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RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

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PRICE RANGE
C$22 - C$169
CUISINES
Seafood, Australian
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
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meals, features, about
Reviews (3,270)
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3,070 results
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1,114
837
537
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265
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Traveller rating
1,114
837
537
317
265
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Reviewed today via mobile

I’ve been going to Doyle’s for over 35 years when I’m Sydney the view has remained wonderful but the food is now sadly very ordinary and overpriced. The salad was just undressed rocket , chips yellow and hard not crispy and the fish was just...fine. We did get a front row table outside on a beautiful day and the part was superb. They need some creativity in their menu it’s bland.More

Date of visit: March 2024
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Reviewed yesterday

Nice restaurant directly on the bech. Excellent fish dishes. Try the ‚cold and hot plate‘ to get the opportunity to taste a lot different dishes.

Date of visit: March 2024
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Reviewed yesterday

VERY expensive for what you get, surcharge alone was $35. Staff are friendly and helpful. Fish was nice but nothing special.

Date of visit: February 2024
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Reviewed yesterday via mobile

On the ferry after a super lunch we met a Manly resident very familiar with good restaurants. ‘Oh Doyle’s’ she said, ‘I have been many times, expensive fish and chips with a great view’. From a sample of one visit, Doyle’s is more than that....The service is superb, the hostess charming and the range of seafood offered very extensive. After tasty Moreton Bay bugs to start I had to see if John Dory and chips were as good here as the fabled equivalent from my home town in Lancashire many years ago. Can you compare haddock with John Dory and chips fried in beef dripping. Maybe not, in any event both are wonderful tastes and we enjoyed the JD very much. The wine list is extensive with something for everyone. House Sauvignon Blanc by the glass is most acceptable. We shared passion fruit cheesecake a decision our waitress approved with a knowing smile. The topping has a mousse/cheesecake taste and texture and was quite delicious. So visit if you can. Much more than ‘expensive fish and chips with a view.’ And what a super view back towards the harbour. SMore

Date of visit: March 2024
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Reviewed 5 days ago

Returned for lunch, 20 years since our last visit. Quality and service remain excellent. Staff knowledgeable and helpful. Menu and wine list excellent. We had John Dory and Barramundi.We got a waterfront seat, it seems they are allocated on the basis of how long ago...you booked? Would recommend without hesitation.More

Date of visit: March 2024
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Reviewed 6 days ago via mobile

This takeaway cafe is part of the Doyle’s seafood establishment some metres away in Watson Bay. Well located at the start of the ferry wharf, it offers a convenient takeaway menu and limited beer/ wine menu. However it also provides an undercover area with tables...and chairs, and a licensed bar, where customers are welcome to consume their takeaway meals. We had a seafood basket, a bottle of water and another of orange juice, and walked a few metres away to sit on park chairs in the park. It’s the perfect location, sitting in the park overlooking the Watson Bay beach and wharf on a fine sunny day.More

Date of visit: March 2024
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Reviewed 1 week ago via mobile

Stunning venue, great fish, outstanding service and an excellent wine list. The Yalumba Virgilius Viognier is world class. A great experience

Date of visit: February 2024
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Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile

We went to Watson’s Bay for a family day out yesterday. We thought we would eat at Doyle’s despite the overly inflated cost. We were seated fairly quickly and were eventually moved to a window table. Their menu proudly highlights their history of fine food...dating back to the 1800s. Their food is absolutely vile. Fish which was far from fresh. Batter which disintegrated into mush. Chips which looked and tasted like yellow door stops. Salad which was nothing more than small a handful of wilted rocket. Diminutive portions of fish and chips which cost $54 a pop. A 25% surcharge for a Saturday and a waitress who demanded an additional 10% on top of that. 4 disgusting servings of the poorest fish and chips in the developed world for $300! They have clearly given up and simply don’t care about the quality of their food. They feel entitled to charge high prices because of a view of the ocean. Do yourself a favour and go somewhere else. We could have done better by sitting on the beach and chewing bits of driftwood. Their history may be rich but their present is certainly poor!More

Date of visit: March 2024
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 2 weeks ago

