Alderley Arms Hotel — Restaurant in Brisbane City

The A.A. has a warm, homely and welcoming ambience, with carpets, exposed brick columns, low mood lamps, wooden furniture and timber features. It’s a large and well ventilated space with multiple dining and entertaining areas. We sat in the main dining area, in a booth type arrangement with comfy upholstered leather bench seating. Being a Sun night, there was only a smattering of other diners, enough to give it a bit of atmosphere but with a chilled, relaxed, and laid back vibe. Acoustics were perfect.

Both the food and drink ordering can be done at the bar in the usual way, but I prefer the app ordering. It streamlines the process and allows you to better manage your budget for the night. Payment is done automatically, once your order is complete and submitted, so there’s no hanging around after the meal, waiting for the bill, then going elsewhere to make payment. It’s all very simple and easy and in my experience it also means that service is more efficient and meals always come out quickly. You can link your Monty’s Rewards club membership to the ordering app, so that you’ll never miss out on the 5% discount on drinks and meals.

First up, the drinks: A schooner of my fav Byron Bay ale and an Espresso Martini for my wife, beautifully prepared by the bartender and brought out to the table.

When it came to the food, being just my wife and I, we shared three dishes: the Turkish bread with dips, the beef rissoles with peas and mash, and the salt and pepper calamari. The Turkish bread was hot and crunchy and came with three smooth and creamy dips: baba ghanoush, hummus and pesto. The perfect way to start the meal. The other dishes didn’t disappoint either. The beef rissoles were tender and tasty, and well complemented with the fresh peas and mash potato. The calamari was succulent and tender in a crispy batter served with beetroot salad, lemon and small bowl of aioli sauce. We both enjoyed our meals.

The Alderley Arms is a part of the A.L.H. Group chain of hotels and pubs around the country. We’ve dined at many of them and never been disappointed with the experience. What I especially appreciate about A.L.H. hotels are the modest prices. Just check out their online menu and you’ll see what I mean. There are further savings if you’re a Monty’s Rewards Club member, and long-suffering seniors get special deals too, with discounted meals and a $5 dessert. Just as an example, we paid a very reasonable 45 pesos for three meals: the Turk bread with dips, the calamari and the rissoles. And it’s not as if they’re skimping on either quality or quantity. Serving sizes are generous and the food is carefully prepared with love, care and attention to detail, and presented to the table on stylish white crockery. Drink prices are moderate too, and there are always specials. On the night that we dined, schooners of Byron Bay ale were on sale for only 8 pesos, A handcrafted espresso martini was 15, and of course, 5% of that too. This is a huge boon to us seniors, to be able to still enjoy a night out without ending up in the debtors prison. Thanks to the A’L.H. Group for making dining out affordable, especially as we endure “Weimar Republic” levels of hyperinflation.

Toilets are clean, well provisioned and easy to find, just behind the gaming room, and congrats to this venue for providing a disposal unit for hygiene prods in the MEN’S toilet, something all venues should do.

Parking is a breeze in the huge car park right outside the front door, and there’s also a handy and well stocked BWS liquor store on the same premises, so that you can stock up the liquor cab on your way out.

We had a really pleasant, relaxing and fun night out at the A.A. Hotel. Ordering is easy using the app and the food was outstanding and served in generous portions. Service was fast, efficient and friendly and prices were modest, representing excellent value for money. The ambience is casual and relaxed, with ample free parking and clean toilets. Everything you could want for a perfect night out with...

I am still in a state of shock at how I was treated by the venue manager in the pokies section of this hotel one year ago. This is the review I posted at the time which received no response from the hotel.

"Arrived at this hotel shortly after 3 a.m. that morning. I went there to look for a friend of mine who has been having troubles lately and I was concerned for her welfare. I could not see her in the poker machine area but often she drinks and smokes in the smoking area when she has problems.

I was out there looking for signs that she may have been there. She smokes the particular type of cigarette so I was looking in the ashtray briefly to see and then shortly after the venue manager and the bouncer came out. Venue manager with a cold stare told me to leave that I was not welcome in the establishment. I went into shock but managed to ask why and was told it was because i looked in the ashtray. I was scared because I thought they may physically throw me out and upset at being accused of I don't know what. I am 60 years old lady with post-traumatic stress disorder. On the way out the trauma reaction set in and I lost the ability to walk. I was very scared then because I could not get out the door but the bouncer was kind and gave me a chair and a glass of water. after about 15 minutes where I access my account on my phone and realised I didn't have enough money for a taxi as I'm a pensioner. Told I had to leave and fortunately I was able to make it out the door and sit on the garden bed. As I still couldn't walk I had no way of getting home. I waited another 15 minutes massaging my legs and was able to walk very unsafely down the road to my home."

Update 15/8/2024 Finally decided to take civil action against this hotel.

Update: 16/1/2023

I have escalated the complaint to the alh group head office in melbourne on 3 January. Have received no communication to address complaint since. Spoke to an employee of the hotel tonight who informed me that I wouldn't as they have vast legal resources to bury me should I decide to take my complaint to next level and take civil action based on the breach of duty of care. I informed them this may be a risky strategy as I have a submission before the disability royal commission. If my experiences are taken to a hearing then their lawyers have no power and the court can subpoena the employees involved and the whole story will be made public.

Update 17/1/2023

Have just spoken to the current venue manager Chris Norris who is of the opinion that there was nothing wrong with the actions of the previous venue manager and that it was my fault because I shouldn't have been out at 3am lol

Update 7/2/2023

The state manager for ALH group has not yet contacted me regarding my complaint. I am now considering escalating it either to Australian hotels association or engaging a probono lawyer.

Update 20 October 2023

Thought I would try the pokies but was quickly ushered out by security. I have been ill the past few months and didn't follow through with my complaint. So guess I have to Escalate it as I have not been contacted to address my concerns and still can't visit...

Update: Had a steak here tonight (Thursday 29/09/2022) ordered medium rare, received medium on one side, and well done on the other. This is not really all that big an issue as achieving perfect doneness is not as easy as many think, and this was really close enough given that the cut of meat itself was of quite high quality for pasture fed beef. The steak was still acceptably juicy and very flavoursome. There was, however, a large portion of gristle attached at the corner, in my estimate making up between five and ten percent of the total cut weight. While it is not unusual to find some gristle on a porterhouse, I consider this excessive given the price being charged. Vegetables were well cooked, tender but not mushy, and stopping short of being crunchy. This is just the way, I believe, they should be done. The potato mash was smooth and of a good consistency and appropriately seasoned. Service was friendly, quick, and efficient.

Came here to play pool on a Friday night. Unlike most pubs with pool tables, this one does not allow you to pay to open a table and instead requires you to pay $3 per re-rack, so it's probably unsuitable for club play. Generally friendy atmosphere, though. Can't say much about food and other services as we went elsewhere after discovering the no open table policy.

This is just an update regarding the operator's reply to this review. It's not that I disagree with the policy so much as I simply prefer the option to pay to open a table. The policy you set in this regard is entirely your prerogative, and I hold no malice toward your establishment regardless of what...