From making a booking to the end of our lunch today (19/6/16) was a wonderful experience, as a belated Mothers Day present from my young son. Emse, the Manager was very helpful in attending to our booking. Met with a nice smile, and was was only too happy to guide us through our choices. I started with an entree of Scallops, which were succulent, juicy and beautifully cooked, with caramelised onions and capsicums, my wife had some chips. These chips were crisp and wonderfully cooked and nice tasting. Mains were for me a Waygu Beef Burger + chips, and my wife chose Beer battered fish and chips. Again beautifully cooked and wonderful tasting. I finished this off with a Passionfruit cheesecake and my wife chose Rainbow Chocolate Cookie. The service and food was exemplary. Emse, the manager came and spoke to us during the meal to make sure everything was in order. She had a pleasant smile and listened to us. The venue was small but oozed warmth. Lovely location, and if it wasn\t raining, it would have been great to be able to sit outside. It is funny I have driven past this venue multiple times, and did not know it was there until we made and confirmed our booking. As it was raining and a Sunday we were lucky to be able to park more or less outside on a meter. On a busy day you would have the opportunity to park in the nearby Broadway Shopping Centre. Many businesses should look at the quality the freshness and superb cooking of the produce and their great service. Will definitely be back.

Coffee is somewhat of an obsession in Sydney, with great pains for its production and serving. Some places around the town have "cuppings", coffee tasting, a bit like the more familiar wine variety. But few coffee places have the location of Gardener\s Lodge, on the edge of Victoria Park and facing a lazy pond with insistent bird life. I have been travelling away from Sydney since mid-May; the Lodge is one of my favourite coffee places to meet colleagues in congenial surroundings. It is a hard place to miss, so it is useful as a landmark for visitors to Sydney. The coffee is excellent in all its forms, the service attentive and the prices suitable to the venue; not excessive. They do have food available and the occasional salad or sandwich I have had there are fresh and good quality. We locals are lucky to have the Lodge; visitors are most welcome to benefit from the place as well.