Neil Perry is an acclaimed Australian chef, restaurateur, and author, recognized globally with 'The Icon Award' in 2024 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants. He is the first chef worldwide to have two of his...
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Local ModernFrenchSteakhouseSeafoodFine Dining
Last updated: 1/24/2026, 8:57:55 AM
Key Information
Margaret focuses on bringing together the best ingredients, an excellent wine and drinks program, and skilled craftsmanship to create a unique and lovely dining experience. It is part of the 'Margaret Family' group, envisioned to celebrate cooking, hospitality, and generosity in the Double Bay neighborhood. The fit-out is stunning yet understated, filled with light and fresh air, offering fine food without excessive fuss.
Customer Perception
Customer feedback is largely positive, praising the attentive and lovely staff, excellent service, and beautiful presentation of dishes. Entrees, sides, and desserts are frequently highlighted as delicious and perfectly executed. The ambiance is generally appreciated for being special and intimate, though some reviews mention it can be noisy. The signature 800g CopperTree wagyu steak, despite its high ranking, has received mixed reviews, with some finding it disappointing, gritty, sinewy, and overpriced, while others find the overall meal to be incredible and worth the cost.
Additional Details
Margaret is located at 30-36 Bay St, Double Bay NSW 2028. It is available for exclusive private events for up to 100 guests.
The restaurant operates Wednesday 6–11 pm and Thursday 12–11 pm. Specific peak times are not detailed, but reservations are likely recommended given its popularity.
We had a truly wonderful lunch at Margaret. We began with a selection of appetizers and their incredible bread, which was so good it set the tone for the rest of the meal. For the mains, we ordered the steak and the fish—both were absolutely outstanding. The fish was especially superb: beautifully cooked, incredibly fresh, and one of the best dishes we’ve had in a long time. We finished with dessert, which was the perfect ending to an exceptional meal.
What made the experience even more memorable was when Chef Perry came out from the kitchen to say hello to our table. It was such a thoughtful gesture and added a personal touch that we really appreciated.
The service was impeccable throughout—warm, professional, and attentive without ever being intrusive. The team struck the perfect balance of making us feel well looked after while allowing us to enjoy our meal at our own pace.
Margaret delivers not only outstanding food but also genuine hospitality. We left thoroughly impressed. Highly recommended.
Margaret lunch experience with the 3rd best burger in the world and best in Australia. The cheese burger was great. To say it was the best burger I had, I cannot. but it was a very good burger. The margret burger was also very good but the cheeseburger was better. Tuna sashimi was exceptional, unbelievable flavour. Was the star of the show. The tartare was nice. It needed acidity to cut through the flavour. Quality is not a question here everything is of high quality you can see it taste it and feel it. You definitely pay for what you get. I cannot wait to try Margaret restaurant. It is worth the visit and experience. Staff were amazing too.
1
Disappointed.
It took my girlfriend and me two weeks to secure a reservation at Margaret. Having heard that it was ranked the No. 2 steakhouse in the world in 2026, we came in with very high expectations. We ended up spending $810 on dinner for the two of us.
Unfortunately, most of the dishes were unremarkable. The Paspaley pearl meat was just okay, while the beef tartare was honestly below average. The seasoning was strange, and there was a bitterness that I couldn't quite understand. The mud crab did not seem to have been picked carefully, as we still found pieces of shell in the meat, and the flavour didn't stand out at all. We were also recommended the Yamba pipis, but there was quite a lot of sand in the shellfish, and one of them seemed undercooked.
The Wagyu steak was much better. It was rich and fatty with a nice texture. It did get a little heavy after a few pieces, but that's probably just my personal preference. The peppers were also good, with a pleasant sweet-and-sour flavour. The desserts were the highlight of the meal. The soufflé pudding was fluffy and had a lovely sweetness.
What really made the experience disappointing, however, was the service. I was seated near the door and was served by one waitress who came across as quite arrogant and condescending. Before the steak was served, I mentioned to her that we had found the food a little disappointing so far. She simply replied, “Okay,” without showing any concern or asking what had gone wrong.
When we were nearly finished, she placed the bill on our table and asked me to pay. She didn't ask how the rest of the meal had been, nor did she come back with any response from the kitchen regarding the concerns I had raised earlier. I therefore explained again that we were dissatisfied with several of the dishes and disappointed with the overall experience. Again, she simply said “Okay” and told me, rather coldly, that she would pass my feedback on to the kitchen. She then continued asking me to settle the bill.
There was no apology, no meaningful response to our feedback, and no gesture to make up for the experience. There wasn't even a goodbye when we left.
For a high-end fine-dining restaurant, I don't think this is the standard of service one should expect after spending more than $800 on dinner and drinks for two people. Considering both the food and the service, the experience simply wasn't worth the price. The desserts were excellent, but unfortunately they weren't enough to make up for the rest of the evening.
Not recommended.
4
Read online that this was ranked the No. 1 steakhouse in Australia, so we made sure to try it during our Sydney trip — booked weeks in advance to secure a slot. Service was great and the ambience polished; the waiters really know their steaks and gave thoughtful recommendations.
We ordered the 800g dry-aged rib eye, crab salad, ceviche, and dessert (flourless chocolate cake with a side of vanilla — that one was just okay). The beef was tender, juicy, and had a unique, slightly sweet, funky flavor you don’t often get at steakhouses — that part was memorable. That said, for the price point, I’ve had better steaks elsewhere in the world. I was hoping for more of a punch, but it didn’t quite deliver on that front.
Overall a good meal, but not something I’d crave enough to come back to next time I’m in Sydney
5
Margaret
Australian fine dining @ Double Bay
Overall: 7/7
A place that lives up to the hype IMO. I love the simplicity of all their dishes, there’s truly nothing fancy about them, except using premium ingredients and cooking them to a level I’ve never experienced before.
And compared to other fine dining places… honestly it’s not even expensive. Except the steak.
Get a reservation early, they’re very popular.
I’m mega late to posting this, so their menu has probably changed. But it’s all seasonal so surely still good.
Their fish is a must get, and steaks are worth a try. Wasn’t a fan of their desserts though.