We dine out regularly and have been fortunate enough to eat at restaurants like Vue du Monde in Melbourne, Fino in the Barossa Valley and Wickens in Dunkeld. We expected something similar in quality terms tonight, even perhaps having our expectations exceeded. Overall I would...have to say we were disappointed with the food and the ambiance. We ate upstairs in the smaller dining room. The tables have minimal dressing and you only need one "loud" table to kill the atmosphere. The views are spectacular despite the Opera House side being obscured by a massive cruise ship but it is what takes place within the dining room that establishes the vibe. We opted for a six course tasting menu and ordered a bottle of champagne (price was just over double retail). The food was innovative but the portion sizes tiny. The protein was cut scalpel thin and in many cases overwhelmed by other elements of the dish. Compared to other fine dining restaurants in Australia and overseas it is the smallest portion sizes we have ever experienced. We weren't looking for the Tuesday night schnitzel special at the local club, just something memorable and value for money - we didn't get either. Wickens at the Royal Mail in Dunkeld for example offers generous tasting portions prior to the set menu and artisan bread and butter to mop up the delicious sauces - they were so delicious it would have been a crime not to do so. At Quay there was no such generosity. The staff were friendly and attentive but ambient noise levels, once all the tables were occupied, made conversation difficult and it was also hard to hear the descriptions of the dishes. So after spending nearly $600 for food for two people we left thinking about what cheese we had in the fridge for when we got home - we were still hungry. We mentioned to somebody we met at a function earlier in the week that we were looking forward to eating at Quay. "It's not for me", she said. We would have to agree, it's not for us either..More