Awesome

4.5 Stars. Had the $89 Tasting menu which was actually quite good value for money. Decor and service are excellent - and it is such a gorgeous spot in the gardens. Having had set menu's at both Chin Chin and China Doll, I feel that the food here just lacks a little bit of flavour and culinary excellence when compared to these two other fine dining restaurants. Unlike the other two though, I felt incredibly full by the end which you don't always expect with fine dining (a nice surprise!). Only major qualm is the fact that you do have to walk at least a couple of hundred metres to get to the restaurant - which does feel a little unusual.

Luke Nguyen and staff did an amazing job with their tasting menu. Very friendly staff, fast turn around with food, very short waiting time. Each dish is a work of art and tastes amazing. We were fortunate enough to meet Luke as he was walking around and speaking with all the guests. Highly recommend.

A great place in the middle of the botanic gardens... I love the interior... it really makes a difference to the experience. The coffee is so good. The service is good for such a busy place... It is really nice to explore hidden places that look like a gem in the middle of such amazing garden.

Came here for dinner with my family. The food was okay and well-presented, but not very hot and bit overrated for the taste. In terms of the service, the staff always looked like they were in a rush or something although the restaurant was pretty quiet at the time. They quickly filled up water in my cup and water was spilled on the table, but they didn’t wipe it off until we had our last dish. When serving the food, they were like rapping out the name of the dishes and it was also the same when they talked to us. They also dropped some food on the table from the dishes when collecting finished plates. On top of that, I don’t want to say they’re discriminating but we noticed they said thank you, turned their head to the entrance and greeted all other customers when they left the restaurant. But when it came to us, no one said anything when we left. And again, the restaurant was not that busy at the time and some of the staff saw us leaving as well. As celebrating lunar new year, we just want some family time with our mom as we have been busy with work in the past year. We found our restaurant online, read the reviews and it was amazing so we decided to give it a go. My mom loves Vietnamese food as well so it’s a bonus point. However, the experience was not as our expected and it was a bit disappointing. The price is also not worth it for the taste of dishes and the service. Overall, I think this restaurant will be a nice place for anyone who wants to try something new, not far from the traditional Vietnamese dishes and something unique. But honestly it’s not the place that I would recommend coming back and visiting every year.

Attended a work conference here for the day and hard to imagine a nicer place to be in. Lots of natural light and fresh air, surrounded by the beautiful gardens. Food, coffee and service were all excellent. Want to come back to try the restaurant but would highly recommend it for a function.

The surroundings rivalled only by the beauty on the plate, the riot of colour rivalled only by the flavours. The tasting menu was varied and very well composed, they accomodated a dietary requirement with care and effort. Service was attentive and we had a lovely time, a memorable occasion celebrated perfectly.

We had a really great Mother’s Day late lunch at Botanic House and sampled a broad range of the menu. The family favourites were; scallops, the chicken salad and dessert. Service was quite good and appreciate it had been a long day for the wait staff.

Had a great day there yesterday for anniversary lunch and could not be more happy. Staff were great and food and view was excellent. Paris at the bar was a legend and kept the drinks coming and all in all was a great day and will definitely be coming back again. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Incredible place. Stopped here without a booking and dined in for the tasting menu, it was divine! The food was perfect and so delicious, 9 courses of delicately balanced flavours. Learn from my mistake, don’t drink too many beverages or you won’t have enough room for the food! So good.

(Translated by Google) Cool ... ok ... (Original) Spoko ..ok...

Beautiful setting in the botanic gardens. The cafe food is fresh and yummy. Stop by for a wrap (vegetable or chicken) or lots of mains to choose from, fish and chips or salads are very substantial. Coffees and desserts are also very yummy. There is also fine dining upstairs by Luke Nguyen. Sit inside if you don't want to be annoyed by the ibis who are always looking for an opportunity to steal your food.

Red Balloon gift for the degustation menu took my teenage daughter out for a fancy lunch. You know what the food was really good. Tasty, fragrant and light. Spending a pleasant couple of hours with fabulous company and lovely vista into the botanical gardens. The only downside observation were the acoustics. High ceilings with angles tend to carry the noise with everyone competing to be heard. Pick your time I guess. But do go.

What a beautiful experience of gourmet food. Must try their lunch shared special, minimum for 2 people. The snacks and starters are out of this world. My taste buds had a great time. I will let the pictures do the talking. Predominantly South Asian flavors and menu created by famous chef Luke Nguyen. The menu changes every season.

We absolutely loved our meal! The food was delicious and the setting is lovely. We had the set lunch meal with cocktails and wine through Red Balloon - it was a good deal. Every dish was interesting. We were given a complimentary birthday cake which was a nice touch. Recommend trying for something special.

