Spotswood Hotel — Restaurant in Melbourne

Used to be regulars here but started going less when the place went under new ownership before Covid times as the service and food seemed to slip a little. Looking at the recent reviews this year, decided to give it another go.

The venue has had a bit of a facelift internally and externally - still the same general feel, but a nicer bar area, and a new heated/covered outdoor area. The outside has also been painted which makes a big difference.

Didn't have a booking (Friday early evening), but got a table with no issues.

Drinks order was taken quite promptly, and we asked for another few minutes to review the menu. That's when 'service' seemed to stop.

We waited over 15 minutes before one of us had to get up and go to the front counter to find out what was going on. During that 15 minutes, we watched all 6 waiting staff stand around chatting and not serving any customers. It's clear the waitress didn't actually put our drinks order in the system, nor did she seem to be bothered actually serving anyone. I know things are tough in hospitality at the moment, but there was more than sufficient staff to cover a restaurant that was only 40% full. If she was new, more training is needed.

After the prompt, a second waitress came over, and we explained we were still waiting on our drinks and for our order to be taken. This second waitress acted on the drinks promptly (also indicating the original drinks order hadn't been put in the system after she checked), and took our food order without delay.

The original waitress brought out our starter (garlic bread) and just slapped it down (almost toppled the basket) and walked away without even acknowledging we were there - it was incredibly rude (we looked at each other stunned) and was completely unjustified as at no point had we been rude to her, or even complained about her lack of service. We also watched her do the same with another table of 3 people - they sat for ages without being served beyond the initial time she showed them to their table. She clearly had a chip on her shoulder for some reason that she should have left at home that day.

In stark contrast, the second waitress we had was wonderful - friendly and helpful, and we enjoyed a bit of banter with her too. When we had a question about one of the food items after she brought out the mains, she went above and beyond to find out the information. She showed the kind of service that you used to get at the Spotty, and it makes such a difference. She is the only reason this review is getting a 3-star.

In terms of the food - mixed reviews. Garlic bread was nice (difficult to go wrong with this). The Southern Fried Chicken Burger was also good - with a special mention to the Spotty Zinger Sauce which worked really well. Chips were also hot and crispy. The spaghetti bolognaise was disappointing - portion wasn't very big for the price, the sauce was watery and lacked flavour, and the pasta was a little over-cooked. Luckily we had ordered an extra bowl of chips as we were hungry, otherwise one of us would have left still hungry.

We had high hopes that things had improved since our last visit a few years ago, but this is clearly not the case. If the level of food and service was consistent, we might consider revisiting, but I'm not convinced they will change...

As a family we have been to Spotswood Hotel before and has a good experience. This experience on a Sunday night for my daughter's 30th was disgraceful. Not only did we have 14 paying guests for meals and drinks... Cocktails, mixes, wines, beers and soft drinks as well as all main meals. Drinks were forgotten...meals were mixed up...garlic butter and gravies were on the wrong dishes...and some gravies didn't even make it to the table. All 13 other meals had been served and half eaten by the time a waiter was stopped and he was told about the missing meal and gravy. He still took his time bringing the gravy to the table and again 10mins later had to be told about the missing Chicken Parma meal...which he came back with 5mins later. This waiter continued to clean up glasses leaning across our guests while they were talking taking empty and even going to take half empty glasses until stopped. Never have I or the guests seated at my table seen such disgusting behaviour from a staff member before...we were all not happy with the service. There was an extremely considerate staff member who came back to me with a takeaway box to place my food in as I had received it so late that I took 4 bites out of the chicken and couldn't eat anymore...this staff member was polite and well educated in table etiquette. As for the other staff member, dark longer hair, tall and thin with an accent...almost like a Keanu Reeves look about him...wad no people skills or table etiquette that any of us saw... Was a disappointing evening...

A fantastic recommendation from a friend led us to Spottwood Hotel, and it was the perfect spot for a pre-dinner meal and drinks! We sat in the undercover courtyard at the back, which had a great atmosphere—casual, comfortable, and perfect for catching up.

The location is super convenient, right next to Spotswood Train Station, making it an easy choice for locals and visitors alike.

The service was professional, friendly, and welcoming, which made the experience even better. The menu offers a great variety, including vegetarian options, which was perfect for my friend.

Food highlights:

Halloumi Cheese Crispy Chips – Wow, these were incredible! Perfectly crispy, packed with flavor, and honestly, I could have easily enjoyed a whole serving myself. Arancini Balls – Delicious and full of flavor. Perfect for sharing! Green Salad – A generous portion, great for balancing out the other dishes. Overall, the food was delicious, well-portioned, and great for sharing. This is definitely a spot I’d highly recommend and return to.

The interior has that classic Melbourne pub feel—simple yet inviting. TVs playing sports added to the atmosphere, with people enjoying their meals while quietly celebrating their teams.

Such a great spot—I’ll...