Doyles Palace Hotel, Military Road, Watson's Bay

Doyles Palace Hotel, Military Road, Watson's Bay
Tuesday 19 December, 2006

After our team workshop this morning we hopped on a ferry from Circular Quay to Watson's Bay - WOW! I love being surprised by our magnificent Harbour - it made me realise that I take it for granted. It was worth every penny of the $10 return ticket price. Word of caution - if you are concerned about your hair - sit indoors - we were blown all over the place!

We arrived on this sunny afternoon and were pleased to discover our tables were upstairs on the deck under the verandah - sitting in direct sunlight would have been just too hot. That said, it was so windy we had to keep a hold of our wine glasses and Christmas goodies - reindeer ears and Santa's hats!

The deck has it's own bar which sounds great but sadly service was lacking. The two bartenders were more concerned with imitating Tom Cruise from Cocktail than actually serving us drinks (it's a business fella's...). We probably waited 20 minutes for our first drinks and then decided to order in bulk. Trying to get water was another challenge altogether.

Our table had pre-ordered our meals and we were served two large antipasto platters first. These were enormous and looked great with fresh prawns, oysters, smoked salmon, marinated eggplant & mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, fetta cheese and lettuce - yum! We also received fresh bread rolls with small packets of butter. Unfortunately, one of our team had requested the vegan option and they were unable to accommodate - they didn't offer an alternative they just said they couldn't provide anything so would refund the money. Poor form.

We sat enjoying the view and taking in the atmosphere - for a Tuesday lunchtime Doyle's Palace Hotel was packed - outside - but inside was like ghost town. We were starting to wonder if they had forgotten our main meals after 45 mins but they eventually arrived. I ordered the tasmanian salmon with creamy mash. The size of the salmon was impressive and it was cooked well - the mash was creamy with chives dotted throughout. For pub grub it was pretty fair.

However, the service was just appalling - the wait staff grabbed stuff off the table and slammed down glasses and plates. The whole 'service with a smile' philosophy hasn't reached the team at Doyle's Palace Hotel - which is a real shame as they are working in a fabulous location with a great mix of tourists and locals.

Doyles Palace Hotel - 1 Military Road, Watson's Bay - (02) 9337 5444

http://www.doyles.com.au/12204+0+palace-hotel.htm