Peregrin — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

I had high expectations of Peregrin after reading the reviews but was really disappointed. The service was good and it was nice out on the balcony with a view of the beach but the food was mostly super disappointing. The only dish I really enjoyed was the butterflied prawns. The oysters were really nice but there is no skill in serving plain oysters. The calamari was boring and bland. The scallops were served with a tomato & dill topping (WTF Peregrin??) by far the absolute worst way I’ve ever seen scallops served. The zucchini flowers were undercooked and the worst I’ve ever eaten. The charred cos was terrible as the burnt taste of the cos overpowered the flavour of everything else in the dish and the triple cooked potatoes were nothing special. The bees & honey cocktail was nice but had to ask for less lemon in the second one as there was too much lemon in the first one. Peregrin please update the photos of your scallops on your website to the ones that you are currently serving as it is misleading showing what I’m sure are much nicer scallops than the ones you actually serve. All up cost $240 for 2 people, food and 2x cocktails each. Will definitely not...

I made sure to carefully read the reviews before coming here, as I find the food in the regular bistro downstairs at the Beaches to be rather mediocre. Given the positive feedback here, I assumed Peregrin would be different. Sadly, it wasn’t. The service was disappointing: the staff didn't fill/refill our glasses with either water or the wine we ordered—something that’s a given at this price point. They also lacked basic knowledge about the menu. When I inquired about the level of chili in a dish or whether the pasta was homemade, the response was, "Is there a reason you want to know?" Yes, there is. I don’t want to pay $45 for pasta that's not freshly made, and as it turned out, it wasn’t handmade. Considering the prices they charge and the market they aim to compete in, a higher standard needs to be upheld. The scallops were overcooked, the zucchini flowers were underdone, the scotch fillet was inedible, and the pasta was overpriced. This experience was far from the quality I expected based on the reviews. There are far, far better establishments in Newcastle to spend a few hundred dollars at. Flotilla, 8 at trinity, Nagisa for example…. all far, far...

I’ve been to the beach hotel multiple times so decided to try the restaurant upstairs. The lamb, the trout, zucchini flowers and sides were delightful. Unfortunately service was not at the same level. The waitress looked like she didn’t want to be there and did not mention that they ran out of snapper. Instead of snapper we got served barramundi without being notified. The vegan pasta was also terrible; pasta was overcooked and sauce was watery. Upon sending back the pasta (without making a big deal) we were told “the chef said that the pasta was ok” and advised we would get a complementary dessert, which was still applied to the bill. The pasta was not good and this comes from a table of chefs. 4 people tried the pasta and all agreed. We are all more than happy to pay for good food especially coming from people from the industry. The front of the house staff is the first impression and presentation of a restaurant and should be polite. Upon making comments about the food you would think a chef would appreciate honest feedback. If service was up to scratch this would have...