DM Restaurant

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  5      Service  2      Value  1     

From the outside, DM restaurant looks quite inviting. Located on the main strip in Southbank Parklands, the place had enough tables outside (the market was not on when we visited). My partner and I decided to have lunch there on Sunday as our favourite places were closed.

We were served quite swiftly by a waiter who was clearly instructed to sell us drinks first. We declined and asked for some water while we looked at the menu. Unfortunately, the water didn't come.

I felt like a calamari salad and my partner chose the fish burger as it indicated it was grilled and not fried. A second waiter came to ask if we were served. She seemed very genuine and brought us the water eventually. After a long wait a third waiter brought out the food but we had to ask for an extra set of cutlery, which was only on the table for one.

The calamari salad was extremely disappointing. A huge amount of deep fried crumbed tasteless and rubbery rings, tasting as if they came straight from the freezer, topped with a few leaves of rocket and some cabbage. With hardly any noticeable dressing, this was far from a salad and less quality than the average pub serves up.

My partner's fish burger was even worse. The undefined 'grilled' fish would have seen some heat source but it was clearly not a grill. Soggy and topped with a disgusting relish of sweet tomato and processed cheese. All that served on a tasteless processed bun with some dry rocket and cabbage on the side. It also came with a few salty fries and a bowl of standard ketchup. We couldn't finish this as it was so bad but nobody asked us anything when they took our plates.

We decided not to have the coffee here but to get away from this place as soon as possible and forget about it. If this place doesn't get a proper kitchen staff and improves on their service they are doomed, despite the ideal location. Be warned.

Jan 02, 2012 

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  1     

My partner and I went to DM last night after dinner for just a slice of cake and coffee. They still had a few tables of patrons left at around 9.30 pm so we thought it should be a nice place.

We ordered 1 slice of latte cheesecake and a 3 layer chocolate and hazelnut tart but no coffee as they use vittoria which we don't like. Instead we asked for 2 glasses of water.

The waiter behind the counter didn't seem to know what was what in the cabinets as we asked a few questions and it was obvious he had no idea. We were charged $21.00 for 2 slices of cake without coffee! We seated ourselves and out of interest looked at the menu to work out why we were paying through the nose for 2 slices of cake.

The menu said $10.50 each for slices of cakes or tarts, but that they came with gelati, so we thought ok I guess with gelati it is alright. It took forever to come out to us which left us wondering what the earth they were doing to get 2 cakes prepared and on a plate.

The cheesecake was the skinniest slice of cake I had ever seen from a restaurant. The hazelnut layer on the tart tasted like pure butter with the texture of rubber, both with a squirt of that cream from a can, about the size of a 20 cent coin. I enquired about the gelati, and the missing water, the waitress looked puzzled so we showed her the menu and she obliged and asked which flavour we would like with the cakes, we both asked for vanilla.

The cakes arrived back again with teaspoons of gelati but apparently the waiters thought they'd be a little more creative as I received cookies and cream gelati and my partner received caramel gelati, we really just wanted a nice creamy vanilla.

We enquired about the water again that was missing and the waitress said she would bring it right out. She then went inside and picked up a tea towel and started drying cutlery.

We watched her for about 20 minutes waiting for the water, we weren't desparate for it but just wanted to see how long it would actually take. We even asked another waiter for 2 glasses of water, nothing. We were left wondering if they can't get a simple dessert order like this right then how on earth are they doing dinner service!

In the end my partner was over it and went inside to the bar to complain about the complete lack of service we had received that night with all requests, the bar man looked at him, completely blank and just said "so you want water?" and proceeded to fill a jug from the hose they were using to wash dishes with and passed him 2 glasses with this to take back to our table.

Seriously I would not recommend this place to anyone used to even a standard level of service. We went to a cheaper cafe that day for lunch and received outstanding service, I would expect a restaurant to be able to top this as they typically pay more attention to training their staff.

If I worked there and received the sort of complaint my partner made I would immediately provide water, with table service, And would offer some sort of compensation like coffees or gelati or a couple of glasses of wine, something.
We are from Sydney and expected something decent from Brisbane, we were happy to pay the price if the food quality and service matched but really you'd get better service from a 15 year old in a fast food restaurant than this! The waiters were dopey and wouldn't know what service was if it smacked them in the face.

Jan 03, 2011 

1.3 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  1     

Had breakfast here first & last time. Coffee bitter, waited almost an hour for food & no apologies or reason for the long wait. Staff appears to be totally run off their feet. Burnt toast, fatty bacon & poached eggs looked like they'd been hit by a truck. Told the waiter on our way out about the burnt toast; said he'd tell the chef; no "oh sorry we won't charge you for the coffee" nothing. Never again!

Oct 25, 2010