The Scarborough Hotel — Restaurant in Wollongong City Council

At first glance, the venue seemed like a dream – elegant, picturesque, and exuding charm. The front-of-house staff were exceptionally friendly, their warmth setting the perfect tone for what I hoped would be a delightful meal. Unfortunately, what followed was an experience I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy.

After ordering a burger meal (cheeseburger, chips, and ketchup), I eagerly began with the chips, which were crispy, golden, and delicious. Confidence in the meal was high – until I bit into the cheeseburger. Instead of savoring the rich taste of Australian beef perfectly paired with tangy cheese, I was assaulted by a flavor that could only be described as grill-pressed animal feces between two buns. It was horrifying, and my stomach churned in revolt.

Determined to address the issue, I approached the front desk with the offending burger in hand. The waitress I encountered was a shining light amidst the darkness – empathetic, understanding, and professional. She offered a replacement meal, a drink, or anything on the menu. Unfortunately, my appetite had long since fled, chased away by the trauma of that ersatz patty. Politely, I requested a refund for the $14 meal (plus a 52-cent “service fee”).

Enter the owner.

What followed was a display of arrogance and aggression that left me speechless. Upon hearing my request, he outright refused, declaring with belligerent confidence that refunds were against restaurant policy. When I pressed further, asking if this applied even when the product was clearly substandard, he snapped, “I don’t care if you’re gonna be a lawyer in the future; I’m not giving you a refund!”

Stunned by his behavior, I walked away, informing him that his service was disgraceful and that I would be leaving a one-star review on Google.

The saga didn’t end there. The waitress later approached me, once again apologizing profusely for the owner’s conduct. She even blamed his outburst on his “mood” – as if that excused his shocking treatment of a paying customer. She urged me to return to the desk to speak with the manager in hopes of finding a resolution.

The manager, visibly uncomfortable, explained that the owner was watching everything through security cameras and that issuing a refund without his approval would put her job at risk. I couldn’t help but empathize with her; if customers were treated so poorly, one could only imagine the conditions for the staff. She encouraged me to contact the ombudsman, though with a grim warning: the restaurant had already amassed over 800 complaints. A number so staggering, it transformed my experience from an isolated incident into an emblem of their systemic failure.

And so, here I am, $14.52 poorer and with a stomach that feels like it’s been through a washing machine. The owner, on the other hand, is $14.52 richer – but likely no happier for it.

But I am the true victor. Because I have gained the satisfaction of warning others through this review.

In the end, we all win. The world is now one Google review richer – a review that shines a spotlight on the Scarborough’s dismal standards.

Bon appétit, and may your dining experiences never...

We visited here during the October Long Weekend, so some leeway has to be given for the long delays in orders as it was extremely busy (40 minute wait time for orders!), but for $28 for a very medium plate of fish and chips, or cheese burger, well, I guess you're paying for the atmosphere more than anything else.

The view is really nice, we did get to see some whales playing offshore so that was nice.

The facilities and service are a bit lacklustre in that you have to go upstairs and get your food and bring it back down to the lawn area, which they didn't provide buzzers, you had to not only use your phone to QR code order, but also get notification of your order via the page. I'm all for technology, but if you're not checking your phone constantly, or you have battery issues, then well, you better not bother....

The tables didn't have the QR code on all of them either, as we got told to use the QR code, but our table didn't even have one, and we looked around other tables before we found a napkin holder with it on and borrowed it.

In terms of general amenities, on the lower ground area, the bathroom was really grungy too, and pretty small for the number of guests that it needed to service, it had 1 sink, where that was the choke point of the process where we were lining up to wash our hands!

The carparks around it are also hard to get a spot, got to park further alone before/after and walk along the road too, which isn't super safe really, but thats not exactly the hotels fault though.

Would I go again? Only if it was for someone elses special event. If I lived locally, maybe for a quick drink, but probably...

A truly special place to visit, with a couple of drawbacks.

The Scarborough Hotel could be called a pub, but the early closing times, high quality food, and incredible views make it something different altogether.

The view is amazing. It truly is on the edge of the land, and the elevated position gives a very different experience to a beach-side option. There are multiple tables upstairs inside, and far more down in the garden outside, so there are ample opportunities to enjoy it.

The food was done to a really high standard and was very good. It was also both expensive and small, so you didn't feel like you got enough value for money to visit regularly, but definitely got enough to go for a treat and to enjoy the view.

The coffee was surprisingly good! Well made with great flavour and basic latte art.

Service was friendly, but the setup was... weird. You could order food and drinks inside or outside, but coffee had to be ordered at a separate counter by the entrance. Coffees were brought to your table, but food you had to go and pick up (even if you were 3 flights of stairs down in the garden). It wasn't that big of a deal, but the inconcistency was a little irritating.

Highchairs were available and there was a good car park, though it fills up fast!

Overall, this is somewhere I'd likely not go back to without the view. But thanks to the view, I'll be back...