- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
The Billabong Bar & Bistro
Categories: Restaurants Nightlife Bars Restaurants, Bars [Edit]
121 Osborne StWinnipeg, MB R3L 1Y4
(204) 452-1019
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Mon
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
7 reviews for The Billabong Bar & Bistro
7 reviews in English
-
Review from Sean D.
Kenora District, ON
5/9/2012
Being from New Zealand I think the Billabong is the best Bar in Winnipeg. A big statement but I will give you seven reasons why.
1) Tremendous friendly atmosphere especially around the marble circular bar. The bar was made with love by the owner who put visable Australian coins under the counter top.
2) New Zealand Steinlager Pure. The beer is almost good for you preservative and additive free.
3) The bar staff are great, especially Owen who serves a quick drink and keeps a safe bar.
4) Its all happening here the place gets busier as the night progresses into the wee hours.
5) Its a good place to meet Aussie cobbers. Australians aren't that bad they just have one fatal flaw. They cheat in sport.
6) The Aussie burger is brilliant and good value. Melted cheese on a large patty with bacon, beetroot, egg, pineapple, lettuce, tomatoe and mayo.
7) On a personal note the bars memorabilia brings back fond memories. -
Review from Archimedes T.
Toronto, ON
7/15/2011
Had my first try of kangaroo meat. Aside from the guilt of eating a "cute" animal, it was quite good. It has a sweetish sauce that blends well with it and some stuffed pastry that was also good.
We also had calamari. It's the second best calamari I had, just second to Destiny Tea Shop's as it is not as crunchy as Destiny's. However, the batter is still quite good and the sauce has a little kick.
We also got some tiger shrimp with it, though it was a bit so-so.
The price is still quite expensive, so we just shared the dishes to save money and we just ate somewhere else afterwards. -
Review from A.P. B.
MB
12/15/2010 2 Check-ins Here
The bistro! What a a great addition to an already fantastic spot in Osborne Village.
In a quiet cozy atmosphere Chef Andy Arjoon, formerly of the Coyote Grill, elegantly plates sophisticated spins on some Australian classics.
My new favourite protein of all time - KANGAROO! No fooling, there's a tenderloin of this farmed fave from down under that'll turn your perceptions about Auzzie food upside down.
Skip the taco though, not enough meat to make it a value.
The pot stickers are sublime, featuring a trio of sea and swamp borne swimmers including alligator!
But not to fear, there are closer to home options for diners not wanting to go walkabout with the menu.
Delicious desserts including a fabulous fig pudding round out the menu and an extensive wine list features Australian red and whites from some of the country's best growing regions.
More news and reviews at http://www.SavourWinni... -
Review from Anlina S.
Winnipeg, MB
6/15/2010
We came here last Sunday for dinner, and long story short, the food was amazing, the service was kind of flaky.
Let's start with the good. I had the Australian Shank, a braised Australian lamb shank in an Australian Port and Black Cherry reduction with mashed potatoes & vegetables. The lamb was delicious and fall off the bone tender. Nicely seasoned with just the right amount of sauce. The potatoes and vegetables were excellent too.
My friends had the Uluru Ribeye, cooked medium. I tried a couple of bites and was impressed. Great cut of meat prepared perfectly.
For dessert we had pavlova (meringue with seasonal fruit and whipped cream) with ice cream. This was a perfect, very light compliment to dinner - not too sweet or filling. The seasonal fruit included strawberries, mango, grapefruit and possibly something else. The grapefruit made for a very interesting combination with all the sweet, creaminess of the rest of the dessert. Weird but still good.
They have a very decent wine list - we had a bottle of Peter Lehman Clancy's red wine with dinner which was a great accompaniment.
Okay, so food = awesome.
Now for the not so great. The service was flaky.
We got into the restaurant and there was no one in the dining side. We went over to the bar to make sure that their dining room was open and the bartender told us to sit where ever we liked and someone would be with us in a moment. So, we sat and we waited. I'm not sure exactly how long we waited but it was getting to the point where you start to get irritable and contemplate getting up and going to another restaurant.
Finally our waitress came, brought water and menus and went over the specials with us. She seemed really out of it, like she'd just rolled out of bed and wasn't fully awake or something.
The service was kind of slow throughout the meal and she just maintained this general feeling of not really being there or being fully aware of what was going on. She wasn't rude or completely absent but it was a little disconcerting. The contrast between the food and the service just made for a rather inconsistent dining experience. And being a slightly pricey restaurant, I just expect a little more consistency.
The restaurant itself is nice - dark and atmoshpherey and since they've renovated it feels much less crowded and small. The lighting has also improved with the renovations - it's far from brightly lit, but the light level is really comfortable now. Prior to renovations, I recall eating there and it being so dark it was hard to see what was on my fork. Much improved.
I'd eat there again - the food was awesome, and this is the first time I've had a negative experience with the service there, so I'll just chalk it up to the waitress having a bad day or maybe they just have one not-so-great serving staff. -
Review from Doug D.
Winnipeg, MB
1/9/2011
Service was slow and menu choices were quite limited. Quite expensive for what is basically Earl's quality level food. Will not be going back.
-
Review from Joél H.
Winnipeg, MB
6/3/2010
If you're looking to an alternative to Stella's for weekend brunch in the Village, I recommend you give Billabong a try. Their brunch is still under-the-radar, so you can expect the restaurant to be less-than-full when you go. Don't let that dissuade you, though -- you'll get well-prepared food, friendly and capable service and fair prices. You can get a plain ol' bacon-and-eggs breakfast for $6 or get fancier with Eggs Benedict made with kangaroo meat! The shore brunch is excellent -- snapper fried in what I'm convinced is real butter. The hashbrown potatoes are excellent. Coffee is OK. Friends I've gone with have loved the huevos rancheros with pulled pork.
-
Review from Sean M.
Winnipeg, MB
6/9/2010
cheap local beer on tap and clean beer lines make it a nice choice. clean clientele and decent music. the menu is annoying though. you go in for after work drinks and something to eat and suddenly you can't get the only decently priced thing on the menu -- the burger. having lived in oz, it's nice that they offer the aussie beers, but the menu has been North Americanized to a degree that's kind of perturbing: soaking meat in aussie booze doesn't make it aussie food.
