Captain Cook's Cove

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  3      Service  4      Value  2     

Went to grab the express lunch during work with the intention to try something different. However, we were first served a Chilled Chilli Melon soup which tasted cross between a salad dressing and watermelon juice.

Even though we were greatly disappointed by the entree we still had Some expectations for the mains, where we ordered the Pan-fried Dory Fillet and 2 Grilled Sirloin Steaks. The Pan-fried Dory turned out to be a fillet of deep fried fish soaked in a very oily beurre blanc sauce which consequently fell apart with the gentle prod of a fork. The meat which claimed to be Grilled Sirloin Steaks were as thin as minute steaks you find in steak sandwiches across the road which were served with soggy steamed greens which just consisted of broccoli and potato chips drenched in an unappetising red wine jus.

After 2 very unsatisfying courses we still decided to give them another chance by ordering the dessert of the day which we were told comprised of 3 varieties of cake. We were presented with 3 cubes of cake being black forest, coconut and strawberry layered sponge cake all of which were a letdown as we were certain any cake purchased from our local supermarket bakery would have tasted better and guaranteed to be baked fresh on the day. Apart from the minimal service and free parking I am regretful there is nothing else I can praise them for.

Dec 07, 2011 

3.8 Below Average

Food  2      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  1     

If only I knew of the name change (from Parrots Brasserie) and read others reviews I would have saved myself the disappointment.

Setup : 6 people, Garlic Bread $6, Seafood Pie $35, 200g Tenderloin $39, Roast Chicken 4kids $16, Pasta Bolognaise 4kids $15, Roma tomato side $7

Food: Complimentary bread & Butter was a nice gesture; Garlic Bread was crispy with fresh butter spread; Wagga Beef Tenderloin tasted funny probably burnt, the other 2 ingredients Mushroom and Chips did not tie with the dish as the sauce was ordinary, better was to use mashed potatos; Seafood Pie tasted ok, though the Muscles did not belong in there; Roma Tomato Salad very disappointing, large pieces of regular tomato tasted like raw, could have chopped it smaller and added more parmesan; Chicken Roast was marinated in a sweet sauce which was not suitable and lacked depth; Pasta Bolognaise standard dish can't go too wrong with that one!

I got the impression the chef was out of his depth much like a 1st round eliminated contestant from Master Chef; trying to produce fancy dishes without having the necessary skills.

Environment: inside 3.5 star hotel was nice; though on Epping rd; unfortunately for them this area is full of uni students not willing to spend that much on a meal; the floor was 80% empty.

Service: professional hotel waitering; car park is free if you spend over $20 in restaurant. food was slow to come out although there were 3 other tables only!

Value: the portions are ridiculously small making value non-existent; none of the dishes were big enough to feed 1 person, not even the pie!... to add insult to injury they charge 1.5% on all credit cards; absolutely unacceptable for a 3+ star hotel, the waiter cited it's company policy, what a bloody rip-off!

May 07, 2011 

7 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  6     

I have been meaning to try this place for a while. It's not as bad as some of the other reviews. We dined here last night with two others plus a 7 year old. The place was pretty busy as there was a conference being held at the hotel.

The wait staff whilst helpful lacked finesse. I do not know if this was due to the amount of people that were dining there, but it was obvious that they were under staffed and very rushed to the point they were almost running around to get food out.

We didn’t have to wait for the food too long which was nice. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad. They forgot the chicken. So I sent it back. The rest of the food came out. They all had ordered from the Char Grilled Wagga Wagga Beef section. Different degrees of cooking were requested from medium rare to medium well.

The plus side, the steaks tasted great, good size steaks, however, the giant size potato things that came with the steak were dry and bland. Probably better to be served with mash, or at least some nice vegetables. Once my Caesar salad came out, I was extremely happy with the taste. I order Caesar salad all the time as it is my favourite to have.

The price for my salad was $25.00, I didn’t feel that there was enough on the plate. The restaurant is on the pricey side, it definitely has potential to be great. Just needs some fine tuning. If they can perfect and improve on several points, then I wouldn’t mind paying the prices they are charging.

