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The Bay Restaurant
Review
About
Superb contemporary dining at Freycinet Lodge, overlooking Great Oyster Bay. The Bay is renowned for its outstanding seafood and is consistently rated as one of the east coast of Tasmania's best restaurants.
Features
CUISINES
Seafood, Australian
Meal types
Breakfast, Dinner, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
American Express
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Mastercard
Parking Available
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Is this restaurant family-friendly?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Open until 10:00 AM
Sunday
7:00 am - 10:00 am6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Monday
7:00 am - 10:00 am6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Tuesday
7:00 am - 10:00 am6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wednesday
7:00 am - 10:00 am6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Thursday
7:00 am - 10:00 am6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Friday
7:00 am - 10:00 am6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday
7:00 am - 10:00 am6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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4.0
389 reviews
Excellent
165
Very good
123
Average
58
Poor
27
Terrible
16
Speedigondeedee
90 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
We were surprised by the high quality of the wait staff and the food. From the moment we entered the restaurant the staff were attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. The staff are very well-trained and have tasted each dish so they can answer any question you have. Their knowledge of the wine list was also impressive. They genuinely want you to have the best dining experience possible. The food was extraordinary. We started with the delicious complimentary bread and condiments. Our main dishes (lamb and fish) were beautifully presented and tasty. We shared the Dutch carrots - carrots have never tasted so good. Finally, we enjoyed their exquisite desserts. The lemon tart and the sweet potato pana cotta were life changing experiences. The chefs are very talented and create amazing flavours and textures. We finished with a hot chocolate and a coffee - both perfectly made.
Thank you to the Bay Restaurant for the best dining experience of our Tasmanian holiday.
Written 25 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelDooey
Melbourne377 contributions
Nov 2024 • couples
Very nice ambience with high ceilings, water view & nice service. The crayfish linguine was excellent. The mushroom gnocchi was good, but the watery sauce made it all wet. The lemon tart was very good with the basil sorbet being a particular highlight. The profiterole was perhaps dish of the day. Either that or the linguine. Not my first time here & hopefully not my last.
Written 31 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cathnsw
Greater Newcastle856 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
Lovely vegan dinner. Great service and the food was lovely and well priced. Our entree dish included a Cashew Nut Cheese which was so good. We liked dinner so much we returned the next night and had the same entree. Staff were excellent. We also enjoyed breakfast and again vegan was catered for.
Written 16 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lanny C
33 contributions
Jan 2022 • family
It went wrong from the beginning, I rang to book a table and was told by receptionist that there was no need to book as there was a lot of availability. Then when we showed up we were told that we should have booked and there is no table available. He had the nerve to suggest that I tried booking the wrong restaurant !! We were told to come back in 1/2 hour, we came back and of course table was not ready. If there was another restaurant nearby, we would have walked out.
After waiting for over 1 1/2 hours, we enquired only to be told that the order had not been sent! It was going to be ready is 10 minutes, and of course it was not 10 min, half hour later the food came. It was not even good, and over priced and by this stage we had waited for over 2 hours for our food, we were no longer hungry. Now it’s nearly 10 pm and we are just eating . Do yourself a favour, do not come here, go to Coles bay and there’s better, cheaper food with better service.
Written 20 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian S
Nelson Bay272 contributions
Dec 2023 • couples
This is a difficult review to rate. The food was absolutely fantastic and the service very good, but the menu was very limited to 5 starters and 5 mains. We stayed at the Lodge for 3 nights and would have liked to have eaten at The Bay for all 3 nights, despite the expense. However, after 2 nights, we decided to eat at the Iluka Tavern for the 3rd night as we didn't want to have the same thing for another night. Even the fish of the day was the same on both nights. Yes, we are picky as we don't eat red meat. There was a vegetarian menu with 2 items on - one of which was a meal based on Brussel sprouts which I hate. What's more 2 of the starters were very spicy, in particular the scallops which were coated in very spicy nduja. Why do chefs serve delicate tasting scallops with spicy stuff like nduja or chorizo? It doesn't make sense.
