Salt Dish — Restaurant in Geraldton

Extremely Disappointed — Sharp Plastic in Food, No Accountability

As a professional chef and experienced hospitality manager with over 15 years in this industry, I rarely leave negative reviews — but what happened during our visit to Salt Dish in Geraldton deserves to be addressed publicly.

We drove 6 hours with our family from Perth, excited for a nice meal — 3 adults and 3 children. The initial welcome from the floor staff (she was kind calm and nice person ) was kind, and we appreciated the table change to accommodate others more comfortably. The food arrived in good time, portions were fine (if slightly on the small side for the price range of $29–39, though understandable in a tourist area), and the kids’ meal was decent.

However, the experience quickly turned into something dangerous and deeply disappointing.

My wife discovered a large, sharp fragment of plastic in her truffle risotto — clearly from a broken food container. This was not a small piece, but a jagged shard that could have caused serious injury if swallowed. This is a critical kitchen safety failure. As professionals ourselves, we know exactly what this is: a preventable hazard caused by low-grade plastic containers under heat or stress. Spend the extra money and use proper, heat-resistant, commercial-grade containers — your guests’ safety depends on it.

We flagged it immediately to a male staff member who acknowledged it and said he would “speak to them.” That’s where the professionalism ended.

When I went to the counter to pay, The cashier (a young woman — I sincerely hope she’s not the owner) had no idea anything had happened. The male staff member tried to inform her, but she completely ignored him and just focused on the payment — even when the EFTPOS machine wasn’t working properly. I gave her another chance to acknowledge the issue after payment and said, “Do you know what happened?” Her response was to cringe, shift blame onto the staff member, and offer zero apology.

When I asked for a proper apology, she just snapped, “Didn’t he already say sorry?” Her tone and expression were not just dismissive, but hostile. She only looked at me properly once she got angry. That’s when I realised: this is not just bad customer service — it’s a culture problem.

For a family who nearly ingested a sharp object, this response is unacceptable.

No apology, no concern, no responsibility taken — from someone who should know better, especially in a service industry. I genuinely hope she is not the owner. Because if she is, that explains the indifference.

We had other minor service lapses too: cutlery didn’t come until after the food, had to ask again for water that never arrived — but those can be overlooked on a busy day. A plastic shard in food cannot.

We’re two head chefs and hospitality managers, raising a young family — and we understand both the front and back of house. Mistakes happen. But how you handle them is what defines your establishment.

Salt Dish, your kitchen needs a safety upgrade. And your front-of-house needs a serious lesson in empathy, professionalism, and accountability.

Train better. React better....

All I can say is WOW. We loved everything about this beautiful little restaurant from the cozy vibe, cheery staff and incredible smells emanating from the kitchen.

My wife and I recently dined at Salt Dish after hearing copious amounts of praise from locals. It 100% lived up to the hype, and more. I think this was one of the best meals I’ve had of late. And can see it becoming a regular stop while in Geraldton.

Chef Csaba and his wife Tash are lovely. I spoke with Chef Csaba after our meal as I was glowing with delight and you can genuinely see the love and passion that goes into his food. We talked for a while both eyes lighting up with excitement over the food. It made my night.

Every dish was lick the plate delicious. The balance of texture, flavours, complexity balanced with restraint created a synergy of wonderment every time we took a bite. Eyes roll back. Smiles all round. Repeat. And my wife will not forgive me if I don’t say that the “salads” on each dish easily held their own as they were amazing.

For entree, we ordered the salmon and chèvre croquettes, calamari and beetroot risotto. While the croquettes and calamari were fantastic, let’s take a minute on this risotto as it was my favourite dish of the night. Just superb.

A perfect balance of sweet and acid from the beetroot, richness from the labne and Parmesan and savoury from the sage and baby spinach. Different textures dance on your palate and it paired superbly with the Pinot Noir. Good Lord. I will remember this dish for a long time.

For mains we ordered the barramundi with lentil salad and “chips”, and the lamb ragu pappardelle.

The barramundi was beautifully cooked with a lovely crispy skin. It paired perfectly with the lentil salad which added a meatiness to the delicate fish. BUT, the star of the dish were those potatoes. Thrice cooked wedges of wonder. I’ve never had better potato chips. Hands down. The cooking technique was perfect. Crisp exterior, fluffy interior, and no oiliness. The simple beautiful things in life.

The lamb ragu pappardelle was just heart warming. The kind of dish you cook for your closest of friends and loved ones. Where you eat, drink, laugh and feel complete. It’s one of those dishes. The pasta was perfectly cooked. The lamb ragu was stunning. Sweet, rich, meaty, tender lamb neck complemented by bursts of acid from the tomato, salt from the olives and herbaceous freshness from the parsley. It all marries together and you just want more (and more).

We somehow managed to fit in the crème brûlée for dessert. Somehow. A lovely end to a stunning meal. Classic flavours of vanilla paired with a berry compote and lifted with a coconut and granola like crumb that added a beautiful texture and butteriness in your mouth. Wonderful.

Genuinely a must if you’re in Geraldton, and a new favourite of...

I’ve normally never had a problem with this place until today. I went in on a busy Monday just after lunch. The cafe was busy and slightly crowded. I waited about 20 minutes and decided to go up to the front to grab a menu only to be stopped and told “oh you don’t need to do that, it’s table service here”. To which I responded ok and take a seat. If it’s table service why wasn’t I at least given a menu within the 20 minutes I sat there for? Almost immediately after I sat down after grabbing a menu someone served me immediately. I placed my ordered and the waitress informed me it was busy which I told her I understand and that I am happy to wait. I waited a further 30 minutes for my food which was relatively quick considering how busy it was. I had ordered the steak sandwich with no mushrooms, marmalade and I had to switch the Swiss cheese for cheddar as they had run out to which I understood. By the time it got to me, I had to go so I asked for a take away container and went on my way. I got home and finally sat down to eat my meal. But to my surprise I opened the container to a steak sandwich with a poor portion of wedges, a steak sandwich with mushrooms, marmalade and about 5 small strands of shredded cheddar cheese. I wish I was joking. I understand that it was a busy day but it’s no excuse to receive what I did, especially for the price. What if I was allergic to the items I asked to be removed? Thankfully I’m not. But if it was someone else in my situation who had of been it would’ve been a very...