Best Australian Restaurants in Sydenham

Bistra is a gem. It is everything that I want a restaurant to be. From the instant you walk through the door you can sense that you are going to have a great experience and it doesn’t disappoint; warm and knowledgeable staff, beautiful produce cooked with love and fine technique, a delightful intimate space… Can’t wait for our next visit.

Greeted by the friendly staff already in character, the journey begins the minute you step foot into the theatre. Covering all seasons, the experience was fully immersive from the food, decor, lighting and music. It was interactive and fun! With no idea what was going to happen next, your only guide was a menu of dishes and the costumes of the staff. Their extensive knowledge of food and beverage made the pairing to dishes fun and delightful. Incredible experience to remember forever. Well done to the fantastic team.

We dined today at the Ascot Vale Hotel and all enjoyed the excellent value 'Tradies Lunch'. At $25 for the meal including a glass of wine and a drink, it is great value. I highly recommend the Barramundi and chips!! But, more importantly, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Isaac was our 'Main Man' and he looked after the 5 of us very well. A very nice guy and we all appreciated his delightful sense of humour! Keep up the great work guys! PS: I have a bit of skin in the game, having been a barman for 3 years when completing my degree at Victoria Uni (ex FIT).

I had a memorable evening meal here. After stupidly eating a big lunch, I went for some lighter options. The oysters with mango and jalapeno were a gorgeous start, and the terrine was particularly good. Very respectful, polite service, friendly, and attentive without me feeling at all bothered. Nice decor and interesting art on the walls. I hadn't eaten Sturia Oscietra caviar before, but this was a special ocassion, so I splashed out. And I wasn't disapppointed. It was sensational - the kind of thing that makes you close your eyes and groan with each mouthful. The smoked sour cream was a lovely addition, though I went lightly with it to best enjoy the amazing melt-in-the-mouth feeling and complex flavour of the caviar. Without the aditional cost of the caviar, the prices were quite reasonable considering the quality of the food and service. I only wish I'd had enough appetite left for desert. Can't wait to return and try some of the heavier dishes.

Outstanding service from our waiter, excellent recommendations for share platters to start off our lunch, food was tasty, good portions and and great presentation could not fault this venue all in all a very good experience thank you