Pilu At Freshwater

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Review

770 reviews

#1 of 23 Restaurants in Freshwater₹₹₹₹, Italian, Mediterranean, Sardinian

+61 2 9938 3331+ Add website

Hours

Sun

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm5:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Tue

12:00 pm - 3:00 pm6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Wed

12:00 pm - 3:00 pm6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Thu

12:00 pm - 3:00 pm6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Fri

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Sat

12:00 pm - 5:00 pm6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

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Ratings and reviews

4.5

770 reviews

#1 of 23 Restaurants in Freshwater

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Italian, Mediterranean, Sardinian, Southern-Italian, Vegetarian Friendly

“Must try the Suckling Pig”

“... but my ‘special for the day’risotto with truffles grated over it (by Mr P...”

Special Occasion Dining, Romantic, View, Groups, Business meetings

“The sea view is stunning and the ambience is relaxed making for a truly memor...”

“... atmosphere beautiful with stunning views and, of course, the excellent fo...”

Location and contact

On The Beach, Moore Road, Freshwater, Warringah, New South Wales 2096 Australia

+61 2 9938 3331

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Does this restaurant have a full bar?

Yes

Unsure

Details

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PRICE RANGE

₹1,404.00 – ₹2,752.00

CUISINES

Italian, Mediterranean, Sardinian, Southern-Italian

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, After-hours

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Waterfront

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4.5

770 reviews

Excellent

451

Very good

171

Average

Poor

Terrible

JenLouB

London124 contributions

Great location and service

Dec 2019 • none

We surprised ourselves by managed to get in over Christmas despite only booking 4 days ahead and had a lovely evening. The food was very tasty, especially the sucking pig, but we did get to the end of the meal with our being blown away. Our server was brilliant with the right mix of recommendations and encouragement to try something new which you expect from such a pricey restaurant. A great location that can't be beaten in this part of the world.

Written 7 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

piludining

Hello Jen, Thank you for your lovely review. I will be honoured to pass on your feedback to the whole team. We are looking forward to having you back soon

Written 16 January 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

wwwazzzz

Freshwater46 contributions

Lovely meal in a beautiful setting. Recommended for a special occasion

Feb 2020 • couples

We enjoyed the degustation for a special occasion, we couldn’t afford the matching wines so had a very nice G&T and bottle of Chardonnay instead. All courses were well presented and tasty with the exception of the disappointing desert - which we understand is a Sardinian favourite and popular with others. We were looked after by the attentive team and enjoyed a beautiful evening. I’ve gone with 4 rather than 5 stars as the food was good, but not the best I’ve had when paying silly money.

Written 28 February 2020

piludining

Thank you for taking time to provide feedback. We greatly appreciate your lovely words and we are delighted to hear you enjoyed your experience. I am obviously sorry to know that you didn't enjoy the dessert but I hope that this has not deterred you away from dining with us again as we would love to see you.

Written 3 March 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

WAG

Sydney227 contributions

Great views of beach and headland

Jan 2020 • none

Planning a special day out with close family and thought we would splurge a bit. Arrived at a few minutes to 1200 for our 1200 booking and door was locked. We alerted the staff upstairs that we (3) and four other people were waiting outside on a very hot day. No apologies given when door was open. We do not drink alcohol so sent back the wine list. I could be wrong but I thought the mood of the waiter changed at this point. Not a large selection of meals but enough to choose from. All meals chosen were good but nothing spectacular. Venue became quite busy around 1300 and service dropped off. Waited a while to be offered the dessert menu. It's a prime location but not sure the food justifies the prices they charge. Will not be going again but would recommend people give it a try for themselves.

Written 2 February 2020

piludining

Thank you for taking time to give us some feedback. We are disappointed to hear your experience did not meet your expectations. I will definitely pass on your feedback to the Restaurant manager and I willing to improve our customer service to what concern our opening time flexibility. I am glad you enjoyed our location but I am sorry to hear you will not dine with us again because we hope you will give us another chance in the future. Please contact directly our Restaurant Manager on dining@pilu.com.au if you wish to make another booking, as we would love to see you again.