Written 1 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
javery67
Hunter Valley226 contributions
Sept 2022 • couples
Started our evening with a drink in the bar lounge to watch the sunset before moving next door to the restaurant. We were seated at our window table that was requested when we booked. Our waiter, Pablo, was friendly and helpful whilst taking our orders and serving the entrees and mains. The food so far was delicious. However, an accidental dropped plate by our waiter changed things dramatically. We made sure he wasn't injured by the broken plate and assured him we weren't fazed by it. Unfortunately that was the last we saw of him. For some unknown reason he didn't bring the dessert menu and never returned to our table again. We had to get the attention of another waitress, Steffi, who looked after us superbly for the rest of the meal. Dessert was again delicious. Overall the evening was very good but for being made to feel awkward by the waiter. Still highly recommend the restaurant.
Written 12 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
happysoyboy
16 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
After we were seated (in the far end corner of the restaurant with a beautiful view over the sunset), it took half an hour before we were offered any water and someone came by to take our order. We had decided to splurge on a bottle of the 2014 Apsley Gorge (the most pricey Pinot Noir on their regular wine list) but had been told after another 20 minutes that they only have the lower ranked 2016 vintage, which made us decide it was not the right night to enjoy a more expensive wine. We ordered wine by the glass in the end. I don't think the slow service was intentional because the staff (especially Sam and the new girl at the restaurant front desk) were really friendly. Perhaps the first few days following the New Year were just a bit slow and everyone was just trying to recover from the holidays?
For appetisers, we got the Local Tiger Abalone Salad. The abalone slices in the salad were very very bland. Order something else (we would have loved to try the oysters but we had already had a good dozen each at a nearby oyster farm on the same day).
The meat dishes were good (but not outstanding). The plates were hot and nicely presented. Both the beef fillet and lamb backstrap went well with The Holy Trinity GSM that we ordered. Had we not been staying at the Freycinet Lodge, we would not have picked this restaurant merely for convenience.
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ivo L
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to give us your thoughts about your experience in Freycinet Lodge.
We continuously try to find new ways to improve our customer service and quality.
I do apologise that you have had such a long wait until you got served and that you were not exactly satisfied with your dinner. This is certainly not the kind of service Freycinet Lodge is known for.
Please be assured we will discuss your points mentioned above in our next head of department meeting and working on solutions for the future.
We would be honored to welcome you again in Lodge one day.
Kind regards,
Ivo Lorenz
Written 19 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tastony2
Hobart211 contributions
June 2020 • none
At the outset I must declare I used the restaurant on day 2 after reopening to guests ( relaxation of attendees during Covid restrictions ). Having dined previously many times during earlier visits, I was able to make a comparison.
I was somewhat disappointed. It was a relatively small choice and expensive menu. Average price early to late $40s. ( a glass of wine $14 )The two dinners I had were generally acceptable, but nothing to be excited about. The breakfast buffet has been replaced by table service only The dining area is now well separated with black top tables. No linen or even disposable cloths. No condiments, but just a knife and fork and paper napkin. The room is quite bleak with black being the dominant colour with a dull grey carpet throughout. The 2 large fires that gave warmth and character were not lit ( I was told so that people would not congregate around theme - guess they were expecting guests would not use common sense.
Overall summary, the Lodge and park and well worth the visit, but don't expect too much from a dining experience at this time. Assume things will get better as routines and restrictions are further relaxed
Written 2 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dbfun41
Elizabeth Town222 contributions
Aug 2021 • none
We had a very starnge meal experience at The Bay. We both very much enjoyed our entrees. My partner had the oysters and was thoroughly delighted with the offering. Fresh, large local oysters presented in different ways. She always goes for teh oysters and pronounced these the best she had since we had fresh oysters on Bruny Island. I had the abalone risotto. This yera i have had a run of excellent risotto's in some very good restaurants. This one was right up their. Not dry, rice al dente and full of flavour, a great start to our meal.
then it went down hill big time. I ordered the orecchiette broccoli pesto pasta. It was essentially a bowl of orecchiette and broccoli with a few peas. Not sure what the pesto was. It was so dry, way too much broccoli and not pleasant eating. I am dubious my vegetarian son would have enjoyed it. My partner had the Braised Duck leg. At 42$ not cheap dining. The look on my partners face after taking the first bite was priceless. It was she said just way too over cooked, way too dry and unpleasnt eating.
