Mariners Restaurant — Restaurant in Hamilton Island

A bit of a common theme here and noting the chef or admin don't seem to use the right of reply. The location is the highlight, the view of the Marina is great. The front of house staff (Adam) were great, the food, well, best stay in the shade chef because you won't be getting a hat real soon. Must have been bob-a-job week in the kitchen. Worst beef cheeks I have ever had. If you are going to cook a working part of an animal chef, you need to remember, cheeks probably work the hardest, so they need to be slow braised, 4-5 hours starting at about 180 for the first hour, then 150 second hour, then 110 for another three to four hours, ideally in a reasonable amount of red wine good quality stock. The slow braising breaks down the interconnecting tissue and collagen, and in the right hands, is one of the tastiest cuts of beef you will get. Converting the stock by slow reduction will yield a slightly sticky red wine jus. I have no idea how you cooked the beef cheek that you served last night, but I could hardly cut it, one mouthful was enough to know, the chef (generous) who cooked this did not know what they were doing, and, to top it off, what the chef (cook) describes as Pommes Puree, well, Guillaume Brahimi would cringe, what was served was a half descent mashed potato, served cold and lacking any seasoning, worthy of a round one elimination on Master Chef. Sorry if you feel this is harsh, but if you put a classic on the menu, get it right. Conclusion, meal sent back, apology from waiter, but I was hoping the chef would front up for a chat. Sorry, but the standard of food needs...

We had the seafood platter for two for $250. The oysters were fresh with a tasty vinaigrette. The salmon was good, fresh, nice flavours that didn't overpower the salmon. The kingfish was very disappointing - couldn't taste the coconut and just had a claggy texture. This was a big disappointment as we love kingfish. The calamari was underdone with raw batter caught in the middle. They replaced it with a different squid dish. The chips were also underdone, so I think the fryer just wasn't hot enough. Prawns were very tasty but overcooked. Octopus had a tasty char and great flavours. My partner and I disagreed on the texture (he liked it, I didn't) Fish on the menu said "reef fish" but when we asked, it was barramundi. We asked if it could be swapped for the reef fish, which they did. The bugs were the highlight - perfectly cooked with a delicious sauce. Service was friendly and helpful. Especially the front of house who went out of his way to help us out with a mistake with our reservation. It was our fault, but he made it work for us and we were very grateful. It's a lovely aspect looking over the harbour, but for a dedicated seafood restaurant, the food just...

Meh. Overrated for the price you pay and what you receive. Service was good, but rushed… probably because anywhere you would like to dine on the island requires a reservation in minimal restaurants that do not have adequate tables and seating for how many visitors occupy the island at once. $98 per person or order the seafood tower for two at $250, no ways around it. The portion sizes for the prices you pay are small. Seared Tuna Tataki for a starter was not fresh, had a brown coloring and fishy taste. Flavor was overpowered by the unnecessary amount of roe garnish atop that is not even mentioned on the menu. Seared Barramundi for a main was again fishy tasting and too small a portion. Gnocchi dough needs be worked out more, tremendously mushy and flavor again overpowered by an overly oily pesto sauce. Brownie for desert was out of the ice box cold, maybe that’s the norm here… however, the flavor was good. Rolls served table side with EVOO, balsamic glaze and cashew sea salt dusting was the best part of the meal. Location outside on deck overlooking marina and the live entertainment of watching people completely botch parallel parking their golf carts is...