad was even more meh, steak frites was also underwhelming ... however, place definitely has a hip and trendy vibe, a cool drink menu and a fantastic ambiance read more

Well cooked steak and great sides. However the rib eye meat was not rendered well and was chewy and fatty in various parts.

I have dined here twice and the food was delicious on both occasions. Trendy place hidden inside a historic building, love the decor. Can get a bit loud but it adds to the atmosphere. Overall both were great experiences. read more

Very cool place. I found the restaurant on a recent vacation to Sydney through a search for "Pavlova", actually, and we had an excellent meal and cocktails before one of the most heavenly Pavlovas that I've ever had. The creative art deco/retro decor of the lobby and downstairs bar are worth a trip in and of itself. read more

Had a wonderful meal with a seminar group last night at Gowings Bar and Grill. I had been sceptical, but I've been converted. The Beef Bresaola Salad and Yellowfin Tuna Steak were both fantastic dishes. Our hostess was very helpful and the venue was excellently kitted out. My only reservation was to do with the noise. Since the building wasn't originally built fit for purpose and because of it's age, there are a lot of hard surfaces with nothing to absorb the sound and it just bounces of everything. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Service is ok but I wanted to eat. I just wanted breakfast and I was a little hungover and grumpy. Also had a 5 year old in tow. The menu is tricky is all I can say. It's interesting but challenging. I just don't feel like challenging at 9am. Just give me straight forward options. It was nice but over priced and all too hard read more

Unfortunately they close between lunch and dinner and I learned the hard way that a reservation is a must, but it's all worth it. The food at the bar is exotic and delicious, the service is very friendly and fast. The only thing that bothered me slightly is that it is very loud inside the restaurant. I am looking forward to come back! read more

This is a great venue on a Friday night, and the menu has a retro feel that I loved ( apart from it informing that the chef cooks the steak pink, my money my choice). The service was great, tables well spaced so conversation flows and there is a noisy fun vibe. In someways it captured the feel of what department store restaurants were like in the 60's. Wine list is spot on. The Schnitzel is perfection, potato salad and spring greens were perfect side dishes. Definitely book on the weekend. read more

5 stars for food. Tender rib eye fillet that I wish it never ended. My brother ordered a creme brûlée that looked divine. Other dinner friends spoke highly of their mains: tuna and pork dishes. Very different decor. Loud, brash but fun. Highly recommended read more

It's not often that you find a breakfast spot in Sydney that has such a great breakfast menu at fairly reasonable prices. My friend and I had the Truffle eggs and the crepes, and could not fault a single part of the meal. The staff were professional and helpful, and the ambience is fantastic. Although probably more intended for the guests of the QT hotel, this place is definitely worth a try, and maybe a few more tries after! read more

Really cool fun restaurant with great food. Extensive menu to please everyone's taste buds. The minute steak was great with tasty fries. The snapper was also terrific. Dark hip type of atmosphere. The wait staff were all very friendly. read more

Great ambiance. Nice decor. Casual, hip-ish, eclectic. Not cutting edge but good. Same with the crowd. High prices. Pretty good food. Peppercorn steak was undercooked and tough. Still ate it all. Vegetables were really good. Steamed Squash, zucchini, peas and asparagus. Aye it all. Starts with oysters. The best. Ate them all. Skipped dessert. The se million blend white wine was not good. The Pinot noir from NZ was ok. Service was excellent. Quick efficient and respectful. A highlight. Worth a visit. I saw the duck and chicken being served. They looked delicious. read more

A tale of two meals. Dined here prior to the theatre. The Dear Wife ordered the Crispy Duck, which unfortunately wasn't. Well spiced but the meat was tough and the skin not crispy. I had the beef rib which was excellent, tasty and tender. Side of veges with ricotta was just the ticket Service was attentive but I was disappointed that all other tables were given a bread basket but not us. Maybe they correctly noted that I don't need it read more