Firefly Neutral Bay

Hey beauty when the mood gets you down, your bottom lip’s near dragging on the ground… then get yourself down to Firefly and grab yourself a Splice of Heaven beer inspired by Australia’s other favourite ice cream (and possibly Dave Dobbyn but I’m not sure what he tastes like). They also have a Holdin Hay Time beer, both by Moon Dog. What a delight for a Friday night after a tough day at work.
Firefly is one of the original Sydney small bars, from back when we were still referring to them as Wine Bars (what dorks we were) and it has been consistently good, outliving places along this strip like White Hart and Blue Plate. The food is share style with generous servings and the drinks list is impressive.
I recommend the salt and pepper squid, pork sliders, zucchini chips. They say you should get 3 plates for two people, 5 plates for 3. This formula will leave you uncomfortably full. You can book ahead and they do have time limits on the tables but we were over and nobody seemed to care so they obviously manage their system well.
It can get hot inside in the warmer months so a table outside is recommended.
Now if you excuse me I’m going to get back to singing the unofficial New Zealand anthem and reminiscing about those beers.

Not really my kind of place. I had the duck pancakes, which are very good. They came out in about 5 minutes and parts were warm and some were cold. The duck was cooked properly, but it seemed overpowered by the water chestnuts and sprouts so it was like eating water with semi warm duck. Tasty but pricy.

REALLY appreciate a place where the servers know something about the wine and can talk intelligently about what they’re suggesting to you– Firefly has over 120 Pinot Noirs and our server walked us through different options, being patient while we decided what we wanted. I also really appreciated that they asked us upfront what our price range was for wine, avoiding that awkward moment that typically happens when a server suggests something way out of your price range.
The menu is meant to be shared, and for two people they recommend 3 – 4 dishes. My friend and I opted for 4 dishes– the chicken pâté, aracini balls, haloumi and watermelon salad and the duck pancakes.
All were great, but the pâté really stole the show. Four dishes was probably one too many, but it took us about 30 minutes to narrow it down to just four as everything seemed like it would be delicious on the menu. Every time a dish came out, I got FOMO that we weren’t getting it– definitely a sign that we’ll have to go back and try everything out!

Tapas and a other assorted food interests. It’s the wine «library» that makes Firefly interesting. When we went they were featuring Pinots. Not my favourite varietal but I loved the idea of visiting the library to make my selection. We’ll go back.

Some seasons I love the menu here, others, not so much. I also find that it’s a bit on the expensive side for what you get. Service can be hit or miss but usually it’s not too bad.
Even though I only give it three stars, I still keep going back because of the unique menu items that I don’t see at other places in the area. Some of my faves? The chicken chorizo (the honey mustard is extremely tasty), haloumi with watermelon, the baked camembert wasn’t bad– it just needed some bread or crackers to got with it, smoked mozarella and chorizo pizza and the pumpkin ricotta gnocchi. Just don’t order it all at once– or you may feel the wrath of a disgusting grease overload in your stomach for the rest of the night. Trust me… I know this from experience.
I also think the décor is nice and it’s in a convenient location for me.
Check in on Facebook and get free zucchini fries as well!

Went to this venue on St Paddy’s day, thought to escape the crowd at the pub and have a good catch up with a close friend. Lucky we had lots to talk about because the great experience at the bar would not have been one of them.
So we arrived and got seated, slowly went through the wine list and decided on a Red Wine Sangria Pitcher instead. There was no-​one in the restaurant/​bar so it was quick to get served.
When we received the pitcher we noticed it was a bit more of a Rose colour rather than a Red Wine colour. Neither of us said anything and gave it a whirl. After a glass and some stories we both slowed down realising it was incredibly difficult to drink as it was more like lolly water as opposed to a Sangria. We then started discussing the colour, and taste, which really was like a packet of lollies, I am thinking; red frogs, raspberries, red fruit flavoured sweets– anything red you get the idea. SWEET AS! Way too sweet. I mean I know Sangria should have a little sweetness to it, but seeing as we were expecting a Red wine sangria we thought it might have a bit more, well red wine in it? This was like a white wine sangria with red cordial in it or something.
Anyway– considering the place was seriously EMPTY– the staff were hopeless. Standing behind the bar catching up, no-​one came over to check on us, give us water, ask us how the drink was, or even ask us if we wanted anything to nibble on? It was about 5:30/6pm at this stage. So we decided they obviously didn’t really want our patronage and left to get food down the road– only via the chemist to get some Listerine and a toothbrush to clean our teeth from all the sugar.
Maybe they knew it wasn’t such a great drink, because when we went up to pay they didn’t bother asking how everything was. Meh. I would have expected more from a venue like this. Oh well. The best thing was that after the 10 min lull where none of the staff realised the music had stopped, suddenly it started back up with Angus & Julia stone! At least they got their music choice right ;)

