Saltwater @ Bundilla — Restaurant in Northern Territory

We were greeted by a very nice lady who sat us at our table. Then other lady came to take our order and she wasn’t as pleasant nor helpful at all. We ordered our Nasi Goreng, ½ Shell Scallops, Vietnamese Rolls, Steakhouse Chips. The best thing that came out of the kitchen was the Steakhouse chips. The nasi goreng rice was dry and hard, the satay was nice. Then the most exciting dish the scallop was tasteless and to think scallop with mango and midori salsa naturally would taste yum. How wrong can this dish go? I ate one then thought maybe the first one was not great then had a second and it was the same. My husband did the same thing and we just couldn’t finish the rest of it. A little afraid it might be boarder line off. The Vietnamese Roll too was not great.

What bothered me most was when the waitress was told about the scallop after paying our bill and instead of apologising she came back to clear the table while we were getting ready to go and tell us that the cook tasted it and he said it was good. I wouldn’t have been this upset if she just didn’t say that. I would have just written this place off in my mind and not write this review because we need to support local businesses during Covid.

We actually decided to eat here because of the great reviews. That experience wasn’t extended to us. From my personal experience I totally do not...

Please note, this review is specific to being here for a buffet catered function. Came here for a Staff Christmas party of a large organistion. Service was good, but there were a few glaring issues.

Firstly, the venue was not at all large enough for the number of people attending. I'm assuming that they were hitting the maximum legal capacity for the venue, and it was very difficult to get to the tables as they were laid out bearly 2ft apart. Realistically, another venue should have been chosen for such a large number of people, but in the end Saltwater should have declined the booking as they didnt actually have the space to hold the function. Aircon was also unable to cope with the number of people and we were sweating while standing inside.

The real issue though was the food. I was looking forward to something nice based on the looks of the regular menu. Regrettably, the buffet supplied could only be described as ordinary at best. Consensus at my table was that the Southern Fried Chicken Bites was the only enjoyable dish. It was the first buffet I've ever been to where nobody was going back for seconds, which I think speaks volumes.

I'd try this cafe again as a daytime cafe, but would avoid for...

I’ve been “travelling around” OZ for a great many years now. I was in need of something cool after a big day. My normal go to is a Chocolate Thick Shake. My normal place is The Paragon in Goulburn NSW whenever I am passing by. They are the best and I’ve been going there for over 40 Years. Considering I live on the Far North Coast of NSW I’d say that is a good measure. But Darwin is just a tad far from Goulburn. So we are here at Saltwater. The Chocolate Thick Shakes here are just simply sensational. Better than the Paragon? I can’t honestly answer that. But what I can say is they are on the same playing field together. I’d come here everyday day if my wife would let me. But sadly we have to go home. BUT! We will most definitely be back. That’s a guarantee! Sorry, the Staff are great and the cakes and meals we had were fantastic too…..but, oooh those...