Bald Rock Hotel

5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  4     

Arrived around 6:30 pm on a Sunday and the place was busy. Had to wait almost an hour for the food to arrive. I had roast pork which was mediocre. Country town RSL standard. My dining companion had the chicken burger which was also average. There is better pub food to be found on the Balmain peninsula. On the plus side the barman was energetic and friendly.

Sep 02, 2010 

8.6 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Drinks  10      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  9     

Popped into the Bald Rock on Sunday for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. I'm english and been on the hunt for a English Roast dinner with Yorkshire puddings for months and finally found it. They also had 'Toad in the Hole' on the menu too which most Aussies have never heard of but I'll be going back for it. Amazing to see an English winter menu done very well by a new english chef. See you next Sunday!

Jul 14, 2010 

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  9      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  8     

A dear Polish friend of mine always wants to go to the BaldRock on a Tuesday Steak Night. Fabulous value, 400g steak and a pint of beer for, is it $15. He says it is the best steak in Balmain and I am inclined to agree. You can have it with chips and salad or veg and mash but the steak is always well cooked, succulent and tender. He likes his well done but I prefer mine rare so we agree on its greatness from both ends of the spectrum.

Condiments are also liberally provided, at no extra charge and the mushroom sauce has lots of real mushrooms in it. Delish! Only one thing is a bit sad, they used to have a wonderful internal dining room with an open fire, very romantic for winter dinners but some bright spark turned it into a pokie room. Good Grief! Some people don't know what they have! Please, Management, turn it back and put the pokies elsewhere and then it would be at least a 9 for ambience!

Jul 13, 2010 

1.2 Not Recommended

Food  1      Drinks  1      Ambience  1      Service  2      Value  1     

The nachos were drowned in sweet chilli sauce. Sweet chilli is great for dipping spring rolls and fish cakes, it's thai food, and it really doesn't go with nachos!

Jan 25, 2010 

3.6 Below Average

Food  5      Drinks  5      Ambience  3      Service  2      Value  3     

The Bald Rock has enormous potential, tucked away on the side streets of the Balmain penninsula, boasting open air beer gardens. What a treat! You step into a world of old school Balmain/Rozelle blue collar, dockies, rough and tumble nostalgia. You're set for a great time!

Then you look at the menu, suddenly the nostalgia is but a wistful glimmer in your eye. There is nothing shocking about the price really, it is consistent with Balmain prices. The shocking thing is that the pubs competing at this price have all upscaled or at least wash the shared condiment bottles. There were few diners there this monday evening, and most tables were clear, but all of them sticky with the weekends beer still clinging to the surface.

The senior staff didn't seem to care much. He appeared to be 18 or just out of school. He preferred to throw coasters across the bar at his mates than serve us. The barmaid who did take our order was somewhat more gracious as she snarled "I ain't cleanin that up!"

When the food arrived, the plates were amply dressed with food that on the surface passed the eye inspection. I chose the Bald Rock Burger. I am a man who does judge a pub by its burger. At $14.90 I expect a decent homemade burger. What I got was a pre-fabricated pressed patty, of mediocre quality. The trimmings, however, were spot on. Hot chips, salad, bacon, cheese, egg (still runny). The chef obviously cooks well, the management decision on the purchased meat needs to be reviewed.

Midway through our meal, about 20 youths male and female shared the dining area with us. There is a pool table there. They clearly had no thoughts about us as they carried on shouting and smoking. They obviously were the senior staffs mates with no smoking signs posted everywhere, he told them of course, the can smoke. Don't worry about the diners beside you.

Dec 08, 2009 

7.2 Recommended

Food  7      Drinks  7      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

My partner and I live in the area, and duck into Bald Rock for a quick meal every couple of months. We like it, it's not big, but it's a quaint little pub. It's a little cramped and dark inside, but the outside beer garden is pleasant, usually friendly, and with big heaters is pleasant even in winter.

The menu has the usual pub fare, with Mon-Wed specials. Meals are good and basic, but solid. My favourite by far is the lamb shank meal, which are served as either one or two shanks with chips and salad or vegetables. The staff are pleasant and fairly down to earth. The locals are jovial and pleasant, and there's a nice vibe to this pub. It's not flashy, but it's a pleasant experience, and it's my favourite pub to have an unpretentious meal.

Oct 28, 2009 

9.4 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  10     

Great place to eat. Good range of price options on the menu, from 'Steak Night' Mondays ($10) to some classy food. Both the Chicken parma and the grilled chicken caesar were great. Good old 'pub style' venue. If you want something fancy, then look elsewhere. But it's neat, tidy, nostalgic and has top food.

Sep 08, 2009 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  9      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  9     

Great schnitzel, good beer, one of the best kept secrets in the area.

Mar 03, 2009