We went here for a work Christmas lunch. The staff and food were amazing, but they lost one star due to the music. Intermittently there was a DJ playing a loud beeping sound. Sometimes the beat would "drop" (is that what the kids call it?) and an electronic voice over saying "this is an emergency" would start. This was accompanied by a "whoop whoop" noise. While I wouldn't search it out, my colleagues and I agreed it was refreshing to hear what we think the kids call "dub mix". read more

Palings Kitchen and Bar - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

I was in search for a reasonably priced steak as I wanted to impress some visitors form overseas. Had a look online and ended up here upon the recommendation of their steaks on a website, but they were truly subpar. The price was a little more on the high side average ($35), but the quality was not even as good as $10 pub grub. We ordered a few other dishes, including their Pear Salad, and that was horrible too. Had a skim through their menu and it didn't really flow with the "higher end" Aussie feed and their Thai dishes. We also got some $20+ cocktails that was really meh. Needless to say, I won't be coming back. We ordered the: x Rump Steak ($35) x Minute Steak ($29) x Grilled Peach Salad ($18) x Lady Altos Cocktail ($19) x Mandarin Martini ($19) x Negroni ($18) read more

I don't know. At $17 for a Pad Thai, I don't think I'll be returning, especially considering they couldn't get the order right. I asked for no shrimp because allergies and no nuts just because. The dish came out about a half hour later with nuts on the side. I thought, no biggie..I'll just brush it away. Next thing..oh look...there's shrimp in the bowl too... I reiterated no shrimp to the waiter when I was ordering and they still messed it up. The waiters also have a habit of not looking up when they are making their way around as it took us a good twenty minutes to flash someone down for the bill at the end. read more

Have you been to Ivy Main Bar on level 1 recently? Well, don't bother. It no longer exists! But, before you get too upset, we're here to tell you about Merivale's new level 1 concept - Palings Kitchen and Bar. There's no denying those folks at Merivale have created some pretty cool spots in the past, so you know Palings is going to be right on the money. Gone is the glam bar fit out and upmarket eatery Mad Cow and in it's place is a casual hawker style food hall of sorts with a faint nautical inspired theme. Is it just me, or is everything going cas these days? There's plenty of indoor/outdoor seating and it screams 'work lunch' to Mr M and I when we visit for (you guessed it) a work lunch on a very hot Sydney day. There's even a cute Thai Canteen! Serving up simple, no fuss meals with seasonal ingredients that won't break the bank, expect to find an extensive menu, with the likes of sandwiches, salads, wood grills and roasts. Oh, and street style Thai of course! If you're wanting table service, be sure to make a booking, but if you're happy to order at the bar, feel free to walk in off the street. Due to the heat this day, Mr M and I decide to order salads. But, we can't resist starting with a little fried goodness... * Croquette, jamon and manchego, quince * Buratta, field tomato, basil and parsley dressing * Broccolini, beetroot and rainbow chard, pine nut and sesame dressing The enormous venue is packed by the time we leave. Seems people are liking the new relaxed level 1 concept! So, next time you're looking for a casual work lunch or dinner, why not give Palings Kitchen and Bar a try?! read more

Went here for lunch yesterday and I have to say a little disappointed. I know it's bar food but honestly for the price it isn't worth it. My boyfriend got the pie and for $18 it was just a pie.. Best to go downstairs to the bakery and pay $6 for exactly the same thing. The staff were nice enough and the surroundings fun but a tad pretentious. I can think of many other places for a nice city lunch. read more

ice venue - Palings is good for work lunches but it is pretty much outdoors so not great on cold days. They have a grill menu, sandwiches and Thai menu. The pork belly looked delicious but best shared between at least two people with rice. Pad si ewe was excellent, well balanced sauce and vegetables. Perfect portion for one person. Stir fried vegetables is enough for three people as a side. Their salads looked delicious as well. I recommend booking especially for groups. They accept credit card and have to order at the bar (no table service). The staff had trouble finding our table though. Food arrived very quickly and we were there at midday on Friday. read more

Palings Kitchen and Bar - Chicken Pad Si Ewe - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

It was ok. That's about the best I can do. The food was average, service was patchy, wine was truly dreadful, not sure if they have a storage problem or a selection problem, but both reds we had were shockers. Beer was good :-) but it usually is. read more

Love going to Palings for a work lunch. You sit in the big open courtyard and can choose to order from a Thai kitchen, Deli or Grill. I usually get the lovely salads from the Deli. Note that there is a table service restaurant section or the more open section where you pay at the counter. I much prefer the open section as you have more space and are outdoors. read more

Palings Kitchen and Bar - Delicious salads from 'the Deli' - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Bit of confusion on first arriving - we'd made a booking, told we'd be sitting in the bar area, but as we had someone in our party recovering from surgery who didn't want to order at the bar ended up paying a surcharge to sit in the table service area. Copped a bit of flak from the waiter as two of our party wanted to share the $35 meal deal. While he couldn't 'technically' stop them from ordering 'it is intended for one person'. Flak not necessary when people just don't have the appetite for a full meal - they still spent more than they would each on a sandwich. I had the schnitty sandwich which was, somewhat unexpected with Sydney's love of baguettes and paninis, actually served on fluffy white bread and cut up in to soldiers. It seems very similar to the full schnitzel meal, but on bread. Filling and tasty - I'd definitely return to have this from lunch. Mixed reviews on their meals from the rest of the table but no-one out-and-out disliked their order. I also had the fries with aioli - essentially McDonalds chips and I wish I'd got the saltwater potatoes instead. I'm not a fan of Ivy so I won't comment on the atmosphere except to say I'm glad we were in one of the more casual areas. read more

Located in the 'garden' area of the Ivy, I thought this was a restaurant. In fact, it's just the 'bar food'. Menu is interesting and diverse. read more

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We wondered in here to get out of the rain while we waited for Bistro Felix downstairs to empty out. It really is OK, but kind of a hodge-podge of construction and was quite busy which meant service staff weren't able to particularly focus on customers. We had some small food servings, popcorn and bacon which was OK - mild heat. A charcuterie platter was well done. They'd run out of hot apple cider and supplied a cold cider - on a cold rainy night not what I'd particularly wanted. I wouldn't head back there in a hurry - there were a few smokers that seemed to think since it was open air in the central part of Palings it meant it was OK to smoke, so all in all, I was happy to leave. Maybe head back when on a less busy time - but really, in Sydney who has time to revisit places you didn't have a good experience at to begin with? read more

Went here for a work lunch and was a little apprehensive when I found out it was in the Ivy. The verdict? I was actually quite impressed with the overall experience. The decor is trendy and the food was pretty good. Great place for a catch up. read more

Thai food? I dont think the chef has ever eaten authentic thai food in his/her life. Also somehow they managed to mess up a quesadilla. Its cheese and tortilla and yet they managed to make it barely edible. Also, I am all for a little conversation with the waiter/waitress but our waitress spent 15 minutes telling us her life story. Completely unprompted. read more

think I've been to Palings for just about every occasion at this point - work events, birthday parties, Friday night drinks, sporting events, lunch dates etc - and it works for everything. Happy hours (5-7pm I believe) make it a great place for after work drinks in the city. The atmosphere is lively and you can choose for an assortment of seating areas (tables, restaurant, sitting at the bar), depending on what you're after. The food is also good, and portion sizes were good as well. read more

Had a business lunch at Palings and it was lovely. The food was amazing and the staff wee great. Made you feel at home.

The minute steak and South Australian reds on the menu are very good. Cooked perfectly, served quickly.