Restaurants - rip-offs versus good value

[Darth Vader]

By restaurants I exclude fast food chains and the local fish and chip shop should there be one left in your neighbourhood.
Lets hear about your favourite restaurant and whether or not you regard the menu prices and wine list prices to be good, bad or indifferent. I'll lead with one example. For something different I'll often take my crew to Skillogalee in Sevenhill near Clare.
Beautiful setting, lovely local wine - the basket press shiraz is to die for and at $24 is a snip. However, you won't get a main under $34 and although the food is really nice, it aint worth that.

[sherminator]

I went to Skillogalee a few years back with a mate from the UK whilst on a week long wino tour. I thought it was pretty good although I am sure the prices were way down on the $34 back then. IIRC mains were around the $20-$25 range then. I've seen it first hand having spent a few years in the hospitality industry in the UK. When you start out you try to be everything to everyone with reasonable prices to get as many bums on seats as you can. As you get a good reputation and loyal, repeat business you can start to scale your menu back, charge a higher price and make more money from less covers.

[Sky Pilot]

As a treat we used to go to the Hyatt for the smorgasbord lunch. It was about $40 - $45 a head plusyour drinks. Does anyone know if this still goes and how much it is now?
Will be in Adelaide week after next and might go there.

[Psyber]

Beijing in Angas St is good value, and so is La Trattoria.
Assagio out at Newton is not bad but I've only been there twice with a mate and his Italian wife..
Jolley's food is good but a bit pricey unless it is on someone else's expense account..

[Sky Pilot]

Cafe Mykonos in O'Connell Street. Mid range food prices extravagant wine prices. Servings are typically Greek - large and generous so is a good place to take someone who is strong on the tooth.

[Psyber]

Cafe Mykonos in O'Connell Street. Mid range food prices extravagant wine prices. Servings are typically Greek - large and generous so is a good place to take someone who is strong on the tooth.

I used to go to places in O'Connell St before parking became almost totally impossible.

[Bully]

Walkers Arms is the best and normally good value. But everytime i have gone there recently, there has been a line up out the door to get a table so have gone across the road to Maccas instead

But i still cant understand why Sizzler went bust in South Australia. Everyone i know down there loves Sizzler. Its booming here in Brisbane which makes it so hard to understand why it cant get off the ground in SA

[Psyber]

Walkers Arms is the best and normally good value. But everytime i have gone there recently, there has been a line up out the door to get a table so have gone across the road to Maccas instead

But i still cant understand why Sizzler went bust in South Australia. Everyone i know down there loves Sizzler. Its booming here in Brisbane which makes it so hard to understand why it cant get off the ground in SA

I went to the one on the Glen Osmond Rd corner a few times, when they launched here, but it was very noisy, and the food was ordinary to say the least, so I wasn't surprised it foundered.
We dumped it for the seafood place a little further down. [King of the Sea?]

[smac]

Cafe Mykonos in O'Connell Street. Mid range food prices extravagant wine prices. Servings are typically Greek - large and generous so is a good place to take someone who is strong on the tooth.

I used to go to places in O'Connell St before parking became almost totally impossible.

You should go back again then, because parking is very possible nowadays. Lunch time or tea time I never have issues parking within 100m of where I want to go.

[Bully]

Walkers Arms is the best and normally good value. But everytime i have gone there recently, there has been a line up out the door to get a table so have gone across the road to Maccas instead

But i still cant understand why Sizzler went bust in South Australia. Everyone i know down there loves Sizzler. Its booming here in Brisbane which makes it so hard to understand why it cant get off the ground in SA

I went to the one on the Glen Osmond Rd corner a few times, when they launched here, but it was very noisy, and the food was ordinary to say the least, so I wasn't surprised it foundered.
We dumped it for the seafood place a little further down. [King of the Sea?]

Still its a shame that it went bust. I use to love going to Sizzler when i was down there. But yes the food did get ordinary but after the Rat poison incident up here in one of the sizzler restuarants there is an employee that stands and watches the salad/desert bars for anyone handling food and returning it and monitoring temps in salads etc so its improved alot. Maybe if they had this down there it would take off again.

[A Mum]

We (A Family) love Sizzler - think A Dad nearly cried when it closed down in SA

Therefore on our recent trip to the Gold Coast were absolutely delighted that there was a Sizzler - so headed there for dinner one night.
Was great - as good as we remembered it - lol - only thing is was a bit expensive for a 'whole family' situation.

[The Ash Man]

Star of Siam
Brilliant Food, service and value

[Big Phil]

Star of Siam
Brilliant Food, service and value

Thai place on Gouger Street isn't it?

Always wanted to take the missus there, she loves Thai food but living just off The Parade, we live about 500m from Chaabar which is great food and service and value.

I love their entree Chicken Satay sticks, so much so, when we went their for dinner last night and I didn't feel like my usual chicken pad thai, I had 2 serves of the satays as my main

Always enjoy a good feed and get value for money when dining at The Bath as well...

[Dirko]

As a treat we used to go to the Hyatt for the smorgasbord lunch. It was about $40 - $45 a head plusyour drinks. Does anyone know if this still goes and how much it is now?
Will be in Adelaide week after next and might go there.

It's the InterContinental now....They still do the buffet.

[mighty_tiger_79]

We (A Family) love Sizzler - think A Dad nearly cried when it closed down in SA

Therefore on our recent trip to the Gold Coast were absolutely delighted that there was a Sizzler - so headed there for dinner one night.
Was great - as good as we remembered it - lol - only thing is was a bit expensive for a 'whole family' situation.

sizzler next door to hustlers

everyday there was a lineup to get into sizzlers

[Alaska]

Star of Siam
Brilliant Food, service and value

Agree for Lunch Monday - Friday cannot be beaten

[Sky Pilot]

As a treat we used to go to the Hyatt for the smorgasbord lunch. It was about $40 - $45 a head plusyour drinks. Does anyone know if this still goes and how much it is now?
Will be in Adelaide week after next and might go there.

It's the InterContinental now....They still do the buffet.

How's their marketing department? Probably been past there 20 times in last two years and I still call it the Hyatt?

[Brucetiki]

But i still cant understand why Sizzler went bust in South Australia. Everyone i know down there loves Sizzler. Its booming here in Brisbane which makes it so hard to understand why it cant get off the ground in SA

Oh how I miss Sizzler. Nothing beat their cheesy toast.

The restraunt that took over Sizzler here, Bells would have to have been one of the biggest restaurant flops ever. Think it lasted 4 weeks from memory. I heard people used to walk in, look at the prices, and walk out. Talk about a shocker of a business plan.

[MatteeG]

Hooters is the shiznit!

[LMA]

Went to Carmine's Restaurant aka Port Pizza House last night, nice food but well over priced IMO. Order a steak and that's pretty much all you get, having to pay for sides.