What a way to celebrate coming out of lockdown. Situated within the beautiful Sydney Botanical Gardens is a beautiful restaurant that was definitely worth visiting. We had the Deluxe Dining package which was a 9 course tasting menu by Luke Nguyen. Everything was delicious and very well presented. The service was great and very personable. Would do this again. Highly recommended.

They've rebuilt the whole house - and it looks beautiful both outside and inside. The interior is absolutely lovely with a lot of wood and warm pastel colours. The views from upstairs are still great. Cafe area has plenty of shade which makes it so comfortable in summer.

Disappointed, I'm not sure if they were understaffed or just new staff. It's always the little things that make or break. Staff were friendly, food okay, cocktails when finally arrived were good

We dined here for lunch and booked their Deluxe Dining. Every dish was spectacular and they catered well for dietary needs. The vegetarian dishes were as great as the others. Each dish was full of flavour and even their sauces were amazing. My favorites were their jackfruit dish, the calamari and their amazing raspberry ice cream.

We had tasting menu $69/pp for lunch. I felt very rush to leave the restaurant and they asked us to sit outside so we could stay longer . After we paid the bill, went back to order for our another drinks. But I couldn’t order iced latte which I was drinking during the lunch . The person said they don’t do Iced latte . I was sure they can make it so went to another person to order our drink and got the drinks. It wasn’t very good experience about service but, Food was great.Vegetarian food was available and they were good too .🍽♥️

Its an amazing place. Go for a walk. Enjoy your time with family. Have a coffee from the cafe.

Beautiful food. The flavours were amazing. A beautiful interpretation of Vietnamese flavours in a modern presentation.

It almost feels like your seated in a pretty little green house, over looking cascading trees, a pond and in the back drop Sydney Harbour. The decor is simple, warm and welcoming. The staff have personality, friendly and accomodating. We shared the Deluxe tasting menu, inclusive of two cocktails and a bottle of wine. The menu started strong with flavoursome entrees but fizzled midway with mains, ending on a high note with a most delicious textural dessert. What didn’t we like? The yellow fin tuna, was difficult to taste because the two slices received were incredibly tiny. The papaya salad with remnants of pork slices, tasted heavily of red cabbage because this featured predominantly throughout. I asked the waitress what the dish should taste like. It was explained it should taste salty, sour, sweet. None of these flavours were present. The waitress was kind to offer another but we declined. The barramundi & noodle dish, also a little disappointing. We couldn’t cut through the rubbery skin, much less chew it. We requested freshly chopped chilli to add some heat, I think we were given decorative chillies. Overall, the experience was lovely due to a combination of factors, including staff, the setting and half of the dishes served were tasty, in my opinion. Lovely place for lunch.

Very last minute booking and could only get a 2:30 sitting, but wow, we were impressed. The interior is stunning and there is something about looking out at the historic botanical gardens that makes it just extra special! The food was a taste sensation and the right size portions, wine list is brief and could be much better but was satisfactory as bubbles goes with everything on their menu. An experience that met our expectations!! We will be back.

Took my mum here, we had a great time. The tasting lunch menu was great value, all the dishes were delightful and delicious. The service was good, though the food came quite slowly. The restaurant is nested inside the Royal botanic garden so the surroundings couldn’t be better.

Beautiful decor (the ceiling flower arrangement is a wow!) and setting (botanical gardens outside the floor-to-ceiling windows!). Combined with pleasant service and great food, this was a very good lunch. The young jackfruit with sesame crackers and slow cooked spiced wagyu brisket on cabbage salad were creative takes on traditional Vietnamese dishes. The twice-cooked master stock chicken was a bit dry. The scallops were almost so perfect with a delicious sauce, but they were seared a little too long so they ended up too firm. Otherwise the scallops would have been the best dish! I was hoping for a stronger presence from the aboriginal ingredients.

Elegant, light-filled interior overlooking the lush, botanical gardens. Professional, friendly and attentive staff with impeccable customer service. Every dish served in the degustation was perfectly cooked, rich in flavour and ended with a delicious dessert plate. I’d highly recommend coming here for couples and small groups.

We loved our degustation lunch and the beautiful views over the park. Service was great, too! The little birthday plate was a nice surprise.

