The Iluka

If it’s not broken don’t fix it. This place has fallen victim to trying too hard. We have been going since it’s opening and under the new management it’s lost its way. The staff all used to be so well presented which fitted with an upmarket style pub. It’s a shame to see this standard slip. All now in different uniforms, new staff all seem young and not interested. Hard to tell who is staff. Taken away selling crisps, small thing but why? No need. We often sit inside late afternoon at weekends and see tables with reserved signs on. Yet no one on them or come in to sit on them while we are there. Have seen people walk in and out because no seats yet empty tables go to waste with reserved signs on them. Go back to how you used to do it placing times in the reserved sign. Everything now just seems disjointed and it’s loosing its identity. Great shame! Price per person: A$20–40 Food: 2 Service: 2 Atmosphere: 2

I am so upset and disappointed by the meal we got tonight. I have never in my life been served something so disgusting that it was completely inedible. The worst part of the whole situation was that the meal I am talking about was for my 15 year old coeliac daughter. She rarely eats out because not a lot of restaurants will safely cater for coeliacs but we had heard the Iluka was very knowledgeable and safe. She ordered a gluten free carbonara. The meal came out tasting like you were eating straight salt. 3 of us tasted it and agreed that it was pure salt and inedible. I returned the dish and was assured that when re-cooked it wouldn’t taste like that. So while the rest of us had finished our meals she waited for hers to be re-cooked. When it came out the second time it was just disgusting. The pasta was stodgy and had no other flavour whatsoever (now I know why they tried to disguise it with so much salt the first time) I implore you to remove this item from your menu because it is really unfair to feed that to someone who already has enough challenges being coeliac. We left the meal uneaten and walked out. After spending a couple of hundred dollars on what should have been a nice meal out for the family I now have to come home and cook a meal for my child. I am not someone that has ever left a negative review before but this has really upset me. I suggest the owner/manager taste this dish and decide if it’s something you would want your child to be served? Food: 1 Service: 3 Atmosphere: 4

Wonderful food Price per person: A$60–80 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Was super impressed with everything. Service was fantastic, the food came out super fast, quality and presentation of food was great. Would recommend. Price per person: A$40–60 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Terrible shame about this place. We had high hopes. You have to wonder how these places retain custom with services of this standard! Below email sent 3 weeks ago. Didn't get any response!? Unreal, or perhaps standard... Good morning. I am writing to you today in regards to a really awful experience that we had at The Iluka last night. It was my wife's Citizenship evening, totally ruined. Our first visit there and most likely our last. Things started off ok and we ordered our food at 7:06pm. there were quite a few other people, but certainly not busy, a Wednesday night. The kids pizza came out in around 10 minutes and we said that was great. But that was it. We waited until after 8pm, an hour after ordering and the kitchen said they'd get it as soon as possible! We honestly couldn't believe it. We are not in hospitality but I certainly understand that: (a) you shouldn't send meals out of the same course with such huge gaps between people and (b) an hours wait for pub grub in a half empty pub on a Wednesday night is in no way acceptable. Particularly with zero advice on any waiting periods. A waitress did offer us a drink to kill some more time but we'd already had 2 due to lengthy wait and had 2 (fed) kids wanting to move. I asked to see the manager and she said ok, but she just went and served somebody else! No manager came over. In the end we demanded a refund because it was now so late, (of which they only refunded the meals that didn't come out) and had to leave with no dinner. The till operator did offer to pack it for us if it was ready in time. It of course wasn't. We still spent $70 on 2 beers, 2 glasses of Prosecco and the pizza. A high price point for a pub, especially with this level of customer service. As I'm sure you can imagine after such a significant event such as a citizenship ceremony and going out after to celebrate, the only thing we will remember and talk about is the horrible experience we went through at The Iluka. Extremely disappointing. Food: 1 Service: 1