Very disappointing lunch today. The prawn cocktail was served in a V shaped glass bowl with the heads and tails still attached to the prawns. It was very difficult to remove the tails and heads and there was no other dish or plate to put them in. No finger bowl or paper serviette to clean fingers after the operation. Sauce had no flavour. The chips were lukewarm so weren't eaten. I have dined here many times over the years but the standard has dropped and the prices have risen. Great location but the food needs attention. However, the staff were very helpful. read more

Love the location and building of this restaurant.. Finally doing something with the old surf house was long over due. Yes the views are beautiful an the food good. Just a bit over priced. I can do better on the Sydney Harbour at Aria for pricing. It's a great addition though to Newcastle and I think worth the visit. read more

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The setting right on the beachfront, and view is stunning and this is taken full advantage of by the architecture. However this is all it really has going for it - the views and a pretty schmick website - I was sucked in by the photos showing different times of the day. Anyway. I have been there for a work lunch while in Newcastle, and while it was OK, the menu seemed a little less adventurous than I would have liked - a setting like this demands a bold and confident menu. Also the service was a shambles, they could really do from some training and a bit of sprucing up in this department. If they fixed the staff training and deportment, and have a crack at a more innovative menu then they would get 5 stars. My best advice, skip the food and spend your time and money soaking up the glorious views and sun drinking on the deck. read more

Merewether Surfhouse - Restaurants Near Me - Merewether, NSW

Cocktails are delicious but staff are very rude. It's a busy Saturday afternoon and they act like we are doing them a great disservice by being here. We ordered a French martini and were given an espresso martini - waitress advised that she normally works downstairs and therefore couldn't help us (?). No other option given. Overall quite condescending attitude from all of the bar staff. Disappointing as previous experiences have been good. read more

Had an amazing time for my work Christmas party. It was busy but understandably so with the weather and location. The staff were friendly and minus a few mistakes, kept up with our drinks and food orders. The cocktails are $15 each. Not sure if that is standard as I don't drink often but they were yum and well presented. The turtle, caprioska and pimm's cup are worth a try. The cheeseburger sliders, pork ribs and mushroom pizza were also delicious. Plenty of mushroom so I was happy. A really lovely spot with an exceptional view.! read more

Merewether Surfhouse - The Turtle - Restaurants Near Me - Merewether, NSW

Staff were friendly, but the overpriced food was below average. This restaurant used to be top-notch and paired with the stunning views it was a 5-star venue. But last weekend it was more like RSL food at a premium price. The greatest disappointment was the lack of any decent vegetarian options for a main. And no - seafood is NOT vegetarian! I had lamb cutlets which came out fatty, crumbed and overcooked. My vegetarian guest could not stomach her meal. So the chefs need to reinvigorate the menu, include modern vegetarian options, better serving sizes for the price, and then it may be a place I would recommend. But based on my recent dining experience I think I will not go back again. read more

Ok so now we've been back again. Can't believe this place has fallen so far from what it used to be. Such a shame. Ordered fish and chips, beef burger and oysters. The chips were horrendous - a far cry from those amazing beer battered ones we used to love here. We asked what happened to the chips to which the answer was 'that's what everyone asks but I'm not sure why they were changed'. Disappointed! Burger was ordinary for $20 and fish was a tiny portion for $26. Only thing this place has going for it at the moment is the pizza downstairs and the views. What. A. Shame. I will no longer be bringing out of town visitors here as it is embarrassing. read more

I went to the cafe for breakfast late last year, when the construction was still finishing. The view and location was lovely, and I really want to try the restaurant. Middle of the week, the cafe was busy. I ordered a chocolate milkshake and the pancakes. The milkshake cost $6 then (it has since been reduced to $5.50), and was extremely small and did not have much chocolate flavour to it, and it wasn't cold - plus it came in a take away cup. Goldbergs does the best milkshake in Newcastle and it is almost two dollars cheaper. The pancakes were okay, nothing special, and there weren't enough berries for the portion. My sister's eggs and bacon weren't anything mindblowing either, and the tomato was just awful - cooked but stone cold. It's expensive compared to the quality you're receiving. I see the menu has since changed and the prices have dropped very slightly (less than a dollar on average) but I'd skip breakfast entirely and try the cafe's lunch menu, or the new pizza bar, next time. read more

Putting a fancy name on very ordinary food does not make it good food or justify the rich prices charged. I was looking for a special day out with my wife but did not find it here. read more

Great views of the beach and Merewether baths. The food though is not as good as it should be. The salmon was well over cooked. Only slightly better than pub food. read more

Merewether Surfhouse - Salmon, unfortunately well over-cooked. - Restaurants Near Me - Merewether, NSW

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The staff in the cafe below were incredibly friendly, but unfortunately some of the food was not cooked. Two people at my table ordered the corn cakes and sadly they were severely undercooked, almost to the point of it being raw. My food was nice, Smoked Salmon and cream cheese bagel. The flavour was nice, but there was a mountain of greens on top that were not dressed at all. Presentation was nice. Didn't live up to the food last time. The drinks were really nice. Overall I will be back but hopefully all the food is actually cooked. read more

We had breakfast in the cafe this week and it was woeful. The location is great and the building is pretty schmick, just like Scratchleys. The other thing it has in common with Scratchleys is very ordinary fare. When I pay $85 for breakfast for 2 adults and 2 kids, I expect something slightly better than what my 11 yo daughter cooked me for Father's Day. Lift your game, Newcastle. read more

First time I went, about 3 years ago thought this place was pretty good, albeit overpriced (understandable considering the location). Went recently with a couple of close friends. Overpriced, slow service and not overly friendly at that. Meals were just slightly below average, so all in all, I will not be back. View = A1 Meals and service = D grade. read more

We waited almost an hour (ok it's holiday time we were prepared to wait) for the worst food I have had near the beach. We purchased 5 calamari packs for $15.50 each. Each one had a different number of calamari (from 0-15 rings) and a small serve of chips. The calamari was the frozen variety- disappointing from a beach side cafe. The staff were not friendly and we had to take food back 3 times before the order was semi right. This was a very expensive and disappointing experience... families beware! read more

I've been upstairs a few times to the main bar, including once for an engagement and another time for a birthday. It was relaxed, friendly and comfortable. There was a mix of different people about most times. The bar food is actually very good - the mini cheese burgers are a must. They also have cider on tap and that was a plus for me. Downstairs at the cafe was nice, I've eaten there twice and both times I ordered a bacon and egg breakfast after a big night. The coffee is ok. The pizza bar is the standout for me. It's simple but the pizzas are very nice. The pepperoni one is better without so much chilli, and they were happy to make it without. The cheese is great, and the margarita is probably the best. Being able to have a beer down there looking at the water and sharing pizza with friend yis a good feeling. read more

got about 4 steps through the door on our first visit late afternoon when we were turned away -correction: shouted across the room from the bar by an obviously inexperienced girl- for bringing our newborn baby in with us. No explanation or supervisor to gently translate this, basically a turn around and get out. Obviously not a family-friendly place. The manager downstairs to his credit took the time to hear our concerns after seeking him out, but pretty much just had the shrug and run attitude about it. Might be an ok place to one day return at lunchtime and take 10 mins outside on the bottom floor while the kids run about, but definitely at the moment they seem more concerned with the 20-year old beach pretties than welcoming families and new clientele. Extremely disappointing. read more

I have been there twice and both times very disappointing considering the high level of restaurant they are trying to be. View - wonderful. Food - average to below par. Service - average. They need to pick their game up to be amongst the top restaurants in Newcastle. read more