We were given a red balloon voucher in 2019 and finally put it to use, we had to pay an extra $60 as prices had gone up but we didnt mind as it was absolutely wonderful. We had the tasting menu for lunch. We arrived a little before the 11am opening time and were seated with some water. After this we selected a cocktail each and right on 11am the meals began. We werent rushed and felt like everything was spaced out perfectly. The staff let us know what every item was. We were offered more drinks that were included in our package and our water was always topped up. We took our 8yr old son with us as we were celebrating his birthday and our anniversary, it was no trouble. They cooked up a delicious calamari and chips for him, he was also able to order off the normal menu aswell and at the end they even gave him a bowl of the the "best icecream ever". We had a wonderful time and the food was incredible. So fresh and delicious. The view is stunning from the venue and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. A great day!

Having lunch with besties before Christmas. Delicious food, great matching wine, Very friendly staff. Ink is best hosted .We had a wonderful time.

The food was quite nice, contemporary and creative Vietnamese dishes by star chef Luke Nguyen. This being said the sauces were often a bit unbalanced… a bit too sweet or too salty. This being food was well presented and the number of dishes that were served makes it a good value all things considered. The issue is the acoustics of the place that make it impossible to have a conversation, turning what would be a lovely lunch into a slightly awkward moment. The staff also were not always very nice or welcoming, basically taking orders, running around and dropping dishes at the tables. The surroundings of the garden are amazing and the place would highly benefit from an acoustic redesign with the addition of soft furnishing to the walls and ceilings, possibly also rugs on the floors. Slightly tweaking and balancing sauces better would highly increase the potential of the restaurant and possibly allow them to charge a bit more for a more classy environment and service.

Modern Asian cuisine. Appealing food presentation. Expected tastier dishes for the price. Staffs were excellent and very accommodating. Quite noisy atmosphere.

Great location with a good view. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, menu ever changing to suit seasons. Location is a bit out of the way as it's in the centre of the Botanic garden, but the scroll through the gardens was nice. Only thing we can pick was very small, such as the mains being a bit too salty to our liking and water top up. Otherwise everything else was great.

The degustation menu here was a culinary experience par excellence - 9 small, shared dishes of Asian inspired food with native Australian touches (like the exquisite small tempura battered saltbush leaves in one of our entrees). A great range of dishes with interesting twists of flavours and textures. Attentive, timely service was appreciated, a good wine (an Adelaide Sauvignon Blanc) was served and the outlook from our table by the window was very pleasant. The only negative to me was the 'up-beat' music playing in the background for the whole meal - which detracted from the otherwise wonderful ambience. Overall, though an amazing experience for all of the senses.

Botanic House is an absolutely wonderful venue for a wedding. The location is truly magical, with stunning gardens and elegant interiors. The food is absolutely divine, and the service is top-notch. Absolutely divine! I hope we get a chance to photograph another stunning wedding there soon.

Beautiful restaurant in a perfect nature setting combined with delicious food was a 10/10 experience. The details in the food - texture, appearance, flavours, seasonal - was delightful !! Took my friend here on her birthday and they even surprised her with a chocolate cake. Very nice ! Will be back and look forward to trying different dishes based on what's in season.

Food was amazing. The staff are friendly and the restaurant has an amazing view. Location is perfect for walks before or after you dine.

Today we had the pleasure of experiencing the chef tasting lunch menu. The venue was so relaxed and pretty and the food absolutely devine with every dish so delicate and given so much care, you could taste the love of cooking from the kitchen. The the staff were very attentive, friendy and helpful. I would recommend this experience to everyone.

For the first night of Vivid, we had what was effectively a 9 course refined tasting menu with matching wines. Sitting at the large glass windows overlooking the Lightscape event we got to enjoy some of the lights during dinner before we went to the event later in the night. The food was brilliant. The staff were attentive and efficient. Although we opted for the more expensive dining experience for a birthday celebration, it wasn’t the only option available. Restaurant itself was lovely and quiet during our sitting. The Betel leaf was amazing.

What a awesome location and setting, truly special. We had the deluxe lunch and it didn’t disappoint. The blend of flavours danced harmoniously together bringing the palate alive. Worth every cent and we look forward to tasting the winter menu when it’s available!

We opted for.tje premium lunch which included a choice from 2 cocktails on arrival and 2 more alcoholic drinks or bottle of wine to.share. The food did not disappoint. Each course is beautifully presented and the flavours incredible. Only marked down one point on service, as upon arrival we were shown to our table and left for quite a while before anyone came near us again. This did not ruin the overall experience, however. Definitely a meal to remember.

