Emerson's on the Lake — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

From a lifetime of dining at quality dining establishments I knew something was very wrong when we arrived at 7pm on a Saturday night to find only 2 couples already in attendance. The entire time we were there no one else came to dine. This should have been a massive red flag, but we decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Surely any quality restaurant who holds a service fee of $100 for the booking just must be quality!

Sadly, I have to say what a MASSIVE let down was Emerson’s. How they charge the prices they do for food not commensurate to quality, nor resembling anything on this Facebook page just makes them a poor impersonation of a dining establishment.

Approximately 150gm of snapper fillet ‘dumped’ in 400g of sweet corn reminded me of the last time I had a hospital stay. The four prawns that were drowned in a chilli and garlic oil lacked any technique, presentation or even care. The ROAST CRISP GARLIC POTATOES could only be called potatoes. No semblance of garlic and were as soft as any steamed potatoes I have ever seen. Photo says it all. The only quality product was the Spice Roasted Cauliflower, albeit not exactly hot.

As for the two staff on duty they showed no interest in the customers or doing their job, they spent most of the night leaning on the bar talking to each other, not once engaging any of the six patrons paying their wage. On a night with so little clientele that is when staff should be annoyingly attentive BECAUSE THEY HAVE TIME TO DO IT, unlike when it is busy. Other than taking the order there was nothing else resembling HOSPITALITY SERVICE.

This is an open and honest recounting of our night and is in no way personal as we have never been there before or know personally of anyone owning or...

We were extremely pleased with all aspects of our Wedding Reception for 40 people at Emerson’s on the Lake at Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto (new location). We booked several big tables, and preordered 40 Main meals the week prior - listing guests name/ dietary needs/ chosen dish - which we recommend (and really helped with kitchen planning).

The kitchen and waitstaff were warm, polite, and EXTREMELY well organised. (The Yacht Club Staff and patrons were all very friendly and welcoming too). Our event flowed seamlessly and smoothly. They were professional in handling every guests meal, especially as half our guests had special dietary requirements - children’s meals, vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free. (Thank you!!)

The meals tasted REALLY good, portion sizes were filling, pricing was very good, and meal presentations were spot on. All guests were very happy with their meals, the service, the atmosphere and the incredible views. Emerson’s on the Lake is definitely “A Foodies Dream”.

It has become our new favourite restaurant and we will definitely become regulars here. It is so precious to us that we can go back and eat at the place we had our wedding reception. We are recommending Emerson’s to everyone we know.

A big thank you to Emerson, Kelly, Alex and all the staff for making our day special. We wish you great success in your new location. See you...

Oh Dear. We were recommended this restaurant for lunch and were not the only ones who left disappointed. There must have been a lot of people dining earlier before us, because there were three tables still covered in plates and wine glasses, and at least four of the menu items were unavailable. Service was slow, drinks were slow to arrive. The staff meant well, but they were either incapable or they were understaffed. Water glasses were not topped up, and there was a mix up with our wine order. The duck liver pate was delicious. As was the baguette accompaniment. The jelly on top was far too 'jelly' like and was repelled by the pate. Then the mains arrived. The table next to us described theirs as disgusting, but I wont go that far. They were disappointing. The pork belly had not been rendered properly and it appeared to be reheated. The fried potatoes were either burnt or cold. Very underwhelming. The Lamb pot pie tasted like old meat, the filling completely overcooked. The dough crown was undercooked and raw in the middle. This was average pub food, served in a fine dining setting, with a price to match. It is unfortunate to leave such a review, bit when paying $129 for 2 glasses of wine, 1 shared entree and two mains, one would feel ripped off. Disappointing to...