Catalina Restaurant

I’ve had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday at Catalina two years in a row, and it’s become a clear favourite for good reason. From the stunning waterside views to the flawless execution in both food and service, Catalina never fails to impress. This year, we dined as part of the Amex “May Month Celebrations” deal, and once again, everything was exceptional. Starters: The Tuna and Scallops Crudo were delicate, fresh, and bursting with flavour—an elegant way to start the meal. Mains & Highlights: The standout dishes of the evening were without a doubt the Crab, Snapper, and Caviar. Every element was refined, perfectly balanced, and clearly prepared with care and precision. The quality of the seafood was top-notch—fresh, luxurious, and full of flavour. We tried venison for the first time ever too!! Drinks: Cocktails here are consistently excellent. Well-crafted, creative, and balanced—Catalina clearly takes their bar program seriously. Overall: Whether it’s a special occasion or just a memorable night out, Catalina delivers. It’s rare to find a restaurant that maintains such a high standard over multiple visits, but Catalina has done just that. I’ll absolutely be back—and already looking forward to the next celebration here.

During my recent visit, I had the pleasure of experiencing an unforgettable dining experience at Catalina. The establishment truly impressed me with its outstanding food and impeccable service. From the moment we arrived, the ambiance set a warm, inviting tone that perfectly complemented the culinary adventure ahead. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the 7-course autumn tasting menu, which featured a selection of dishes celebrating the season’s freshest ingredients. Each course was artfully presented and carefully balanced in flavor, evoking a sense of both comfort and sophistication. One of the standout moments of the day was when the head chef personally presented the first dish. This personal touch not only underscored the passion and commitment behind every plate but also provided a unique insight into the creative process and inspiration for the menu. The chef’s introduction made the dish feel even more special, setting the stage for the exceptional courses that followed. Every course was a testament to Catalina’s dedication to culinary excellence, with each dish delivering beautifully fresh flavors and innovative combinations that left a lasting impression. The service was equally commendable, with attentive and knowledgeable staff ensuring that the entire dining experience was seamless and thoroughly enjoyable. Overall, Catalina provided great food, impeccable service, and a personal touch combined to create a truly memorable experience.

My experience at Catalina was, without a doubt, one of my standout fine dining moments in Sydney. Each dish was a testament to quality, freshness, and vibrant flavors that genuinely impressed. Beyond the exquisite cuisine, the staff's exceptional courtesy and perfectly tailored recommendations truly elevated the experience. I would recommend this place for a great afternoon lunch!

My nephew requested to return to Catalina’s for his birthday brunch. We previously had the Mother’s Day set menu and had such great meal and service, not to mention great views. Definitely a nice treat.

Took my best friend here for her 21st birthday, we absolutely loved it! The vibes, the food and service were immaculate. The view of rose bay wharf from our table was beautiful as well and the Wagyu Steak was to die for. Will definitely be returning.

We very much enjoyed our birthday celebration lunch at Catalina’s yesterday. By far one of the best dining experiences ive had in Sydney. The food was lovely-the steak and sticky date pudding were stand outs, the attention to detail by the staff made our experience very special and the view was beautiful.

I'd been wanting to come here for a while, however I was honestly a bit let down by the service. TLDR; the food was pretty good however the service brought the vibe down. We waited an hour between our entree & main, had to follow up multiple times, then at the end of the night we voiced how we werent happy about the wait and were told that it was because they had a function on.. even though we saw others who arrived after us get their meals before us. Our booking was for 6pm and we didn't leave until about 8:30pm because of the wait. -- We came here 3 weeks ago for our anniversary dinner. Greeted upon arrival and taken to our table - we asked for a few minutes to decide what we wanted to order. The waiter who served us didn't seem super pleased to be there. We ordered the 3 course set menu, and some drinks and starters. The oysters were fantastic - super fresh. My martini arrived and the way it was served was super entertaining and cool! The girl who served it was sweet. Then the entree came and I was blown away by how good the wagyu tartare was. The scallops were nice but the serving was small. Dinner was great also, and would've been better if we didn't have to wait an hour for it. We asked where our food was and were told it'd be coming out soon and 'in 5 mins' only for us to wait another 20. I think they also swapped the waiters after because we had a lovely waitress serve us for the rest of the night, her service was a lot better. The ravioli was full of flavour, and my partner got the snapper. We agreed that I had the better selection of meals For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse and my partner had the lemon tart, and we were given a selection of bite sized desserts. The drinks were delicious also, I had a dirty vodka martini & the triple threat dessert cocktail. My partner had the cucumber cooler. Overall, the food was good but the service could have been better. I don't think it's acceptable to be paying $500 and have to wait an hour for your food to come out just because there is a function on. No one even told us there was going to be a wait, and the fact that we had to keep following up while waiting for ages instead of someone coming by to tell us there was a delay is pretty ridiculous. Probably won't be coming back

One of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a hot minute. The perfect night of indulgent food with my sister! Serena was amazing!

