Madam Queenie - SORRENTO

We booked a table for 8.15pm and upon arrival were directed to the bar as our table wasn't ready yet. After a round of drinks and a 40-minute wait we asked about our table which was just being cleared and set, staff did not even offer and apology for the lengthy wait.When we finally sat and ordered entrees came out with quick service and were delicious, with mains following and just as delicious.Overall we were happy with the food and our night out but staff seemed unfriendly and the bill at the end of the evening was expensive to say the least, very high prices.

The service was great but the food was very, very poor and the prices were way too high for that style of food. This is very disappointing as the owners (who own the Voyage Café below) are experienced but have unfortunately got this model very wrong. Trading on the good reputation and name of the renown lady (Queenie) who owned the Chinese restaurant downstairs before Voyage took over, the MQ owners have attracted many locals for a look-see but in general the consensus is negative and it is hoped the owners can look objectively at the criticism and adjust it to what could be a good eatery. From the outside (at night), the restaurant looks inviting (not so during the day), knowing the high standards of Asian food previously available from Queenie and being local has its advantages BUT really you are better off going next door to White Salt or across to Hillarys Boat Harbour.The place is so noisy that you can't have a reasonable conversation. This is the same problem downstairs at Voyage - the owner told us once, that by playing loud music it dulls the noise - maybe; but we just stopped going there (to Voyage) and MQ now has the same noise problem, only worse. The views at night are not of the beach (which is obviously in darkness) but of the traffic on the road. The service was very good - there were so many wait staff - all attentive and polite. The food was Asian food done very badly and priced horrendously. The presentation was OK ( a bowl of curry is a bowl of curry and a sprinkling of coriander/parsley is about all you can do) and portion sizes were good. Food was basic with very little taste - unusual for Asian food. The Crab Pork Rice was absolutely shocking - looked like a plate of dog food and tasted marginally better and needed a considerable lashing of the condiment (sorry to be so brutal but don't order this dish). The other plates ordered by our party were basic meals that we'd have cooked at home from a packet base i.e. butter chicken. Menu range is limited but OK with Asian food and Western food.Bar prices were those of a mid-range regular licensed restaurant with a reasonable choice to accompany a good menu - an added revenue builder on the already too high bill for this eatery. The bar looks attractive and extends along the room. The décor is generally light on but good with the exception of no built-in noise absorbent discreet panels or equivalent. The concrete floors exposed from previously carpeted area (when the place was Fratellis), may be serviceable but are terrible for escalating noise levels.Unfortunately, asking around friends and colleagues who live in the area (and some who don't), reviews are not good but we had to experience it for ourselves and I am pleased we did. I feel (and hope I am wrong) that they got this restaurant model confused and in order to stay in business after the initial "try the new eatery on the block" period, they will have to revise their prices, their menu and noise levels - good luck, I hope you can work through these teething problems.

I want to say from the get go that any restaurant serving dishes that are not as described on their own menu doesn't deserve a good review. Such is the case with Madam Queenie, unfortunately.I dined here on a Saturday night in June with 3 other people. We shared entrees and mains and I think we were all very surprised when the szechuan chicken wings (described on the menu as served with a 'hot chilli sauce') were delivered to us with red sauce devoid of any hint of spice or chilli whatsoever. I'm not exaggerating. It had no chilli or pepper flavour at all. I'm not sure why the sauce was red. Maybe tomato.We had 3 other entrees and none of them were worth going back for. In fact, the salt & pepper squid looked and tasted like it came out of a frozen packet and had no pepper on it at all.We ordered mains to share and purposely chose the twice cooked beef short ribs which is described on the menu as 'szechuan'. Again, no hint of spice whatsoever. Don't get me wrong - the beef ribs were cooked perfectly. They'd obviously been slow cooked for hours and the meat was juicy, tender, and falling off the bone. It tasted great. But it wasn't what was written on the menu.I just don't understand why a restaurant would do that. Why write a description that is significantly different to what the dish is like? It's as though they want people to be disappointed.Their saving grace on the night we were there was the waitress, Tessa, who looked after us. She was fantastic. On the ball the whole night making sure we ordered without having to wait long, kept an eye on our drinks and offered another round when we'd finished, made sure we had the correct plates and cutlery for each dish that was ordered, and all delivered with a smile...I wish she worked in every restaurant I dined in!The concept of this place is great: it has a bar with a good selection of craft beers (not sure why Sierra Nevada is classed as a 'local beer' when it comes from California but, hey, I'm happy it's on your list), wine, and cocktails. Presumably, you can sit at the bar and enjoy a tipple along with a quick bite to eat or you can do what we did and make a whole night of it. Great concept. But why mislead your customers with inappropriate descriptions of your food?

We enjoyed a great evening at Madam Queenie.We had barramundi, curry, pad Thai for mains and a selection of entrees, all very nicely prepared.Wine and beer selection is good and service excellent.Highly recommended for a nice night out. The view out to sea an added bonus!

Met friends for dinner after hearing great things about the food. We were very disappointed, the food is average, as a few previous comments, the ribs are disgusting,very bland and a very small serve, the food isn't cheap and the drinks are way overpriced, very noisy and not enough waitresses. Won't be back.