Written 6 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cristallover

6 contributions

Extremely underwhelming

Mar 2021 • none

For a two hat restaurant with a long standing reputation, this was a very disappointing Sunday lunch. The food whilst being tasty, was presented like a nice pub feed and not fine dining whatsoever. The lamb ragyu pasta was quality but not very creative. The so called signature 'porcetta dish' was what you'd expect at a nice pub, quite tasty but very simply served with a piece of raw tomato topped with some tomato sauce. The white chocolate dessert was very nice however what made this experience more disappointing was the incredibly arrogant sommelier... After ordering a $250 bottle of Super Tuscan red wine with him to hopefully be served before the rabbit pasta was finished, he went over to talk to another table for over 15 minutes before attempting to put the wine glasses on the table and by that stage I had finished my entree. This is not what you'd expect when you are paying very premium prices in a super location. Very underwhelming and very overpriced

Written 21 March 2021

piludining

Thank you for your feedback, we are extremely sorry to hear you did not enjoy your experience with us. The issue you note regarding your wine service will be addressed with our wine team immediately. In regards to food we'd welcome further feedback on what creativity you wish to see. Our email is dining@pilu.com.au if you wish to send through further information for us to consider. Thank you again for taking the time to submit your feedback.

Written 22 March 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tania d

665 contributions

Good food, lovely location - pricey

Nov 2020 • none

The restaurant is in a great position overlooking Freshwater Beach. The service is very professional and efficient. We visited on a Saturday eve and there was only the degustation option which was expensive for what was served. Some nice dishes but no real WOW factor.

Written 15 November 2020

SydneyCoco

6 contributions

Bad service spoils a great experience

Dec 2019 • none

I have dined 3 times at Pilu. This time we were celebrating my son's birthday on Tuesday 17 December at dinner (booked by my daughter in law). The food was fine, disappointed only by the unexpectedly bad service. My grandchildren's meals were confused, taken away, corrected and re-served... lukewarm. Their ordered drinks ignored until re-requested, attracting the sommelier's attention was a time-wasted experience. In frustration at the unusual bad service. Having successfully eaten there before, I wrote directly to Pilu to advise of this unusual experience, but did not receive a reply.I wrote twice more with no reply forthcoming. Not good enough Pilu. Your establishment offers a great dining experience, an excellent wine list, and apart from this occasion, (had) great service. You have done better. Eric Krieger

Written 6 January 2020

CraigMichaelt

Sydney49 contributions

OK but over priced

Jan 2020 • none

Hosted a group of 7 for a celebration dinner. The 3 course set price menu had limited optiions and at $98 per head was over priced. Food quality was not bad but not outstanding either. Once we got to deserts (where we were told "you may as well have one - you've psid for it") most of the group could not find anything that they were attracted to and chose to skip to coffee. Wine selection was extensive but expensive. Ordered a bottle of red but found out that this was the last one. Service was only average.

Written 7 January 2020

Steve M

Sydney249 contributions

Great view and good service but overpriced and not great food

Feb 2020 • couples

Great view and good service but overpriced and not great food. Only options are a 7 course degustation @ $160 or three courses for $98.00. Food portions were smallish and the $14 garden salad was a joke. We had Wines by the glass at $22-$25 range and they were very unimpressive. We won’t be back and wouldn’t recommend

Written 1 February 2020

piludining

Hello Steve, Thank you for providing your feedback. I am delighted to know you enjoyed our service but I am very sorry to hear your dining experience didn't meet your expectations as well as our selection of wine by the glass. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you further and ameliorate the dining experience you had with us. Please contact our restaurant Manager on dining@pilu.com.au

Written 6 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Louise

1 contribution

Lunch at Pilu

Oct 2021 • friends

Very disappointed with the menu at Pilu. Shared plates is not what I expected from an expensive restaurant, I much prefer ordering individual mains & not having help myself to plates in the Centre of the table. At $670 for lunch for 4 I felt pressured by the waiter to order his suggestions which afterward I feel was a way to push up the price. Such a shame since the venue is stunning.

Written 16 October 2021

piludining

Hello Louise, thank you for your feedback. We are sad to hear you did not enjoy the sharing concept menu, however we have amended our style of menu since you dined. Your comments regarding the waiter have been brought to his attention to be addressed. We sincerely hope you will dine with us again in future.

