Regent Hotel — Restaurant in Sydney

Once a great pub...

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Introduction: It is with great disappointment that I recount my recent visit to The Regent. Regrettably, my expectations for a pleasant dining experience were shattered due to the deplorable behavior exhibited by the staff and the underwhelming quality of the food. This review aims to provide an honest account of the numerous issues encountered during my visit.

Service: The service was nothing short of abysmal. From the moment I entered, it was apparent that the staff had no interest in ensuring a pleasant experience for their customers. Their demeanor was consistently rude, bordering on outright hostility. My attempts to engage with them were met with curt responses and a complete lack of professionalism.

Wait times were excruciatingly long, despite the pub being relatively empty. The staff seemed disorganized, and it was clear that communication among them was lacking. Basic requests went ignored, and I was left feeling neglected and unimportant. It is disheartening to witness such an apathetic and disrespectful attitude towards customers.

Ambiance: The atmosphere further added to the disappointment. The interior was dimly lit, giving the pub a gloomy and unwelcoming vibe. The seating arrangements were uncomfortable, making it difficult to relax and enjoy the evening. The overall lack of attention to detail in the decor only served to reinforce the pub's overall lackluster ambiance.

Food: The food was a letdown on multiple fronts. The menu boasted a selection of dishes, but the execution fell far short of expectations. The quality of the ingredients used was subpar, resulting in lackluster flavors and a general lack of freshness. It became evident that corners were cut in the preparation and presentation of the dishes.

The meals arrived cold, indicating a lack of attention to timing in the kitchen. The portion sizes were meager, considering the prices charged. To add insult to injury, the menu descriptions did not accurately reflect what was ultimately served. The overall lack of culinary expertise and attention to detail left a bitter taste in my mouth, both figuratively and literally.

In my experience, the Rege failed to deliver even the most basic elements of a satisfactory dining experience. The rude and unprofessional behavior of the staff, coupled with the underwhelming quality of the food, made it an evening to forget. As a patron, I expected a welcoming environment, attentive service, and well-prepared cuisine, none of which were provided.

I would strongly advise against visiting this pub, as it is evident that they have little regard for customer satisfaction. There are numerous other establishments that prioritize their patrons and offer a superior dining experience (Doncaster). Spare yourself the disappointment and seek out an alternative venue that values its customers and takes pride in its...

So, where do I start. We got two pizzas, the pork spare ribs, nachos, cheesy garlic bread and veal parmigiana. Let's start with the sorry excuse for pizzas we got. If you're hoping to get a pizza that looks like the photo on the menu, then forget that ish. The garlic pizza was the equivalent of cheese on cardboard where the cheese is absorbed and dried out before it gets to the table and the supreme had less flavour than a chewed up hubba bubba. After 5 minutes of sitting there the pizzas became decorations. The pork ribs, well they were meaty which was the only thing that saved that dish. Ask for a bottle of BBQ sauce because I'm sure they chucked it in the oven and let the ribs cook with the sauce on it and dried up on its way to the table. It came with a green salad and chips which in my books no one should get that wrong and the reason I have them one star in this review. The corn was dry and stale and tasteless. And an eye sore and pain to eat. Now the nachos, geez, don't even wanna taco bout that one but if you like Coles corn chip salsas you'll love this. Cause that was the only thing you could taste. A nice beef brisket ruined by the shitty cheese sauce and salsa. Now to the veal parmigiana. Not sure if they were running low cheese today but the pink deli ham was totally visible under the 'cheese'. Two slices of Coles finest ham on special, on top some Coles salsa again, and a veal schnitzel that came straight out the freezer with fries and a coleslaw with what tasted like a watered down dressing but still not enough to make it wet. If it wasn't for my coke zero I don't think I could have downed most of the feed but I hate wasting food but all of the dishes we ordered got half eaten at best. My sister smashed some of the cheesy garlic bread so didn't get to taste that but of the four pieces, two were left so couldn't have been that great. All in all I wish I didn't spend $50 there on a disappointing lunch. So much criticism from me I know, I was only a chef all my life but who am I to get all Gordon Ramsey on anyone right? With so many options in Kingsford, if you go to the Regent, go for the drinks not the food. Nothing looks like photos but I saw some burgers come out to other tables and they...

The Regent used to be a fantastic bar that was backboned by a quality bistro service. However, ever since their takeover the food menu is incredibly disappointing and seems a massive step backwards.

I came down on a Wednesday to get the usual burger deal, which as a Vegetarian was great as the Regent had an awesome Halloumi and Eggplant burger that was well priced and tasted great (better with avo according to the staff). Having been away for a month, I hadn't realised that the menu is now run by Juicy Lucy, which has removed close to all Vege options in favour for what is a menu catering to an obvious move into the delivery food market. There seems to be every variant of fried chicken on the menu including two fried chicken burgers whilst the vegetarian one has been removed. Similarly, the Vegetarian (and meat) nachos are also gone, along with other pub grub staples, whilst the only vegie options are a wrap, a couple salads and margherita pizza. And no sweet potato fries?? Even my non vege family were so aloof by the new menu that we ended up just having a beer and eating at home.

I fear that the move to this type of menu was to drive business on delivery services such as Uber Eats and Menulog (Juicy Lucy at the Regent is now advertised on Eats) especially as the Korean style fried chicken and burgers appear a very marketable option on these platforms. Its especially saddening as I thought pubs would be the last place to be affected, given that their staple has always been that dine-in, homestyle pub grub with a drink. Ultimately, I can't see myself coming in anytime soon.

Luckily the staff were as friendly as ever, and dogs are...