Hi,

I have been over visiting my sister and she stated we should go for a walk starting from Woolly Bay Hotel all the way to Sydney Concert Hall. It was a beautiful day, and we did the walk. Got to the Concert Hall, had a fantastic glass of wine and then we decided to head back.

we then stopped in to the Wolly Bay Hotel for lunch, we went upstairs to the second floor and asked if they had any tables outside, the lovely Federica said we could have this table which gave us beautiful views of the wharf and all the beautiful boats.

she advised us we wouldn't need to move, she then set off to bring us some amazing cocktails. Our waitress Vanessa was just beautiful and very attentive also taking our order for food and anything else we would like.

the FOOD was amazing you could not fault what we had the drinks were also wonderful,

the place is a credit to Mason and these wonderful ladies, as their attention to detail regarding not only the service of food or drinks but to check to see if we required anything more.

The whole team just rock this place.

When I fly back later in the year yes this is a place I will be back to and if you can get there make sure you do.

Not only the great walk but you also come back to the wonderful food and service.

thank you, beautiful ladies, and thank you Mason you would be lost without your team :).

x

The food was great, the location is fantastic and the setting is classic. I really enjoyed my meal here, high quality pub eats.

Last stop of the evening, although still early.
Nice place, not too busy, plenty of room for our large group.
The food was good, except the salad did need a dressing.

I have been to this pub a fair few times and have not had the greatest service, however today I was at a friends birthday on the rooftop and the bartender Murray has been a saving grace to this venue, he's so lovely and welcoming and what you would expect in a wharf side venue. Murray, you're a legend thanks for making our Sunday unforgettable!

The upstairs area is lovely, food offering on the menu looks great, however, very slow service, 45 minutes waiting for a bottle of wine and oysters for table service!!

Oysters were saturated in oil- why? mussels also saturated with oil - why? When you try and find staff to ask where your order is they seem to vanish in thin air!! Then half the order appears and then another long wait for the rest... staggered over 2 hours!! :-(

Suggest the managers recruits more staff or communicate the long long wait!

Not friendly at all, they asked us to go outside because we were smoking and we did after ten minutes they asked us to move again, quoting "right now"' not In a friendly manner. Staff definitely should be more friendly and empathetic with customers.

The management was extremely rude.
First told we cannot smoke on the rooftop and should move to the main floor (to smoke). Once we got there, he said we can't smoke here either. And after, kept eyeballing us for no reason. Just unprofessional and mean. Tell us where to smoke if there is a problem. Tell us what we are doing wrong for you to keep checking on us.

Hi, we were a group of mixed ages that had booked a section on the roof top for a celebration. We were denied entry because security assumed one of our party was intoxicated - she was not.
The treatment by security and your front of hour representative was unacceptable and demeaning. I strongly suggest some retraining and for the boys to lighten up. I know it's hell out there but these guys were party poopers and really ruined our night at that point. Cheers to The Tilbury around the corner that made us feel welcome and even shouted us a round of drinks. S E R V I C E !! Needless to say we will be giving the Woolly a wide birth for future celebrations.

Worked here on a floral install in the upstairs restaurant & had lunch after with my colleague. I had the chicken schnitzel & chips - she ordered the mushroom pasta. Great food, one of the best schnittys I've ever had. Service and atmosphere were great.

Went there for a drink on a Sunday afternoon. Beautiful pub, looks like it was renovated recently, we went to the roof top bar, didn't eat but food looked nice.

First time at Woollys. It's a great pub with an amazing view of the bay. Their customer service was very profesional. Pato was the one who look after me and provide an excellent attention. Highly recommended!

Came here for food and drinks. Friendly service, nice atmosphere and the burger and fries were delicious. Cool spot to kick back and enjoy some drinks and the food is great too. Highly recommend!

This establishment has since been re-reviewed by the writer. Read further for the latest and rather unsavoury star-rating.

My third time back since the major overhaul / refurbishment. Still impressed. Very warm and inviting. Very comfortable. As someone with 16-plus years in the Hospitality industry, albeit some 12 years ago, I'm forever monitoring the service from Bar to Floor to Door and repeat. You can paint a smile on a dial but you can't fake a sense of urgency or effort. The service is very much a reflection of the establishment. Still impressed. Well done.

The above review was conducted by myself just under 4 months ago.

Fast forward 22 July.

