Paragon Cafe, The

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

We went for a Friday night dinner and were very impressed with the efficient service and excellent food. The carpet bag steak was very good and we enjoyed desserts and coffees in the cocktail bar at the back. The restaurant is now under new management, and well worth checking out for those who have heard of their reputation but were worried about the negative reviews.

Jan 07, 2012 

1.5 Not Recommended

Ambience  2      Service  1     

We were at the Paragon Cafe on the Sunday of the June long weekend. The place was very busy and we had to wait a while to be seated. When we were seated we were put in the back dining room. The decor was horrible. Beautiful wood panelling had been spoiled by the nailing up of random unrelated photos. Such a shame.

The service was appalling and the staff very unhelpful and flippant. We ordered despite this [wrong, wrong, wrong!] - soup and a toasted sandwich. We waited ages, after 40 minutes when we asked how much longer our order would take we were told that it would be a while as they were very busy. When the barista [she just happened to be walking past] checked she discovered it would be another ten minutes. She told us that we should have been told that there was an hour wait when we were seated, we were not told this and, had we been, would never have sat down.

At that point we decided not to stay and walked out. Several other people around us were having a terrible time too. One table of three walked out sick of waiting to be served. Another table waited half an hour for 5 hot chocolates. One couple came in and obviously knew what they wanted. The man told the waitress who promptly replied "how can you be ready to order you haven't even sat down yet."

As we were leaving the barista muttered that what did we expect it was a long weekend after all. There seemed to be lots of 'staff' but none of them looked particularly busy and were certainly not enthusiastic or keen to help customers. We will never go back.

Jul 13, 2011 

1.3 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  1     

I have been to the Paragon in Goulbourn so was attracted to the similar decor, and was hoping for similar quality experience. Unfortunately, the experience nearly spoilt my day.

When we sat down we overheard the people at the next table asking specifically about the soy drinks, as they had a bad experience there before. They obviously didn't recieve any better service, and decided to leave without ordering. I do wish we had done the same. We only ordered coffee, which was certainly not special, nor very hot. When I went to pay the bill the surly waitress (who had intimated that she was the seniro staff) charged me 15 dollars for 3 coffees.

I politely queried this and she sarcastically said that was why she had given us the menues, they were for reading prices! I had hardly glanced at menus as we had only wanted coffee, and I have never paid 5 dollars for a coffee in my life, not even the Hilton charges that much. I will vote with my feet anyway, and will never go back for more!

Apr 28, 2011 

1.5 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  1     

We arrived on Anzac day after a long cold bush walk hoping for a hot drink and warm hospitality. Lots of confused-looking customers were lining up to pay while others were waiting to be seated. After a bit of hovering we were waved through to find our own table up the back. We were then promptly ignored for about 20 minutes while the numerous staff ran around looking busy, irritated and ineffectual.

Eventually we grabbed the attention of a waitress and were given the menus. We asked for a banana bread. There wasn't any left. We asked for a soy hot chocolate. There wasn't any soy milk but we were assured "the dish pig" was on his way to get some. We settled for coffee, tea, cake and some scones.

The tea arrived on a stainless steel plate in a stainless steel pot and dirty tea cups, with crumbs on the serviettes and plates.

All in all, terrible service, average food (glad we didn't have a main) and is overpriced. The decor has style but does need some love. Avoid.

Apr 25, 2011 

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  2      Service  3      Value  3     

We had been to the Paragon before quite a few years ago and remembered the lovely food and ambience. We were very disappointed. The place is dull and awful. It is difficult to open the front door but then when you get inside you wish you hadn't bothered. Smelly, stale and musty are things that come to mind. The people serving looked untidy.

The menu was very boring and all I requested was a muffin but there weren't any. I just wish cafe's wouldn't put items on the menu if they don't have it to serve. I would never bother going back. All the chocolates in the window look sad, tired and stale.

Jan 26, 2011 

1.3 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  1     

A lovely looking, art-deco cafe completely ruined by the terribly over priced and disgusting food. I am amazed that a cafe can create such bad food and undrinkable coffee. The original art-deco interior is quite interesting but the unbelievably bad service, high priced menu and inedible food will make this cafe a place to avoid. I tried to ask the staff the age of the cafe and was met with a very rude response! Never again.

Jan 13, 2011 

1 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  1     

This place is awful! stay away! we walked in because of the lovely decor. On the menu, it said that a pot of tea was $5.50. We presumed that a pot of tea would be for more than one person, well it wasn't, the waiter at the end tried to charge us $11.50 for 2 small cups of tea (you could only fill 2 small cups of tea with the pot they brought us).

On top of that, our cups were dirty, we asked the waiter if we could have other cups. I saw him take the cups, wipe them with a kitchen towel, and bring them back to us. I then grabbed the other waitress and explained what happened, I saw her look around for clean cups and she couldn't find any! It took her 5 minutes to find clean cups! We also saw one of the waitresses eat food in front of the clients, as well as carrying pastries in her hands! disgusting!do not eat their food! this place is appalling!

Jan 06, 2011 

2 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  4      Value  1     

Well! Just like almost all other reviewers, I have memories of this place during the 1980's as a child. December 2010, and I am totally disgusted! Rude waitress dressed as though she was about to do the ironing at home, very poor selection of food available (2:30 pm on 28th December), slow service, expensive. Waffles (not our first choices, had run out of devonshires? which we only chose because the "kitchen had closed"?), one serving came with icecream, the other serving came 5 minutes later with no icecream.

What the hell is going on here? Perhaps, it has been taken over by someone with the view to running it out of business so as to justify closure and re-development?

Dec 29, 2010 

4 Below Average

Food  5      Ambience  8      Service  2      Value  1     

I have very fond childhood memories of the Paragon. Unfortunately, I can't say today's Paragon lived up to my expectations.

We were greeted cheerily enough at the door but the experience quickly went downhill from there. Although a bit musty, the decor was old world and charming and my coffee delicious, if vastly overpriced. However, a polite request to change, for the second time, an inadequate and possibly illness inducing milk beverage (a warm milkshake made without icecream!) caused the staff to become belligerent and rude.

Their obvious distain for us as their customers made our group very uncomfortable and ruined the visit for us. To top it all off, the food was very average for the exhorbitant prices (Eggs Benedict with hard yolks!).

It appears the current management of this once beautiful cafe is cruising on the hard-won reputation of a bygone era, but it won't be for long judging by recent reviews. Sorry to say, neither my friends nor I will be going back.

Dec 14, 2010 

3.8 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  7      Service  3      Value  1     

Who can believe an average sized cup of coffee would be $5.00. Such a rip off. Better to go across the road and get one for $3.50. The only thing special about this place are the old wall panels and booths. Service sucked staff seemed like taking your order was spoiling their day. Also wanted $9.50 for a jam tart you'd pick up at the local bakery for $2.50. Save your money for somewhere else.

Nov 15, 2010