Newmarket Hotel — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Four of us lunched at the Newmarket in early May. We had a fab afternoon and everything ran smoothly.

The Newmarket is part of the ALH Group, which owns and runs a number of pub and accommodation venues in Brisbane. We’ve been to a few of them recently, and they’ve all displayed the same high standard of cleanliness and professionalism; with super fast service and outstanding food. Prices are affordable and modest, making these venues accessible to everyone.

When you walk into the Newmarket, you’ll know that you’re in for a pleasant time. It’s a large, airy and spacious place with a classic retro look and feel about it. It oozes warmth, homeliness and comfort with high ceilings, carpets throughout, and solid wooden chairs or upholstered benches, and large tables. There was a decent turnout, so the place was fairly full when we arrived at 1.00pm, but the ambience was relaxed, casual and laid back. Despite the crowds, acoustics are good due to the carpets, high ceilings and well spaced out tables.

We were greeted by Margot, the maitre d, when we arrived, asked to complete the Covid protocols, before being shown to our booked table in a nice spot near the back, with bench type seating for two and solid wooden chairs for the other two.

Full table service is offered, including for drinks, so we didn’t need to leave our table.

We started with a few rounds of our favourite Moscato Red at $8 a glass and a pot of refreshing Stella at $7. The food menu is extensive and varied, with something for everyone, including all the usual pub favourites, like schnitzels steaks, seafood and pastas. And best of all, for us “oldies” a seniors menu, which you can avail yourself of, by showing your seniors card, which we did. We ordered calamari. sirloin steak and rissoles to share. All dishes come with chips and salad or mash and vegetables, and at $14 a dish, that’s unbeatable value for money.The serving sizes were generous and the quality of the food was first class.

To start with, the calamari was soft and chewy, and served with crispy chips and salad. The main courses were equally good. My wife’s steak was well cooked, just the way she likes it, whilst my rissoles were fresh and tasty and smothered in a warm, rich gravy sauce to give it extra zest and flavour. The mash was soft and creamy, a nice contrast to the crunchy vegetables, which included broccoli, carrots, cabbage and corn. Our friends both had chicken breast schnitzel, with chips and salad and they also enjoyed their meals. The presentation was impressive, everything neatly arranged on the plates and served on stylish, modern crockery.

But it’s in the service department that the ALH Group hotels really excel, and the Newmarket is no exception. Margot, the maitre d’ who was also our server, together with another smartly dressed lady in a black uniform, were hardworking, attentive and friendly. These guys don’t miss a beat and the place hums like a well oiled machine. After we’d signed in and been shown to our table, our orders were taken. Drinks, starters and main courses came out at a steady clip and in the correct order. And it’s all done with a pleasant smile and a cheery demeanour. The staff do their best to ensure that all guests have a pleasant time, and they clearly take pride in their work.

The toilets were clean, well provisioned and strategically situated just in front of the main bar counter.

The Newmarket Hotel is conveniently located in the Newmarket Village, a shopping and entertainment hub. It’s a breeze to get to, with ample, free undercover parking in the basement of the centre. From the parking area, we took the lift up and found ourselves right in front of the hotel. Couldn’t be easier.

The Newmarket offers an affordable and enjoyable dining experience; with tasty food, outstanding, professional and competent service and a comfortable and homely atmosphere. Overall, an excellent venue that I...

So there was a group of 13 of us for dinner for an occasion which we decided to pay for.

We all ordered mains after some shared entres. 4 steak dishes were ordered. ALL were completely cooked wrongly and not as requested. A fish of the day was rubbery and while my chicken satimboca special was ok, it definitely wasn't how that meal is usually presented and there was nothing special about it. Worse still the potato mash that it came with was very soft in consistency as were the well overcooked vegetables. While the desserts that we were on the stingy side.

Worst of all, we ended up getting and paying for an extra meal which wasn't ordered despite my wife and her brother explaining to the waiter and the paying station that there was 13 mains dishes and not 14. So the extra dish which we had already incorrectly paid for and supplied was plonked on the table to be eaten by no one before being taken away only to return at the end of our meals. It was not required or ordered and there was no offer of a refund only the dished plate and an empty box at the end left on the table. At least my wife was able to eat it the next day.... $32 for what turned out to be a microwaved chicken dish which was not ordered. Great effort Newmarket.

Look, I get it that everything costs a lot these days but why can't a steak meal that costs $40+ be at least cooked properly and with some decent accompaniments and some attentive service That price can still buy you a pretty special dish prepared by a proper chef who puts significant effort and thought into what can be a complex a meal served by usually professional waiters. Really, these chain owned pubs, if not most pubs these days have become a bad and expensive joke and anyone overseeing them for quality and variety should be shown the door. If this is as good as the Newmarket hotel gets, then, I just don't see how they still remain open. LAST WORDS - Spend your money in a private restaurant. Don't...

Very rude staff. Denied a seat for dinner service because my little brother was with us while we were waiting to see a movie at the cinemas next door.

6:30pm on a Saturday night, my partner and I were hoping to take my little brother who is visiting us here in Brisbane for dinner before going to see a movie at the next door cinemas.

Upon walking in, the kind security guard checked my partner and I’s ID (fair for a Saturday night) and I let him know that my little brother is underage however we’re just hoping to get a table for dinner.

He called out a quite blunt hostess worker who then informed us that we will not be allowed inside. She was awfully rude about it, even upon myself something along the lines of ‘we understand he’s underage however it’s quite early and we are just hoping for dinner service’, she simply responded with ‘not gonna happen’ with a very disgusted look on her face.

I am absolutely appalled as a Newmarket local who comes for dinner at least once a fortnight. To note, I have NEVER been denied service at any other establishment under the same circumstances in brisbane before. The security guard was quite friendly however the woman who he called out from the restaurant has completely offended me with her demeanour - there were absolutely no attempts in customer service (which you would assume would still be demonstrated in representing the establishment no matter the scenario) We also googled the laws around underage people going to a restaurant to eat and my partner and I were well within the standards of overseeing my little brother whilst eating dinner at a liquor serving...