O'Connells Hotel — Restaurant in Melbourne

On New Year’s Day my partner and I decided to try O’Connells for the first time. We’d been meaning to try this restaurant for a while and made a reservation for 6pm. What a mistake this was. There were so many issues during our short visit during, which we experienced the worst meal we have had in Melbourne.

Having made a fairly early reservation, we were unsurprised to be the first diners seated. Our table was next to the kitchen and was fine. Drinks were ordered, menus given, all seemed good. Until the second table arrived, and in a fairly large and completely empty restaurant, were seated right next to us. We commented on this, as did the other table, and when they asked the waitress if they were fully booked that night, she replied to say that there were only 8 tables booked in. This whole situation became even more strange when a third table was sat directly next to the table of four. Naturally, they asked if they could be moved, to which a male staff member said no, the other tables of two are booked out. Having previously worked in restaurants, this is just poor planning, which even the chef commented on. Totally bizarre.

We were served our entrees of calamari which was fine, if a little over priced for the portion size, and the croquettes which were dry, tasteless, overcooked and without enough aioli. We hoped our mains would be better, but alas, we were even more disappointed. I was served an impressive looking pie which when cut into, uncovered a thin layer of watery gravy, covered by some crispy pastry. Most of the dish was air. This was supposed to be served with creamed potatoes and mushy peas. I received one spoonful of potatoes and a sprinkling of mushy peas drowned in a red wine jus which I expected should have been in the pie?! Absolutely appalling for the price paid. My Gran in the UK makes a much better steak pie than this chef in this overpriced restaurant.

My partner ordered the fish and chips. He was given one piece of fish, which initially seemed fine, until we noticed other diners had been served two pieces of fish.To add insult to injury, when he cut into the fish half of the it was empty batter! This was supposed to come with pickled gherkin but instead came with what was quite obviously un-pickled CUCUMBER! As if we would not realise… We then heard a male staff member reading out specials to another table. Why were we not offered these?

Not once were we asked how our food was; how the experience was or even if we had a nice evening by ANY staff member. It was almost as if they knew how terrible our experience had been and were avoiding asking the question! In hindsight we should have spoken up and had planned to if asked, but really we just wanted to pay up and leave.

We have spent similar amounts of money in other local restaurants and had better meals. We have spent half this amount and had excellent meals. The whole evening was bitterly disappointing and a complete waste of time and money. What a way to start the New Year! Thoroughly...

Straight up - the food was great.

That's where the positive experience ends. We arrived on time for our booking, being left to wander around looking for staff. Eventually we found somebody (5 mins later) and were seated after 2 people couldn't find the ipad with our booking.

We were left with a menu... for more than 30 minutes (we'd made note of our arrival time). In the time we hadn't even had a drink order taken, the table next to us were seated, drinks delivered as well as entrees.

Ordered a bottle of wine and 2 cocktails; the wine wasn't available. OK, ordered another bottle. The thing I hate about places who pour you a glass and take the bottle away, is they need to be on the ball. Glasses were allowed to sit empty for a while, then food came. Entrees were had, all good for now.

Glasses were emptied again during the entrees. Waiting. Mains came. No wine. Mains eaten. Wine glasses still empty. It was practically impossible to get the attention of any of the staff. Eventually we did, and asked for the rest of our bottle which was quite clearly an inconvenience.

Wine came a while later (at this point the dining room was empty of all but 3 tables incl ours), along with dessert menus. We all discussed desserts and maybe some after dinner drinks. We waited. After 25 minutes we decided enough was enough and flagged a different staff member down and asked for the bill. It was at this moment that our waiter immediately appeared and asked us for our order. Sorry - too late. At least $100 worth of desserts and drinks walked out the door.

Let me make the point that our waiter wasn't absent the whole time. He was positively fawning over the table next to us. A couple of young girls, a couple of young guys. We were just a husband and wife taking out some parents for dinner for my wife's birthday. As our waiter delivered them more drinks (and I'm pretty sure they were free given the "oh thank you, you didn't have to do that!" kind of responses) we sat there, paying customers, waiting to give our money to the restaurant.

We gave up. We went home, and having just moved in around the corner and this was our first dinner out in what we assumed would be our new local, decided we'll find a new place to go.

So - food; great. Service; non existent....

We ate dinner in the restaurant with two other friends and were expecting a lovely meal. We had not been since a few years but had good memories of our last visit.

Unfortunately, this time the white table clothes had disappeared, and the number of tables seemed to have greatly expanded. The atmosphere was definitely a downgrade to a more pub bistro atmosphere.

We ordered the whole trout, chicken pie, flathead and whole squid. Dessert we had chocolate mouse and cheese cake.

Unfortunately the food did not live up to expectations. Firstly, to serve the protein on a plate without any accompanying side and then expect people to purchase a side dish when you are charging good restaurant prices in a pub bistro is not acceptable….. But if the food is amazing then maybe that could be overlooked. However food was not good… the trout was drowned in butter and overall tasteless. The whole squid laying alone on its plate was laughably small. Our friends pie and flathead was apparently just ok.

Dessert was meant to be chocolate mouse but it was a biscuit with small amount of chocolate mouse piped inside of two pastry biscuits. The cheese cake was more like a flat pancake with Portuguese tart consistency and for some reason swimming in butter.

Overall we all were quite disappointed and certainly will not go back. It seems the restaurant has been downgraded to extract more profit …. like a lot of businesses are doing these days. But maybe we were just unlucky with the food...