Coco's Kitchen + Bar — Restaurant in Queensland

One of the delights of staying at the Pullman Cairns International is Coco's Restaurant. I always look forward to the full breakfast buffet here, which is indeed a vast array of food. One nice touch is the chef preparing eggs in the style you prefer. Also fresh juice bar, where you make your own. Would prefer ginger broken into small pieces rather than having to handle it to break some off, and at least some peeled oranges (skin on is not really nice). Today was VERY busy and I had to ask for various refills of food or utensils on 4 occasions, but on the other side of the ledger, a waiter from yesterday morning remembered I preferred a mug for my tea, and brought one to my table without me asking. 10 out 10 for that! Note to restaurant manager - arrangement of some sections is illogical. Small but annoying things, like regular bread is around the corner, out of sight of toaster, while muffins and croissants, which don't need toasting, are right next to it! Walk space beteeen toaster and one unfortunate guests chair, enroute to bread and back again, far too close for anyone's comfort; especially hers. Nit-picking, but attention to these aspects would undoubtedly impress others, (it was a topic of discussion with other guests searching for things) not just me, and elevate this experience beyond the ordinary! Despite my gripes, a very good place to eat with lovely light-filled space. Particularly good value at $1 a head tacked onto accommodation costs or 25% off for individuals with Accor Advantage...

We had a late dinner at Coco’s Kitchen and Bar at the Pullman this evening, and we were fortunate to be looked after by Artie. We requested a table away from other diners to avoid disturbing anyone with my mum’s asthma cough, and Artie found the perfect spot for us. He was quick to provide us with water, drinks, and take our food order.

For entrees, I ordered the Morton Bay Bug Salad, and Mum had the crab croquettes. For mains, I chose the fillet while Mum went with the Barramundi. We had a delightful conversation with Artie about our backgrounds, and he made us feel very welcome.

The drinks and entrees arrived quickly and were lovely. However, when our mains were served, I was initially pleased with my steak until I discovered it was a very poor cut, with chunks of gristle and fat. I showed Artie, who agreed it was not up to standard and promptly took it back to the kitchen. Mum’s fish, on the other hand, was good and well-cooked.

I told Artie I was happy to have something else if it could be prepared faster than another steak, like the fish. Artie returned quickly to inform me that a new steak would be faster, and I agreed. The replacement steak was tasty and thank goodness up to scratch.

The main point of my review is to highlight the excellent service we received from Artie. He resolved the issue quickly and communicated effectively, and we ended up having a pleasant evening,...

The empty restaurant when the city's other venues were bustling with post-work Christmas parties should have been a red flag. I was hoping to have the seafood buffet but the grandeur of the venue was offset by the starkly empty buffet, which wasn't on offer that night (1/12/22). I hadn't read the a la carte menu before dining and probably wouldn't have chosen this restaurant, given the eye-watering prices. The service was friendly and we were talked into the $73 2 course set menu (my choices cost just as much as if I'd paid for the 2 individual courses separately). $32 for the smoked kangaroo was an outrageous price for a small entree. It looked pretty, but lacked flavour. The Cloudy Bay clam linguine was also well overpriced at $41. When I eventually found the clams, they were gritty, rubbery, and not particularly fresh. We were never asked how our meals were. The whole exercise, including a small glass of wine each, cost $108, including a $10 First Table voucher which gave us 50% of the food bill. It's one of the worst meals I've had this year. The food really let down what was otherwise a pleasant experience. I have a few events coming up at the Pullman International and I sincerely hope the...