Written 11 January 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

kwb252

Sydney24 contributions

Definitely worth a visit

Feb 2020 • friends

Had an outstanding meal with a beautiful view. Had scampi and swimmer crab for starters, followed by snapper and suckling pig. All meals delicately flavoured, well presented and delicious. It was made all that more special by exemplary service by Mo who was knowledgeable about every dish and the stories behind them, was efficient and was warm with a great sense of humour. When complimented he humbly said it was the excellent training he received. He said they treat the staff so well that it would be hard not to love his job. How’s that for a recommendation for a restaurant!? Well done to the team there. Was a memorable birthday lunch.

Written 24 February 2020

piludining

Thank you for your amazing review. Mo and the rest of the team will be thrilled to read how much you enjoyed your experience. We are looking forward to hosting you again soon.

Written 25 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

mrmtee

Castle Hill168 contributions

Sadly overpriced and a disappointment

Aug 2020 • none

Went to try this for a special night out. we tried the degustation menu and all up a bit disappointing. some dishes were barely edible that's if you could find them on the plate. Why they make servings so small is beyond, me..oh wait..yep now i know..$$. For roughly $150 each plus a few drinks ($350 all up) i was hoping for something a bit more memorable, for the right reasons. Location is nice but lets be honest you cant see outside at night Staff were sort of pretty good ,there was a few of them so that's a plus, didn't have wait to long for drinks service. All up though its overpriced and the taste is average. There are plenty of other venues around to try something better, but it is so noticeable that in Sydney if you are near water the restaurants just seem to want to rip you off. Its just an Australian thing i guess. My tip, try the Harbord diggers. For half my bill you could have a great night and a big meal with drinks. Sadly Pilu was a disappointment.

Written 2 December 2020

piludining

Thank you for your feedback, we are extremely sorry to hear you did not enjoy your experience with us. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you further about your experience so please feel free to contact our restaurant manager on dining@pilu.com.au Please accept our apologies for taking this long to respond to your review and thank you again for taking the time to submit your feedback

Written 30 March 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Susan V

1 contribution

Pilu freshwater

Jan 2020 • family

Very unpleasant experience. Couldn't eat my meal it tasted bitter and was lukewarm. Portions extremely small and no vegetables served with them. Side salad a joke, 6 lettuce leaves in a bowl for $14! Way overpriced. A complete RIP off!staff not all that pleasant. Would never go back! I cook better myself!

Written 8 February 2020

piludining

Hello Susan, Thank you for providing feedback. Please accept our sincerest apologies if your dining experience did not meet your expectation. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak with you further and ameliorate the poor dining experience you had with us. Please contact our Restaurant Manager at dining@pilu.com.au.

Written 13 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

tourist152009

Fairlight14 contributions

Sad Development

Feb 2020 • none

Pilu has become a ‘gourmet’ restaurant in an unfortunate way. As others have commented really small portions, overpriced and the taste is average. I’m going to the real Sardinia regularly and the food is hearty, simple but elegant and very generous. Often you don’t even get menus and the food is whatever is in season and fresh. Pilu has gone as far away from this as possible - it’s lost it’s sole unfortunately and I won’t go anymore.

Written 21 February 2020

dhui

Sydney2260 contributions

gem in the northern beaches

Feb 2021 • none

a very nice place to go for occasion or just a dinner to reward yourself. food was nicely designed and prepared, bringing an unique wake to your palette. we ordered the 7-course menu, each of the dish offered your surprises. the restaurant got a good wine list, providing a good selection. service was superb, nothing can be friendlier and attentive than that. all service prompts was made in just in time, we did not need to request for anything, all just came in the way as you need. nice view from the restaurant, overlooking the freshwater beach. little reminder on free meter parking from 7pm onwards.

Written 19 February 2021

piludining

Thank you so much for your amazing review We greatly appreciate your kind words and we are delighted you enjoyed your experience with us The whole team was pleased to hear your feedback and we all hope to see you again soon

Written 30 March 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JV_01

Sydney175 contributions

One of the Northern Beaches highly regarded Restaurants.

May 2021 • none

This is one of our favourites an the attention to detail was outstanding, on this occasion was no exception. The food is nicely designed and prepared, the 7-course degustation menu was mouth-watering. Each dish gave you a unique wake up to your palette, with every dish being pleasantly surprised. The matching wines selected, complemented the meal. The restaurant prides itself on offering a very good wine list with good selection. The service staff are very knowledgeable, friendly and attentive, everything came on time. We had a lovely view overlooking Freshwater Beach and have rebooked for an upcoming event in July.