Stamford Park Homestead — Restaurant in Melbourne

I used to come to Stamford park fairly regularly before COVID and the change of ownership.

It's unfortunate, as the new experience overall isn't BAD, it's just that what was there before was so spectacular it feels average in comparison.

We went for a friends birthday, and the menu is very much elevated pub food. Unfortunately the meals we had weren't particularly well done. My chicken involtini was dry, and while with the sauce it was ok, the dryness still came through. That said, the flavours were good. My potato gratin was either enormously overdone or they've misunderstood what it is. I was looking forward to delicate layers of potato, grilled with butter and herbs and finished with cheese, but instead got a ramikin of mashed potato that had put under the grill with some cheese on top.

The salmon my friend had was the definition of 'mid' - well cooked, but oversalted to the point that she struggled to finish it. Another friend on the table had the Braised Beef Short Rib, and described it as 'ok, but something I could do in the slow cooker at home'.

Nothing was bad per say, with the exception of the salmon. The food was nice enough, but nothing was perfection, and we didn't leave saying 'my gosh we simply must go back'.

The desserts were a highlight, we tried all three across the table, and generally found that they were really nicely done.

Staff were lovely, a little more training probably wouldn't go amiss just in terms of noticing when customers are trying to get their attention, but generally they did a really good job.

The change in decoration outside was really difficult to see. Previously this was a lovely spot filled with little tables for long brunches and romantic summer evenings with wine. It's been replaced with a function centre that feels completely out of place. While I understand that this will make it easier for events like weddings and increase overall seating, it really feels like a pub trying to be something else. It has big TV screens (which still had the stickers on when I was there!) designed for I'm assuming corporate functions, as well as incredibly bright blue carpet with massive gold swirls, and big chandeliers. While the inside of the house is a lesson in camp, dramatic design that pulls back to minimalist in all the right spaces, this space was the opposite. I understand the logic, but it's a massive clash with the beauty of the rest of the space. Hiring the same designer to continue the work would have been a much better option to allow for some sort of melding of the spaces.

If we had have been in a pub, it probably would have been different, but the prices and juxtaposition between the decor inside, the historical outside, and the new function centre made it feel fairly disappointing overall.

A good place to go with family who need a mix of everything - some people who want a pub meal, some people who want to feel fancy, but not the place to take your more discerning friends or for a special occasion.

I'll go back again in case I just happened to be there on a bad night, food wise, and for the high tea, as it was a highlight in the past, and I'm hoping to be able to leave a more positive...

We recently celebrated our son's birthday at this venue, but unfortunately, the experience was a letdown. Despite having a good impression of the food and service during our initial visit, the actual event day was marred by poor service.

We booked the veranda space for 40 guests (including kids) and opted for a three-course meal. However, on the day, they only served us two courses. When I brought this to their attention, the manager and event host tried to contact the person I had communicated with earlier, leaving us and our guests waiting. This lack of prompt resolution was unprofessional.

The assigned host was rude and cant clearly doesnt have experience handling events. She talks snappily, yelled at a guest who tried to swap food with her husband, and made the “fine” dining experience like a local market due to her yelling of “instructions” so they dont get confused on who to serve food.

They were told that kids must have a separate space yet they arranged a very long table mixing kids with adults. Then served kids’ food (pizzas, chicken and chips) with the adults table. Then despite paying for a set number of people, they only brought enough food for who were in the table and then had the audacity to ask me to pay for requesting extra 2 entree’s as 2 guests did not get some. Out of our 40 guests, 2 did not come so we should have extra.

This is where the host started yelling “instructions” making it seem like it was our mistake that they messed up the serving of food.

For a restaurant that claims to have hosted weddings and other large event, they should have been more professional and hospitable. There was no excuse for their behavior. Imagine our embarrassment when we found out that our guests wont be having desserts when they were already expecting it just because the restaurant didnt know that we booked 3-course for the adults. And instead of fixing their mistake right away, the host and manager went on a field trip on making us look like liars and finding fault on the restaurant coordinator who’s not working on that day. And because they were having such a sweet time discussing the issue instead of resolving the problem, they also forgot to serve the kids’ desserts to the point we had to remind them, which was already paid for. So embarrassing that some of the guests had to go home already as the dessert was only served close to 4pm, we started at 1pm.

Overall, our experience was disappointing, and we regret booking this venue. We’ve been to other nice places and this is not our first rodeo on celebrating in places like this. We know what we are getting in to and we know what we deserve especially for what we pay for. The service was not what we expected from a fine dining establishment. Be cautious when considering this venue for...

This is a reply to Stamford’s message to Sarah A’s review because for some unknown reasons, we cant reply back to the thread anymore.

The gaslighting is next level. No accountability and ownership of the mistake that has happened. The hypocrisy is extreme too because I still have the emails, calls, texts about you about you apologising for your lapses but then I am reading a response like this from you on this review. Funny because all of the bad reviews, there is always a snappy, reply with the same negative energy and attitude that I have just pointed out above. So there is a pattern here, it is not just a random experience from all of us who suffered from unprofessionalism, it is a pattern. Even the replies, reflects the bad attitude of the restaurant and further solidifies the claims of bad reviews. To think that you will turn this around and make us look like we want to get free desserts. Why made it look like it is our fault when we have emails, texts and calls from you apologising for missing out that details and confirming that we did talked about that. You claim that there is always 25% extra food, that is just your story, there were only 38 people. We booked 40. Even if I asked for extra ala carte, you onky served 38, you only served those who are in the table. You did not give us 40, which we paid for! I did not ask to pay for the extra 2 entrees, you forced me to pay saying you cant give us more unless I confirm I will pay, the 2 plates might have gotten mixed up in the table, we then found it but the total count is still 38, when you later served the additional 2 which you asked me to pay, that brings the number to 40, which is what we booked for yet you are charging me for that 2 extra. And the desserts for kids, if we didnt remind you, you wouldnt even have remembered that we also have that on the menu. We had to go back inisde several times to remind. The booking started 12:30pm, yet it was served 4pm. Talk about ridiculous service!

So we got a quote about 3 course but then on the day itself, there is only 2 course. So we were MISLED to believe that we were having 3 course when in actuality you guys didnt even prepared for it. I paid for a booking of 40 people, only 38 came and was served only 38. I asked for additional 2 entrees and that should bring it up to 40, still within my booking yet I was asked to pay. So in essence, I paid for the goods that I didnt get. We want to forget about this but maybe a letter to...