Frequently Asked Questions

You are more than welcome to enjoy drinks prior to your reservation at the bar. This is available on a first come basis. Please be mindful that seating and space at the bar is limited.

Yes, Balmoral Boatshed can take care of this for you.

For further details including contact details, please visit their website: www.balmoralboatshed.com.au/moorings/

On Wednesdays, Public Dining Room offers guests the opportunity to BYO (wine only) with a $10 corkage per bottle.

As a fully licensed venue, Public Dining Room does not allow BYO on any other occasion.

Please also bear in mind, our Wednesday BYO promotion is not valid with any other offer or on special event days or public holidays.

Yes, we do (& we love hosting special occasions!)

With notice on your booking, we can provide a celebratory decorative message (maximum 2 words – i.e “Happy Birthday”) on the guest’s dessert choice.

With 7 days notice, we can also offer a beautiful celebratory cake special for your occasion. Booking and prepayment required. Please email info@publicdiningroom.com.au for our celebratory cake options and booking form. Please note we have a "no sparkler" policy at Public Dining Room.

You may bring your own cake however cakes attract a $4.50 per person cakeage when cut and served as petit fours for the table to share (no garnish). If you would like your cake served as a dessert with ice cream and seasonal berries, the cakeage fee is $9 per person. Self-served cupcakes attract no charge.

Should you wish to cancel or reduce the size of your reservation; Public Dining Room would appreciate as much notice as possible. For a la carte groups of 8 -11 guests, credit card details are required to secure your reservation. No deposit is processed on your credit card; however a minimum of 24 hours’ notice is required otherwise a fee of $25 per person will be charged to the card on file.

For special event days, group or exclusive hire bookings, please refer to the terms and conditions specified in the booking form.

Absolutely! Children are very welcome at Public Dining Room. We offer a lunch/dinner menu suitable for children under the age of 12. Please specify in your booking if you will require a high chair for your table (as we have a limited number available) or space for a pram.

Better still, Public Dining Room is located just metres away from Balmoral Children’s playground. See saws, wooden ships & huge climbing nets right by the netted Balmoral Baths... What more could you want?

Please note all credit card payments at Public Dining Room will incur a 1.5% processing fee.

Guide dogs are permitted in the restaurant. Please advise ahead of time if you will be travelling with a Guide Dog.

No other pets are permitted in the restaurant.

Public Dining Room is proud to support our local community each year with vouchers to support their inspiring fundraising efforts. Please feel free to send your request to info@publicdiningroom.com.au to see if we are able help! Please note that due to the large quantity of requests we receive, our charitable resources can be fully allocated up to 12 months in advance. If you’re planning a fundraising event, please feel free to contact our events team. We would love to work together for a fabulous cause!

Yes, we can cater for most health or allergy related dietary requests with prior notice. We would ask that you note this in the ‘Special Requests’ section on the online reservation form (or mention it to the reservations team if making your booking over the phone). We ask that you also advise your waiter of any dietary requirements when placing your order on the day.

Absolutely! The restaurant is one level so easily accessible by wheelchairs. There are also four disabled parks within close proximity to the main entry. Whilst the restaurant bathrooms are not certified wheelchair accessible, most unmotorised wheelchairs can be accommodated. There is also a public disabled access bathroom adjacent to the main entry. Please advise our reservations team at time of booking, so we can assign the most suitable table.

A smart casual dress code is encouraged. While we appreciate we are located at one of Australia’s most spectacular beaches, we do not allow bare feet. It is an Occupational Health and Safety requirement that shoes are worn at all times.

We are always on the lookout for talented professionals who share our passion!

If you are passionate about food and wine, have a great attitude and strong work ethic, we would love to hear from you!

Please send across your resume by emailing info@publicdiningroom.com.au and we will keep you in mind for future opportunities. To be considered applicants must have a minimum of 2 years experience.

With a licensed seated capacity of 110, the restaurant can be booked exclusively and has played host to many memorable corporate functions, social events, weddings and special occasions. We can offer the venue exclusively for breakfast, lunch or dinner – 7 days a week.

We love feedback! Please email the team info@publicdiningroom.com.au regarding your recent restaurant experience.

You can purchase e-gift certificates or physical gift certificates on our website. Gift certificates are valid 3 years from the date of purchase. Gift certificates purchased directly from our restaurant can be used any day.

Public Dining Room also accepts the Best Restaurant Gift certificate as well as the Good Food and Gourmet Traveller Gift Cards. We request that you mention your intention of using the gift card at time of making your reservation. Please note these externally purchased gift cards cannot be used with any other restaurant offer.

Absolutely! We would love to host your large group! For group enquiries of 12 or more adults, a reduced a la carte (choice) menu or share style feasting menu is offered. Contact our events team events@publicdiningroom.com.au or call us on 02 9968 4880 to discuss your event.

At time of printing (July 2018), our suppliers confirmed a number of our current meat dishes are certified halal. Please mention this at the time of booking so we can confirm this information is still correct.

Yes! Absolutely! As a neighbourhood restaurant, we love working with local businesses and services. Recent collaborations include, One Brokerage, GM Photographics, Moya Sydney, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, Pretty Beach House & Kimo Estate. For all enquiries, please email: events@publicdiningroom.com.au

Yes, if you have guest who is unable to order off our menu you are welcome to arrange external kosher catering. Customers may have their Kosher meal delivered and the Public Dining Room culinary team will store this free of charge. We request that the customer (or company delivering the meal) has the booking name, arrival time and preparation instructions clearly labelled.

