Gecko Cafe - YULARA

This was the only restaurant available at Desert Gardens at the time of our stay so it was very busy with queues with only member of staff checking groups and s... read more This was the only restaurant available at Desert Gardens at the time of our stay so it was very busy with queues with only member of staff checking groups and seeing them out. Staff were friendly and the food was fine.

We had dinner one night here and thought it was good. We would come back again for another meal. We did come late and had to wait 10 minutes but everything here... read more We had dinner one night here and thought it was good. We would come back again for another meal. We did come late and had to wait 10 minutes but everything here is always busy.

Do yourself a favour and head around to Sails to eat!! Our two ‘nearly’ experiences at Mangata are worth giving these warnings. 1. We went to the bar one night... read more Do yourself a favour and head around to Sails to eat!! Our two ‘nearly’ experiences at Mangata are worth giving these warnings. 1. We went to the bar one night and ordered two glasses of wine. We stood there, very happy to wait for the...drinks to be poured, like many we saw were doing, but the woman said she’d bring them to our table. We said we didn’t have a table as yet as we’d just take the glasses back to our room since we had a rock view room and so we may as well enjoy the view….. we were then told, just as though we were naughty children, that ‘well, no, we really can’t offer ‘takeaway’ from the bar’……Sorry!???! What!?!?! We have never stayed at any hotel in the world where we can’t drink glasses of wine purchased IN the hotel’s bar IN the hotel’s rooms. Unbelievable! So whether she was just wrong or whether that is hotel policy it is completely ludicrous given the price of those rooms! As we found, it’s no problem to ask them for an ice bucket, ice and champagne glasses to take to your room to chill and consume your OWN bottle that you’ve brought with you, but NOT glasses of their own wine purchased from their own bar…. surely they would be happy to make more $!!This defies logic. 2. The dining section of Mangata has no reservations. When you come in from an evening tour you therefore join a throng of people who have also all come in from tours and are all lining up, just as keen to fill their stomachs. The other restaurant at Desert Gardens is closed for goodness knows what reason. Staffing no doubt. So it just looked like a total circus in there with everyone crowded in…. so we went around to Sails twice, where they seemed far more under control and welcoming!!!! Steer clear of Mangata!!!

We ate here in our last night and had a nice experience. I had the tortiglioni and mama had the peri peri chicken sliders, we also had a side of the pecorino ch... read more We ate here in our last night and had a nice experience. I had the tortiglioni and mama had the peri peri chicken sliders, we also had a side of the pecorino chips with tuffle mayo and all food was delicious and a good size....Staff were attentive, service was fast and the prices were with a TGIs/Groove train back in melbs. alcohol is expensive, but to expect. we recommend

We had arrived late in ulurayu, so decided to eat in the restaurant in our accommodation. they have two restaurants that have a fine dinning of the other bistro... read more We had arrived late in ulurayu, so decided to eat in the restaurant in our accommodation. they have two restaurants that have a fine dinning of the other bistro. it was my man 70th birthday, so decided to do the fine eating! we booked a table. to say that the two restaurants were totally booked out as they had a concert on the light field, but that up until the time would do a round around 7.30 and they did not have to book. this holiday was in the mai 2022 by nt now the specialists nothing was said during each correspondence that a concert was held in ulurayu that it would be better to book their first night in the restaurant, otherwise they are limited to they could eat! we arrived at the mangata bistro sat, the restaurant is very well presented, although the staff was not all so friendly. we ordered prawn caesar salad thai beef nudelsalat nothing outstanding with both meals. the protein in both meal times had been well boiled before any ordering was the garnish cold dry, the bark was cold dry, had dried fat particles uninviting to say the least. no good feeling on the palette. very disappointed.