The Hampden Hotel — Restaurant in Nedlands

Heard about the Hampden Hotel in Nedlands from a friend with trusted culinary taste and have been curious about it for a while. A week ago finally had the chance to sample its wares. My drink experience was that the wine menu and tap selection was more elevated than the usual pub suspects. Good start. Service was faultless, the team seemed in good spirits and the vibe was cheerful and friendly. The highlight however is the food, which is not what I expected from a venue that looks a bit unassuming. Sampled the Bali bread, octopus, chicken pieces, chorizo, squid ink pasta and beef tataki. The standouts were the octopus and squid ink pasta. These two dishes have been veritably done to death in the casual dining scene, and it takes something special to have them again and to remark that they are not just Ok, but superb. Finally, the piece de resistance: the 1.2kg Black Angus Tomahawk. This came tender and beefy in all the right ways. The potato clusters were not just an accompaniment, and I would order this by itself as a side dish as it was rendered so perfectly - crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside. Not just an afterthought to the superstar dish. The onion jus was also a great accompaniment and not just the usual red wine jus. At the end of an extremely satisfying night, I met the chef Ricky from Indonesia and complimented him on a seamless fusion of pub classics and Asian innovation. Kudos to his team. This joint to say the least, is a...

If only zero stars could be awarded to this establishment. Current management are shocking, aggressive and intimidating towards any patrons who dare come for a social function and stay past 7pm. Unfortunately our company has used this venue a few times in the last year, but after witnessing the treatment of our colleagues by the staff/management -shouted/pushed when standing next to reserved table as told it was a walk way! Ahhh rethink your set up ever cross your mind?? -manager staring continuously at our group and being hostile when asked reason and to stop -staff told they can’t order certain drinks from cocktail list as one member of staff couldn’t be bothered making it -mediocre food

Yep won’t be going back there again under his current management- shame we have been going for 10years since it was the Resident and it was such a warm and friendly place- couldn’t be further...

Had lunch at the Hampden Hotel in Nedlands on a Thursday with a group of seven. The place wasn’t particularly busy, which made the service delays even more noticeable.

We all ordered within a few minutes of each other, but two meals came out well before the others. By the time the rest of us were served, those first two were almost finished — not ideal for a group lunch.

I ordered the scotch fillet ($39) and was pretty disappointed. The steak itself was fine — cooked medium rare as requested — but that was about the only highlight. The jus was too salty for my taste, the chips were overcooked and the portion was small. There was no salad or garnish, so the plate felt bare and underwhelming. For nearly $40, I expected better.

Overall, it was a pretty average pub meal and not somewhere I’d go out of my way to visit again. There are better options in the area offering more...