The Criterion Hotel — Restaurant in Victoria

My colleagues and I arrived to Sale on a Monday afternoon after a 3 hour commute from Melbourne. WE WERE HUNGRY! We googled "Best Restaurants in Sale" and trip advisor suggested we try the Criterion Hotel for it's excellent food and service. "Why not?" .. (We thought).. Upon arrival to the hotel we were greeted by the friendly Criterion staff. We let him know we'd been enticed by the positive reviews and he let us know that his very reason for being was to provide great service. Drinks were served promptly and we took our time to peruse the inspiring menu. How on earth were we to choose from such a delicious array of fine fare? A kindly waitress took our order. One of my colleagues ordered the Lamb vindaloo curry off the specials list.. The other, the Salmon Nicoise. I ordered a selection of vegetarian options.. Cheese croquets, green salad and a side of chips. Our waitress, ever attentive, noticed my mildly indecisive tone and confidently made a suggestion. The eggplant chips she said.. They were her favourite item on the menu. (Special thanks to our waitress.. You may not know it, but you changed our lives forever)

Well... Were we in for a treat! Each part of the meal arrived in quick succession. And it was all simply devine...

The vindaloo lamb curry was an aromatic embrace.

The Salmon Nicoise was extraordinarily presented and subtly herbacious.

The cheese croquets were uniquely crafted highlighting several complimentary flavours and textures.

The garden salad, whilst simple, and some would say uncomplicated, was bountiful and made richer with its delicate apple and mustard dressing.

The hot chips were of the perfect pub style variety.. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

And then there was the eggplant chips.. The name does not do them justice.. Tempura aubergine may be more fitting of their splendour. Skinless strips of eggplant flesh, coated in a light batter, such exisetly blended flavours with a texture fit for any seasoned palate.. All served with a hot and numbing sauce which broke through to give a feeling of effortless glee. Surely we had ascended to new heavenly heights.

It has become abundantly clear that vegetables in a skilled chef's hand can be transformative.

Thank you Criterion Hotel. With particular thanks to your fantastic staff who go above and beyond to ensure a positive experience is had by all. We will always talk fondly of our...

This quaint cozy hotel is a hidden gem within Sale. Having been a guest at a number of hotels within Sale I can hands down say that it not only is one of the best accommodation places but has one of the best restaurants.

The moment you set foot into the restaurant, the environment is warm and welcoming. You'll be greeted by their series of beers on tap - craft, draught, and imported. Service is 5 stars led by Rex, his floor Manager, and team - regularly checking-in to make sure the table is well looked after. There's still some schoolboy errors in service but it's made up for by friendliness, and genuine hospitable care. Reservations are a must.

The food is divine with their Steak hands down being in the top 5 that I've ever hand. My medium rare porterhouse was juicy, well grilled, fragrant, well seasoned complemented with red wine jus that I had to finish with my serve of chips.

The Korean Friend chicken was nice and crispy but a little bit salty from the sauce. The extra saltiness could be on purpose for those who choose to have a beer or two.

To finish, the Ice Cream Terrine was super yum with roasted coconut, chocolate fudge, cherries and Oreos. Their dessert chef made an appearance and it's no wonder their dessert was good, dawning an apron showing badges from the famous Cordon Bleu.

The hotel is nice and humble. I stayed in a Deluxe King Room which featured a comfortable bed, ensuite, full mini bar, and complimentary Netflix/wifi.

Cons: Kettle wasn't emptied on arrival (yuck!), small ensuite, literally had 1 hanger, dusty bedside table, no view (window mounted for some sunlight), thin-ish walls/doors, toiletry amenities aren't great quality and too small.

Pros: Central location, ample parking, generous room (space), Lavazza coffee pod machine, cloak closet, study table, well serviced room, excellent guest experience.

Overall, despite some flaws, this hotel is packed with value, thoughtfulness, and deserves 5 stars for service excellence, experience and awesomeness. I've become a fan, have thoroughly enjoyed my stay, and will be back!

Look for Rex when you check-in. He's friendly, accommodating, and will look after you for sure. 100%. Definitely a place with more pleasantries than eye sores. This is a place which far from disappoints and I'll return to Melbourne well rested, relaxed, recharged, and looked after. Thanks...

I was so looking forward to staying here, but three issues made me downgrade my rating for the Criterion Hotel, Sale.||First, the good points. The whole hotel has undergone a recent renovation and it is beautiful. There is attention to detail, and the finishes throughout are lovely. I want to give credit to those who undertook the refurbishment.||We stayed in Room 12, which was a King Deluxe Room. First, the size of the rooms are "modest", the en-suites are "bijou", but that is fine. Both the room and en-suite were spotless with lovely amenities and toiletries in the en-suite. What made me downgrade my rating was 3 things.||1. The only natural light in the room is from 2 windows placed high towards the (very high) ceiling. You cannot actually look out these windows, and to be honest it felt slightly claustrophobic and a bit like being in a prison cell, although a very luxurious one. ||2. There is nowhere comfortable to sit in the rooms, other than the bed. This really annoys me. There is a small desk and standard chair, but there is no comfy chair. In this room there was space to place a chair beside the bed. This may not be the case in the smaller rooms.||3. The closet was so full of mini bar stuff there was nowhere to actually hang your clothes. The closet contained a small fridge (full of alcohol and other mini bar items) and on top of the fridge there was more mini bar stuff and glasses. There was no way you could hang anything in this closet without potentially knocking over this (unwanted) stuff.||Two out of my three concerns could be easily rectified (chair and mini bar). I realise the placement of the windows may have been due to the original design of the building, as the corridor you walk down to reach the rooms is bathed with sunlight due to it being adjacent to a wall of windows.||The rooms are on the first floor and a final positive point is the small lift that has been installed so that those with mobility issues or a heavy suitcase can access the rooms via a lift. Otherwise there is a lovely staircase which...