The Normanby Hotel — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Hired out the Valentine Room for a birthday function. The space was great and I would consider using the Normanby again. There were a few hiccups; and some items I think the venue could work on though.

Pros/Highlights: *The space was the perfect size for 40 guests. And with the right amount of decorations, it really is a wonderful spot. *The food was delicious. Guests raved about how much they enjoyed the sliders and pizzas. *Our barmaid was nothing short of amazing. Not only was she accommodating and efficient, she put up with everyone’s shenanigans with a smile on her face.

Cons/Feedback: *I arrived at the venue at midday to set up as instructed, and the space had not been properly cleaned. The tables were all dirty, there was some rubbish left in the room, and I even had to pick up a dead cockroach. The floors are in dire need of an actual mop too. *While the food was delicious, there were some dramas with sticking to the order of the food delivery and the timing. Staff did rectify this when requested though. *There wasn’t really any support from the function team at the beginning of the event. Arrived early to ensure a smooth start before guests arrived, but it took 40 minutes to get the music going and we weren’t given a mic as requested. *The birthday cake was brought up, and placed right in front of the birthday person; so I then had to set up the cake and light the candles in front of them (not exactly ideal)…I was also only given a knife and some napkins. Luckily I had the foresight to bring some disposable plates, but this was not instructed to me by the function team. *Overall, the function team do need to improve their communication. I would suggest a checklist to give to the function host that details what is and isn’t included as far as what the venue does, what the host should do in advance, and what extras the host needs to bring themselves. I would also recommend a compulsory meeting (via phone or in person) so these types of things can be discussed/prepared for, as well as a call a week before the event to recap.

All in all, it was a great night, and I do recommend considering the Normanby for...

Well, what could have been an awesome night at a private party was very much tainted by the really poor service & attitude of a young woman behind the bar. This young woman seemingly takes it upon herself to invent & implement rules for the service of alcohol. I know I'm not the only person at the party to have suffered her sour face & invented drinks rules but I won't comment on other peoples issues with her. My issue arises from ordering a Jameson Irish Whiskey served neat, this young woman who would be less than half my age told me she couldn't serve whiskey neat & it had to have ice in it even though she said she saw that I was drinking a glass of water alongside the whiskey. She also prevented other bar staff who had previously served me neat whiskey doing so again, even though it was obvious that they too thought it ridiculous! She would watch as I took out the ice & placed it on the bar mat next to the whiskey & she continued this stupid practice ruining good whiskey all night. I don't recall her smiling a single time all night, she obviously wasn't having a good night herself so why would she let others enjoy themselves? Now when questioned about this drink service rule she simply stated thats the rules. I didn't cause a scene as it was a party so was left with no option but to play her stupid game. I'm aware the responsible service of alcohol does not prevent the serving of neat whiskey so thought it must be a stupid rule of The Normanby, however when I called & spoke to a lady manager the next day she informed me there is no such rule regarding neat whiskey & the member of bar staff was wrong to implement her own rules. I left my details for the general manager to call me regarding this matter as I was told he was not at work but 1 week later I' ve heard nothing from him. The service received from this young woman was a disgrace & I'd like an explination as to why she made up her own rules & an apology from her but I'm not sure I'll get either. It will be remembered though if ever my opinion is sought regarding a venue for future event bookings. General manager, I'm waiting for your call, you...

I booked a table a few weeks ago, for the grand final (NRL) and we were happy with the fact we got a table in front of the big screen as we had booked. we were happily having a good Sunday arvo, and the whole group got up to get more drinks, and we came back to find the waitress(some blonde girl with a terrible attitude) had given our table to another group. We were gone less then 10 mins. She was not happy to assist us in getting our table back and told us we had moved (even though there was a reservation sign saying 3-8pm, it was about 4.30 in the arvo) so we were clearly not done for the day. The waitress was extremely rude and told me it was my fault we lost our table to get a drink, and if i wanted the table we had reserved, i shouldn't of left it. She wasn't willing to offer a new table either. I asked her if a reservation means nothing and she was extremely mouthy and rude, i went over to the table and asked the new group of people to ask to be re seated (which they happily did) I had then manager Simon come over and ask if i was abusing his staff (his words) and was highly rude and said if we spoke to his staff again he would remove us from the venue. I am highly disappointed in the service we received, we book a table for a group of 10, with no bad intentions, and we were all disappointed by the way we were spoken to. I highly would not recommend booking a table for this location, the staff are rude and inconsiderate, and if you go to get a drink your table is lost, and they re accommodate. Poor staff, poor customer service, when the company was doing the upgrade n the venue, they should've upgraded the staff too I will wont be back to the normanby, i am disgusted. Get some friendly staff, and teach them when you make a booking reservation, that stands, and when people go to a bar/pub, if they want food and drinks they still...