The Nielsen - Vaucluse, New South Wales

Catherine Paul

I’m impressed with the quality and quantity of the food for the price and at such a superb location. I live in the Inner West where you pay the same prices to sit under the flight path and inhale petrol fumes on the main street. There was a line of people out the door but they have a good system for service so the line moved fast. Well done to the fresh new staff and management. I’ll be back

Lincoln Dinh

A little bit of false advertising never goes astray. I’d say $30 is a bit of a stretch for large fish fingers. Tastes ok though.

Addit:
Tried the bacon and egg roll today. The bacon oinked it was so undercooked.

Jackie McMillan

Along with the reopening of the Nielsen Park beach after a very slow refurbishment, The Nielsen has also come back online. In the hands of Sydney Restaurant Group—who specialise in making the most of waterfront locations—it includes a variety of event spaces and a kiosk where you can walk straight in from the beach in your beach attire. Hot tip: while you can queue for takeaway on the right, if you turn left into the updated 1912 dining space, you get table service with an extended menu served on plates.

Pull up at a white picnic table and gaze through open stained-glass windows at the designer monumental concrete that took so long to pour (well there was some pesky asbestos that needed to be removed first) and the blue, blue harbour beyond it. It calls for cocktails, and the eager team here oblige quickly with a pretty namesake The Nielsen ($21) teaming vodka, Aperol and 1883 Peach with enough yuzu and lemon to strip the salt from your lips. The Mezcalita ($23) does the same job with a smoky kiss of Del Maguey and lime.

The menu isn’t going for artistry, just food you want to eat by the beach. The fish burger ($26) arrives with a protruding crisp battered fillet of white-fleshed fish, tangy tartare, pickles and credible chips. Octopus ($28) is a pretty plate of tender tentacles tangled with perfectly cooked spuds, green olives, cherry tomatoes and salsa verde. It’s just the ticket to fill you up on the bounty of the sea without so much heaviness you can’t quickly return to the water.

Jessica Lewis-Jones

I attended the Pavillion for a private function on Monday night (6/1/25) and was impressed by the pleasantly unexpected vegan, gluten free, dairy free main meal option I was served. Im not sure what this meal was called because not on the menu but please give compliments to the chef!

Marianne Polkinghorne

Yes, the Cafe Restaurant looks wonderful, food choices are good. But while it's noted on this site that the kitchen closes at 4.00, and Cafe closes at either 6 or 7, there is no note that coffee is not available after 4.30. After checking closing time, I had my swim and went for my coffee at 5.05, to be told sorry, not available now. Not happy! Please put this info on google maps, so other people aren't disappointed, as I'm sure others have been.

Agustin D'Onofrio

Great food, atmosphere and service
They lose 1 star because the burger bread was old. The rest was great!!

Agustina Giarrocco

Loved this place! Food was amazing and everyone was really nice. Definitely will go again!

Rennessy

I have been a happy customer of this fine establishment for over 20 years. The atmosphere is gorgeous and the food is great. However, the attitude of the young man with the green shirt working on the register today was absolutely downright disrespectful. He spoke to me in an aggressive manner when he didn’t get my order right and told me “that’s why I asked you what you wanted” after I already repeated my order 3 times to him. I am shocked that somebody working a register has zero customer service skills. I unfortunately won’t be returning again for this reason.