Help with Pre-cruise meet up near Sydney Overseas Passenger Terminal

[Ozwoody]

Hi 

Looking for ideas/recommendations for a pre-cruise meet & greet, near the OPT in the Circular Quay/The Rocks area.

 

As the cruise is on a Saturday, it will be on a Friday night, which is obviously not a great night for one.

But thinking if a suitable small location for around 25-30 people, may be able to be booked early.
Looking for somewhere not too expensive, that also caters for vegetarians.

 

I’ve googled some nice places, but they all have bands, or seem like noisy popular place, which I would imagine would be difficult for a M&G, understandable for a Friday night.

 

Most of the main restaurants that pop up, have very expensive menus. Yeah I know its Sydney, everywhere is expensive, but hopefully there are some reasonably priced ones where people can meet and be able to talk to each other.

 

Would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks, Ozwoody

[MicCanberra]

If making a booking for that many people, most places will want a deposit and it would be non refundable. Perhaps a public bar with a less formal atmosphere may be better. 

The ship in at CQ may fit the bill.

[Ozwoody]

18 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

If making a booking for that many people, most places will want a deposit and it would be non refundable. Perhaps a public bar with a less formal atmosphere may be better. 

The ship in at CQ may fit the bill.

Thanks Mic, will check it out, that is the type of thing I was hoping for, some where not to noisy.

 

regards

John

[MicCanberra]

14 minutes ago, Ozwoody said:

Thanks Mic, will check it out, that is the type of thing I was hoping for, some where not to noisy.

 

regards

John

They have outdoor tables but it would be weather dependant, I have no idea how busy the place gets on a Friday night, but Saturday lunchtimes are not that busy

[lyndarra]

Perhaps meet up near the Quay for a pre dinner drink then take the light rail to Chinatown to eat?

[buchhalm]

For something on the simple side, City Extra at Circular Quay may be OK. Their upstairs dining area is hardly every busy. 'American Diner' style of food in generous portions. 

For something nicer, look at Morrison's Oyster Bar and Gril in George Street. Less than 5 minutes from Circular Quay. Upmarketish pub fare. Several areas and private rooms. FRIDAY afternoon and evening may be BUSY.

[Ozwoody]

Thanks guys, working through the suggestions.

Regards

John

[resordanis]

Last year our large group on Ovation went to Rossinis at Circular Quay. I didn’t go but I hear there were very accommodating at all had a great time. Food and prices were great apparently. This year on Royal they went to The Orient Hotel, but not sure how that went though.

[BuzzBuzzen]

Rawson Hotel , which is directly across the road from OPT. Inside and outside areas with good pub food. Cheers, Buzz.

[arxcards]

City Extra is an easy option with a broad casual menu. They do have the space that you can reserve with no hassle, and they do split table bills without any fuss. We have had a few group gatherings over the years with those sorts of numbers, but we were already connected with most in the group.

 

The table layout upstairs isn't the greatest setup for mingling though. Drinks come to your table, so and doesn't really have an area where you can just stand up and chat - just across the table conversation. I guess it depends on if you want a sit down meal, or a bar area with easy food. Rossini's is a similar layout.

 

If for lunch, I would recommend the rooftop cafe at Museum of Contemporary Art. Nice food and basic drink options, plus the bonus of watching the hustle & bustle of the previous days ship loading-up at OPT. Alas, they close at 4pm. Nice options already mentioned and a couple of others that come to mind, but I haven't considered if they would suit a group.

[Bubbeh]

5 hours ago, arxcards said:

City Extra is an easy option with a broad casual menu. They do have the space that you can reserve with no hassle, and they do split table bills without any fuss.

Don't ya just love establishments that are customer focused?

[buchhalm]

41 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

Don't ya just love establishments that are customer focused?

I still don't understand this Australian hospitality businesses WAITER'S) refusal of split bills.

Any pub waiter in Austria, Germany, Switzerland etc will always ask if you want to pay together or separate. AND they likely remember what everyone ordered, AND do the sums in their heads (or, at worst) with pen and paper. Well, at least that's what I was trained to do, way back when....

[MicCanberra]

19 minutes ago, buchhalm said:

I still don't understand this Australian hospitality businesses WAITER'S) refusal of split bills.

