DECO on Darby - Newcastle

This is a reasonably nice looking restaurant - deco style. The restaurant was spacious without tables being crammed together - as in so many restaurants. Smells were clean so we were optimistic.I ordered pizza and my wife ordered schnitzel burger. My pizza was made with real mozzarella cheese - unusual in Australia these days in cheap restaurants - they often use awful cheese blends to cut costs! The sauce and ham were both good BUT the base was like cardboard. So I invented a new way to eat pizza. You use the base as a plate and just eat the topping. With a normal base this may be difficult but as I said this base was like cardboard to it was easy to treat the base as a "paper plate".My wife's schnitzel burger was also pretty poor. It was schnitzel fried in old oil, with an old oil taste and smell. Old oil has to be heated to high temperatures to cook "properly" but then it burns the food giving a dark brown color and distinctive old oil taste. So not recommended.

We attended an engagement party here in late November 2015. Staff were just fabulous, nothing was to much trouble, they were warm, friendly and so helpful. I was slightly disappointed with the food, keeping in mind it was a $15 Per head event there was plenty of food and it was tasty, but it was fairly basic, party pies, sausage rolls, chicken bites, and a few other hot nibbles. On the plus side food was hot and there was plenty of it. Bar staff were also fabulous and made a delicious array of cocktails. Bar service was quick with ni issues and it was good to see responsible service in action. Only one small thing marred the evening which was not the cafes fault. There was an altercation outside the cafe and unfortunately a big glass window was smashed. The owner handled this very professionally it just meant the the event was shut down a bit early which was completely understandable. A really great night was had by everyone.

Attracted by the decor and design, we were amazed at the quality and value on the menu, staff are very friendly, and the service is brilliant, you can't argue with the prices. As a cafe and bar it does a great job as a restaurant...More

Don't know how they do it. Saturday night, steak for $12, prawn pasta for $15, Coonawarra Cabernet $8 a glass. Compared to other café/restaurants in this area, this is a little gem. Add views of Newcastle harbour on a warm spring evening and what more do you need.

Five star serviceI went with two other friends and we didn't speak much French.