Reviews by homeowner

This review is for Rhyme St Cafe, Hobart TAS

verified email - 05 May 2014

I've had coffee here once, and went back again to have lunch with friends.
The coffee was OK, nothing outstanding.
For lunch I had the potato skins, which were again OK, nothing offensive but nothing memorable either.
The things that stood out the most were all the irritating details - it's really noisy, lots of clattery and echoey noise that made it hard to have a conversation over lunch.
Instead of order numbers on a stick like other cafés, they have playing cards in glass jars - when you're juggling a handbag and three shopping bags & trying to put your change & purse away, it's just one more thing to try and carry to your table, rather than just being able to hook one finger around the usual stick. They also take up more space on the table, and they don't bother to clear them when they bring your order, so by the time we'd had lunch & ordered coffee afterwards, we had three people and all our lunch dishes & coffee cups and these annoying glass jars all crowded on the table - it was just really irritating.
The menus are A5 size laminated pages all together on a ring - you see something you might like, then have to flip back through multiple pages trying to find it again. I'm sure they think the menus & the playing cards in jars are cute and quirky, but they're just annoying and irritating, and enough to make me go elsewhere next time.
The service was OK, average wait time, no real problems, friendly enough.
Overall, the annoyances far outweighed the less the outstanding food, and I wouldn't go back again.

Approximate cost: $11

This review is for Chocolate Maya, Randwick NSW

verified email - 12 Mar 2014

We had coffee and dessert here one evening recently, mainly so we could get out of the house to do some school work in peace! Had two yummy desserts, tiramisu & berry cheesecake - don't think they were made in the premises, but tasted pretty good. We all had tea or coffee, rather than the chocolate they seem to be famous for..
For the price of this, we were left undisturbed and given access to their free wifi for nearly two hours - pretty good value!

This review is for New Brighton Hotel, Manly NSW

verified email - 12 Mar 2014

Six of us ate here recently, stunningly beautiful day in Manly, ate on the terrace outside with good views of the beach. Had five good meals (two kids shared a meal) for $98, pretty good value. We asked if they could cut a burger in half and serve on two plates, and they did, no fuss. One of party asked if the linguini was tomato or cream based, and we were told fully tomato, no cream, but he could definitely taste cream in it, so a bit of misinformation there. Luckily he didn't have a medical reason for asking!
Everyone's meals were pretty satisfactory apart from that.
I had the lamb & spinach salad, very tasty, although there was a distinct lack of the cherry tomatoes that were listed on the menu - they were there, all four of them in a big dish - would've thought they were growing the things themselves from the way they were apparently rationed!
Overall, fairly good meals in a pleasant location, reasonably priced. Would be fairly happy to got back again.

This review is for Cucinella, Coogee NSW

verified email - 12 Mar 2014

We had lunch here on a busy weekday, beautiful weather, not far from Coogee beach. I had the haloumi wrap, my companion had the cow burger. We ate here on her recommendation as she'd had lunch here before.
Both meals were good, haloumi wrap was very tasty, service was fast considering how busy it was and prices were reasonable.
Would happily eat here again.

This review is for Rendezvous Lounge Cafe, Battery Point TAS

verified email - 18 Jan 2014

Six of us had lunch here on quite a hot day. We were happy to find seating outside that allowed us to enjoy the weather without being too hot.
All our meals were satisfactory, two of our party have Coeliac, and there were some good gluten free options.
I had the grilled chicken salad, nothing special but perfectly satisfactory. My niece had the caesar salad and commented on how good it was.
I'd happily go back. I wish the "overall" rating of this site for three stars said, "satisfactory, as expected," as the other three star ratings above it do, as I would class our overall experience at Rendezvous as "satisfactory, as expected".

