Risdon Brook Hotel

My Wife and I had the misfortune to have Sunday (9th March 2025) lunch at this establishment. It was undoubtedly the worst meal we have had in Tasmania. It may sound surprising to describe it as revolting but truly it was. We ordered from the Specials Board the Braised Shoulder of Lamb with veg. When the waitress put the plates down in front of us we were horrified. Probably too much information but the lamb looked as if a dog had thrown up on the plates. The portion was very small. There was a very small portion of sweetcorn (obviously from a can), two very small (undercooked) cubes of roasted pumpkin and a small helping of mashed potato which looked as if it had been under a heat lamp or a microwave and was overly dry. That was the sum total of a dish priced at $29.00. To compound the situation, the food was luke-warm and the plates were cold. I ordered a glass of Chardonnay for my wife only to be told that they had run out of all Chardonnay apart from a small bottle of sparkling Chardonnay. Who runs out of Chardonnay? Obviously we would never go back to this place and I would advise anybody considering dining there to go elsewhere. It was appalling.

We have patronised this establishment quite often and been always satisfied. Unfortunately they have introduced a new menu and although the selection is quite extensive, the meal I had was disappointing. The lamb shanks were “swimming” in gravy and the presentation was “messy”. Our group had a variety of meals and there were no positive comments. This is unfortunate as the hotel did serve good meals, maybe the chef has been changed? On a positive note, the new wine selection is superior to the previous offering and compared with other establishments is very competitive. Maybe we will try the hotel once more to ensure this was a one-off.