Food is absolutely incredible. I had the blackened skin cod and it melted like butter in my mouth, it was like silk. Ambiance is pretentious to the max. When the waiter was told of my wife's shellfish allergy, his response was not very helpful nor accommodating. Also, when booking reservations ask someone with an Australian country code phone no. (Maybe Sydney city code) to place the reservation. I used my US phone no. and we were stuck at a table against the wall, farthest from the bay view. I don't believe in coincidences, especially when the restaurant almost certainly knew from my phone no. that we were tourists. If you can tolerate the attitude, the food is incredible at a reasonable price.

Dont go if you have allergies. We were a party of eight, with the birthday guest the only one with allergies. We had been here before and they handled her needs very well , but on this occasion it was a disaster...perhaps a sign of things since the original owner passed away. She was served the entree Marron and main Fish as just a plain lump of the main ingredient, without any garnish or sauce at all, and the accompanying vegetable she had to ask for came with the allergy she had asked not to be served, so had to wait for replacement whilst the fish got cold. The manager took an extremely defensive and aggressive attitude when i brought it to his attention, attempting to blame it on the guest. Perhaps they decided to blackball us after that, as we had to wait 45 minutes before we were served desserts, which the waitress had demanded that we order right up front so that could serve us promptly! Any decent restaurant might have offered some compensation for ruining the birthday guests lunch..no so here..full charge for the poor meal for her. Pity as rest of meal was fine...we wont be going back..there arte so mant good restaurants now, that you dont have to put up with poor and rude response if something goes wrong.

Amazing food excellent service. The views are spectacular right on the water in Rose Bay. We went on Thursday night and was so busy and maybe a little bit too loud. Expect to spend a pretty dollar.

Catalina is an excellent fine dining option. I came to Catalina for a birthday lunch, and it definitely did not disappoint. The service was pretty good, particularly for a few members of staff who were very accommodating and went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time. The food and drinks were excellent. This is a great place for a fine dining option for a special occasion or if you are looking to spend more for a great meal. Excellent location!

My favorite restaurant in sydney. The venue, ambience, service, and quality of food are all top notch. It really doesnt get any better than sitting here on a nice day and enjoying the sunshine, view, and food and drinks. The appetizer was very good but a little on the small side but very fresh array of seafoods. The scallops were phenominal. The oysters were the best i've had in sydney. Impressively, they tasted even more plump and fresh than the oysters i had at the fish market. I usually just eat oysters with a few dribbles of lemon juice to taste their original flavors, but the condiments they added on top of the oysters were exceptional. The fish was excellent. It was very soft but still had a nice full texture in every bite. The flavors were perfect. The other entrees the people at the table ordered also looked phenomenal and received high marks and praise. We were all too full for dessert but im sure that it would also be delicious. So I'll have to come back next time and save room for dessert.

Go for the location, the service, the people watching, the cocktails AND the food! Everything on this Sunday afternoon was divine and the best spot for a long, boozy, indulgent lunch. I recommend the pork belly for entree and the classic margarita and espresso martinis are made to perfection. The service is spot on and when the sun sets just know you are in the best spot on the water.

Went for a quiet beer on deck at 5pm then as I sat they ushered long lunch lingerers to the deck, loud over the top 'look at me' crowd who were highly refreshed! Menu seemed pricey, had one beer and left! Need to get the gucci on and return one day! They need a bar area that is more subdued to allow the best views in Rose Bay to be enjoyed!

