Debacle

2 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  4      Service  1      Value  1     

Admittedly I've eaten here before and haven't hated it but the last time I went here I was extremely disappointed, and I will not go again.

My caesar salad came with a cold poached egg on top. Not cold because it had gone cold, but because it had been refridgerated. I ruined a lot of my salad popping the egg yolk, expecting warm runny yolk. Though I suppose there wasn't much to ruin really, as the salad was barely edible.

My friend had ordered bacon eggs and sausages, and instead it came with bacon and mushrooms. When told about the mistake, the waiter looked completely uninterested and took the plate away without saying a word. Much later it was returned with the sausages, not another word was said, no apology, nothing.
Plenty of other places in Canberra to get good food and good service, so I won't waste my time and money on this place again.

Apr 16, 2012 

1 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

My partner was EXTREMELY SICK when having a pizza there. He was vomiting ALL night, with an upset stomach the following day after. I think he contracted food poisoning there. We had no alcohol drinks here, only water with our meals. We could not believe, that we had to wait an hour for staff just to decide to cook our pizza at 5.30pm on the dot. Interesting, considering there was a lot of staff on hand. The staff were too busy discussing their personal events, speaking rather loudly.

The premises had with no air conditioning, it was so hot, heaps of flies in the premises. Perhaps it was purposely done, for people to consume more liquids. But on a occupational health standpoint, it is not recommended because it was so hot, humid and which delivered also an unhealthy atmosphere.

The cost of food was too expensive for the poor quality of food and in the portion sizes you received (the three dips and fried squid) meals. This is the second time, we went to this place. It has gone down hill, I think they have less pizzas and are trying to push the a la carte menu.

Beware, of the reality of food poisoning. My partner was very sick after eating their pizzas. I found my choice of food of a small servings - the tappas and squid. The pavolva choice is very disappointing, and was really small, with a teaspoon of cherries/raspberry coulis for $8.50. The pav size looked like a sample size which was about three to four small teaspoon amount and it would feed a jockey.

A plus is that they have a great size coffee cup. A good size television with no sound on when we were in the premises.

In conclusion, it was too over priced for you actually get!!!! Poor customer service there are better places to go to, beware potential food poisoning, not recommended. The venue is too hot, uncomfortable, too many flies, not too clean premises, no water on tables and the staff do not really care about patrons and the place has no nice paintings or plants. The place is rather bland with hard wooden chairs which are uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, this place may be living on its previously good reputation with its excellent, thin pizza crusts and good pizza. However, its marketing in tourist/business social media and literature promises a great experience. Unfortunately today it fails to deliver on its promises which is really disappointing.

Jan 31, 2012 

5.5 Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  7      Value  4     

I have been going there for a number of years now and really enjoyed it, but this time I was disappointed. The prices seem to have jumped and the food quality dropped. A large pizza now reaches over $30, which in my books is quite steep. My advice is unless its either Mon or Tues 2 for 1 night, give it a miss.

May 26, 2011 

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Surprisingly good place for dinner! Everything our group ordered was tasty and well presented. Value for money is good and the best thing is that you can get a great beer at the same time.

Jan 29, 2011 

7 Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  8     

Pizzas were lovely, and the staff were really great. Fish and chips and zucchini fritters weren't as good, though, a bit too much batter on both and not enough yoghurt sauce on the fritters. But great for a night out, especially in a group.

Jun 23, 2009 

5.8 Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  6     

Good slightly upmarket pub, some interesting beers and wines available, changing blackboard food menu, they can be a little slow but for somewhere which will take large groups and offer something for everyone this is a reliable place to meet friends for a drink.

Jan 26, 2009 

3.3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  4      Service  3      Value  2     

Don't come to this place for a decent breakfast. We went on a sunday morning for breakfast recently, and found the food and service decidedly average. Our first reaction to the menu was to the exorbitant prices, $6.70 for a fresh squeezed juice, and $13.90 for two eggs on toast. Even a croissant was nearly $7. My friend and I each ordered scrambled eggs with various sides (she had potato rosti and mushrooms, I had asparagus and mushrooms).

The scrambled eggs were hardly worth talking about, resembling more like a an omelette that had fallen to bits, with uncooked egg in places. These guys need to take a leaf out of Bill Grainger's book and learn how to cook delicious, satisfying fluffy scrambled eggs, I can even do it using Bill's technique at home! The solitary piece of spongy white toast the eggs were sitting on was barely cooked and soggy.

The sides were ok, but nothing special, half a dozen mushrooms, and my friend said the potato rosti lacked any flavour. Our other friend ordered the eggs benedict with ham, the highlight for him was that at least they could get poached eggs done right and the cooked tomato was flavoursome. However, the rest wasn't so good, the ham was packet ham and had been somehow charred at places beyond recognition which lent everything else on the plate a horrible burnt taste.

The hollandaise sauce was way too buttery and not lemony enough. Oh, and it took over half an hour to get our food and the restaurant was quite noisy and dirty in places (I wish cafe staff would think to wipe down chairs not just tables!). Anyway, we'll be voting with our wallet and our tastebuds and avoiding this place for breakfast in the future, especially when we have Bill's recipe books at home!

Sep 15, 2008 

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  7     

Thank goodness for 2 for 1 pizza on Monday/Tuesday and a decent wine list. Go for the tandoori if you're a modernist or the mushroom if a traditionalist.

We keep planning to come here and order off the menu - sounds great but put off by the prices. From peering on other people's tables over the years, the quality looks excellent but I have a blocker about paying restaurant prices when the chairs are uncomfortable and the noise so loud that you need to lip read if you take more than one friend. It's an amazingly good pub though!

Aug 28, 2008 

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

My partner and I spend a lot of time at Debacle and we think the food is usually pretty good, especially the pizzas (using Debacle's special pizza dough recipe). It has a great atmosphere and is good for a drink and meal at night, but it's also a great place to go for breakfast, especially for families. Another plus is the wide variety of beers available, although you will pay a bit more than most pubs in the area. One minus is that it can be a bit busy at times but the service is mostly good-with the exception of a few snobby waitresses!

Aug 23, 2008