Pavilion Mooloolaba — Restaurant in Sunshine Coast Regional

Food ok, great position, but this place does not understand the word Hospitality. Please note I tried to email them to give them a chance to improve things and not go on public review. But alas no email.

So here it is ........

I pre-booked a largish table for friends and family for Xmas Eve. Given our numbers, the earliest the online booking system would allow us a table was 7.30pm. A little too late to our liking but nonetheless the only time available.

To our astonishment, at 9pm we were asked to order our last drinks. At this time we still hadn't received one of our main meals. I challenged the fact that we had not been there long and still didn't have a meal. I could tell I was going to get knowhere with the disinterested staff that were young and clearly not interested in providing the hospitality they were employed to do. It was Xmas Eve. They had all mentally checked out and were ready for Santa to come, and so I asked to speak to the manager. I was told he was not there. I said I wanted to speak to him on the phone.

I went and sat down and the young lady returned and said I could not talk to the manger as he was at his own family Xmas party.

She then proceeded to indignantly tell us that we were preventing them from attending their own Xmas events and that all the staff would like to get home to their families and that we should do the same! That was quite honestly red rag to a bull! At this point I have to admit I was pretty upset and my tone reflected this. I told the young girl that we were out with family and booked an establishment that was meant to be able to provide hospitality and cater to our Xmas celebration, but I could see any further complaints and dialogue were falling on deaf ears and could see why such a place had little to no patrons at 9pm in the middle of Xmas holidays on the beachfront of Mooloolaba.

After leaving the Pavillion, we only had to walk 30 seconds to another wine/cocktail bar where we received exceptional service and the staff were happy, hospitable and very happy to take our money. We didn't stay late, but we were over the moon with the atmoshphere and the service and to end our night on a positive note. I guess it goes without saying we are now telling people where to go if they want great service, food and drinks at Mooloolaba beachfront. I feel naming that place would...

Honest review…

We booked for 6 arrived it was 5pm on a Sunday and there was a DJ playing to a half full room at full tilt. When we when greeted by an unimpressed waitress she shows us to our table told us about the $35 jugs available and order on the QR code (no physical menus were presented) then once I went to the bar to pay I was charged $38.50 for a jug. When I questioned this the young chap behind the bar looked at me blankly and said “oh yeah surcharge” to which I responded where does it say that anywhere and he pointed to a minuscule print sign randomly placed in a obscure spot. So, after paying I popped over to the young lady who unenthusiastically seated us and said “excuse me it would have been greatly appreciated if we were told about the surcharge when we booked… or arrived… or seated” she looked me dead a** with a bitter face “yeah well I’m new” and I responded calmly “yes all the more reason to alert customers of the extra charge.”

1. service “surcharge” should be clearly visible on signage, menus and told by the staff on arrival. Considering there is no table service I’m not sure what we are paying the extra charge!

2. lack of leadership. The staff are incredible young (not a bad thing if there is an upbeat, professional attitude) one was standing in the doorway on his phone when we arrived or just a group of them standing behind the bar. Unfortunately the lass that we encountered wasn’t pleasant in any of our interactions.

3. the food was presented well but lacked flavour we had fish was dry and overpowered with capsicum, however the pizza was good.

All in all I won’t be recommending to anyone and I hope this feedback is taken with the intent to improve their front of house service, just because you no longer provide “table service” a personable and happy staff member can always turn around a...

I'm not much of a review leaver, in fact, I am usually the one to apologise when someone bumps into me in the street. However, I feel compelled to leave this review after wanting to check out the Pavilion for the longest time. We booked a table of 8 for my birthday lunch, whilst last minute, the booking was available for 12pm when booked online. When we arrived, our group was seated behind a curtained wall with ZERO view of the ocean. Beside us was at least 4 empty tables that had been 'booked for weeks'. While I totally understand this was the case, I would question why this table in this position even exists! As I said to the gentleman who seated us, I wouldn't have booked an oceanfront restaurant if we were to be seated behind a wall. It turns out the booked tables beside us didn't arrived until 1.20pm and we left at 1.30pm so sitting beside empty tables with a view while we were in s corner was super frustrating.

Had I known we wouldn't get a view, which clearly is what this restaurant is best known for, I would have happily gone to another restaurant and saved Pavilion for another occasion booked further in advance. The food and cocktails were nice, my suggestion is to get rid of the table we were seated at near the DJ booth. It wasn't a pleasant position for lunch at all. Perhaps clearly marking this at the time of booking would be a...