Years have elapsed since the last time I dined on Balmain Bugs with a view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at Circular Quay; so we happened upon Eastbank Café • Bar • Pizzeria in Sydney purely by chance upon reviewing its menu.
Eastbank Café • Bar • Pizzeria in Sydney. Restaurant Review.
A menu is prominently displayed outside of the dining establishment. Patrons can choose to dine al fresco or sit inside of the restaurant.
The tiebreaker as to why I chose Eastbank Café • Bar • Pizzeria was because kangaroo was offered on the menu, on which I had not dined in years since I was out in the middle of the Outback in Australia — and for some reason, I had an urge to dine on it again despite not exactly remembering what kangaroo was like when I last ate it.
One can enjoy seeing Sydney Harbour Bridge was prominently in the view from Eastbank Café • Bar • Pizzeria. The overall view of Circular Quay also factored in the decision to dine there. We were immediately seated at a table at the corner of the outdoor area that was closest to the bridge.
The Grilled Kangaroo Fillets consisted of kangaroo tenderloins that were served with beetroot risotto. Although the menu specifically called for the fillets to be cooked medium rare, I ordered mine medium. To say that this dish was outstanding would be understating how much I enjoyed it. The fillets were cooked perfectly, with no sinew or fat or gristle at all — just pure delicious tender meat. The flavor was phenomenal — although some people might find kangaroo to be too gamey for their tastes. Even the beetroot risotto — which I have never had before — was excellent. I literally could have eaten twice, three times, or even four times the amount of this dish, as it was that good. This dish is listed on the menu as gluten free. $39.00
The Grilled Barramundi Fillet was accompanied with roasted potato, green asparagus, cauliflower puree, and salsa rossa. It is also listed on the menu as gluten free. I personally believe that one cannot go wrong with barramundi no matter where it is ordered; but the fish and the asparagus exceeded my expectations. The potatoes were slightly undercooked and arguably could have used a little more seasoning; and the cauliflower puree neither added to nor distracted from the dish as a whole. I enjoyed the fresh tomatoes in the salsa rossa. $44.00
Final Boarding Call
I honestly did not have high hopes that this would be a great experience. I anticipated that this would be an overpriced and underwhelming meal solely because of the great view and expensive location. The fact that the word pizzeria is included in the name did not help matters, in my opinion, as I was not in the mood for pizza.
Was I wrong.
I highly recommend dining at Eastbank Café • Bar • Pizzeria. The total cost was $52.93 in United States dollars, which was quite reasonable for two meals of this quality and certainly not overly expensive. The food was quite fresh, delicious, and satisfying. The service was just shy of excellent. The views are great as well…
…but if you do not want to dine in, food can be ordered as take-away as well.
Eastbank Café • Bar • Pizzeria
Ground Level, Quay Grand
61-69 Macquarie Street
Circular Quay, New South Wales 2000
Australia
info@eastbank.com.au
+61 02 9241 6722
Operating Hours
Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 in the morning through 10:30 in the evening.
Friday through Saturday from 11:00 in the morning through 11:00 in the evening.
Parking for a charge is available in garages and car parks nearby — or you might get lucky with metered street parking. Forget about parking a motor vehicle free of charge.
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