The ambience of the venue hasn't really changed ... (still) "Very warm and inviting". Unfortunately, someone seems to have dropped the ball in regards to service. Armed with my "16-plus years in the Hospitality industry" I felt the "sense of urgency or effort" prevalent during my last visit (25 March) has waned somewhat. The painted-on smile is just that : paint. Over time and/or with ineffective supervision it begins to flake. Rather than singling out the ginger-haired female's service behind the bar as being "very much a (negative) reflection of the establishment", my review is more of a food-for-thought mention to those in a supervisory / management capacity that complacency, like fire, plays no favourites; it burns whomever it touches.

Nice place to have a drink.. BUT if you are foreigner and not perfectly fluent in English, probably better to avoid... indeed the ginger hair bartender has been arrogant and disrespectful... her behavior was totally unacceptable. Because of her attitude, we changed our mind and didn't order for food.

The plastered finishes in the Arturo rooftop bar just makes the room. On the walls, bar and seating as well. Tough and beautiful. I will use that for my house and entertainment area. The ambience is premium a hint of Asian lux with modern Australian twist backed up by tasty morsels of Italian inspired cuisines . A venue in the sky overlooking the finger wharf ... a location with to impress.

We were fortunate enough to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday at the newly renovated Woolly Bay Hotel. This venue was perfect! Stunning location and views, the room was spacious for our guests with a fully stocked bar, ample seating and space for a DJ and dancing. The staff were very helpful with organising the party and most accommodating on the night to ensure that our event ran smoothly. The food was delicious too. All in all - a very successful function and we were thrilled to get such positive feedback from our guests! Highly recommend Woolly Bay Hotel for your next function.

Nothing on the bar staff, but the manager blatantly ripping off patrons just because he can has definitely soured my experience of this place. We went on a Saturday afternoon, for which every drink/menu item ordered, we were charged a 1.5% surcharge despite there being no public holiday or Sunday rates. When inquiring about it we were told that the staff were unable to override the costs on the till, and that only the manager could log in and action this for us. It was a bizarre experience to say the least, and I think the staff were just as over it as we were given they had no power over the charges either.

We ended up getting a refund but only because we spoke up about it, so it makes me wonder whether they add surcharges on for everything every day of the week, just in the hopes that people will be too drunk to notice.

Would not recommend and will not be going here again in future.

I ordered a burger when the restaurant was no where NEAR close to being full and it took about 40 minutes to arrive. My cousin ordered spaghetti and it took 50 minutes to arrive and it was cold and drenched in tomato sauce. As well as the noodles being barely cooked.

My third time back since the major overhaul / refurbishment. Still impressed. Very warm and inviting. Very comfortable. As someone with 16-plus years in the Hospitality industry, albeit some 12 years ago, I'm forever monitoring the service from Bar to Floor to Door and repeat. You can paint a smile on a dial but you can't fake a sense of urgency or effort. The service is very much a reflection of the establishment. Still impressed. Well done.

Had a team dinner here on a random Tuesday night. There were about 20 of us and we just had the absolute best time. The food was amazing. The drinks were delicious. The staff was friendly and accommodating - even with all of us there to help!! Would definitely come again the next time I'm back in Sydney.

Went today for a big birthday, stayed 6 hours, as you do. Love the renovations on the rooftop bar. Bar staff pretty friendly too, in a tough staff market. Only downside was the minimal menu. We saw pizzas and schnitzel go by, but for staff meals only or the lower level. More substantial food needs to be available upstairs. And the air con certainly doesn't cut it on a hot day, needs extra fans inside and umbrellas on the west side.

Looked more promising than all the other fancy restaurants whilst walking on the pier so we popped in for a drink. We ended up staying there for half of the afternoon watching cricket and basketball and had a delicious pizza. Nice atmosphere, lovely decoration, friendly staff and they even had live music.

Lovely outdoor undercover dining area, a 5 star chicken parmigiana and good range of tap beers at fair prices. Good view of the water, boats and wharf. About 5 minutes walk downhill from the Art Gallery.

My husband had a Christmas party here today. Food was great and the servers were very friendly and caring (some bar staff may need to improve on this) and so was Marwin the security guard. He was very understanding and caring with the guests of our party. Completely down to earth.
Marwin, thank you for checking in with us and for giving us reassurance of the assistance we could receive if needed, even after we were outside of the venue.
I haven't always had great interactions with security guards, but you can tell this man makes sure patrons are safe and well. We would very much appreciate if the feedback was passed on to these staff members.