Finally we had the time to visit Catalina for dinner recently, and we absolutely loved it. Catalina over looks the beautiful water in Rose Bay providing a spectacular view, with impeccable service and delicious food. We ordered off the daily menu for 12th January which featured the bouillabaisse (with spanner crab, tempura scampi, red spot whiting), pan fried snapper, housemade tagliatelle, beef bourguignon and natural fresh oysters. The servings were very reasonable, and each dish was packed full of flavour. We were not disappointed and walked out feeling very full and happy. We would definitely return again to try everything else on the menu!

I love the sea. So I think on beautiful Sydney day this is the best spot for a glamorous lunch. I take friends from overseas there, and their jaws drop when they walk in. Not cheap but a stunner in views, food and service.

What a fantastic afternoon. My wife and I went here for a weekend lunch with some friends and had a terrific time. The wait staff were all terrific and friendly, the food was delicious and beautiful, and the wine hit the spot. You can't beat the view here either. Overlooking rose bay you get to see boats sailing buy, sea planes landing and taking off, and of course the water itself. And that's just the view outside! The people watching was also pretty entertaining in itself. Really can't recommend this place enough, and we can't wait to head back. It'll cost you, but it'll be worth every penny.

If you live in or around Rose Bay you have heard of Catalina. It is up there in terms of price but the views of the bay are stunning. We are yet to dine in for lunch or dinner however we highly recommend having a cocktail on the balcony. Try to go on a fine day without too much wind and you have the perfect spot to watch the seaplanes take off and land. The bar tenders know how to make a cocktail and the offering changes with the season so there is always plenty of choice. If you get peckish the bar snacks include olives, oysters, tacos and a few larger plates. My tip would be the cheese or charcuterie plate which are not cheap but pair nicely with the drinks and the atmosphere. There is three pages of cocktails most of which will cost you over $20 but chat to the friendly staff to find one that is right for you.

Since this is a fancy restaurant I feel slightly obliged to give it a good review, as if not "loving it" reflects badly on my taste - but I will not be subject to peer pressure - i will tell you the truth and the whole truth! Firstly, Catalinas is stunning - as soon as you walk in you will be blown away by one of the most gorgeous views in Sydney. To support the view comes the most attentative wait staff. Catalinas takes its classiness very seriously - and in that respect it doesn't mess a beat.... My gripe and it tends to be an overall problem in Sydney is this "expensive restaurant syndrome" which leaves patrons hungry after they finish their meal.... With entrees costing around $30 a plate and mains $50 - i cannot justify spending that amount on food...and its not just the cost it's the portion size (small) and the taste (good but not amazing). Yes, you will see celebrities - as its exclusive enough to segregate the rich from the middle class - but if you're saving up you heard earned dollars for a special meal - may I suggest going somewhere else... Not worth it!

I've been lucky enough to go to Catalina twice in the space of 2months. Once for lunch and once for dinner. I know it's pretty obvious but lunch definitely trumps dinner! The view is amazing and setting of the restaurant is perfect for a relaxing afternoon with wine in hand of course. Food is phenomenal, particularly the seafood. Beautifully presented and great pairing of ingredients in each dish I tried. The only dish that was a bit of a let down was the garlic mash. Being a big garlic lover I was left wanting more flavour. I learnt my lesson and the next time had the chips which were fried to perfection. One little tip. Catalina have a great $100 birthday gift voucher so make sure to sign up! The voucher can be used at anytime during your birthday month.

I have been dying to try Catalina. Take in the gorgeous views while devouring a delicious meal. Unfortunately I left the dinner feeling highly disappointed. Yes, the views are remarkable, but the outside bar area was filthy, taking away from the gorgeous surrounds. Our cocktails took 15 minutes to be delivered and only one arrived as the other was forgotten. I have to admit my lemon drop was amazing. For dinner I started with the scallops. These were good but not great. The Pantry's in Manly are much better. For my main I had the beef tenderloin which was cooked perfectly and truly melted in my mouth. My partner had the lobster linguine which was also delightful but our dessert was subpar. The service was horrible and they appeared to be understaffed. There were some highs and lows and I'm happy I finally tried this restaurant but I never plan on returning.

When in Aussie. The food here is pretty good. They have tacos, sushi rolls, oysters! The drinks are yummy-- rose infused. All the wine that your heart desires, well, almost!! I came here for the view; I always go to places for the view! The service is great! But don't be like me and try to talk with an Aussie accent LOL my failed attempted. Note to self: Australian accent not the other side of the world accent haha! Take a walk after your meal, you won't regret it! :)

We went to Catalina on the recommendation of a local and it was AMAZING! We wanted something special for our last day in Sydney and the Catalina didn't disappoint! The service is very professional, knowledge and spot on. The food was served in a contemporary and imaginative way and the taste of every did was outstanding. We ordered the scallops and rocket salad as starter and lamb for dinner. And the dessert is worth every calorie! One of the best meals in Australia!

