Stag & Hunter Hotel — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

I wanted to thank all Hunter and Stag staff, but in particular, your event coordinator. We recently hosted an event at this venue, and the staff were above and beyond exceptional in every regard. The planning communication was prompt, informative and clear, the support in setting up and packing down was beyond generous and friendly. The event space was beautiful and full of considerate touches and attention to detail. The bathrooms were spotless, and food presentation and arrival were on schedule, with portions being paced and refreshed to match the amount of food being eaten. Staff moving through our event were friendly, quick and delightful, clearing away plates and cups. All praise and gratitude. We also had dinner at the venue the evening before, and it was again just brilliant (the chilli prawns entree should be mandatory for everyone to try!). Here again, every waitstaff and service staff member was so polite, friendly, and responsive; no matter how busy their room was, they were attentive to every patron. Perhaps it's a reflection of the local culture or just the friendly people this venue attracts, but in setting up for our event, we frequently had overflowing arms and sometimes dropped something when passing through the main bar, on our way to the event room. Each time something fell, a random patron (member of the public) would jump up to assist, chat, and offer help. It was a lovely experience to have been somewhere so endlessly friendly and considerate. We are highly appreciative. What a...

Rudest, most ignorant staff, especially manager. Should not be one, no people skills and staff is out of control.

The food has always been amazing and I have come here several times during the day and once in the early evening and it has always been great. But not tonight. Staff incompetent. I ordered an entree and a mains. First I was asked if I wanted both of them at the same time. I said "NO' Entrees come first and then mains. Halfway through my entree, they brought out the mains and the server wanted to leave it on the table to get cold whilst I finished my entree. I explained that with restaurant prices, and even if it wasn't, they should know that you wait for a customer to finish the entree, then come and take the plate, and get the mains ready. I asked her to take the mains back and keep it warm. She refused and asked if I wanted to speak to a manager. I explained the situation to him and instead of taking the plate back, he made a whole lot of excuses for the bad service. He then said that I should leave and that he would give me my money back for the mains because he would not be able to please me. I would not have thought that keeping a mains warm and serving it at the right time would be a difficult thing to do but apparently for this establishment it is.

This is a great pity as the food is quite nice but I draw the line at eating it cold. So stay well away unless you like to be rushed and to eat...

After a mammoth 11 hour, 11 minute solo drive from Melbourne to Newcastle, all I felt like was a light pub meal then sleep. The motel I was staying at recommended the Stag and Hunter. I booked online and arrived just before 5.30pm. I ordered the garlic ciabatta which arrived quickly and was crunchy and delicious. For main, I ordered the caesar salad with chicken. The egg on top was perfectly gooey and there wasn’t too much dressing (I’ve previously had a caesar salad drenched with too much dressing which made me feel queasy afterwards - this, was perfect). Everything was fresh (no wilting lettuce). I was eyeing up the sticky date pudding but decided against as I didn’t want to feel too full and wanted to get in a good sleep before my drive to the Gold Coast tomorrow morning. Staff were efficient but not warm or engaging. Note: If you’re a vegan upset by various animal heads and skills stuffed and/or displayed above the bar, this might not be the best venue for you. All in all, I was very happy...