Cruise Bar and Restaurant

The cruise! (I thought it was the massive Princess Cruise that's spotted around the Harbour Bridge when I first heard it lol) You understand why it's called The Cruise only if you visit! Their terrace area has this spectacular view to the iconic Sydney Opera House, as if you were on a cruise ship 🚢 ! Have a sit and chat over glasses of wine and other colourful drink on the Cruise. Feel the waves of the rolling ocean on its deck. The Cruise takes you through the spectacular sunset over the Opera House's white shells. A fabulous bar/resto. I'd absolutely come again for another glass of orange wine 😊🍊🥂

We recently held our company event at Cruise Bar in Circular Quay. The location was absolutely stunning, with amazing harbour views that really added to the Christmas and year-end celebration. The atmosphere was lively, and the venue itself was stylish and enjoyable. However, the overall service and catering fell short of expectations. The drinks selection was very limited, and the finger-food portions were quite small, with not much variety. Many of us ended up going out for dinner afterwards because the food wasn’t sufficient for an event of this size. Service was also inconsistent. Some servers seemed inexperienced or part-time, and the bar staff were often distracted on their phones, resulting in slow responses. For such a premium location, I expected a higher level of professionalism and attention. Cruise Bar is undeniably beautiful and well-located, but the food and service quality need improvement to match the venue’s reputation.

We visited Cruise bar and restaurant on a balmy Sunday evening and loved the outlook ambience and attentive service we received. When we booked we had kind of expect to be seated upstairs but this area was closed. Our only complaint about the downstairs low lying tables that those eating pasta found them hard to eat that type of meal from without making a mess. Food wise what did disappoint unfortunately was the temperature of the food that was served… both pastas and my steak were luke warm at best when they arrived to us. The only dish that arrived warm seems to be the chicken parma… which had us thinking all the other dishes must have been waiting on the pass for an absolute age before being sent along with the parma. Definitely a disappointment temperature wise but still good flavours and we still enjoyed our time at Cruise overall.

Discovered this spot through a local couple friend, and it instantly became a favourite! With stunning views of both the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the location is simply unbeatable. We indulged in juicy steaks, excellent burgers, and beautifully cooked barramundi . Big shoutout to the chef! Its end of July here, winter is at its coldest night and heaters were thoughtfully placed around our large table, keeping things cosy and comfortable for our group. A perfect spot for outdoor dining and catching up with friends. Highly recommended for a relaxed yet impressive Circular Quay experience!

I had the best time at Melba’s Rooftop at Cruise Bar Sydney for their Sunday high tea with a twist. The views of the Sydney Opera House are incredible, and the food was such a great mix of sweet and savoury — the wattleseed scones with lime coulis and lemon myrtle cream, lobster rolls with caviar, barramundi taco bites and Tim Tam verrine were highlights. We did the bottomless cocktails option and loved how creative and refreshing they were — the Wildflower and Mexican Bloom were my favourites. Such a fun and relaxed way to spend a Sunday. Would definitely come back before it wraps up in September.

Booking was fine. Table allocation was a little silly but eventually ok.i don't quite get when at a venue of that quality why the expectation is for all food and drink to be purchased through a QR scam as opposed to some old fashioned service but the quality of the food and drinks was good.

Went to Cruise Bar’s & Restaurant upstairs with four of my girlfriends and honestly, we had the BEST time! The service was next-level – our waitress couldn’t have been more attentive. I ordered the steak and it came out a little rarer than I like. When I asked if they could just throw it back on the grill for a couple of minutes, they went above and beyond – brought me a whole new meal! And the second steak? Absolute perfection. 👌 The drinks were spot on, the vibe was amazing, and with that Opera House view… it’s pretty hard to beat. Already planning my next visit with my husband!

I would like to thank the hospitality team on Sunday 26th Oct that served us and also to the chefs. The food was amazing and it was so peaceful to come on a Sunday evening, take in the views and enjoy a drink and a meal. Well done Cruise Bar and the music in the background wasn't loud. Perfect. Thank you

I recently worked as a DJ at a surprise 50th party at Cruise bar and was blown away by their professional and friendly attitude towards me as an outside DJ. They looked after me very well and were extremely helpful whilst I was setting up. I would love to come back and serve their clients and guests another time. Thank you

We thought this would be a good place to grab a drink with some views. Ehhhhhhhh..... Views aren't great honestly as the whole patio is screened with fences and plants. You'll order inside and they'll bring items out for you. The Mister had an Oktoberfest special - a pint and pretzels for $10, and I had a really lovely Taz sparking for $12. We also opted for a charcuterie plate ($25) that was straight up bad. The pickled veg was nice but all of the meat was processed sandwich quality and IMO some of it was not fresh at all and possibly turning. If you want a drink on the water, head to the other side of the Quay and look for some of the cheap HH ($5!!) deals.