Approximate cost: $15

This review is for Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, Brighton TAS

verified email - 13 Jan 2014

Visited with three kids on holiday here. They loved the free range kangaroos that were extremely tame, and enjoyed feeding them. Last time I visited (around 12 years ago) they gave out feed for the animals in bags - now it's in large bins around the park, which is good as you can get more, but also really annoying as you've always got one hand occupied holding it! Most people want to take photos, so this is quite a hindrance. Would be much better if they also provided paper bags to put the feed in.
On the animal front, we saw lots of kangaroos, a couple of koalas, a few lorikeets and cockatoos, some tawny frogmouths and a couple of wombats. I was disappointed that the very accessible small enclosure with Tasmanian devils that used to be a feature is no longer there. They now have a very large habitat for them, which is great, but we didn't see a single one. We followed this enclosure the whole length of the park, with big signs proclaiming, "Main devil display this way," - the main display turned out to be pretty non-existent. The kids are from interstate and were disappointed not to see a devil, especially as the website specifically says, "You are guaranteed to see Tasmanian devils!"
The other complaint I have is the lack of seating and rest areas. The site is large and sloping, and today was also quite hot. My Mum struggles to walk much distance uphill without pain, and there were also several tour buses there - I saw quite a few older people struggling with the incline and wanting to sit down and rest. They desperately need some seats at intervals along the path, some plain park benches would be perfect - many people who visit on cruise ships and organised tours are older, and this is an urgent need. 12 years ago there were picnic tables scattered around the grassed area - these have now gone.
I also remember there was a large, walk in wetland enclosure that is no longer there - I missed this, there were lots of native birds and fowl, and it was a pleasant area.
They do have a good undercover area with picnic tables and lots of seating, including some comfy armchairs as well! Also a BBQ that the staff will get going for you, so you can have a barbie. Also a large toilet block, that wasn't there last time I visited, so much improved on that front.
Overall, I was disappointed by the lack of animal life - I expected that most of the nocturnal ones would be out of sight during the day, but my previous experiences here have been much better than today's. The children were sick of walking around the enclosures in the heat and constantly seeing nothing. The highlight as we were leaving was the baby wombat that a handler was allowing people to hold and photograph.

Approximate cost: $76

This review is for Scotia Construction, Rosny TAS

verified email - 04 Jan 2014

John and Jonathon renovated my kitchen and laundry area recently, which included demolishing several walls, sorting three different floor levels into one, and installing a new ceiling. Along with all the problems of putting a new kitchen into an old house. They also did all the painting when we couldn't get a painter at the time.
From start to finish they were professional and inspired confidence. They turned up when they said they would, gave me a quote on time, and kept in touch up until the start date. The other builder I approached never even got back to me with a quote.
The job was finished on time, and they are such perfectionists - John wasn't satisfied until every little detail was perfect. There was much less disruption than I'd expected - I'd thought I'd be pretty much without a kitchen for several weeks, but they did their best to keep it as functional as possible for as long as they could.
They're also some of the nicest, friendliest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet, and I consider it was my lucky day when somebody recommended them to me.
The cost was also less than I'd anticipated, and I highly recommend them - you won't get a better job done by anyone else.

Approximate cost: $18 000

This review is for Hobart Kitchen Centre, New Town TAS

verified email - 04 Jan 2014

Supplied and fitted a new kitchen and laundry for me recently.
From beginning to end, they were professional, friendly and helpful.
They turned up when they said they would for the initial quote, listened to my questions and explained their answers, and got the quote to me quickly (unlike the other companies I approached).
They were always happy to answer questions or help me make choices whenever I wanted to drop in.
The kitchen was delivered on time, and installed quickly and professionally.
I have no hesitation in recommending them highly.

Approximate cost: $16 000

This review is for Tasmanian Floor Surfacing Co, Moonah TAS

verified email - 15 Dec 2013

Had my new Tas oak floor sanded after undertaking building work. Initially weren't able to attend the job for around a month, due to pre Christmas rush, but had a gap in their schedule and fitted me in - very happy about that!
Did a fantastic job - sanded beautifully, and after two coats of varnish, the floor looks fantastic. Half of it is the existing floor, and half new boards that were laid - can't tell the difference now, and it all looks like new.
The finish is flawless, and there was no mess afterward.
I can't recommend this business highly enough.

Approximate cost: $880

This review is for Raspberry Fool, Hobart TAS

verified email - 10 Dec 2013

Had lunch, some little egg & bacon pie roll thingies, and flourless orange cake. Pies were pretty good - probably a bit too much pastry compared to the amount of filling, so a bit stodgy.
The cake was delicious - I'd go back just for this!
Good coffee, very friendly service, and service remained pretty fast even as it filled up with the lunch crowd.
I'd go back.