12 Rocks Beach Bar Cafe — Restaurant in Port Campbell

12 Rocks Café and Beach Bar, located at 19 Lord Street in Port Campbell, VIC, is a popular dining spot along the Great Ocean Road. Known for its scenic waterfront views and diverse menu, it offers a casual yet memorable dining experience. 

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🏖️ Atmosphere & Location

Situated directly across from the beach, 12 Rocks boasts stunning views of the bay, making it an ideal spot for both daytime and evening meals. The venue features a relaxed, rustic ambiance with indoor and outdoor seating options, including dog-friendly areas. Its proximity to landmarks like the Twelve Apostles enhances its appeal to travelers seeking a picturesque dining experience. 

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🍽️ Menu Highlights

The menu at 12 Rocks is eclectic, blending Modern Australian cuisine with international influences. Dishes range from seafood options like Thai red seafood curry and Otway beer-battered fish to hearty selections such as lamb and pork belly. Breakfast offerings include the signature Rocks Big Breakfast, while lunch and dinner feature items like fried chicken burgers and Scotch fillet beef and reef. The restaurant also caters to various dietary needs, offering vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.  

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🍷 Drinks & Service Style

12 Rocks operates with a casual service model where patrons order at the counter. The beverage selection includes a range of Australian wines and local beers, such as the Spikey Moses beer. While the wine list is somewhat limited, it offers quality choices at reasonable prices.  

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🧾 Pricing & Value

The restaurant is noted for its generous portions and competitive pricing. For instance, the lamb dish, praised for its flavor and portion size, is priced at $34, offering good value for money. Overall, 12 Rocks provides a satisfying dining experience without breaking the bank. 

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⭐ Reviews Summary

With an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 on Tripadvisor, 12 Rocks receives mixed reviews. 

Positive Aspects: • Delicious and well-presented meals, especially seafood and lamb dishes.  • Beautiful beachfront location offering stunning views.  • Friendly and accommodating staff. 

Areas for Improvement: • Some patrons have noted that certain dishes can be overly spicy. (please let them in advance) • A few reviews mention limited menu options for those with specific dietary requirements. 

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🕒 Opening Hours

12 Rocks is open daily from 9:30 AM to 8:30 PM, with extended hours until 9:00 PM on Saturdays. Please note that hours may vary seasonally, especially during winter months.  

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📞 Contact Information • Address: 19 Lord Street, Port Campbell, VIC 3269  • Phone: +61 3 5598 6123  • Website: 12 Rocks Café...

Stopped here for a quick bite on our trip to Great Ocean Road. First, we were greeted by a waitress with dismissive attitude; when we politely asked if there was a long wait for food, we were told that it's "at least 30 or 45 minutes, you can try Waves Cafe or elsewhere".

We decided to sit and wait anyway because the other cafes were equally busy. When we went to the counter to place our order, we were told off by the cashier when we hesitated just for a few seconds looking at the menu. I'm not kidding - we barely went "ummm" at the menu for 5 seconds and the cashier told us snidely, "are you ready to order? If not I'll take the order from others first". We get it if there's a long queue but there wasn't really anyone waiting behind us! And when we tried to tell her our order, she was day-dreaming and stared at the bar blankly - how rude!

After that, we returned to our table to wait but it was not cleaned properly; another waitress who cleaned the table left empty cans of Coke and used glasses on the table. She didn't even wipe the table, it was left as-is from the last patrons. Finally, the food came in less than 20 minutes, which once again baffled us as to why the waitress tried to shoo us off in the first place - are they tired of business?

Food was really average, but with service like that, I guess even a Michelin star would be driven to the ground in no time. Simple verdict: never again, and don't come here if you...

Came here because there aren't many food options near the 12 Apostles, and it was also a PH to boot.

Food was normal. Ordered the Szechuan Pepper Battered Prawns, but couldn't really taste the spice.

Service wasn't poor, but strangely passive to the point of standoffish. We came in around 1130. There were a few guests - some finishing breakfast and others waiting for lunch service to start at 12 (hence no one was actually being served at the moment). We stood around for a long while waiting to be given a table, but none of the four people on staff even gave us eye contact. In the end we just walked in and sat at an empty table. Tried to catch their eye to get a baby chair was we a toddler, but in the end went to get it ourselves. No menu was offered, no welcome, nothing. We only found out lunch service hadn't started by overhearing it when one of the guests went to the counter to ask for a menu.

Then when lunch started, there was no notice or anything. Guests just started going up to order on their own and that was the cue to everyone else, who had been waiting all this time. Not sure why they couldn't get orders first and serve when ready. You'd think that'd be easier...