Our kitchen team will heat the food according to instructions and our highly experienced waitstaff team will serve the meal to the guest for a flat service fee of $10 per meal.

Public Dining Room is located on Sydney’s beautiful Balmoral Beach in the suburb of Mosman, just a short 15 minute drive from Sydney CBD or 30 minute drive from Sydney airport.

If you think you may have misplaced an item while dining with us, please email us with a clear description of the item, including the date you dined with us. Someone from our team will be in touch with you shortly!

Kindly note, all items handed into our Lost Property department are recorded and registered. If you have lost something within the restaurant, we will make every effort to locate your lost item.

Absolutely! However, we do require your request in writing so please email info@publicdiningroom.com.au We ask that you read our privacy statement before submitting this request.

High resolution images are available. For all media marketing enquiries, please contact: events@publicdiningroom.com.au

Take a touch of Balmoral home with you!

Our signature ‘Balmoral’ wine glasses are available for purchase for $15 each (minimum order of 6). These Schott Zwiesel glasses are available for on-site payment and collection only.

A great gift for wine lovers!

Absolutely! We love hosting events of all natures at our venue. For a full breakdown, please visit our events page.

We are open daily for Lunch from 12pm - 3pm and for dinner Monday through Saturday from 6pm - 9:30pm.

As we are located in a residential area, when departing the restaurant, we ask that you be respectful of the surrounding residence and to leave the premises & quietly when returning to your cars.

Please kindly note, a 5% weekend surcharge applies.

There is ample street parking within close proximity to the restaurant. While some streets are non-metered, the majority is metered by Mosman Council. Public Dining Room does not have any allocated parking spots.

When the sun is shining and the weather is warm, parking can be limited in the Balmoral beach area. On weekends or through popular holiday periods, we encourage our guests to utilise an uber, taxi, or public transportation to arrive at the restaurant promptly. Better still – arrive by water taxi! The jetty connected to the Balmoral Baths a perfect drop off/collection point.

Public Dining Room accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, EFTPOS and Cash Payments. We do not accept Diners.

Photograph – Who took the photo that is featured at your restaurant entry?

Public Dining Room boasts one of Sydney’s most spectacular private dining room’s with floor to ceiling views of Balmoral Beach and its own private beach deck. Please visit our events page for more information.

Yes, a 15% surcharge applies on all public holidays.

Our closest bus stop is at the bottom of Raglan Street, just a short (2 minute) walk from the restaurant. Buses run to and from the City (245) and Chatswood (257) to Balmoral Beach. For current bus timetables – please visit this link: https://transportnsw.info/routes/bus For taxi service, our staff are always happy to help you arrange bookings for your transport home.

If you have misplaced a receipt and would like to request a reprint, please email us at info@publicdiningroom.com.au and include: date of visit, method of payment used, total spend that was charged. Please allow up to 3 days for the receipt to be returned. Public Dining Room can only retrieve receipts within 3 months from the visit date.

We welcome you to make an instant reservation online via our homepage. Reservations can also be made by calling us at the restaurant. Our reservations office hours are at 9AM – 5PM.

Whilst we try to accommodate all window requests, Public Dining Room cannot guarantee any table position in the restaurant. Rest assured, all tables enjoy beautiful views of Balmoral Beach. We encourage you to book well in advance for your chance to secure your preferred dining spot. For online bookings, simply add "Window" into the special requests section.

Public Dining Room is a non-smoking venue.

Changes to the NSW Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 requires individuals to be at least 4 meters from any venue entrance, meaning guests are permitted to smoke at the park located across the road from our main entrance.

Please note, food and drink cannot be consumed in this area.

Please also note, smoking is not permitted on Balmoral Beach.

Absolutely! Guests are welcome to organise a floral or balloon centrepiece for your table (just not confetti). If you intend on doing so, we ask that you mention this at the time of your booking. Given the space limitations once our tables are set, we do recommend that all decorations are kept to minimum and that the arrangements are low lying so they do not obstruct the view for other diners. Public Dining can only accept deliveries for these on the day of the booking.

Public Dining Room is located just a short 5 minute drive (or 30 minute walk) from the entry to Taronga Zoo! There is also a bus service direct to Taronga Zoo from Balmoral Beach (238).

Taronga Zoo opens daily from 9:30am, meaning Public Dining Room is the perfect place to kick start a weekend zoo visit with a delicious beachside breakfast. Or if you’re wanting to beat the early crowds, we would love to welcome you for lunch following your zoo visit.

Absolutely! Our close proximity to the public wharf in Balmoral allows for easy access for water taxis. What better way to top off a great meal with a fabulous view than arriving by water.

Formerly known as Watermark restaurant, Public Dining Room launched in October of 2009 after extensive renovations by leading design firm Hecker Guthrie under the direction of Restaurateurs brother and sister, Mark and Monique McLoughlin.

Absolutely! When hosting your reception at Public Dining Room you can also choose to host your ceremony in our covered Terrace area. Alternatively, we are a popular wet weather back up option when choosing to have your ceremony in one of the gorgeous local outdoor locations, such as the Rotunda or Rocky Point Island (both council managed).

Unfortunately, Public Dining Room does not offer customer Wi-Fi.