Bayswiss, Cnr George & Margaret Sts, Sydney

Bayswiss, Cnr George & Margaret Sts, Sydney
Friday 1 September, 2006

We were supposed to lunch at Omni Blue today - 10 of us. When we arrived the Manager sheepishly explained he had double booked our table and they could no longer fit us in. He apologised profusely and invited us to return another time with wine on the house. OK then.....

So, now a dilemma - where to go on a Friday for lunch with a large group? The last time I visited Bayswiss I remember it being a 'survival of the fittest' scenario. Let me explain. There is no table service, so you have to jostle in front of the counter to attract the eye of a staff member (who must be trained in making no eye contact) in order to place your order. It's amazing to watch the behaviour of people in these situations. They want their lunch and they want it now!

The only trouble with this set up is that everyone orders at different times, so you are not all eating together. When one group had ordered and returned with their meals, the next group went up to the counter. The seating is also a challenge - they have the tables positioned so close to each other than you really cannot accommodate a large group at once - but we managed.

The lunch offerings were diverse - sandwiches, bread rolls, wraps, salads galore, Indian curries, risotto, pasta salads etc. Decisions, decisions... I settled on a vegetarian and a chicken rice paper roll - they were quite large and came with small sachets of sweet chilli sauce.

The rice paper rolls were not bad - they were packed full of vermicilli and vegetables however the rice paper itself was a little tough (they had probably been sitting out since mid morning). But overall and very reasonable lunch.

Bayswiss - Cnr George & Margaret Sts, Sydney - (02) 9247 4040

http://www.bayswiss.com.au/