Raffles Hotel — Restaurant in Applecross

Today our family celebrated Mother’s Day at the Raffles with the most amazing high tea! It’s our annual tradition - we pick a different place to go to each year. This year, I left the decision about where to go until about 3 weeks prior, and was panicking until I was prompted by a Facebook ad. What a fantastic decision it was to click on that ad! Everything was just superb! The high tea was held in their function space on the second floor, with to-die-for views of the Swan River. A pianist and singer duo played Live music at one end of the room and they were incredible. We entered and were greeted with warm smiles at the entrance below, and then again when we reached the top of the stairs. We all received a glass of Spritz upon entry. We ordered the non alcoholic package and didn’t feel like we missed out on anything - although the bubbles were 0.0%, it didn’t disappoint! I loved it! There was so much food on offer in the beautifully curated tiered stands on the table - croissants filled with tarragon chicken (my fav dish of the day), smoked salmon bagels, egg sandwiches, scones, danishes and mini cakes. Thank goodness we hadn’t eaten brekky beforehand! We all kept looking at each other giggling as we had no real idea what to expect, and it was oh so special and decadent, our mum felt very spoiled!!! From the decorations on all the tables to the spacious tables and beautiful menus. The staff were constantly checking in on us, but they weren’t annoying…just very attentive. One of their staff was even taking photos and gave us a cute insta photo to take home as a memento. This was definitely the most decadent, most special high tea we’ve been to in all the 10 years we’ve been holding our high tea tradition!!! Every detail was meticulous, not just the food, but the service, the planning, the smiles on all the faces of the staff who all came across as really caring about us all and wanting to make sure we had a great time!!! I can’t thank you all enough for making this event so special and for giving up YOUR Sunday to make sure we enjoyed ours!!!! What an amazing team of people you have!!! I will be singing the praises of The Raffles...

Two of us went for dinner last night (20th). There was a good variety of menu options and my friend chose a rump steak while I chose a sirloin, this being the smallest as fillet steak was not available. When the food arrived it was obvious that the portions were extremely generous and they came with a really beautiful salad and a choice of two lovely sauces plus a small mountain of chips.

We failed to notice that the meals came with salad and had ordered salad and Brussels sprouts as sides but were immediately offered a take-away container for the extra salad which was gratefully accepted.

My hungry friend was delighted with his perfectly cooked steak and large serving of excellent fries and we both thoroughly enjoyed that lovely salad. However, I was disappointed with my steak. It was certainly cooked as requested (medium rare) but was somewhat tough and had a very high percentage of gristle and sinew throughout, which even the steak knife provided had difficulty cutting through. Much of it (at least 30%) was inedible for that reason.

The other disappointment was the Brussels sprouts. Somehow they were nearly rock solid and almost impossible to cut or chew. We even had difficulty "spearing" them with a fork which didn't seem to be able to pierce them.

Overall, the location is beautiful and the service good but, given the prices, the food seems to be a bit hit and miss. Would we go there again? Yes, but I would not have a steak ... and neither of us would have those Brussels...

New in the area and enticed by live music, as promised three times a week on the website, we Ubered in to the Raffles for a night out. We appreciated the outside heaters and joined other groups sitting in the outside terrace at 6.15pm. A beer later we ordered a cheeseburger with added bacon that came with chips and salad for $28. The music probably wouldn't start till 7.30, we thought. The food came out - a tasty but small burger and a handful of chips. No salad in sight. Oh well... We eventually asked about the music. There was none. And none at all ever, even though the website trumpets it three times a week. Well, we would have not come if we had known that. We stayed anyway and became increasingly dismayed with the congealed plates of food and mountains of dirty glasses around us. Staff brought cocktails out to people and frequently headed back inside empty handed. The table belonging to the ladies' group which left shortly after we arrived took ages to be cleared of plates etc and the numerous dirty glasses were stacked and then LEFT on the table for 2 and a half HOURS! Still there when we left along with those on many other tables. This, together with the security guard who kept patrolling past with the air of bored menace akin to a school teacher on yard duty, was the final straw. I can see why the competition is so strong and think we'll join the other...