Susie C.
Yelp
I had to organise a work lunch with big wigs from interstate. A meeting was to follow, so I booked, organised pre-orders, etc all to ensure it ran on time. The menu seemed varied, so it was a good choice for everyone it seemed.
We arrived and the table was set for us. There was no fuss about adding a late-comer. We were greeted by friendly professional staff. Our pre-ordered meals came to the table quickly, with our last minute meal not far behind.
The food was fresh, tasty and flavourful. The servings were generous. I had a crispy beef salad, which was excellent.
Now the not-so-good. There was one vegetarian choice on the menu and it was a heavy pasta dish. I didn't realise this limitation until one of the attendees ordered a salad and chips as her meal. The menu could easily add a vegetarian sandwich or pizza choice, but I was taken by surprise by a menu that had so few choices for vegetarians in this day and age.
While the kitchen clearly had its act together, front of house did not. Drinks orders were limited, but to water during the meal, but only one pitcher appeared for a 14 person table. The second pitcher was brought at the end of the meal after repeated requests. Coffee orders were placed. 20 minutes later, when it was clear no one was staffing the espresso machine, inquiries were made, some people had to leave and cancel their orders. Others finally got their coffees about 10 minutes later.
Time to pay and it took another 10 minutes per person to settle up. Unsure if they were understaffed and not well-trained or not well-managed or some combination of all three. But a restaurant catering to an upmarket lunch crowd should do better.
In short, great food. The restaurant shows promise but there is room for improvement. I'll give it another go but maybe when less is riding on it.