I attended a cocktail party/ professional event. I was impressed with the options of outside and inside seating. The service at the bar was good, despite the large crowds and long lines. The appetizers passed through the crowd were a mixed bag, but that is typical for this type of event. The ladies room was exceptionally clean. I would like to return for another visit to see how it is when not so crowded with a professional event.

Yikes. There are endless nice places for a bite or drink. This place is aggressively bad. From the music (which cuts in and out), to the endless product placement, to the insufferable seats. Who has gorgeous views and blocks it with gross, heavy, bulky furniture? The service was rude. All day nothing but older folks getting off the cruise ship thinking this place is hip or nice. I fell for the trap!

See related pic of the stopwatch I started while waiting for any staff to approach me as I sat there at a table waiting. I never got service.

Cruise Bar is a great stop for a reasonably priced meal with a stunning view or a cheeky little after work beverage with someone you're sweet on. I went to Cruise first on a date. It was a Friday night and I was fairly new to the city. My suitor chose the spot and we met in front of the Contemporary Art Museum. I remember it being particularly balmy and me being equally nervous, so I was glad the walk to the restaurant was a short one. I could have easily ended up in a puddle of hairspray and makeup on the Circular Quay walkway. We grabbed a seat at one of the high wooden tables out on the patio facing the magnificent Opera House. The drinks were decent and the conversation was alright, but I couldn't help feeling like vibe was magical. Don't tell my date, but I was actually busy lusting after Sydney itself. It's beauty and charm, especially from that sparkly vantage point, stole my little beating heart.

It just seemed like the staff kept getting distracted with others a lot. There was not much in the way of drinks when we tried them.

Thank God summer is coming! It means that I can go hang out at Cruise and Opera bars respectively! There is nothing better than a nice cold one after work while looking at amazing water views. The atmosphere is relaxed and the crowd equally so, which belies the location. You would expect a snobbish crowd but it seems they prefer to go to Ivy :p This is still a great place to have a drink and you don't have to spend lots of dough at the fine dining restaurants to hang out at the Overseas Passenger Terminal. See you in December! :)

There is a view of the Opera House outside. One in their patio area and the other in front. It would be nice if they changed their gate so that the view wasn't obscured by the gate design. Food and drinks were pricey. Fries were very salty.

Last year's renovation at Cruise Bar has made a HUGE difference. The asian inspired cocktail lounge upstairs is really taking things up a notch, the staff are professional and attentive. Downstairs the atmosphere is more casual and nautical themed. I brought a group of friends visiting from OS here recently and they loved it - good drinks, food and the best view in town! Will def be back for Friday drinks.

We went there only for the New Year's Eve Countdown event. We bought the VIP tickets. The view was great but it's most certainly not VIP in anyway. There were very few chairs. This means most people would have to stand for an entire evening. There was also not enough food for everyone. Music was very loud. Good for club- going crowd but a torture to those who didn't like it. We ended up going to the restaurant Yuki's one floor up. So much better in every way. At least everyone could sit. The view was better, the place much more spacious. And the food very reasonably priced.

The Cruise is an absolute snooze... ZzzzzZzzzzZzzzz Except for your wallet. It'll be reacting like its downed the blue pill, the red pill, half a handful of eccys and a 6-pack of blue V. The great thing about The Cruise is that it has outdoor seating over-looking sumptuous water views. The Opera House stands like a pristine porcelain beacon as it bathes proudly in the afternoon sun just a stones throw away. The terrible thing about The Cruise is that it also has prices that match those views. Sadly, 90% of the time there'll be a gigantic cruise ship blocking those views... But guess what... The prices don't change during that time. With The Rocks mere metres away that makes it an easy decision to go anywhere else.

Been here a ton of times - never seems to change. Usually a good start to an evening - nice view from the outside with cane furniture at the entrance, but to be honest the martinis are awful. The bar person's idea of a vodka martini with a twist was to make a martini and then put a splash of lemon juice in it - diabolically bad. Even after three. Erm, well, I had to make sure, right? On the other hand, the Cosmo's are not too bad. Apparently. Concrete floors, great view, big bouncers - I suspect better late at night if you are a twenty-something.

Terrible terrible food.. Lamb sandwich was 10% lamb 10% lettuce 80% tatziki. Steak sandwich was fatty. Chips no good. The salad looked nice though from what we could see on the table next to us. You're better off going to McDonalds if you want a quick fix.. Having said that, the ambience and views are great so it wasn't a full loss

Modern bar with beautiful views of the city and of the Opera House. Nice upstairs area and good for drinks or functions. Good quality wines and cocktails. I haven't tried the food here myself so I can't judge it. Great place to gather with friends after work or to bring visitors

Right at the Overseas Passenger Terminals at Cirqular Quay is Cruise Bar. It's blatantly obvious to say but you don't get much better spots for a drink than here. Even when a big cruise ship plonks itself there for a day or two and blocks all views of the Opera House, it's still nice! It's better when the cruise ship isn't there as you can sit inside or preferably out in the beer garden that looks straight over to the Opera House and East Cirqular Quay. While that part of the city is always brimming with people, the Cruise Bar is a nice escape during the day but I'm sure it packs a crowd here at night. Drinks aren't cheap but sometimes you have to pay that little bit extra to be somewhere nice.

