Icebergs, Bondi (Sydney, Australia)

Icebergs' swish dining room has been around a few years now and is one of several trendy "name" restaurants that have popped up in the last five years. My first visit was a few years ago for lunch where I can honestly say I ate the most delicious seafood risotto that I have ever tasted.

Unfortunately what tends to happen in these places is that they get very popular and because of an assured crowd each evening, standards start to drop. When I recently visited for dinner, I went away fairly disappointed - not with the view over Bondi Beach, which was super even at night but with the food and overall depth of the experience. Our waiter was pleasant but looked a bit nervous, and as you often see in Australia, the staff was kind of friendly at times but mixed in a bit of attitude and, frankly, ignorance about the correct way to serve.

For my entree I ordered crab with polenta. This was pretty bland, to the extent that I had to put salt and pepper on it just to make it seem interesting. This was followed by suckling lamb with mache which in my opinion was over-done, chewy (and there was loads of it). For dessert, after being told there was no chocolate gelato, we eventually found out there was so I ordered this. This was really no better than something from the supermarket freezer. Frankly, the roast my mother cooked me with apple strudel the previous evening was a nicer meal.

In terms of wine, we ordered a Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir which was delicious - but at $125 it kind of smacks of pretension for a NZ wine with a screw top, lovely though they often are.

Hmmm. I wouldn't be going back to Icebergs in a hurry except if I had some overseas visitors for lunch and I wanted a place with a view. Do the words "tourist trap" come to mind?