My partner and I came here for our 6 year anniversary lunch (after it being on our list of places to go for a long time) and it was well worth it, our only regret was not coming sooner! We had the 9 course tasting menu along with some cocktails. This combined with the view, interior decor, great customer service and an appearance from Luke really added to the fantastic experience we had. If we could give this more than 5 stars we would. Our favourites were definitely the scallops, chicken skewers, barramundi and the master stock chicken. And to finish it all off, we were treated with a special anniversary cake (which we couldn't finish since we were so full!) We're not the most adventurous when it comes to trying new food as we like to stick within our comfort zone, however, the different combinations of Asian flavours were delicious. We left thinking about the next time we would be coming back - spoiler alert: very soon! Thank you to Luke and the team for the perfect way to spend our anniversary :)

Situated in the heart of the gardens amongst all the plants and wildlife it has a certain oasis feel to it. Expansive seating but still very loud. They need to soften the place up a little more. Felt more casual than the prices suggested. Meals were great as was the wine pairing. We did opt for the extra serves and luckily we did as the portions are a little small. Asian cuisine traditionally an should be cheap and simple. They was anything but. Most meals were fusion and felt a little over complex and mis mash. Recommended for a group booking but needs a little refinement.

Simply stunning

Such a beautiful spot for lunch. Stunningly presented and tasty food. The servers were efficient and pleasant. It was our anniversary. In addition to the delicious dessert, we were presented with a piece of brownie on a sweet decorated plate. It made our celebration even more special. Thank you, we loved it!

Love love love the tasting menu. Amazing dishes all of them. Great portion, we were so full after. The cocktails were also very yummy and not too strong! Beautiful space and staff. Will definitely come back!

It’s a beautiful space, in the middle of botanical gardens. Degustation lunch - food was pretty yummy, nicely sized portions. Bonus that they threw in a brownie because someone overheard that it was my birthday ?? @dontwaitdate on insta

Food - excellent Service - very good Decor - good Prices - little ouch..... Will save up to go again.

Amazing everything!

Amazing food terrific service and amazing Outlook to the Botanic gardens. Only downside is the cost of parking but it's in the middle of the CBD so public transport is easy

Nice.

Good food, excellent wait staff service. Would visit again

Loved it.

The restaurant was almost full on our arrival, and the windows were closed re weather, so lots of hard surfaces and no soft furnishings does equal a lot of sound bouncing around. For a younger demographic, this place would be great but for older folk with even slightly compromised hearing, conversing would be difficult.

Beautiful.

Food beyond bad Worst asian food ever been Nice environment

Beautiful garden.

I emailed them asking about their booking system on their own website, and this person didn’t even answer my question and just told me to book through Red Balloon instead. Guess what? On their website, the price for tasting menu is $59 pp but it’s $110 pp on Red Balloon!! I asked them to clarify and never heard back. Wow wow wow I can’t believe they think customers are all stupid and trying to rip us off. COVID is not an excuse to behave like this.

We dined here for lunch on our anniversary. We ordered the tasting menu. I have to say that it was a fantastic dining experience. The fusion of flavours was amazing. We found the staff attentive without being intrusive and extremely friendly. There is a pretty good selection of wines which can match the complexity of flavours.

Good food at a reasonable price. The location is beautiful but not signposted nor is it on google maps properly. Had the set menu which I thought was very good value. Would prefer less fried dishes personally but suspect most are quite happy with the range of dishes. Only complaint was it was so ridiculously hot inside. The air con appeared to be on (although not 100% sure) but with the doors open it was useless. We were all sweating at the table and had to cut our meal short as it was so uncomfortable. Would definitely come again, especially with a group but just on a cooler day.

Be very careful with your booking My booking for a 70th birthday was cancelled by the restaurant one week out as they got a bigger function

We did the banquet and it was delicious. The portion was perfect and the venue was beautiful. Will come back again for sure :))

This is a lot nicer since they changed things around and revamped it up. Lot cleaner. Only down side are the large 'bin birds' outside the cafe, that scrounge and will pinch food. Other than that a nice to sit and have a coffee.

The set menu was absolutely delightful to the taste buds. It was so light and flavoursome with beautiful and creative settings. The place is cosy and good vibe that brings joy to heart!

The food deserves 5 stars, I took away 2 only because the pace is too fast to enjoy properly. Our booking for the tasting menu said 2 hours but they only allowed 1.5, in which time we were quickly served the 11 courses and 3 alcoholic drinks + coffee. A better restaurant would have spaced out the dishes and allowed us to enjoy our drinks at a more reasonable pace (I gave up on the third drink altogether). I requested a break before the dessert which was ignored because I guess someone was waiting for the table. We were moved to the lounge for our coffee which was fine.

Celebrated my birthday here today. Food- amazing. Location - unbeatable. Service - exceptional. I highly recommend if you are wanting a special lunch experience.