Expensive? Very...my lunch dish cost $55AUD. Great view? Absolutely, and if you can, pick an outdoor table for maximal experience Great food and wine? Yes and yes, loved both. Great service? Yep..I believe my server was Italian and was so friendly and helpful from beginning to end. Recommended for sure!

i am a fan of the view and of the food. the general ambiance: not so much. Headed there for my birthday lunch yesterday. As i walked into the room i could not believe how LOUD the place was. For $100+/pers lunch, i was definitely expecting people to behave a bit more. The ambiance music was a bit too techno too, why not a good jazz? Anyway, we sit down, the view on the ocean is amazing, we have a lovely table by the water and it's sunny, happy birthday to me! We shared the winter vegetable tart as entree, it was divine. Great start. I then had the tenderloin, fiance had the duck. The beef was fantastic, the duck not so much. Strangely enough, it tasted like pork, maybe because it was so smoked you couldn't really tell the difference. Sides: fries and brocolini, both delicious. And to my favorite part, the dessert: i had a chocolate fondant, which was a special. I liked it, but the fondant lacked a liiiittle bit of taste, that taste that makes the ones where i am from to die for. But it was good. They forgot our coffees, but we didn't care too much as we were enjoying the view. The service, generally speaking, was alright, but not the best.

Best part about this place is the view. Had a reservation for a special occasion and requested a window for our late lunch, but we still got a table near the back since the windows don't get set (or aren't available?) until dinner time. huh? Got a table in what i'd consider an "inner circle" area but that was only after my husband complained that the first "really in the back" table they tried to give us was not suitable. AND THIS was all after a scheduled sea plane ride (from one of the two or three companies that regularly coordinates with this restaurant for delivery of guests to the door - AT A HIGH PRICE I MIGHT ADD) had gotten botched (their fault completely) and my husband wasn't very happy with it. Despite a chat with the restaurant manager about it, it was clear the restaurant really didn't seem to care, or try and make up for it in any special way. Maybe because of the sea plane chat - maybe not... they were kinda slow to get to us and to our order, despite not being that busy - at first. Then, as the place began to get busier, it got really loud and the server got pulled away and we felt stranded at our table. Our wine initially was not chilled and later was out of reach so we couldn't easily serve ourselves (I noticed someone else had that problem also.) Shame for them all this, since we're accustomed to good service in a place like this and do reward accordingly. At least the food was good - but not overwhelming. Also, there wasn't not much of it. The view IS nice - even from our inner circle table. In the end, we spent about $450 on wine and dine. Overall, for the money particularly, the place is just mediocre. Probably won't visit again. Oh, I did leave a comment card for their review. Since then, I'd had the pleasure of being on their mailing list for a while, receiving emails about their contests and special events - but never a peep about the experience. The best thing they did was remove me from the list promptly when requested. Now THAT's class. ;) Date of Visit: Dec 30, 2014

