Nolans — Restaurant in Victoria

I really wanted to like Nolans, as in the three years since moving to the region have never had bad experience dining in Ballarat.

After being invited to provide direct feedback by email on anything they can improve prior to my next reservation and receiving no acknowledgement or response to the below after 8 days, writing this review following a Dinner reservation for my wife and I, at 7:30pm, Friday July 18, 2025, which was my birthday.

It was a disappointing first-time experience at Nolans. I trust they will take this as constructive feedback and a staff development opportunity.

My wife and I both have hospitality backgrounds, so we're sympathetic to most restaurant challenges. While each issue below could be forgivable in isolation, experiencing all of them together prompted this feedback.

Key Issues: 18-minute wait for menus and offer of any drinks, water or otherwise, after being seated (despite having a booking and noting was a birthday occasion). Online menu completely different from what was actually available. Advertised items unavailable (Steak Frites, Kirin beer) and item substitutions in meals (eg: potato patty served, not herbed chat potatoes with the Porcetta) without being advised of any menu updates. Our wait staff unfamiliar with basic bar terminology (She “did not know what a “neat" whiskey was) Food timing issues despite requesting everything to be served together Undercooked chicken risotto (bloody pieces) resulting in possible food poisoning symptoms later that night for my wife. With the issues already experienced and by now past the scheduled kitchen operating hours, she chose not to raise the issue with the manager on the spot. We just wanted to leave.

Positive notes: The confit garlic flatbread was exceptional and nearly salvaged the experience, and our waitress Trish, despite the whisky thing, was was lovely to work with throughout.

We also noticed the table of three beside us (who ordered after us) successfully ordered the "unavailable" steak frites, which was particularly...

My partner and I went on a date night to Nolan’s as a special occasion. I was keen to see the old building renovation and try the exciting new restaurant. Unfortunately our experience was underwhelming, the renovation to the goods shed has basically covered up everything that was existing, even the floor is new concrete, the ceiling is dominated by aircon ducts, so many that it’s hard to see any of the old beautiful timber structure. Our meal at Nolan’s was a flop also, we bought the pork and pizza to share, but turns out the pizza is so spicy my partner couldn’t eat it, so I was stuck trying to eat a dry, overcooked, pizza which lacked flavour and had nearly no toppings with a seemingly butter knife which wouldn’t cut the crust. We opted for the apple desert thinking that a $25 desert would be big enough for 2 to share, unfortunately it arrived in a tiny dish only one normal size desert serving anywhere else, making it ridiculously overpriced. A young staff member spent her whole shift talking and joking around with her friends who were dining there next to us instead of looking after other diners, the other older staff members seemed to be on their first shift, didn’t know the menu and were awkward with guests. Even handed dishes right across the table over us. There was no real atmosphere, disappointing food, missing service and overall we left disappointed with our whole evening. One other small note, don’t bother taking your kids, there is absolutely no kids menu or anything suitable for them unless your happy to spend...

I visited this aesthetically unique restaurant for the second time as a recommendation for my friends to finish off our day. I real loved the eye-catching colour tones and the uniquely designed bar was so positively distracting. Overall the food and service were amazing! Nothing you could ever expect from such a hidden gem of a restaurant here just behind Ballarat Railway Station. I may or may not have ever gotten the waiter’s name but he was such a welcoming person, he introduced me and friends to the menu of so many odd yet delicious choices we weren’t familiar with. The waiter then offered us a nice, cold Pellegrino drink on the house which was very kind of him. The many flavourful choices on the menu made it hard but we then chose our dinner options, not only were the food appetisingly sweet we moved on to our desserts which really revealed a unique appeal of the restaurant itself. Though visibility may be low for this restaurant, I would definitely recommend visiting this place if you seek for a luxurious yet welcoming experience and to have such a nice architectural structure surround you,...