Airy and bright space. The food is fantastic and the tasting plate servings are most generous.

Beautiful place

Just visit....too many attractions to list..

Beautiful place to dine, location couldn't be better.

An eye opener, very nice way to spend the day

Such a picturesque location, such horrible coffee.

The renovations have reslly opened up the venue

Great food and service

Food ok. Staff not great. Location amazing.. will go back because issues were really minor. Dumplings are very good.

I definitely recommended the tempura Egg plants, it really nice and soft inside and has a great crunch outside, the Vietnamese coffee cake was good as well. The sitting area is very nice, however I'm not sure they have air-conditioning and the day I visited was very warm.

Fresh food, friendly staff, perfect setting

Lovely heritage building with quality Australiana stock.

Nice food and coffee, convenient if you're visiting the gardens.

What a great experience. Great setting, amazing food. We all had the Tasting Menu and were not disappointed at all. The entire meal was complimented with expressions of joy from us all. I'm a simple guy and generally not incredibly adventurous with my palette, but all of the food was wonderful despite any reservations I may have initially had. Such a great way to have a meal having small selections of a variety of food. Great place for a regular meal if you have the budget, and certainly a fantastic choice for a special occasion, they even brought us a little cake as a gift which was very much appreciated (albeit uncharacteristicly a tad dry, but still lovely). Overall just a wonderful experience and well worth a visit.

(Translated by Google) Manada here is the worst from the real impression of a female employee, and I said if I can see the menu first because it's break time. I shouted out. When I received an order, I stood on the other side with a cheeky attitude and poured it into the cup as if pouring water over me, and eventually it was all up on the table, but it disappeared after wiping off in just one second. Eventually dine at the watery table. The woman spoils all the pleasant afternoons. From frowning faces to blunt gestures. If you don't like it, why don't you stay at home? Remember the worst restaurant in Sydney !! When I arrived, one of the staff said that the lunch should wait. I said yes, and I asked again if I could preview the menu and she said "OK, just sit down there!" Screamed and every staff looked at me and I was very ashamed. And when I placed an order, one staff stood opposite me and poured water as if it were sticking to me, and the water spilled on the table. But she wiped the water out in just one second halfheartedly and then disappeared, and I had to eat with a watered table and a wet cup. This restaurant ruined my happy afternoon, and her unpleasant feeling was not forgotten !! (Original) 여기 마니다라는 여자직원 진짜 인상부터 최악이더니 브레이크 타임이라 먼저 메뉴 볼 수 있냐고 말했더니 알겠으니 거기 앉아 있으라고! 소리질러서 개황당. 주문 받을 때는 건방진 태도로 맞은편에 서서 마치 물을 나한테 쏟아 붓듯이 컵에 따르더니 결국 테이블에 다 업질렀는데 진짜 1초만에 닦는 시늉하고 사라짐. 결국 물바닥 된 테이블에서 식사. 그 여자때문에 기분좋은 오후 다 망침. 온통 찡그린 얼굴에 퉁명스러운 몸짓까지. 그렇게 싫으면 집에 있지 왜 남의 기분까지 망침??? 최악의 레스토랑 기억 in 시드니!! When I arrived, one of the staff said that the lunch should wait. I said yes, and I asked again if I could preview the menu and she said "OK, just sit down there!" Screamed and every staff looked at me and I was very ashamed. And when I placed an order, one staff stood opposite me and poured water as if it were sticking to me, and the water spilled on the table. But she wiped the water out in just one second  halfheartedly and then disappeared, and I had to eat with a watered table and a wet cup. This restaurant ruined my happy afternoon, and her unpleasant feeling was not forgotten!!

Went there for the 11 couse tatsing menu, which was a present through Red Balloon. Was more than we thought, in food and compliments all round. An Asian themed menu. Even the wine (included in price) was lovely with a view of the gardens to the harbour although small through the trees.Difficult to put a price tag on it but it was around A$140. We would go back but now the other side of the world,

Food excellent, service brilliant. Recommend the tasting menu!

Peaceful and interesting spot to browse for uniquely Australian items

From the time we arrived until we departed a couple of hours later, we were extremely happy about the experience. Great atmosphere..seated by the window overlooking the magnificent Botanic Gardens. Service was excellent and a good menu choice. I selected "Wok Tossed Beef" and my spouse chose the "Vietnamese Curry" We both enjoyed our choices which were served in good time and were of top quality and quantity. Take the time if you are in Sydnet to visit Botanic House..you wont regret it.

Loved the shop

Lovely atmosphere, good service and food was tasty. Will definitely be coming back.