Little Beach Boathouse — Restaurant in Nelson Bay

Worst Experience of My Life

My name is Santiago Manassero (@santimanass). I don’t usually leave bad reviews because I understand there are many hardworking people in establishments like this, but I feel compelled to share my experience.

I’ve been to this place three times, and honestly, it was atrocious every single time.

First visit: I came on the recommendation of my diving friends. Exhausted from swimming, I walked in from the beach in my wetsuit, just needing water. However, I was denied entry for not meeting their dress code. While I respect rules, this could have been handled with more kindness and understanding, especially given my condition.

Second visit: I decided to give it another chance. This time, I dressed appropriately and sat down, hoping for a better experience. I waited to be served, wanting nothing more than a simple coffee. Despite my patience, I was completely ignored and never received service. Frustrated, I left.

Third visit: This was by far the worst experience. Upon arriving, I encountered some people smoking outside the establishment. We struck up a conversation, and they kindly invited me to join their table. Once seated, I ordered a coffee and mentioned knowing Gabriel, a staff member working in the downstairs kitchen. The waitress, who was initially very friendly, invited me to go downstairs to say hello, which I appreciated and accepted.

However, when I got downstairs, I was stopped by a supervisor who was incredibly rude and refused me access in a harsh and condescending manner. When I returned to my table, I was informed I could no longer sit there. The waitress, who had earlier been so kind, grabbed my belongings without permission and asked me to leave.

Then I noticed the owner of the establishment and thought this might be an opportunity to resolve the situation. Unfortunately, things only got worse. The owner approached me in an aggressive and inappropriate manner, grabbed my arm without my consent, and demanded that I leave. I calmly asked if we could have a private conversation to sort things out, but he refused.

This was, without a doubt, the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my life. I hope no one else has to go through what I did...

I visited this restaurant based on the high reviews, but unfortunately, my experience didn’t meet expectations. While the presentation of the dishes was visually appealing, the flavours were lacking and overall quite bland, actually felt unwell while eating. Johanna, who served us, struggled to clearly explain the menu, which led to us ordering dishes at random.

I expected a fine dining experience, but both the food quality and service felt quite basic. Surprisingly, the only enjoyable item was the Coca-Cola drink. We got offered free ice cream, but I refused because I didn’t want my kids to be sick. Place didnt feel clean. If you’re someone who enjoys bold, well-balanced flavours, this may not be the right place. I’d recommend either adjusting the pricing to reflect the current quality or investing in a more experienced chef to meet the fine dining standard…

Re: Hi Dean,

Thanks for your response, it’s clear you’re more focused on discrediting your guests than genuinely improving your business.

You say you don’t take things personally, yet you spent an entire paragraph researching my review history and mocking it. That’s not professionalism, it’s deflection. Rather than address the actual feedback, you chose to attack me and ironically accused me of being disrespectful.

Johanna wasn’t “degraded” I mentioned she had trouble explaining the menu, which is a fair part of reviewing service. If that’s enough to rattle you, perhaps your staff doesn’t need protection, just better training.

Also, your sarcastic “grab a Coke” comment proves that while you try to appear composed, you’re clearly more bruised than you let on.

If I was “out of my comfort zone,” it was only because your restaurant claims to offer something it doesn’t deliver. Your response just confirmed it.

But I’m glad you’ve turned my feedback into a discount code, maybe now the next guests will actually get something enjoyable out of...

This review is for Below Deck: Two of us ordered 1 doz natural oysters to share and then for mains we both ordered the seafood frito misto. We already had a drink each. The mains arrived ahead of the oysters which we pointed out and we said well we had better eat the mains before they get cold as I'm sure they would have just sat there if we had eaten the oysters first. We ask them to hold the oysters until later. Another waiter appeared 2 minutes later with the oysters & as there wasn't enough room on the small table she was going to plonk them down on a stool beside us to dry out in the breeze while we got through the large main. I explained that they should have arrived for us to share long before the mains came & not to leave them there as they would dry out. She said "Just to let you know we don't serve the food in courses". I thought really - how would I know that when every other place on the planet does. And lovely that there wasn't any apology. But why would she apologise. I should be able to read minds. She took the oysters away to the fridge. We returned to the main which I'd describe as battered rubbish. We then asked for the oysters, after having to ask them to take the plates and glasses away - they don't seem to see these things. The oysters were ordinary, and not as fresh as they should be. So "Just to let you know". It was terrible food, and terrible service from people who have no idea. We won't be back.

UPDATE since Owner's comments: My review is in fact NON-fiction. Another fact was that you were not present. I was. Your contemptuous comments indicate you are offended or in denial, or both. Whatever you are feeling, your response is immature, just like BELOW DECK. There is always a chance it could mature, but not with a sarcastic denier at its helm. And yes your hopes will come true. We will definitely not return to such rubbish and...