Hellenic Club in the City — Restaurant in District of Canberra Central

Very disappointing experience overall. Booking of 30 guests - booking was "forgotten" about, so it was a scramble for staff to get our table together upon our arrival. Tables weren't even wiped down, very sticky and obvious drink rings left from previous patrons. The bar smelt strongly of old beer, and could see alot of yeast build up on the bar trays, so obviously a poorly taken care of venue & bar. We got main meals before our entrees, and the table numbers were taken off the tables after the first meal was delivered, leaving the poor wait staff walking around clueless wondering where they were supposed to be delivering the rest of the meals. Some meals came out with frozen vegetables on the plate, some came out wrong all together. My meal personally was wonderful, (halloumi gyros) however others waited over an hour for a "medium" steak which came out well done and was needed to be sent back. No checks were done on our meals throughout our duration at the venue, and by the time we left the tables were still filled with dirty plates. The smoking area had empty glasses stacked up everywhere. The gaming room was left in a poor state, chairs untucked all over the place and glasses next to every machine - no gaming attendant in sight. We received friendly service from the presentable young girls behind the bar, and some of our group received refunds for their "meals" but the experience was very poor as a whole. Staff need better training, a higher understanding of RSA (spirits were over poured and no IDs were asked for) and general cleanliness of a restaurant. Very poor management - doesn't matter how well you dress to come to work if you cant even teach - or at least encourage - your staff how to clear & clean a table. The live entertainment were great, very talented duo, created a good atmosphere, unfortunately we know they are their own talent, and did not help to make a good impression on the venue. I'd recommend that duo to find a better venue to perform at because they can do a hell of...

The Chinese restaurant was fantastic and I would recommend, however I went down stairs to get 3 cocktails, they didn’t taste right so I took them back down stairs. The manager at the sports bar asked me what was up as no one else was at the bar. I advised him of the above and he rolls his eyes and says it’s probably because there is only half a shot of vodka in them. He then looks at me irritated and says “what do you want me to remake them”. I said “yes because they didn’t taste right”, then when remaking them he became more irritated. When I was watching him make it he put in raspberry cordial, then filled the glass with ice, lemonade and blue curacao lacquer. He put them up on the bar and I say “you didn’t put the half shot of vodka in” and said “YES I DID” and then walked off.

To be honest this was a pretty disappointing experience. I didn’t feel like there was anyone else I could speak to about it because he was clearly the manager at the bar. And if that’s the standard he sets for himself, then I couldn’t imagine the other bar staff would have been better off.

My recommendation would be to avoid getting cocktails from here. And if you do have an issue with your drink, be prepared for them to not be happy about...

Packed house, feral kids, and still 5 stars!

We came during the chaos of Kanga Cup week — the place was absolutely buzzing with families, noisy kids running wild like it was the Hunger Games, and parents more focused on their next wine than their own offspring. Despite this, the staff were calm, friendly, and handled the madness like seasoned professionals.

Meals came out quickly (ours certainly did), were great value, and the quality was spot on. The manager even apologised for a “delay” we didn’t notice — top-notch service considering the crowd and chaos.

It’s honestly impressive how well the team handled the dinner rush, especially when I overheard a few parents getting snarky over a late kids’ meal that probably cost less than their daily coffee.

To anyone leaving a 1-star review because their $10 nuggets didn’t materialise instantly: maybe pack a little patience with your pram next time.

Hats off to the Hellenic crew. You’re doing a brilliant job under pressure. We’ll be back — maybe when it’s a bit quieter, but...