Smokehouse Café - SPRINGRANGE

I was really excited to go here, however upon arrival they had already made a mistake with our booking. It was rectified eventually. It took a very long...

Visiting Canberra for the weekend, we group of 3x had planned a girls day out wine tasting, starting at Poachers Pantry. The website advises wine tasting from 9:30am. We arrived at 10:15am, but were advised it is currently the breakfast service, but will check to see if anyone can conduct a wine tasting. Nothing happened for abt 5mins, and we were left to stand around awkwardly in the way. The same server came back and asked again how can I help? Again, we ask for a wine tasting. He advised he will see if anyone can conduct a wine tasting. We then overhear the server ask another staff member, and the answer was No However, when he returned, he advised it was possible albeit a wait. Again, there was a push for food instead which we declined. We were asked to wait outside and someone will attend when possible. We waited, then walked around the grounds, then waited, pictures, and waited in total 40mins. In this time, we see 2x other groups who were also sitting outside served. We have not received any service, no water, no tasting notes, or reading materials to tide us over nothing. At this point, it was evident we were not welcome and no one was going to serve us. We go in to say we were leaving and to ask why we receive such bad service. His answer was I did say it would be a wait…. We then spoke to the manager she was actually the person we overheard saying it wasn’t possible to do a wine tasting. We asked, if it wasn’t possible to do a wine tasting, why weren’t we just told I’m sorry, it’s not available at this time. Instead we were left outside to wait for 40mins, for nothing. We were advised it was a new, young team, and they were short staffed, and and the water went out at 10am, and and and and …. There was no apology, there was no recourse She stressed that they did want to conduct the wine flights for us. It most certainly did not feel that way we were made to feel like it was our fault for requesting a service that is obviously beyond they capacity This was our first stop for the day and definitely set the tone and soured our expectations for hospitality in this region. We did not try the food This is obviously ONLY a restaurant. Do not come here for their cellar door it is non existent, and the staff will gaslight you into believing bad service is a matter of fact.

We (a group of 4) have just eaten at Poachers Pantry- Saturday, 2pm First time that we have been to Poachers Pantry. Thought it would be a nice venue for 2 couples who had not seen each other for a while to catch up. Sounds positive doesn’t it. From the friends ‘catching up’ point of view it was great conversation. Everything else however, was poor, below poor actually! We arrived and waited to be seated. We waited in the line of all customers at the ‘cellar door’ for this to happen! We were seated and offered water. After 10+ minutes, a waiter arrived and discussed the menu options with us. We ordered off the new menu!? We then waited. Two other tables arrived, and service was given. The food for these tables arrived before ours. Entre came with matching wines…we were hopeful. We waited……. eventually the main course came. We had finished our mains and still no sides had arrived. How long does it take to cook chat potatoes? We cancelled our sides. No matching wines for this course, they had simply forgotten. Just as they had forgotten to offer the non-drinkers any other beverage. An orange juice was ordered…. after 10 minutes (again forgotten) we cancelled it. For a meal that cost $303 it was poor. It was an incomplete meal. We tried to convince ourselves that the flavours were good…but the reality is, it was overpriced with bad service. We heard numerous times from staff, ‘I am sorry, thank you for your patience, we have a new menu, the chef is getting used to it’. PLEASE! Would I recommend Poachers Pantry- NO Would I go there again – NO NO, NO, NO. A very disappointing experience. Don’t even bother trying Poachers Pantry, if you are reading this! You will get better service, food and setting elsewhere.

Food disappointing and over priced. Scallops entree was mean two miniature scallops although it was tasty. Smoked lamb was okay but very bland and uninteresting with no accompaniments except a blob of blackberry. Even the side of pumpkin had nothing to raise it above the ordinary. Will not be back as it seems the menu doesn’t change. Not in for more disappointment. Can cook better at home!

Went for lunch with a friend. I was very disappointed, my friend not so much. I chose the scallops for entree. There were only two scallops served on a leek purée, barely two mouthfuls, however the flavour was nice. I really feel it would not have hurt to serve three scallops. My friend made a better choice of the smoked quail which had a good amount meat and he enjoyed it. For mains I chose the fish of the day which was barramundi. It was the smallest piece of fish I’ve ever seen, no more than 6cm square served on a bed of sliced apples which I found inedible as we’re the caramelised onions. Flavour was lovely except overcooked on the edges. My friend chose the smoked lamb rack. I’ve never seen only two cutlets served as a rack. My friend enjoyed it and it was perfectly cooked but he couldn’t taste any smokiness. We both had the same dessert caramelised apples accompanied by an interesting ricotta and marscapone mix. Lovely dessert but only two chunks of apple (a quarter cut crosswise), surely they could have served four chunks! I would not go back and couldn’t recommend it. At $75 per head, not good value.