Harrigan's Hunter Valley

The location is excellent, and the Irish pub has nice meals and a good outdoor seating area. The rooms are quite big, and the beds are comfortable, though they sink a little when you sit on them. They’re a bit dated and could use a deep clean and pest control. There’s no microwave or sink.

I still haven’t heard an explanation for where the accusation came from. A bouncer told me the bar manager had accused me of carrying a steak knife. They said I’d ordered one with two pints of Guinness and a pint of cider, and supposedly said, “that’s a great steak knife, I’ll keep that.” I’d never even seen the table knife they produced. The bar manager wanted us thrown out over it, and later admitted the accusation was baseless, offering a round of drinks to make up for it. The guy Sean was reasonable, and Sean and Phil were great. The manager and security guard, though, seemed intent on ruining people’s lives. They also tried to blame the two people I was with for being drunk as a reason to throw us out. The place didn’t seem busy. I went to the toilet, and by the time I’d had a pee, they’d cleared my almost full pint. After accusing me of something that could end my career, the bar staff still charged me for my single cider. I spoke to the bar manager, who still thought I should pay, despite what I see as career-ending or visa-cancelling behaviour. The person who made the accusation never apologised. I can’t believe they’d randomly accuse someone of having a knife. It’s good that they take security seriously, but making an accusation about carrying an offensive weapon without evidence is awful and could have ended my career. If they’d called the police, I could have faced fines, a criminal record, deportation, or a custodial sentence. They have no evidence. They asked me to remove this review in return for a round of free drinks, but that doesn’t seem like a valid reason given how life-changing the accusation could have been. The whole thing ruined our weekend. Apart from Sean and Phil, everyone else seemed to have questionable integrity. Avoid this place as much as you can.

The pub was excellent, with plenty of room, really good food, enjoyable entertainment, and consistently good service. We tried the steak sandwich, beef burger, fish burger, and pot pie, and liked them all. The accommodation was just as good, with large, clean, comfortable rooms, good beds and pillows, and an outdoor area. The location was perfect, close to food and entertainment. I’ll book again. We came with family, though I think it’d also be perfect for a girly weekend away.

We came back for dinner a second time, and the service was quick and good. The staff were clearly very busy on this long weekend Friday, so kudos to them. We couldn’t book online, but a staff member helped us get a table in the heated outdoor area. The pizzas were good, especially the cheesy garlic one with bacon added.