Northstar Motel

The female hosts and servers were super nice and accommodating. They checked on us often and made sure we were looked after, and the manager was lovely to email with and sent the menu quickly when I asked in advance. We came for Christmas lunch while passing through Oamaru from the Lakes District on our way to Moeraki for the long weekend. The food was hearty and comforting, the usual Christmas fare, with three meat options, which we appreciated since we aren't big ham fans. It was nice to have cheese and charcuterie platters with our drinks while waiting for the buffet. The one bad moment was an encounter with the male “cook.” I took one clean bowl to get seconds on Christmas Day and got scolded, apparently because they didn't have enough plates. How would a guest know that? Put up a sign or explain the rules when seating people. There was a much nicer way to say it. If he can't manage that, he should stay in the kitchen and let the friendly servers handle guests courteously. It ruined a special occasion. My burly ex-footballer husband had to restrain himself from decking him for speaking to me that way. I've worked in hospitality for over 20 years with 14 chefs in three countries, and I know male cooks and chefs have a reputation for being short-tempered, ill-mannered divas, but there's no need to live up to the cliché, especially on Christmas Day. Otherwise I'd have given it four stars, and the other staff members get five.