While Manta claims to be Sydney’s best seafood restaurant, my experience was much more mixed: decent but not exceptional dishes, and service that wasn’t up to scratch and was sometimes even excessively colloquial.
Before leaving Melbourne for Sydney, I had to find a restaurant for one of the two evenings I planned to spend there. I’d tried a number of different types of restaurant so far, but had yet to find a seafood restaurant, so that’s what I looked for. And since Manta came up quite regularly in my searches, I finally decided to make a reservation there. In any case, the restaurant I was most looking forward to in Sydney was the next day’s, so there were no expectations or undue pressure, if any at all, even if the fact that a restaurant had proclaimed itself “Best Seafood Restaurant in Sydney” had tipped me off a little.
You’ll find at the bottom of the page a summary of articles about this vacation in Australia.
Concept
Located on the wharf of one of the city’s ports, Manta was bound to specialize in seafood, like just about every other restaurant in the area. Nothing convoluted here: everyone knows what a seafood restaurant is.
The setting
Having dined on the terrace, I’m unable to comment on the interior.
The rest is typical of a restaurant located on a pier in an old fishing port (which it is): wood, wood and more wood.
There’s nothing wrong with that: it’s consistent with what you’d expect.
The menu
This is often the telltale sign: it’s not that uncommon for a restaurant to claim to have a specialty and then try to do everything and do it badly. Nothing like that here: seafood and nothing but seafood…or almost.
There are, of course, a few meats, as is customary when a guest with little love of seafood has been brought on board by a group of friends.
The meal
I arrive right on time for my reservation. The welcome is decent, but hardly in keeping with the establishment’s supposed standing. I’m quickly ushered to a table, and the waitress who takes care of me looks more like an old Parisian bistro owner whose voice and physique have been worn down by all kinds of excess, not to mention the colloquial attitude that goes with it.
As I settle in, she asks me if I’d like some water, to which I reply in the affirmative.
Another waitress comes by two minutes later and asks me if…I’d like some water.
Three minutes later a third lady comes by, hands me the menu and asks if I’d like…water.
I point out that this is the third time I’ve asked for it, but that in the end it’s not the number of orders taken that counts, but the fact that a bottle ends up on my table. She takes it with a smile.
On the other hand, nobody asked me if I wanted an aperitif…so I won’t be ordering one for fear that it will arrive with the dessert.
I’ll start with the Manta oysters, served with a Cabernet Sauvignon mignonette.
It’s a good thing they’re served with their own wine, because at this stage no one has asked me if I’d like some…
They’re rather small but decent. However, if you’re wondering what differentiates “Manta” oysters from normal oysters, I think it’s the homemade sauce, and I’m a bit puzzled by this one. Very strong on the nose, it’s only moderately perceptible on the palate, with a sweet taste that doesn’t convince me.
Until proven otherwise, nothing has been done better than good old shallot sauce….
It’s time for the main course. It’s the first waitress who brings it to me, and when I speak of familiarity…of course in English we say “you”, but the intonation suggests a French “tutoiement” …and the “darling” is out of place.
Signature” blue crab lasagne, shellfish bisque
Not bad at all. It’s light, and the bisque is just right. I rummage through the dish and find a substantial amount of crab: many properties cheat on this point, but this is not one of them.
As the oysters are just an amuse bouche, I’ll continue with a Barramundi with crispy skin, asparagus and Grenoble butter, which will be served after a relatively long wait.
The fish is good and the cooking quite successful, but in the end it doesn’t really matter: it’s the taste of the butter, and therefore of the capers, that predominates. Quite unbalanced in the end.
But when I hadn’t finished my plate, a waitress came by and asked if she could clear the table. I don’t think it’s an incentive to leave, but in my case it was an incentive to skip dessert.
In the end, a decent meal, but nothing exceptional either. Nothing on the plate to reproach, but nothing to compliment either.
The service
I’ve already said enough about it so I don’t need to add to it. It’s generally not a good sign when the dinner report talks more about the service than the dishes.
More generally about this restaurant, I had to deal with 5 different people, and when everyone is looking after a table, no one is looking after it. Evidence if needed.
Atmosphere
None except the electro music from the terrace of the restaurant next door.
Bottom Line
Neither good nor bad, service not up to standard and sometimes familiar attitudes. I know that seafood restaurants are generally more expensive, but the 100 euros charged for this dinner (with a glass of wine) seems a bit exaggerated. Good to know, as these practices are common in Australia, I was charged a 10% surcharge because it was Sunday and a 1.5% surcharge for paying by credit card.
I wouldn’t call it a tourist trap, but it’s still a property that abuses its location.
The articles about this vacation in Australia
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