Mr. Mick Cellar Door and Kitchen — Restaurant in Clare

Today was my daughter’s 30th birthday celebration. Eight of us came with great expectations to Mr Micks, with Sophie having always wanted to eat here. I’m afraid all eight of us were very surprised at how disappointing our experience was. Sophie had asked for a paired chefs choice and only received one glass of wine. The food was at best reasonable pub food, served mildly warm with the majority of it being fried. Having said that the seared tuna was fresh and the most enjoyed by all. When enquiring if Sophie would receive a dairy free option when the remaining guests had deep fried halloumi we were told “no” as the capsicum dish would be too filling for her and the previous dish was the equivalent of two. That being a mushroom with couscous on it and a handful of salad greens and not at all appetising. Then we were curtly told they’d bring something out…a bowl of more salad greens with lukewarm bok choy served with canned coconut cream which was vile. The pork belly was very tough and not crunchy and left by most. Most of the food was barely seasoned. The staff were not attentive. When asked if we could please have another high chair on arrival, we were told I have one for you. I don’t know if we can do something with the pram though, we weren’t expecting that. There was barely a smile and plates were not cleared. We honestly felt as though we were an inconvenience. We were asked once if we’d like more water with one bottle given for 8. Not asked if we’d like dessert or any other wine. There was no explanation of the dishes we were being served. Certainly not what we have experienced with past “chef choice dining “. And we’re not a bunch of “Karen’s”. We are a very easy going bunch and love to be with each other. $63. We should have left when we first arrived and discerned it was not a welcoming place. This was something we had all saved for and really wanted it to be memorable for Soph. We’re having a bit of laugh now because it really was memorable but for all the wrong reasons. When paying for the bill they tried to charge us for the pairing and then didn’t quite believe us when we said she had only received one glass.

So sad I can’t be more positive with this review.

As an addition to our review I would like to thank the manager and staff for their quick response and kindness they showed to us today when I came to meet them. They were very apologetic, listened intently and were very generous in making up for our experience yesterday. ...

Hospitality Matters... Not just the food!

I usually follow the rule of, if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say it at all. But after a discussion with friends about what more important 'food or hospitality', I thought this constructive analysis of our visit was valid and should be shared.

Earlier this year I booked a table well in advance letting the lady know who took our reservation that it was a special trip to the Clare Valley as it was my birthday. I asked if we could please have a nice spot to dine, to which she agreed.

We arrived excited only to find that despite previous arrangements, we had been allocated a table in a rear room along side a function of 25 plus loud patrons. When I asked why we were seated there I was told "sorry the group had booked recently and there was nothing they could do. I said I understood that things change, but being squeezed onto a table in the corner of a room beside a function is just poor planning and seat allocation.

After some negotiation we were able to change tables to a better location.

The staff throughout our time there were lackluster and uninterested. Every question was answered with bare minimum effort, detail and enthusiasm as though we were putting them out. Hey here's a tip, if you decide to work in the hospitality industry, one should at the very least be 'hospitable' hahaha.

The meals we shared for the majority were great, except for the chilli crab dish that was impossible to eat because it was served in its shell and the $2 novelty crab claw shell crackers we were given as utensils were impossible to use.

In conclusion, Food & Hospitality both need to be great in order for a patron to leave satisfied, one element can't carry or make up for the other. Alas in this situation, it was the staff and the service on display left a bad taste in our mouths.... not the food.

Perhaps the staff and service is better now, but we won't be back...

Well the weekend was freezing but all the more reason to head out and enjoy wineries 🍷. We booked to go to Mr Mick. I am glad we did, it was busy.

It's a lovely place to sit, cold but it smelt good in there. So if you weren't hungry, you would be once you had smelt the food. We ordered lots of plates. I hate tapas. This is obviously not really tapas food. We decided to have our bread and arancini first. The arancini was good. Bread is so small. Onto the chicken, which was average- not exciting. My husband said the lamb was good. The carrots were ok but mash looked like it had come from a packet. Chips ok. Salad very good, dressing was very good. We choose the special for dessert. It was the highlight. The food was good. But not fabulous. Wine was ok. Again nothing to get excited about. The service was average! Three people working, well only one person really working on the floor. The amazing Miss V. The other two were hopeless. While Miss V spun around a million times, the other two were clumsy and inefficient. Total bill $177- Wine included. Would I go again. No. Thank you for the...