Amazing view of circular quay!! I would give them a solid 3.5 stars; They have great indoor and outdoor seating. I had the fish and chips and my husband had the pork chop. We both enjoyed our meal. I wouldn't say it's the best I've ever had, but it's certainly far from the worst. I can't really speak to the service because you order at the bar and they bring your food to whatever table you've seated yourself at.

Great location and perfect for vivid, but music, like most of Sydney is so loud that it drowns out the natural atmosphere and any opportunity to talk. We left after one drink.

A awesome place to chill out after lunch or dinner with varierty of cocktail to beer wine and spirit and coffee. With your friends or female partner. Excelent view on Opera House specialy in evening and night hours plus bonus you get to see the sunset!!

Great service, great staff, comfortable, light background music creating a calm relaxed atmosphere with the lounge seating. Drinks and meals on the table within minutes of ordering, reasonable pricing. Definitely coming back.

Went to see Vivid with some friends. The venue is great for the Opera House and Circular Quay viewing of vivid. Our waiter, Leo, was attentive and charming. The food was good pub food. A great spot for people watching.

Great place for drinks. Always take guests from over seas or out of town here for drinks. Views kiover circular quay to the opera house always impresses.

The view from the restaurant is amazing. The food is reasonably priced. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable and the service from staff is pretty good. I recommend making a reservation if you want a window seat and the seating areas are intimate which in my opinion adds to the experience.

Great location, fantastic view, good drinks and just OK-bordeline-lousy service.

My rating is not for the Cruise Bar as a place to hang out but for their NYE event 2016: Having been to NYE events in Edinburgh, London, NYC and several Caribbean islands, I must say I was severely disappointed with this one. The one positive is the location of the event. Great spot for seeing the views of the bridge and the opera house. But the rest of the night in my opinion was below expectations. At one point I thought about heading back to the hotel out of boredom! To begin it, there was so little bit of food. I had to go outside and buy some chips, when I got back so many people looked longingly at those chips and asked where I got it. I eventually got a small dessert cup and then the hot dog stand opened up but that was it I saw for the night in terms of something to eat! The other disappointing part was the music. OMG! No recent songs and most were of one type (the name escapes me at present but it's that one beat song with no words). Anyway, as an event hosting internationals, it would have been good to hear some pop, some R&B, hip hop etc. We forced ourselves to stay till 12 to see the fireworks since I had paid to attend but as soon as the fireworks were over, we left. I have enjoyed my stay in Sydney thus far and was really looking forward to the NYE event but I must say, I was underwhelmed by this event.

Relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere, good food and drinks, and a great view of the Sydney harbour are just some of the things Cruise Bar has to offer. Cruise Bar is one of my top choices whenever I want to meet up with my friends to enjoy nice cold beer (Beer O'Clock!) and live entertainment. Their DJs play an awesome selection of music. From tasteful, relaxing tunes perfect for just chilling around to upbeat music that makes you want to dance - they sure know how to please the crowd! Cruise Bar is located on the venue's first level. And if you're curious, they've also got an amazing Italian restaurant and a nice space for private functions upstairs that you can check out.

If you're out and about in Circular Quay on a Friday night, get to the Cruise Bar and head upstairs, pronto. Great signature cocktails... and a mean mojito... right on the Harbour starring renowned crooner and former Ritz Carlton resident entertainer Scot Finney on the grand piano. Imagine your very own Piano Man, pumping out nostalgic hit after hit against an impossibly perfect Sydney Harbour backdrop. I'm talkin' classic timeless tunes from Billy Joel... Elton John... Frank Sinatra... Lionel Ritchie... Tom Jones... Van Morrison... you get my drift. Plus a few modern numbers for good measure. Sometimes his equally talented saxophonist friend gets in on the action up on the bar and brings the house down. Just try and stop dancing. You want to sit down and give your dancing shoes a rest, but the tunes just keep on comin' so you've just gotta keep on dancin'. Great for working off cocktails as you drink them. Tip: forget the view altogether if there's a colossal cruise ship parked in the harbour, cuz you won't see nothin' but a big old wall of white.

I haven't been here during the day and haven't had their food, so this might be a perfectly nice place to grab lunch on a sunny day. However, as far as nightlife goes, this is the sort of scene that sometimes makes me feel a little embarrassed when we have out of town visitors. New-money tacky at best and Pitbull-blaring trashy at worst, the drinks are mediocre and the vibe seems tailored for the kind of person who watches way too much Entourage. You can get nice views and decent cocktails at plenty of other places. Sydney is better than this, I promise!