The Wharf Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in Tasmania

Wow, what a let down for prices charged. Oysters were good sized however never seen them served on pebbles and for $55/doz, thats mainland high end hotel prices, a decent plate or garnish may have justified the price somewhat….. My Eye fillet was like shoe leather with 3 inch round blob of fat in it, asked for med/well, waitress served it and said it was well/done, when questioned other waitress said it was med/well. (I was offered a portion of meat to replace the blob of fat but I declined… rule #1, never get a replacement meal) Wifes salad tofu meal said spicy mayonnaise, nothing spicy about that meal unfortunately, very bland. Cocktails although expensive, Margarita looked rushed, loads of salt around the rim, (but taste ok) should have had a lite layer on rim, the complementary Margarita offered was made completely different with no sign of any alcohol in a smaller glass. Having now read some other bad reviews, seems that management are not taking them on board, the cook out back needs a holiday and educating. For me, a discounted $180 later, I need educating, the best looking place isn’t always the best eating place. Hats off to the waitresses, they smiled, were very polite and well mannered, asked me a few times if I was ok, I clearly wasn’t and they knew it but I promised my wife a night out after some bad news, it could only get worse from here on! I kept my cool, paid the bill and never to be seen there again! Management need not reply, clearly your still working on correcting all the problems previously mentioned from travellers. Good luck.

And the reply from the owner, just poor excuses, I expected as much as why I said they needant reply. The steak was disgusting. You didnt see the 150 gram blob of fat I sent back?? Med/well is not cardboard, A margarita doesnt have 1/2 inch of salt around the rim and not 90% lemon juice in...

Unbelievably atrocious experience. After dining here twice during our time in St Helens, the only item we enjoyed were the oysters, which are produced locally by Lease 65. So on our last day in town, we decided to get oysters from the takeaway window. I called in advance to confirm that takeaway would be available until 6:30 pm, which is also stated on the sign out front. Yet, when I arrived at 6:20 pm, the takeaway area was locked. I entered the restaurant to inquire, only to be told that the takeaway section had closed early because the restaurant was “fully booked.”

Reading past reviews, I see other customers have complained about receiving this same nonsensical answer when finding the takeout area closed early, only to be told by GM Issy in reply that they should have asked for a manager. When I did precisely that, the gentleman at the host stand rudely informed he was the owner (Stan) and made no effort whatsoever to assist. I then replied “well Stan, when you get a one star review, you’ll know it’s from me.” This sent the owner into a blind rage, as he unleashed a slew of expletives in threatening to “flog” me, and he physically chased me out of the restaurant. The episode was so unsettling I reported it to the local St Helens police.

Perhaps Stan was having a bad day, but there is no excuse in the world for a business owner to treat a return customer with such hostility and abuse. Hopefully an apology...

The food lifted the rating from 2-3 stars to 4 stars. The staff were very pleasent but all seemed to be very shaken by two large tables sat before us. We needed a few more minutes with the drinks list (after waiting for some food menus) but did not have a staff member approach our table in the corner for over 30 minutes after that. Had to order our drinks at the bar and two tables who were sat after us had their orders taken first. Even when we approached one of the waitresses to take out order, we were told that the kitchen isn't taking any more orders for another 10 minutes- this was enough for two other tables to go elsewhere. Very poor table management.

Now for the good- the food was excellent. The oysters were very fresh and delicious (the nam jim dressing was a strange paste rather than tangy/sweet/salty thin sauce) and paired well with some sparkling and the Reisling. The salt and pepper squid was very well cooked and perfectly seasoned. The seafood risotto and crispy skinned salmon were both fresh, perfectly cooked and generous portions. The bay of fires Chardonnay was a perfect match for the rich seafood dishes.

I suspect that without the large tables to complicate the evening that the service would have been much better. Would expect much better service for...