Perth Food Review

I visited this restaurant as part of a group of 28 people. It was extremely disappointing. The restaurant was largely unoccupied. We were by far the biggest group and were jammed into two tables in the corner. Once seated on the far side against the windows, we realized that we needed a colostomy bag fitted because it was going to be impossible to get out of our seats without everyone else moving out as well. The seats were absolutely jammed up against each other and my arm got pinched twice when the person next to me moved in their chair.

1/2 the table had placed their orders before we realized there was a chef's specials board. This was held up by one of our group as the wait staff didn't even mention it. Service was equivalent to that for a pub counter meal. Unfortunately the prices weren't to match. We arrived at 7.30pm. Our orders were taken at about 8.15pm and the meals didn't start arriving until 9.45pm. During this time the drinks arrived with regularity at horrendous prices. This is very obviously where they make their money. Once the meals started to arrive, the staff had no idea who they belonged to and stood at the end of each table, meals in hand, calling out what they were and "who had ordered them". We would have been better off having numbered tickets (fish and chip shop style). A couple of extra meals even arrived that weren't even ordered.

The fish was ordinary. The oysters were not chilled. The crayfish was tough (had probably been frozen too long). I know this is primarily a seafood restaurant, but the menu was decidedly limited and didn't cater at all for a visiting vegetarian. Because of the way the tables were positioned, meals had to be handed across the table by the patrons because the staff couldn't reach to set down meals properley. The same was the case when plates were being collected.

This restaurant has top-end prices, bottom-end food and service and we only get paper on the tables. Is a proper table cloth too much to ask for. If I'm at an el cheapo restaurant in Freo, I don't mind the paper on the tables or just place mats. It's appropriate and it suits the environment and what you are paying, But the Oyster Bar needs to decide what sort of restaurant it's going to be. Either improve dramatically on service, food and ambiance, or reduce prices to suit. A complaint eventually to the duty manager met with resistance.

I would never return to this restaurant and would never recommend it to anyone. It will trade initially on it's location only and will probably then go broke. There are plenty of better restaurants in Perth than this one.....

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