Waltzing Matilda Hotel - Kingston

Yes, this hotel has probably been converted from a 1970s 'beer barn' and has popular pokies - at 1130 on a weekday there were at least 25 people playing them - but I don't quite understand all the negative comments.I arrived early for lunch and ordered a lemon lime and bitters from the friendly female bartender. This was served in a large Coke glass that is standard practice at these Woolworths ALH Group hotels of which there are more than 320 around Australia, with about 75 in Victoria.I then ordered spring rolls that arrived 15 minutes later. For A$10, I received five delicious duck and vegetable rolls with a tangy, pleasant plum sauce.Waitress Kate was very friendly and efficient. By 1155 there were 16 people dining that given it wasn't a Friday I thought was quite good, as so many work and cannot have a weekday pub lunch.I then had a sundae that was average.The venue suffers from a lack of natural light but the thick carpet keeps noise down (although part of the dining area has a fake wooden floor) and the tables and chairs were in good condition.There were some specials written in texta colours above the servery so these may be worth checking, but it also has an extensive printed menu.Overall quite a satisfactory experience and one not deserving of the negative comments a few previous reviewers have penned.Access by public transport is easy as it is on the 902 SmartBus (Airport West - Springvale railway station - Chelsea railway station) that operates on weekdays every 15 minutes for most if not all daylight hours.

We had a large family catch up for lunch on a Sunday. As soon as I walked into the dining area, it smelt quite musty. The staff were all lovely and the kid's play area is fantastic. The meals were hit and miss. I ordered a vegie burger with chips. After eating a few chips I realised they were undercooked and suddenly there was a really off taste from something on a chip I was eating, so I discreetly removed it from my mouth and moved onto my burger. After a few bites, there was that same strange awful taste so it put me off eating anything else. It was $19 so pretty expensive for a burger and chips that was barely edible. I am not overly fussy or picky but it was pretty awful. My cousin only had a few mouthfuls of her Nasi Goreng and said it was awful. My mum asked for no tomato and cucumber on her chicken wrap and it was confirmed before we paid but it still contained the tomato and cucumber when it came out. She picked it out and said it was otherwise nice. Others at the table enjoyed their meals. As i said the staff were all lovely and polite and it is a large dining area with a great indoor kid's playground. Plenty of parking outside.

Picked this Bistro as it came up on our entertainment book. We were not disapointed. Food was very good and come out quiet fast. Kids loved the playground and kids meals.

Met up with friends and their kids on a recent visit. I haven't been to this restaurant since the 1970's and nothing much has changed. The staff were very helpful and welcoming and even gave us a larger table so we could spread out with the kids colouring books etc. The kids raced to the play area to be greeted by an entertainer with a water pistol and told to put their hands up! The three year old twins raced sobbing from the room, soaked to the skin. Great start!I paid $28.00 for a seafood platter, most of which I believe came out of a box. I could have soled my shoes with the prawn cutlets. Very disappointing. My friends had the Chicken with Camembert which looked okay. I won't be returning to find out.

Having passed this place many times I was early for a meeting and decided to drop in for lunch. Mistake number 1; I should have kept going. First impression was that the place was dark and uninviting despite a wonderful sunny day outside later I thought that this must be a policy so that customers can't see the grimy interior. At the food counter I plumped for the roast pork and enquired whether I could change the potatoes to chips but was told the potatoes were roast so plumped for them; mistake 2. I then ordered a pot of English breakfast tea, possibly the most popular black tea, at the bar and sat down; mistake 3 as I should have waited while the girl made it. fifteen minutes later the meal arrived (I was the only customer) and I asked the server to check on my tea. He returned after a couple on minutes saying that 'they couldn't find any' and offered Earl Grey or a non-descript black tea that was acceptable. I did ask the server whether they had sent out a children's meal but no it was full portion so I consoled myself with the fact that it must be quality rather than quantity; mistake 4. The two redeeming features of the meal were the single floret of broccoli, well steamed, and the gravy. The so called roast potatoes were 2 small lumps, still in their skins (which I don't mind) but quite obviously pre boiled and given a minute in the oven, just to ensure that trading standards have been obeyed. I have worked in hospitality for 30 years and would have been embarrassed to serve this even for $10 let alone the $20 price tag. I did send an email to the venue the manager David ([email protected]) didn't accept my feedback. He hasn't replied to my enquiry about the view under the sand. DON'T go there, the place is a 70's dive that has not changed, the customer is more demanding and should be treated with more respect.