The Treehouse Hotel, located in North Sydney is a popular spot to come for lunch or after work drinks, so after hearing a lot about it, we decided we might as well try it out for lunch, especially as it is just over the road from us.
We have ventured here once before for after work drinks, and knew how busy it got, so decided that we should arrive early and book a table, as last Friday when we tried to get a table, the restaurant was fully booked with no spaces – just our luck.
The four of us arrived at 12pm at the Treehouse Hotel and were greeted by a friendly waitress who immediately showed us to our table, in the reservations section of the restaurant. This was a very casual and laid back place with lots of natural light and trees and plant life about giving it a sense of character and charming appeal. It actually did feel a little bit like being in a treehouse! We had a table with some comfy couches and chairs and it wasn’t too busy at the moment.
Menus were soon provided, along with cold tap water, and as it was quite an expensive restaurant, we decided we might as well share our dishes. Salads were about $20 in price, whilst if you opted for a main meal this would cost you at least $30.
In the end the four of us shared half a dozen Kilpatrick Oysters, Salt and Pepper Squid Salad, Beef Salad and a portion of House Chips as well as a bottle of New Zealand white wine, as we were helping Kate celebrate Waitangi Day.
It took about 15 minutes for our food to come out, and all the dishes came out together and looked very appetising. Both salads were very colourful, if a little on the small side, and the chips arrived in a cone and were just as good as we remembered, with plenty of flavour. They were however slightly addictive – too addictive! If I wasn’t sharing, I could’ve easily devoured the lot all to myself! They should really put a warning sign on the cone – “Warning, if sharing you might find yourself fighting over the last chip!
The Oysters were ok, I wasn’t the greatest fan of these, but oysters to be honest don’t really do much for me – they just slide down my throat and that’s it. The squid salad was good, with the squid beautifully cooked and not tough at all. The beef salad was also delicious, with the beef cooked to perfection and still slightly red and tender, whilst being accompanied by the crunchy pomegranate adding another texture. I would have found one of these salads too small for me, and would need something else with it to keep my tummy happy (I do like my food!), but as we were all sharing, there was plenty for all of us to keep all our tummies happy.
Overall, the food was well cooked and tasty, but I personally would not be able to come here every week as it is a bit pricey, especially when there are a lot of places to go in North Sydney for lunch time specials. However, if you are looking for a nice sit down meal for a special occasion or something a little different the Treehouse Hotelis a good place to come. It does get busy though and loud, especially after work, so it’s best to come earlier so you don’t have to wait too long for your food and be able to get a table.