Buena Vista Hotel

7 Recommended

Food  7      Drinks  5      Ambience  8      Service  5      Value  10     

The Buena Vista cannot be beaten for value, this is an outstanding option for lunch or dinner and $7 for a filling meal is just fantastic. I visit this hotel solely for its incredible value and it were ever to change it would be doing itself out of business... the beauty of this place is that you could afford to come here for a proper meal every night of the week! (The cook-it-yourself option is what I am referring to by the way).

This consists of a choice of either chicken breast or rump steak, cooked at a communal grill yourself, then teamed with self-serve carrots, peas, potatoes and mixed leaf salad. (The salad used to be Greek, complete with fetta and olives but this has since been stripped back to just leaves, shame).

The ambience here has always been friendly, comfortable, great for groups and couples alike and since their recent refurbishment, the dining area has moved to the rooftop for a more modern, young/trendy feel. Overall, this is a place for everyone. Go here for the unbeatable value, it's my absolute go-to for those waiting-for-pay-day budget dinner nights. Buena Vista, don't go ruining it with a price increase, whatever you do!

Jan 07, 2012 

5.2 Average

Food  5      Drinks  5      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  5     

Visited over the Christmas break to check out the refurb. Upstairs is quite impressive, the food and drinks are not. My partner had the token burger which was okay but nothing special. I opted for the Chicken Pad Thai, again okay but there was something missing. This place should really knock the socks off, good position, nice refurb etc. Failed to impress.

Jan 04, 2012 

3.2 Below Average

Food  7      Drinks  2      Ambience  2      Service  2      Value  3     

I used to Love going to the Buena but went last weekend for lunch. The drinks have shot up in price Way overpriced! $8 for a glass of house wine? There was rotten lettuce leaves in the salad bar. Service was unfriendly. At least my partner loved his burger. Last time I ate there the barramundi was soooo expensive for frozen fish that was way overcooked! That place has so much potential such a shame. Won't be going back for a while.

May 05, 2011 

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  1      Drinks  1      Ambience  5      Service  1      Value  1     

Oh my god, I am totally freaking out right now. My fiance and I have lived in Mosman for a year now and we were really excited to eat at the Bueno Vista, especially after I checked their menu online and saw they had mussels!

It started off a bit shacky when the cashier didn't know what kind of sauce/broth the mussels are in (tomato/chilli by the way), then we had to change my fiance's mash that came with his half chicken breast schnitzel (not for the hungry) to chips because the mash was lumpy and dry.

Then hold your breath, I found a crab in my mussel. As I had already spent most of the dish pulling off the grit and 'beards' I quickly pushed my plate to the side. My fiance then noticed another crab in the beards (hairy rough bits) I'd already put on the side of the plate. Far out, how many crabs did I eat!

The waitress came to clear the plate, and I nicely told her, she took them to the Chef who laughed about it (you can see into their kitchen). She came back and said the Chef said it was normal and just adds a bit of crunchiness, say what?!
I then told her all those other bits should have been cleaned off and not served. She said she'd tell the chef.

And that was the end of the story, all infront of the senior staff who did absolutely nothing. Not bad for $17 mussels.

May 25, 2010 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Drinks  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

Great place! We're locals and frequent there often. Tip - the 'snacks' on the menu are really quite substantial, and in some cases half the price of the mains. The beef nachos are a personal fav, I'm yet to finish a bowl they are enormous, and only $13. Really nice local place.

Mar 03, 2010 

7.6 Recommended

Food  8      Drinks  8      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  10     

Only ever been here on a week day as they have 2 meals for the price of one. Which is great value! I wouldn't pay the $20+ for the meals they have, but when you divide it by 2 its great value. I had the Veal Parmigiana and my mate had grilled salmon, altogether it was about $22 or something close to that.

Drinks are cheaper at one of the bars compared to the other which is strange. All in all a cheap pub (On weekdays) and a very not cheap part of town!

Aug 12, 2009 

8.2 Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  9      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  9     

We have been to the hotel on a fair number of Friday nites and are never disappointed with the very high quality of their cook-your-own steak and/or chicken. We have a few schooners and a laugh or 10 watching some of the sports feeds, and find this is a place visitors to town enjoy for its very relaxed atmosphere. A personal favourite!

Nov 11, 2008 

7.2 Recommended

Food  6      Drinks  6      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  7     

Nice atmosphere. I find the food quality mixed. Have had a great burger but steak sandwich so so. Also had ordinary steak a couple of times. Large portions though. Good to watch sport and have a feed. If you are more organized there are better restaurants in walking distance or a short drive towards the Spit Junction.

Oct 20, 2008 

8.6 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Drinks  9      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  8     

Great food, I have tried most of the menu and it's all great, and the sizes are generous. Try the flathead fillets and chips, the bangers and mash, nachos, homemade soup, try the chicken burger, try the steak sandwich, or cook your own steak - their meat is amazing! This pub has best chips in town. If you're not too hungry, have a soup - always delicious as it's real homemade. It’s a nice friendly pub with a great atmosphere.

Aug 25, 2008 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Drinks  8      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  10     

This is a great place to go for a budget lunch, and it is always full of those who appreciate the value - tradesmen, families, and a mix of everyone else in the neighbourhood who'd like a decent meal for a decent price.

The 2 for 1 lunch special is available on any weekday, including on holidays, and includes mains only (not snacks like nachos). Given those restrictions, you still get a pretty good meal for about $10 each. You can cook your own steak, or get a seafood basket, grilled fish, or any of the other (admittedly standard) pub meals.

There is a salad/cooked vegetable bar on the side so you can also load up your plate with salads. The salads are not great but the mains are as good as or better than at most pubs. You get a lot of food. It's always crowded on a weekday, and can be loud, but the service is cheerful.

Jul 27, 2008