Any pub waiter in Austria, Germany, Switzerland etc will always ask if you want to pay together or separate. AND they likely remember what everyone ordered, AND do the sums in their heads (or, at worst) with pen and paper. Well, at least that's what I was trained to do, way back when....

I was also trained to note what I had and its pricing so I know what my part of the bill will be.

[Ozwoody]

Do you ever wonder why you don't get notifications for a thread you post, but when you check in just to see what's happening, and there are multiple posts?

Well I can tell you one reason, It pays to click the follow button!🥴

 

Thanks guys, great suggestions, wadding through looking them all up.

 

Regards

John

 

[MicCanberra]

Yep, you would think it would be automatic when you start a thread.

[boeckli]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

Yep, you would think it would be automatic when you start a thread.

 

You can make it so. Go into your profile,  select 'Account Settings', then 'Other Settings ', 'Notification Settings '. Finally under 'Followed Content' you can tick automatic following. 

 

Edited May 11 by boeckli
added screenshot

[Bubbeh]

16 hours ago, buchhalm said:

I still don't understand this Australian hospitality businesses WAITER'S) refusal of split bills.

Any pub waiter in Austria, Germany, Switzerland etc will always ask if you want to pay together or separate. AND they likely remember what everyone ordered, AND do the sums in their heads (or, at worst) with pen and paper. Well, at least that's what I was trained to do, way back when...

It is the normal practice between our various friendship groups to lunch and when we're finished we split the bill evenly between the couples, nobody cares who had what.  Although I can understand that in an M&G situation this might not work so well with people who don't know each other and may not socialise together again.  I don't do dinner as I try to avoid eating much in the evening besides, by 6:30 I'm usually cozied up in my jammies and fluffy acrylics watching some rubbish on telly.

[arxcards]

17 hours ago, buchhalm said:

I still don't understand this Australian hospitality businesses WAITER'S) refusal of split bills.

Any pub waiter in Austria, Germany, Switzerland etc will always ask if you want to pay together or separate. AND they likely remember what everyone ordered, AND do the sums in their heads (or, at worst) with pen and paper. Well, at least that's what I was trained to do, way back when....

I think much of this is that waiters/restaurateurs don't want to have to resolve arguments about who had to pay for what, and to leave it to the group solve their own disagreements. Especially true if someone in the group went outside "for a smoke" and just kept walking.

[MicCanberra]

I have been stung a few times when tallying up the bill to be split and some people have left early and then the restaurant has come in with an extra charge like cakage, or corkage or even someone charging drinks to the table.

[Bubbeh]

23 hours ago, arxcards said:

I think much of this is that waiters/restaurateurs don't want to have to resolve arguments about who had to pay for what, and to leave it to the group solve their own disagreements. Especially true if someone in the group went outside "for a smoke" and just kept walking.

Well they wouldn't be invited again, would they?

[Bubbeh]

21 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I have been stung a few times when tallying up the bill to be split and some people have left early and then the restaurant has come in with an extra charge like cakage, or corkage or even someone charging drinks to the table.

Mic, I'm talking about friends not randoms. 

 

I have been stung at work dos when everyone was supposed to pay their own and some mongrels decided to order dessert or 'top shelf' and left Muggins to fix the balance.  Once one of my former colleagues was actually left to pay more than $300 at a works farewell lunch for her boss.  When we got back to work, I put this on the internal electronic notice board and asked for contributions.  So many people came and gave her money (she was a well liked lower level single mum and struggling a bit at the best of times) that the following Friday she used the balance to organise a thanks sundowner at the office.  Ah the days before random breath tests, license suspensions and responsible adulthood.   

[MicCanberra]

9 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

Mic, I'm talking about friends not randoms. 

 

I have been stung at work dos when everyone was supposed to pay their own and some mongrels decided to order dessert or 'top shelf' and left Muggins to fix the balance.  Once one of my former colleagues was actually left to pay more than $300 at a works farewell lunch for her boss.  When we got back to work, I put this on the internal electronic notice board and asked for contributions.  So many people came and gave her money (she was a well liked lower level single mum and struggling a bit at the best of times) that the following Friday she used the balance to organise a thanks sundowner at the office.  Ah the days before random breath tests, license suspensions and responsible adulthood.   

Yes, it doesn't happen with friends but it can happen with colleagues and acquaintances and occasionally extended family. CC friends may well fit into the friends group or the acquaintances group depending on how well you know them.