Thank you again!

First time there since the renovation and the place looks great. It has a limited lunch menu but the quality of the food was a pleasant surprise. Had the best Chicken Parmigana I've had in a long time.

Had lunch here in a Saturday. I ordered the Beef burger. For $23 I expected more. The patty was half the size of the bun. However it was seasoned just right. Our food service girl was a little rude and just throw the food on the table without asking who has what. Not sure I would order food again from here.

Ah, the view, the vibe, the food. What to say, it's a great place to while away a Friday afternoon with a friend. Definitely get the burger, although my friend got the pasta, so definitely get that too.

Access is easy. Service is friendly. Prices are $$$ but not too over the top. It is Woolloomooloo after all.

Stumbled into the Woolly Bay Hotel after work drinks on a Friday and definitely didn't give us a reason to continue on to other spots. Found a nice corner and enjoyed the $15 salted caramel espresso martini. If you're in the area it's definitely worth stopping in with some mates if you want to chat without being drowned out by sound.

A very enjoyable time spent at Wooly Bay Hotel on a very cold night. Only intended to have a drink but staff were so friendly and feeling comfy sitting next to the fire decided to have something to eat. Food was great as so we're the staff. I will be back.

After a long wait I have been fortunate enough to visit the Woolly Bay a few times each time I have had impeccable service and the pub is child friendly. Like all places that have been refurbished it can be hit or miss. People can miss the old vibe however, it has been done up in a tasteful manner that will suit all seasons. People have mentioned the wait times in other reviews and staff mistakes. But we all need to remember that we have come through a pandemic where finding staff was extremely hard and still is today, getting things right straight off is hard and we all need to be a bit patient. I hear the restaurant is due to open soon and can't wait to go!!

Great location with indoor and outdoor seating. Enjoyed a drink and snack on a sunny autumn day. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Definitely lost its vibe. No more seafood platters, Woolloomooloo burgers. This place was famous for their platters. The menu is just the same as every other pub in the area as is the decor. Definitely lost its original character.

Love this place! The bar staff are so friendly to us when we finish work across the road! Also, the food is great!

Very average pub with not much going for it. The upstairs balcony is a good spot but often closed. The outside seating downstairs is predominantly a smoking area & thus only a small area to eat. Quite a good selection of beers on tap. Food is good pub food, annoyingly you have to pay for sauces. Could be a lot better!

We came in last night for after dinner drinks celebrating a mates birthday. It was the end of our night and we were seeking a few cocktails to end the night. Security was really friendly and the place was quiet but had a good vibe.there were 2 young girls. They were friendly and quick in making us 9 cocktails. We were pleasantly surprised when we started singing a song and they put it on for for us. It's great to receive such attentive and friendly service despite the times we are in ?

I am a local resident who lives behind the hotel . I have for 23 years and was barred by a very unprofessional young woman who at first offered me no explanation she then went on to say that it was because I had used the back door . All locals have been using that door for 20 plus years. She also went on to tell me it was because they'd also been robbed which made me feel like she could I was a thief.
I am hold it the way it was founded after I emailed them and they said I would be banned until May so that makes it 6 months what's a joke. before this happening I would have said it was it good pub quite reasonably priced and the food ok .
I have always taken my family there for lunch when they is it and I think that a warning really would have been suffice. . Good luck anybody who goes there just make sure you read the rules.
just read more reviews below and noticed that other people have said something about having really bad staff attitudes and service

My colleagues and I visited the restaurant this afternoon, for some drinks and lunch, and unfortunately, the service and food were quite underwhelming. The bar staff were not particularly attentive or helpful, and the food wait times were excessively long, for the particular dishes ordered. The food preparations and presentations were disappointing, for the cost. However, the views were quite lovely.

It's a good value alternative to the wharf across the road with pretty much the same views!

Nothing worse then overpriced food followed with no taste. Food took way to long to arrive...Ordered chicken Parma.. disappointing to find chips were cold...Ordered wagyu steak. Asked for medium rare got well done. Also asked for no salad with no dressings. Got salad with dressings. Friend has dietary requirements so he wasn't happy. Will not return.

Great location and nice to sit outside on a sunny day. Very spacious pub. We had a food chicken schnitzel with Bosciola sauce and a buttermilk chicken burger both dishes served with yummy chips. Beer and wine prices very reasonable and the wine a good serving size.

Great location