Reviews by rodb4

This review is for Lindt Chocolate Cafe, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 21 Feb 2013

Very dangerous place! Chocoholics beware! If you love Lindt you'll absolutely live this store. It's not cheap but it's tasty and there's a good range on offer. They often give out freebies too!

This review is for Atomic Bar Cafe & Grill, Templestowe VIC

verified email - 21 Feb 2013

Perfectly situated on Nelson Place, Atomic bar is a reasonable but not fantastic place to have a drink and a meal. The staff are friendly enough, which is a plus. The food is ok but not great - many better places within spitting distance. Cocktails are good though!

This review is for Maha Restaurant, Melbourne VIC

verified email - 21 Feb 2013

Maha is a great place with real atmosphere and fantastic food. Awesome Mediterranean cuisine and a well stocked bar means you are guaranteed a great night. My only gripe was that whilst my friend and I wanted specific menu items, our wives wanted something called suffrah (apologies if I've spelled that wrong, which I fully suspect I have), which they would only let them have if we ALL had it. We even asked if that was the case if my friend and I could temporarily sit at another table but they wouldn't entertain that. Needless to say we thought that was very odd but didnt let it stop us enjoying our night.

This review is for ATR Automotive, Altona North VIC

verified email - 20 Feb 2013

These guys are brilliant! It's so hard to find a mechanic you can trust that doesn't rip you off, but the guys at ATR are friendly, helpful, efficient, and honest! I've had nothing but positive experiences with them and now use them exclusively to service my wife's car. The service is cheap compared to other service centres but skimps on nothing.
Honestly if you live in Newport or Williamstown and own a car you'd be crazy not to give them a try. They are attached to the BP service station, and whilst I've never used it I believe hey offer a limited mobile service as well.

This review is for Rose Of Australia Hotel, Williamstown VIC

verified email - 17 Feb 2013

If the Bristol Hotel holds the prize for Williamstowns dodgiest looking pub, then the Rose holds the title for actually BEING the dodgiest pub in Willy.
A fresh coat of paint on the outside (turning it white from pink, of all colours...) isn't enough I'm afraid - its the whole "leopard changing its spots" cliché writ large.
The staff are overwhelmingly unfriendly. The clientele are nice enough but its hard getting a conversation out of them - I think that if you are a regular it'd be a different matter but if you just go in for a casual drink then don't expect to be welcomed with open arms by anyone.
About the only two good things I can say about it are that the prices are ok, and that I didn't think I was going to get stabbed (unlike another experience I had in a Newport establishment one time).

This review is for Fish Bites On The Range, Williamstown VIC

verified email - 17 Feb 2013

Perfectly good fish and chippery, with all the usual menu items that a fish and chips shop offers. Nothing particularly new or ground breaking about Fish Bites, but it does what it does well. The oil is clean and the batter is nice so everything tastes great. Service is fine - not overboard but not unfriendly either, and they are quick which when I'm waiting for food I value a lot.

This review is for Hobsons Bay Hotel, Williamstown VIC

verified email - 17 Feb 2013

Some of the best Italian food you'll get in the area, set inside an absolutely gorgeous pub that is perfectly detailed inside and dripping with atmosphere. The service staff are fantastic and willing to go out of their way for you without hovering over you and going overboard. It's pretty pricey but definitely worth it. Good wine list as well, which is always a plus!

This review is for Seagulls Laundromat, Williamstown VIC

verified email - 16 Feb 2013

In my "past life" as a sailor in the RAN I have had the fortune (or, rather, misfortune) of visiting several dozen Laundromats in my time, so when our washing machine finally bit the dust I visited Seagulls Laundry with a fair bit of trepidation as they really aren't my favourite places to spend time in. Whilst I'd still rather not have had to go at all (washing machines aren't cheap to replace after all), I'm happy to report that Seagulls had plenty of seats available (not all of which were entirely comfortable, but at least they were there!), and that the establishment itself was clean and tidy. The washers and dryers were in good working order and performed their functions well.
Were I to rank all the Laundromats in all the cities and countries that I've been in, I'm happy (and, being a local, somewhat proud) to report that Seagulls would easily be in my top 3 Laundromats, with a fair chance of being top of the pile.

This review is for The Rifle Club Hotel, Williamstown VIC

verified email - 16 Feb 2013

Looks like a place that's kind of classy and in keeping with the overall feel of Williamstown, but looks can be deceiving...theres nothing really quite wrong with this establishment, if you can overlook the seven hundred thousand pokies and TAB that inhabit it, but there's nothing really quite right about it either. Its a so-so place that doesn't offer you anything new or original. Its just a standard hotel that could really be in any town or suburb, and that's probably whats so disappointing about it.
Service is ok but not great. I haven't had a meal here but I'm sure they are perfectly ok. The bar prices aren't as cheap as they could be (conversely however they probably aren't as dear as they could be either).
Middle of the road establishment that has the potential to have been so much more than it is.

This review is for The Cookbook Kitchen, Surrey Hills VIC

verified email - 16 Feb 2013

Excellent café/restaurant in Surrey Hills that takes its menu from famous cookbooks (and identifies the cookbooks in the menu as well). The food is outstanding, and the prices they charge mean you get excellent value for money (note: this does NOT mean that they are cheap, rather that the food is of a consistent high quality and that its worth the price that's being asked).
It also has the best coffee in Surrey Hills!
Staff are knowledgeable, friendly, efficient, and professional. And have I mentioned how good the food is? Its ace! Yes you could make an argument that its not offering an original menu but what does that matter when they are being so open and upfront about it?