I booked Doyle’s on the Beach as a special event for our last night in Sydney on Saturday 24th February 2024. I booked on 21 November 2023 by recommendation. Very disappointing, we were first shown upstairs which was noisy and soul less with restricted waterview...and view over a car park. When I questioned our seating I was told seating is allocated on a booking first basis. I said I had booked 3 months ago! How early do you have to book! I asked to sit downstairs and we were shown to a room far away from the view . This was not worth the money and appears to be trading on an outdated reputation. We’ve eaten in the best restaurants around the world and had a lovely meal and were treated well at Aria and 6Head which I booked at the same time. The waitress was lovely but the Manager was at best dismissive but actually I felt rude and patronising. As we were meeting friends we didn’t want to make a fuss but would have done otherwise. The food was nice but lacked finesse in its presentation and the wine selection was average.More

Date of visit: February 2024
Helpful?2  
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.
Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile

Honeymoon Spoilt by a terrible service - from the moment we sat down our presence was not important . The restaurant was not busy , ordering of drinks took a while and when served cold glasses and bottle and do the rest yourself . Asking...of the what was the fish of the day the server did not know and had to ask - wow while barramundi- and what already on the menu . Mussels were nice , my partner had the steak , tuff undercooked to his liking and 3/4 plate of chips . When the staff removed the empty plates from the table and with our dirty napkins , threw them back on the table and took the plates - no idea why . We had to request the empty beer and other bottles be removed from our table - why ! On paying the bill we wanted to use eftpos gift cards - wedding gifts - the restaurant still whacked on their surcharge! Hence we were unable to use . When confronting the manager on why surcharge for eftpos card that equals cash no explanation was able to be shared . Also explaining that his team ruined our honeymoon dinner - apologies that was it . Doyle’s has a reputation- but hey family owners we will never return . Absolutely disappointed with service , food , and end experience for a meal that almost cost $200 - No empathy .More

Date of visit: February 2024
Helpful?1  
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.
Reviewed 3 weeks ago

We've eaten at Doyles 3 times. Once at their Fish and Chip joint on the dock, and twice in their main restaurant. The F&Cs were quite good and it has a nice dining deck overlooking the bay. We were on a 2 week multi-city group...tour and the guide said that this was his favorite F&C place in Sydney. He went to high school with a member of the Doyle's family. He could be right as it was easily the best of about 5 F&C places that I visited in Sydney. One dinner was on the view patio and one was in the upstairs room by the big windows(blustery day). Both times my wife had the "whole fish" and she loved it. I had the barramundi fillet and that was very well prepared. All in all, this is our favorite fine dining restaurant in Sidney. The whole fish was big enough to feed both of us the next night!More

Date of visit: February 2024
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Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

Beautiful day, friendly staff, excellent food what more could you want? The seating upstairs inside is air conditioned and you still get a nice view

Date of visit: February 2024
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Reviewed 4 weeks ago

I had visited Doyles back in 2011. At that time it was a must do if you visited Sydney. It was famous for its fish and chips. I wasn't disappointed. However I revisited on February 4th 2024 with a friend. I had told my pal...how good it had been and we were really looking forward to the trip. we ordered the fish and chip lunch at the takeaway counter and went into the seated area to eat. The meal looked awful. The chips were a peculiar yellow colour and tasted horrible. The fish was dry and disappointing. It was accompanied by the most bizarre sauce which we both found inedible. The building needs a face lift, but the food needs drastic overall. I felt embarrassed to have taken my friend here. I would hope the restaurant next to the takeaway serves better food than the offering we were served. I was so disappointed, and wouldn't recommend Doyles to any body. Get your act together. You are destroying the reputation of a famous venue. Visitors from UK.More

Date of visit: February 2024
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile

Having been before we were rather disappointed this time around. We were seated in the old section outside which clearly shows its age, especially when you see a neat and tidy updated area not far away. For what was once a top class and highly...recommended restaurant some improvement is needed. Our main meals were good but sadly the Octopus (which we had looked forward to) was tough. The cutlery was dull and aged and unappealing. Even the Watsons Bay Hotel next door has polished cutlery. Still a lovely view.More

Date of visit: February 2024
Helpful?1  
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.
Reviewed 4 weeks ago

Busy Friday night but staff still found room for us. Good service and nice location. Food nice and a bit expensive for fish and chips. However location is probably why.

Date of visit: December 2023
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Kenneth A
February 4, 2024|
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Response from steve w | Reviewed this property |
Smart Casual for men…Collar shirt, No singlets, long pants (jeans OK) or dress shorts. No flip flops.
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DOYLES ON THE BEACH RESTAURANT, Watsons Bay - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Doyles on the Beach Restaurant

Doyles on the Beach Restaurant is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 4