Shop Six Pasta Bar — Restaurant in Queensland

I really didn't want to review this business as it was my absolute favourite restaurant in Townsville, but I can't get over the terrible experience we had, and the little effort to rectify it.

Beware of the lengthy review.

We attended on Valentines Day, prior to attending my partner had MANY issues booking: 1st. He called in early Jan to reserve a table, he was advised that you guys were not sure what you are doing yet (set menu or normal), he booked the table, but requested to be informed if the set menu was selected to see if their were options for vegetarians. Table was booked and he was advised he would get a call. 2nd. 1.5 weeks prior to the reservation, he had heard nothing. Attempted to call the business (during business hours) to no avail. on day 2 attempt 5 he got through. He was advised that they cannot even locate the reservation and someone will be in contact. 3rd. No one contacted, and he had to call again. They advised they were booked out and they are trying to make it work, if so, we would need to come at 6pm (Original reservation was 7:30).This was not doable, so they said they can do 6:30 and reservation was finalised.

I know, we should have cancelled then and there, but as it was my favourite he continued with the reservation.

We arrive, and are seated. Now, where we were seated was basically in the Juliettes line. My poor partner had the gelato line touching the back of his chair. Now, if you have customers that have already experienced a debacle due to your service, the least you could do is give them a half decent table. Now we are given the menu, we opted for the set menu. Now, as a regular customer, the prices already did not align, there was an approx $20 markup in comparison to if you ordered the items seperate (which you couldn't, because they were not available). Put that aside, its valentines day. We order our entire dinner. Starters come out within 5 mins, as we are eating the starters, the entrees are out (Again, these entrees are normally bigger (on the regular menu), but portions were reduced for this "Set Menu")

Now as the starters and entrees were rushed out, they were done by 7pm. 8:15pm and we had still not received our mains (people who had ordered after us were eating), we asked how long and the waitress advised 10mins, 15 mins later she comes out and advises that the kitchen are really behind and they will be awhile, I asked how much longer, she replied "Why, do you have somewhere to be"...... She checked with the kitchen and advised us they are plating our food. I ordered the special ravioli, when it came out, it was raw (I couldn't even cut it). The waitress came over and said we will make another one, it will be 10mins. So ,Valentines Day and my partner and I had to eat separately at 8:45 - 9pm.

The food came and was underwhelming.

Now the rectifying. During our wait we were offered a drink. Upon coming inside to pay our $170 bill, we were met with simple apology as she new our entire experience had been a disaster from the start and she hopes we come back. That was it.

Now I've worked in hospitality for years, and this is not a happy resolution. This leaves an extremely sour taste in a customers mouth who used to praise your restaurant to everyone she knew. Now, I won't be back and I will have an honest option when referring...

We were drawn to this spot with high hopes, eager to sample its take on Italian classics. Choosing to sit indoors, we quickly realised our mistake as the dining area filled to capacity, leaving us practically wedged into our seats. Outside, there was ample seating with plenty of space and fresh air, which in hindsight would’ve been the better option.

We started with the house bruschetta, which, unfortunately, missed the mark. The thinly sliced bread was over-toasted to the point of char, and the polenta fries on the side were crisp but overly hard, lacking the creamy interior we’d hoped for. They looked intriguing but delivered little in terms of flavour or texture balance.

For mains, we went with two signature pasta dishes. The ragu alla bolognese pappardelle came with pasta cooked al dente, a positive, but the sauce lacked depth and was surprisingly bland for a ragu, almost as if it had been rushed. The radiatori con ragu di mare was perhaps the most disappointing. The tiger prawns were unmistakably frozen, lacking that sweet, fresh ocean flavor, and the clams seemed shrunken and dry. The coral trout was shriveled and lacked the flaky, tender quality of a properly cooked fish. The seafood overall felt like it had come from a pre-packed mix, leaving us questioning the freshness.

To top it off, the sprinkling of Parmesan cheese across the seafood dishes struck us as misplaced. While some might enjoy it, traditional Italian cuisine rarely pairs seafood with Parmesan, and it detracted from the authenticity we were hoping for. This restaurant might offer a cozy ambiance, but for a genuine Italian experience, we’ll be searching elsewhere...

We have visited before and had a great experience, so I had high hopes returning this time. Unfortunately, it was disappointing from the start. We were not greeted upon arrival — instead, the server simply stared at us until I had to ask for a dine-in menu.

After placing our order, the server informed us that the wait time would be around 30 minutes. We agreed without issue. She then mentioned there were no tables available, even though my sister spotted an empty one and kindly asked if we could sit there. The server said it was fine but warned we might have to move if the reservation arrived. Confused, I clarified that we intended to dine in, and she simply replied, "Yes, yes."

We found a table outside and decided to have some prawns from a fish and chips shop while we waited. Exactly 30 minutes later, the server came out and asked if we had placed an order, which I confirmed. She returned with a paper bag full of food in cardboard boxes. I explained that this could not be ours, as we were dining in. She insisted that they did not have tables available. I pointed out that we were clearly seated at a table, and that others around us were being served meals properly plated.

At that point, I was extremely frustrated and wanted to speak to a manager, but my partner encouraged me to leave it. The server simply smiled and said, "Enjoy," which felt dismissive given the situation.

I am very disappointed and would like this issue addressed. Our experience was not at all what...