Went to Firefly for the first time on Saturday night with two friends who are huge fans. I have to say I really enjoyed it.
Of course, being where it is parking is a nightmare… and this place doesn’t take bookings. Once I finally parked and put my name on the list it didn’t take long to get a table.
The food we ordered was great: waygu beef burgers (not for me), haloumi, stuffed mushrooms, hazelnut/​fetta salad, arancini balls with blue cheese sauce and more. The bartender whipped me up a few lychee martinis even though they were not on the menu. The second one tasted too much like lemon so he replaced it. Not the best one I’ve had but not too bad!
The whole bill ended up being cheaper than I expected. I’d definitely go back. It also has good level of lighting and a nice ambience. Careful you don’t decapitate yourself coming back down the VERY steep stairs to the bathroom.

Wine bar, tapas food, open on Sundays, good ambiance,…how can I not like it?
This is another place I show up on Sundays by crossing the Harbour Bridge from CBD. I really like their ambiance and setting. Oh, their bar counter also has chairs!
Their glass wines are listed on the small black board on the wall and they change frequently. They usually have good Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc from NZ.
I usually like to order tapas dishes and share with friends. My favorite is definitely calamari — it’s a bit unique and so good! I also like their pizza — it’s on a thin crust, not ‘bread’y’ one — so perfect for me. Btw, their pizzas are all half price on Sundays which is a great deal. Come here, sit outside, and enjoy pizza + nice Sauvignon Blanc to spend easy Sunday afternoon!
People here are also friendly and very knowledgeable about the wines. :)
I’ve been to the one in Walsh Bay a couple of times, but I like it here better.

Love Firefly.
First: cocktails. Lots of ‘em. Not cheap, but tasty. Try their version of a Trader Vic’s mai tai. Always a handful of good bottled beers on. Their wine list is extensive, with mucho choice. Even their spirits are good, with several brands to choose from, and always one rotating Australian whisky on the menu.
Food is tapas-​sized, and very good. Bring some friends and share. Meat, veg, there are plenty of choices. There are a few tasty pizzas (which are cheap at $ 10 if you get there early enough; before 6pm, I think). Their speciality are the zuchinni frites, and for good reason: extremely moreish.
The place has a very roomy, open vibe. It’s always full of cool-​looking folks (and sometimes me) spending several hours and far too much money.
Their food and drinks menus are all online, so check it out before you go. But Firefly is a gem of Neutral Bay, no doubt.

A wine bar that serves substantial share plates. This is the place I book when heading out with friends for a giggly catch-​up. It’s loud, busy, expensive, cramped and I like it! Sometimes, I just crave a bit of intensity and this place delivers in spades. There’s nearly always a wait to get seated but it’s a good excuse to haul myself onto a bar stool and pore over the substantial wine list.
The share plates are adequate. It’s hard to know when ordering how many to get and I’d say if you’re dining with hungry types to get one of the Rustic Pizzas also to ensure you have enough.
‘The Infamous Zucchini Fries’ are seriously delicious, though why they have such a curious name is beyond me. Perhaps it was following a visit we had there when a properly vegetarian friend of mine spat out a Zucchini Fry after discovering it was in fact a bit of squid. She certainly speaks pretty badly of the ‘Infamous Fries’ now.
There’s lots to get irked about by Firefly but I keep going back. Bonkers!
Reservations Policy: Lunch reservations (12 — 3pm) on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays only.
They do not accept afternoon or evening reservations under any circumstances.

Love Firefly. TimeOut’s review says it’s the only cocktail bar in the area worth a damn, and they’re right.
First: cocktails. Lots of ‘em. Not cheap, but tasty. Try their version of a Trader Vic’s mai tai. Always a handful of good bottled beers on. Their wine list is extensive, with mucho choice. Even their spirits are good, with several brands to choose from, and always one rotating Australian whisky on the menu.
Food is tapas-​sized, and very good. Bring some friends and share. Meat, veg, there are plenty of choices. There are a few tasty pizzas (which are cheap at $ 10 if you get there early enough; before 6pm, I think). Their speciality are the zuchinni frites, and for good reason: extremely moreish.
The place has a very roomy, open vibe. It’s always full of cool-​looking folks (and sometimes me) spending several hours and far too much money.
Their food and drinks menus are all online, so check it out before you go. But Firefly is the gem of Neutral Bay, no doubt.