Honeysuckle Hotel — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

The Honeysuckle Hotel? Ah, that grand ol' establishment - where the beer's as predictable as a sunrise and the carpet holds more stories than a grandma's knitting bag. It's like the middle child of Newy pubs: not the flashy harbourside stunner, not the gritty hole-in-the-wall dive, but a comfortable, friendly joint that's been hanging around longer than your mullet (and you know you rocked a mullet in the '90s).

Picture it: a faded brick building with mismatched awnings, like it can't decide if it wants to be nautical or colonial. Inside, it's a labyrinth of wood panelling and worn booths, lit by fairy lights that haven't been replaced since they were still called Christmas lights. The jukebox plays the same classic rock playlist on repeat, guaranteed to induce singalongs even from the most tone-deaf punters.

The clientele? A colourful bunch, mate. You've got your tradies on smoko, nursing a schooner and talking about the footy like it's a matter of national security. You've got the oldies sipping sherry and reminiscing about when the beach wasn't full of tourists and overpriced smoothies. And then there's the random assortment of students, surfers, and tourists who stumbled in looking for something exciting and found... well, the Honeysuckle Hotel.

The beer? Don't expect craft ales brewed by bearded hipsters. Here, it's VB on tap, cold and familiar like your dad's jokes. Maybe a Coopers if you're feeling fancy. The food? Pub grub that knows its place: burgers that hold all their toppings with the tenacity of a bulldog, chips drenched in enough gravy to float a battleship, and schnitzel that could double as a doormat (but tastes surprisingly good after a few of those VBs).

So, is the Honeysuckle Hotel anything special? Nah, not really. It's just your average, run-of-the-mill pub. But there's something oddly charming about it. It's like that pair of old slippers you keep meaning to replace but can't quite bring yourself to toss. It's where you go for a cheap feed, a cold drink, and a bit of familiar Newy banter. It's not fancy, it's not trendy, but it's a damn good time if you know where to look (and if you can ignore the faint smell of spilt beer that's become the pub's signature perfume).

So, next time you're in Newy and need a break from the glitz and glamour, head down to the Honeysuckle Hotel. It might not be the fanciest joint in town, but it's got character, charm, and enough VB to drown your existential dread. Just don't blame me if you find yourself singing "Sweet Caroline" at the top of your lungs with a bunch of blokes in footy shorts. You've...

Have not been to Honeysuckle Hotel for many years and can say that Mother's Day 2023 will be the final time I ever go. The view and space is amazing but that's about where the positives end.

We arrived for a 9:30am booking and ordered coffees almost immediately at the bar. We were also warned that there was a 20 minute wait for food which was absolutely fine, we were happy to sit and soak in the sunshine. After looking at the menu, we used the QR codes on the table to order breakfast, noting that the wait time on the app had increased to 35 minutes - again, not an issue, we were celebrating the wonderful mothers in our lives.

Over an hour later (it was nearly 11am by this stage), food starting coming to the table sporadically. Although we all ordered at the same time, some of our party had finished their meals before others had even received food. There appeared to be no structure to us receiving food, with other tables around us seeming to encounter the same problems. Personally, when my food came out, it was cold and looked like it had been prepared about 20 minutes earlier. Hungry and annoyed by the lack of service at this point, I begrudgingly ate my cold bacon & egg roll.

At around 11:20am, a staff member approached our table with a chalk board place sign and alerted us to the fact that she would need the table back by midday for another booking. Two people in our party had still not received their coffee and those that made it to the table were wrong with staff not knowing what was in the mugs (some had ordered lactose free milk and decaf). I enquired as to whether my coffee would arrive by the time the next party were ready to take over the table to which the staff member replied, "it should be out soon".

By 11:30am (some two hours after ordering), I had given up any hope on receiving my coffee, requested a refund and left the venue.

I note that the venue itself was not overly busy. There were only a few tables with people sitting at them inside and there were still free tables on the outside deck. The service was appalling, the food was cold and orders that had dietary requirements were completely ignored.

Such a disappointing start to our Mother's Day and such a lacklustre experience for a venue that has so much potential. I...

We attended a birthday dinner for 20 people here and were less than impressed. As it was a casual affair people were ordering meals sporadically, but for some reason known only to the kitchen staff they cooked orders for one or two people before orders for four or six even when the 6-order was in 20 minutes before the smaller one. We had three single-plate orders get delivered to our table when these people arrived 15minutes after we ordered! When we asked about our order (for six people) we were told that they filled the smaller order first because it would be quicker for the kitchen staff. When our meals finally arrived, the mains came out before our starters and entrees. The meals across our group were considered to be average and certainly not to the standard recently experienced at other nearby venues. We won't be back in a hurry. ##UPDATE##

So that was in May, and against my better judgement four of us from the above group gave Honeysuckle Hotel another go... So, lunch with our besties on a beautiful but busy Sunday should be a good test. We all enjoyed some delicious schnitzels and squid and were pleasantly surprised by the promptness of our meals, not only that, but there was a mixup with our second round of drinks where we were initially overcharged, but the staff got on top of the situation and immediately organised a refund with sincere apologies. All in all we were impressed with the professional attitude of the staff on the day. FOUR STARs...