I am looking forward to trying the buffet menu next.

Mar 09, 2011 

4.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  4      Service  4      Value  5     

Came here for the first time for the Christmas buffet dinner. Wasn't a great experience, probably wouldn't come back again.

Food: reasonable selection of bread, seafood, salad, hot food, meat and dessert. So, good choices for a buffet.

Downsides: hot summer evening but we weren't informed we would be seated outside in the sun even though there were empty tables for the same number of people inside (obviously no air-conditioning outside). We were unable to change tables so some of us had the setting sun shining right in our eyes for some time. Service was a bit lacking at times, took a while for someone to take our drink orders. As someone mentioned, there is a surcharge on credit cards.

Probably would have rated higher but for our uncomfortable meal which, for the price we paid, wasn't worth it.

Dec 25, 2010 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

We went there for a quick buffet dinner because the restaurant is in a convenient location, close to our house and we like to have dinner out a few times every week. The restaurant features a relaxed casual atmosphere, which is perfect for kids. The food is as good as any buffet and the service is courteous and friendly.

The only drawback is that the sneaky guys slug you for an extra percentage in the end if you select to pay by credit card, which is highly unusual for a restaurant. It's a small amount, but just a little bit too greedy for me, so I probably won't go back.

Dec 19, 2010 

3.8 Below Average

Food  3      Ambience  5      Service  5      Value  2     

Last year I wrote of our experience when the restaurant was known as Parrots. Learning that it had changed hands and reputedly updated the family tried again. Well I can only say the disappointment was palpable amongst our guests. No doubt they thought a change of name would disguise the fact that this is still a low grade buffet style bistro without the reasonable price.

Still no table linen, Lousy christmas decorations and not even a cracker. It was, however, the low standard of food and the lack of diversity that made the experience memorable, so memorable in fact that we will not ever return. Oh by the way they do now have proper teaspoons but did I mention that they charge for every cup of coffee etc. over and above the pricey buffet charge. Try it at your peril. No wonder the place only half full.

Dec 06, 2010 

2.5 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  6      Service  2      Value  1     

Horrible. I have been coming here for years as I work in the area and ever since the restaurant has changed hands it has been a disaster. I have been here 4 times since the refurbishment but horrible. The restaurant itself looks great but everything else is a sham.

Response from Management:
Dear Nikki,

Thank you for your review of Captain Cooks Cove, we are extremely disappointed to read your comments and would certainly value the opportunity to discuss with you directly your concerns.

Since opening Captain Cooks Cove, guest feedback has suggested that we have made a huge improvement in both decor and quality of food. Please feel free to contact me directly or introduce yourself to me on your next visit.

Regards
Paul Gallop
General Manager
(02) 9886 3631

Oct 19, 2010 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  8     

I went to Captain Cook on Thursday night. I had butter chicken. The curry sauce was well balanced, rich creamy and spicy, the chicken was perfectly cooked. My friend had medium to rare cooked eye fillet steak with mushroom in red wine sauce. The steak was fresh, tender and juicy. We had lemon tart and chocolate plate for dessert. And they were both delicious. I will definitely go back there and try out other dishes next time.

Response from Management:
Dear acrofocus,

Thank you for your review and for visiting CCC, we were delighted to read your comments. We are currently running an express menu option at lunch time so we hope to see you back again.

Regards
CCC Team

Oct 10, 2010 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     

What a transformation, this place has re-opened after a big renovation. We went to meet a friend staying at Stamford, the food was amazing, Seafood Pie made Garfish in Crows Next look ordinary. My Partner had the Lamb Rack, superb. My friends also said they have a $19.00 express lunch. We will be back to check this out again. Well worth a visit.

Response from Management:
Dear Cleveland1

Thank you for your review and visit to CCC. We look forward to welcoming you back very soon. You and many others agree, our seafood pie is a real hit.

Regards
CCC Team

Oct 08, 2010