Catalina's the restaurant version of a high-priced call girl. No sloppy seconds or dilettantes here, my friends. She knows what she's doing, and is yours for as long as you want. Expect to pay dearly for the privilege, but you are practically guaranteed a good time. Our brief time together was magical. Food ranged from good to excellent. We started with the sourdough, which they make in house. It wasn't all that sour (if you are from SF you will be disappointed), but still quite good for free restaurant bread. For an entree, I ordered the poached marron tail with orange, aioli and seasonal vegetables ($36). Perhaps the only disappointment of my meal, the marron tail was not cleaned properly and was a bit flavorless. The aioli made little sense and would have paired better with seafood that was battered and fried (see ARIA's version). The vegetables were fresh but a bit bland. The fettuccine nero with lobster, tomatoes and chilli-infused lobster oil ($52) made up for the disappointing entree, though. This dish is amazeballs. The squid-ink fettuccine appeared to be house-made, and was prepared perfectly al dente. The chilli-infused lobster oil (how is this made?!) rocked, giving the entire dish a fun kick. Spiny lobster isn't my favorite (the texture's a bit off-putting), but I still sucked those pieces up like a Hoover vacuum. Yes, my call-girl experience included sucking, and I am not ashamed to admit it. For dessert, I had the caramelized fig with bitter caramel mousse, brik pastry and sugarered pistachio ($20). It also came with some candy floss on top. This was a great dessert. The brik pastry was insanely crunchy, despite having a moist caramel mousse filling. It gave great textural contrast. The figs were caramelized creme-brulee style, which might have been gilding the lily since it made them insanely sweet. Overall, a very successful dessert, albeit very rich and hard to finish. Drinks were very good, as well. I tried a mocktail, the Apple Pillar ($12), which had apple juice, mint and ginger beer. Very refreshing, and not overly sweet. Cappuccino was (bleh), but with Vittoria beans what can you expect? Service was great, too. Our Goldilocks waitress was just attentive enough, offering us refills of bread when appropriate and accommodating our request to take our party outside after we were finished with our meal. With that view, um hello?? Someone was dedicated specifically to keeping track of and pouring the alcohol, a good call given it can get a bit confusing with that many tables. The setup's a bit loud; the restaurant has a single, white dining room with no natural or artificial sound absorbers, so you hear everything, including the obnoxious diners halfway across the room who've had a few too many cocktails. A lunch visit, while recommended for the view, is not all that intimate. Catalina, I have to say I quite loved you based on my one visit. Little did I know that everyone else loves you, too. Sydney's high-flying crowds piled in all afternoon -- by ferry, by plane, by limo (yes, it's the only restaurant I know of that permits access via land, air, and sea). Like with a call girl, it makes me just a bit jealous to confront the reality that I have to share.

Pros: - Beautiful, clean restaurant with great views of the harbour - The Beef Tenderloin (medium rare) was some of the best I've ever eaten - everything you would expect for an upscale, higher priced restaurant Cons: - Cost. This place is obviously for a nicer meal

Great Sunday Lunch! Great menu with fish, meat, vegetarian and Sushi. Service at lunch was attentive and wines selection good. Lovely view of Rose Bay was great view and refreshing open air venue. Dessert: Pavlova of course. More costly than not...but I liked the quality experience.

Great view, friendly stuff. We had booking but still waited more than 20 minutes to be seated. Dishes came really slow, even at 10pm at night when most guests have left... now lets get to the good. Assorted seafood entree was just ok, the fish was too salty. We had the 'award wining steak', but it was slightly overcooked. The mushroom tortellini was a little lack in flavor. would recommend for the view, not the food.

Good service. Oysters are delicious. Fettuccine nero is also quite good. Booking essential

The food, view and staff were amazing. I was incredibly pleased to spend my birthday here and will hopefully be back sometime soon.

Ate here for lunch on a Sunday. Packed to the gills with large parties having a good time. Pricey, small portions but delicious food. Sydney does chips (fries) right and surprisingly this place was no exception. Stunning water view - got to see lots of boats and even a water plane takeoff. I'd call it a must visit if you're looking for a fancy meal, good wine, and a lovely view. My only complaints were having to wear sunglasses inside because of the brightness, and how warm it got inside.

I recently dined at Catalina for lunch on a Sunday afternoon for the first time after wanting to try it for a while. The food and location could not be faulted, both are extraordinary. Unfortunately, I felt like the service really let the whole experience down. When I arrived at the restaurant I found my friends already seated at a table inside and when I joined them they told me that we were moving to the deck outside so I did not sit down. My friends had already ordered drinks so they took these outside with them but we then spent the next 15 minutes trying to flag down a waiter so that I could get a glass to have some of the wine that had already been ordered. When our entrees arrived, two of the dishes were placed in front of the wrong people. As someone else has mentioned below, our wine was placed out of reach from the table but our glasses were not topped up for us by the wait staff so we moved our ice bucket closer to the table. Towards the end of lunch service, when the restaurant started to clear out we had a lovely older gentleman take our orders for dessert and only at this time were our glasses topped up by staff. All of these are minor gripes but I would expect impeccable service from a restaurant when you are paying $200+ per person. We noted that we didn't feel like we had a set waiter for our meal and the service seemed to be rushed and the wait staff seemed rather snooty.

By far one of my favourites! Great service, great food, great atmosphere. Highly recommend! It will be worth your every dollar. I lunch here at least once a month!