Very disappointed. Had been really looking forward to going here based on the ravings of several people I know, especially about the Kievs. What a let down! They were way overcooked - crumbs to the point of being almost black in parts on the outside and the chicken was dry and had no juiciness left on the inside. Chose the vegetable & chips side option and for some reason there was also a big pile of steamed rice on the plate, which just seems weird and out of place. There's already chips, so why would you want more carbs in the form of rice? The vegetables were OK, nothing special and the chips were undercooked and not crunchy on the outside as they should be. My partner made the mistake of telling the waiters what he thought when they asked, which resulted in the owner coming out. Initially he was apologetic and was offering a replacement meal or complimentary desert, but we had already eaten the meals and really just wanted to leave the experience behind. When my partner declined another dish the owner tried to turn things around and blame my partner. A. For not refusing to eat the dish in the first place. Well, we had already waited about 45min+ and were really hungry and hate complaining, so we just ate. And B. That my partner didn't really know what he was talking about as these Kievs have a 'special' crumb coating, not like you buy in the supermarket, and basically implied my partner was an idiot. When my partner tried to highlight the fact that the chicken itself was all dried out and had NO moisture content left in it, he was basically talked over and belittled. The owner then patted me on the shoulder and said to my partner 'Well, she likes it, she's eaten every last bit' and walked off. Well, NO, I did not like it. It was clearly overcooked and the cook should never have sent it out to our table in the first place. I ate it as I had already waited so long for it that I had no desire to go through the trouble of complaining and then have to wait all over again for a replacement. Also, I seriously don't appreciate being patted on the shoulder and spoken about in such a patronising manner. This experience only confirms my reluctance to EVER complain about a meal. Even though they kept saying they appreciate people telling them the truth, the reality is they make the situation so incredibly uncomfortable that I don't think they really do want to know at all. I will stick to my policy of simply never going back and making damned sure I share my experience far and wide. Needless to say, we will not return and I have no idea what others are so impressed with about this place, as even if the Kiev had been cooked correctly, the meal still would have been mediocre and the place is overpriced anyway.
had to change my reveiw on this resturant the last 2 times i have been there the service was absolutly pathetic and the pizzas were not much better than the service , extremly rude owner who would prefer to be outside having a smoke rather than worry about how his staff are treating the customers , will definatly never ever go back to this place ,way over priced for what it is and very stingey on the topings , and to top it all off the worst service i have seen yet in ballarat
Hi Simon, thanks for your honest comments. Unfortunately, we are hearing a great many ‘negative’ comments in relation to the respective manager and his lack of business etiquette and from what we have heard, your case is clearly (unfortunately) not unique. We had this business on our ‘to do’ list however it has now been removed, as we will not tolerate ignorant and aggressive customer service. The sad fact of the matter is that a manager ‘sets the stage’ for how problematic matters are dealt with and any substandard attitude will eventually filter down and affect patronage. We really appreciated your comments. Regards, Reeces
Excellent food, bit over serviced, very pricey for what the food is. Nice atmosphere, good for a night out with friends
Approximate cost: $29
terrible service , and over priced very light on the pizza topings not worth the money
Approximate cost: $18
Hi Toonunit, What you have just described is one ‘sure way’ to determine a severely ‘lacking’ business and we are shocked (given your afore-mentioned experience) as to why you chose to rate their ‘service’ component so highly. Unfortunately, there is an increasingly quantity of businesses who teach their staff to enquire about meal satisfaction, but have no idea of professional communication thereafter. From what you have described, it sounds like the manager in question is incapable of taking ‘constructive criticism’ onboard and needs a brush with reality, which this review may offer. While we are unable to speak on behalf of the community, we can say that our family (and friends) frown upon this type of unprofessionalism and it does indeed have the potential to ‘turn off’ prospective clientele. As for serving steamed rice as an accompaniment to the Kiev, it does appear to be an anomaly however it sounds like this business has more to worry about than some basic, steamed rice.
@ReecesCheckYaPieces, thanks for your comment. The reason I rated the service highly was because the actual waiters were all really good. They were friendly, attentive and kept right on top of all their tasks. I didn't want to downgrade them due to the behaviour of the owner.
Hi Toonunit, thanks for the clarification. This action shows your commitment to the truth and we remain appreciative of such a well written, genuine review. Reeces