The Stirling Arms Hotel

The food was delicious and plentiful, and several guests told me how much they enjoyed it. I held my birthday in the Lounge Bar at Stirling Arms Hotel and couldn't have been happier with the day. Planning was stress-free because communication was easy and the team were accommodating and genuinely helpful. On the day, staff were attentive and friendly, and made sure everything ran smoothly. Nothing felt like too much trouble. I'd recommend the venue for a special occasion, and I'm already thinking of another event to host in the beautiful space. I arranged the balloon setup through an outside provider, but wanted to show what can be done in the room. Stirling Arms were easy to work with on the arrangements.

For Mother's Day, the wait for food kept growing. At 1 p.m. it was 60 minutes, shortly after ordering it became 90, and when our food finally arrived at 2:30, the estimate had reached 120 minutes. I can only assume the kitchen or staffing wasn't enough to get meals out on time. In my opinion, they shouldn't host a Mother's Day event or even open if they can't handle the number of customers they book in. What would Gordon Ramsay say? The food, place and staff are lovely, but this just isn't good enough. I've liked coming here before, but I won't go again for Mother's Day.

We visited Percy's Playground with family on 26/1. The kids enjoyed the playground, there was plenty of fresh water, and the toilets were clean. Their meals were nicely presented and seemed good value. Our food also arrived promptly. The table link showed fewer dishes than the online menu we'd checked beforehand. I wondered whether the Playground has a different menu from the main hotel. They offered calamari as a small serve, but told me a larger portion wasn't available when I asked. I couldn't see why, if they had squid to cook and sell in a small plate, they couldn't serve more for a higher price. I went to the service desk to ask, then ordered the $27 grilled fish and chips, not battered. The price became about $29 with the holiday surcharge, which I paid. There were plenty of chips, nearly filling the small basket, but the fish was just three thin, narrow pieces on top. Based on that portion, I'd question whether the meal was worth even $20. My bank statement later showed another small charge, bringing it to $30.15. I'm happy to pay more for a good meal, but this felt like a rip-off for what was served. I've had much larger fish portions with chips and salad for just under $30 elsewhere, including the week before. Trying to support a local business was a let-down, and we agreed we wouldn't return unless family who live locally heard more positive reports. We can see what management is trying to do and commend them for it, but the meal's value didn't match its portion.

We come to Sterling Arms Hotel & Bar every fortnight for steak night and every week for burger night, so we've become regulars. Both meals are consistently excellent and good value, with steak night a standout and burger night now a weekly ritual we look forward to. Lenny is a big part of why we love the place. We've known him for years, and his work ethic and passion set the tone for the whole venue. He's a brilliant manager, welcoming and attentive, and clearly cares about making each visit a great one. It's rare to find food this good with such personal service every time. Highly recommend.