Black Cockatoo - MOUNT BULLER

Started well with a lovely pork belly and Burretta . Very nice to offer free bread . However things went sour from here , gnocchi was inedible , bitter and sour , chowder was average , lamb was ok, all portions small . another issue , pet hate is a waitress that won’t write down the order , relies on memory , and then gets the order wrong , we order potatoes but they never came : disappointing . Octopus was a big winner .

We thought this place would be just expensive, but it's actually amazing. The entre of raw beef and quail egg was refreshing and be a really good starter. The short ribs were so tender that they just melted in your mouth.

Great restaurant food was excellent a mix of mod oz and Japanese. Fish was fresh despite being on the mountain, wine list compact but solid excellent beer and cocktail list, nice setting, dress standards are could be tightened. Nice for a romantic night out or a knees up with friends.

Could have been rated a 4.5 but individuals were asked randomly if they wanted to use the cloak room to hang up coats and jackets and our tables top was loose and very wobbly buy a screw driver! The atmosphere is warm and welcoming while the furniture is poorly maintained, seats were comfortable and there was plenty of room. Interesting that the room was divided in two with a walkway through the middle but whatever. Lovely real fire place in the front area where one group could sit to enjoy small plates of food and drink adjusted sitting could allow more than one group here. Food was very good not excellent, but very good. Pork belly was lovely and tender but could use a sauce of some description and the $70 scotch fillet steak was good, but not excellent and note rare is not medium glad I didn 't get the $150 wagyu would not have enjoyed a grade 9 steak rare at all. I wish restaurants would realise that eating raw beef fat is not enjoyable a rare steak should be lean, not fatty cooked fat is delightful uncooked fat is like chewing on lard. Desert was good but not excellent. Overall it was good but over priced for good . Service was efficient and friendly.

I was very much looking forward to trying Black Cockatoo however was sadly disappointed. Positives first up the barmen were creative, knowledgable with an impressive selection of drinks available. It 's a very busy bar but service given was engaging and done with a smile. The big negative I experienced was the food. My friend and I ordered a selection of plates to share and there was nothing to write home about. The menu sounds promising, but dishes don 't deliver. Flavours were completely unbalanced, and one plate we sent back after a mouthful each the kingfish sushi served with a jalapeño dressing was so hot the fish couldn 't be tasted in the slightest, not to mention it made us frantically reach for the fluids! I don 't mind a bit of kick but it was ridiculous. When we gave polite feedback to the waitress the response we got when she came back from the kitchen was the kitchen said that 's how it 's meant to be, and well I guess everyone 's tastes are different I 'm sorry but at the prices charged (regardless of location surcharge expected) the kitchen should understand how to match the right dressing to produce and in the very least warn customers of punch your lights out spicy sauces. I would definitely go for a drink and the buzzy atmosphere, but head over to Kaptans or Snowpony for dinner if you want to dine well.