The Dorset Hotel

Awesome place to stay on a riding trip, secure lock up for bikes, bike wash, and laundry. Great selection of beers and the food from the kitchen is amazing. Just an awesome place to hang out after a big day on the trails. The rooms were clean and comfy and the bathrooms were spotless with great showers. All you need for a trip on the bikes.

Family Birthday dinner for our dad. Customer service was fantastic but meals very average. Steaks were tasty but unfortunately not cooked to what we had ordered. One steak was sent back with no hesitation at all but still come back not cooked enough. Vegetables, a plate full of cauliflower & broccoli, 2 small pieces of carrot and 2 beans = big disappointment. Some of us left half our meals on the table. Great atmosphere and very inviting.

As a foreign visitor, I was unprepared for what to expect in an Aussie pub so when we arrived, I felt that we had stepped in to a set from Crocodile Dundee. We were ushered into a spit and sawdust bar full of pretty beered-up men shouting by a vaguely threatening but hopefully good natured local. A much harassed barmaid confirmed we were in the right place to check in and in due course showed us to our room, the one with the ensuite. To be fair, it had recently been redecorated in a fairly minimalist way and was clean enough if you disregarded the windows full of spiders' webs. When we came down for breakfast, we were confronted with an empty room with a pile of dirty dishes from previous customers. There was the bare minimum of sliced, plastic bread, jams, olive oli spread (no butter) and the makings of tea and instant coffee. I think there was one clean plate left. All this, I am told by Australian friends, is pretty par for the course in an Aussie pub but where I take real exception is the price. We have since stayed in outstanding accommodation in Swansea and Port Arthur costing barely $10 more than we paid at the Dorset and for the money, the difference in service, cleanliness and comfort was as night and day. I would advise travellers to push on to the East Coast if they are looking for decent standard accommodation at a sensible price.

We came in for dinner last night. Sri Lanka fish curry on the board $28. All got charged $30.40 for it. Not great guys. Also what little tiny bits of fish and do mean tiny still had skin on and tasted horrible so we all Dug the fish out. Would have been good to have even a bite size piece skin off that did not seem like scrapings left on a cutting board from filleting. At the price you charged expected a lot better.

A group of 6 of us asked for a table on arrival. (There were plenty available) the bar was quiet but we were left standing there for 20mins without being seated. After which we sat down at an empty table to wait while they sorted themselves out. When we decided to order our food they berated us for not waiting to be seated. On a seperate night we gave them another chance and went in for a drink. The staff were too busy drinking themselves to serve us. And seemed pissed off that us tourists were interrupting there drinking session. For a pub/town that relies on tourists I would have though a smile and some good service wouldn’t be too hard. Good luck to this new management I’ll take my business elsewhere next time.

Great service, nothing to much effort. Food was fab and served very quickly. Bar staff were great at recommending various drinks and food. Such a great vibe and the pub has some great historical memorabilia placed throughout