Harbord Hotel, Freshwater NSW

We came to this hotel restaurant for lunch. The atmosphere was nice, but some parts of the experience were a bit disappointing. No one brought water to our table, and the sink on our table, which had some dry leaves and hair in it, was a bit unpleasant.

We happily asked one of the waiters to take a quick birthday photo for us, but he refused, saying he was busy, even though it would have only taken a few seconds. This felt a bit off and gave us a bad feeling for a moment, although it didn't spoil the overall vibe. However, other staff members were polite (not friendly)which helped.

The food was good, but overall, the service wasn't as welcoming as we had expected.

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This hotel restaurant typically responds to reviews with phrases like "we're sorry for your experience" and asks guests to email a specific address with details for further investigation. However, based on my personal experience, this process doesn't seem very genuine or sincere. I sent an email, but unfortunately, I didn't receive any response.

It seems that these replies are more about creating a positive image rather than showing real concern for customer feedback. I regret the time I spent on this, as it led to no resolution.

Long time customer, never a poor experience nor meal until last night. Ordered chicken schnitzel with salad chips gravy etc. Chicken overstayed its time in the deep fryer and was well overcooked.
Was starving so tried to push through it, but to no avail. Salad was a few pieces of limp lettuce.
Gave feedback to young (disinterested) waitstaff guy, I didn't want any refund or replacement, but asked for my comments to be passed on to the "chef". Nothing back, so reason for the online whack. Try harder guys, pretty hard to mess up a simple schnitty....

Unfortunately, we were unaware that the Hotel's restaurant had recently been dumbed down.
We had to queue up to order at the bar, with the meals then served to the table. Drinks we had to carry back to the table ourselves.
Despite this lack of service, the prices remained at fine dining levels. The Barramundi, for example, was $38 - with chips extra!
Two of the four meals were served nearly 15 minutes after the first two, which was acceptable. The ordered medium rare steak (also expensive) came well done and was accompanied only by a small, lacklustre salad.
For four people we paid $182 (including the outrageous credit card surcharge, which is simply another cost of doing business) for one main course and one glass of wine each.
Poor value, poor service and indifferent food. We will not be returning.

This place has a very cool midcentury vibe to it. I guess it used to be an actual hotel that they updated, and they managed to retain the charm of its original era. Kids eat free between 5-6pm every night. Last time we stopped in my kid cut his finger after breaking a glass and the staff went out of their way to help us out and get him feeling better. Really appreciate it.

Spectacular all around! The re-structured Dining Room is exceptional. The food was absolutely outstanding and so much better than the experiences we'd had at Balsa. We shared the miso eggplant, wood-fired artichoke, lobster burger and smoked swordfish lettuce cups and they were all divine. Love the QR code ordering system for easy ordering without being interrupted constantly and easy bill payment between people. As always, the relaxed atmosphere with the option of sitting in the restaurant or by the windows surrounding the bar (where we chose) makes the whole experience delightful. Super impressed. Will definitely be back.