The service we received was pleasant and professional, with an apology for the mains.
PS our breakfasts were consistently of a 4 level rating. The scottsdale Pork bacon is delightful and the poached eggs were perfectly cooked each day.
Written 15 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jarox
Adelaide506 contributions
Oct 2021 • none
Unfortunately the Lodge was booked out, we stayed elsewhere, but got a booking here , well before our arrival in town. Often these large resorts pump out mass produced stuff to feed the masses. Not the case here. We do a lot of fine dining, and the food here was equal with (nearly ) anywhere.
Oyster tasting plate and scallops to start. Along with there interesting little bread course ( we went and bought the olive oil the next day)
Perfectly cooked eye fillet for him, Bouillabaisse for me. Then we shared Creme Brulee for dessert ( lucky as it was huge serve) Our waiter Sam was super friendly and knowledgeable. All in all a great evening.
Written 24 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wombatdavid
Hobart2839 contributions
July 2020 • none
We were staying at the lodge and the breakfast is included in the room rate. Due to COVID there is no buffet but a menu you can order what you would like. We had a pastry platter and fruit platter to share as well as the traditional breakfast which was great. The service was great and the view lovely.
Written 19 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
burnettstreeturbanpirate
Hobart20 contributions
June 2020 • couples
Wonderful dining experience & staff.
I don't know exactly where to begin on our experience so I'll start there.
From every level and individual within this restaurant and business we felt absolutely embraced and welcomed.
Relaxed nature but over delivering on service standards.
Busy but in complete control.
Impressive knowledge of menu, desire to learn and ability to engage with people from all walks of life.
What a place, what thoughtful and elegant food and execution of service standards.
Thanks all.
We couldn't have felt more cared for.
Written 29 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JimRiesterer
Edina6019 contributions
Feb 2020 • couples
One of two restaurants at the Freycinet lodge serving local cuisine. We dined there for dinner on the first of our two-night visit to the park. It’s a pretty large space with tables arranged in tiers to take advantage of the nice views to Coles Bay
The dinner menu isn’t all that large-one beef dish, lamb, a gnocchi, couple of fresh fish dishes, a few sides and starters. I chose the local fresh fish and my wife the farmed local salmon and we also got the roasted garlic rosemary potatoes. The food definitely gets 5 stars for presentation with colors and texture galore but I was a bit underwhelmed by the taste and I certainly couldn’t find any rosemary in the potatoes.
Service was friendly and the pace quite relaxed. There’s a nice drinks and wine list featuring local options.
Bottom line-for me this is a good spot for dinner if you are staying at the lodge but not a place I’d make an efforrt to get to otherwise.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ivol0815
Hello Mr Riesterer,
Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience in our restaurant. I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay in our hotel and the friendliness of our staff.
We would be happy to welcome you again one day in our hotel, where also the delightful taste of the food, matches the vibrant colors.
Kind regards,
Ivo Lorenz
Written 16 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Meg
3 contributions
July 2020 • couples
Needed a couples weekend away and after hiking Mt Amos decided we would treat ourselves.
Food was delicious it was generous serves of beautiful fresh Tassie produce. Service was outstanding by Will & Leigh (As a previous employee of Strahan Village View 42 it was lovely to hear how RACT has supported their staff in such a hard time for hospitality and tourism so well done RACT things like this never go unnoticed!
Also View 42 think it’s time to ditch the seafood buffet and take a leaf out of The Bays restaurant which was show casing Tassie best food and wine in a fine dinning experience and it was outstanding paired with brilliant and outstanding service.)
Highly recommend!!!
Written 10 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen & Sue
Canberra2753 contributions
Jan 2021 • none
Freycinet Lodge’s Bay Restaurant is the only thing close to fine dining you will find anywhere near Coles Bay.
The restaurant is not restricted to guests, so, anyone can make a booking here.
The food is good, and exceeds expectations for a hotel resort restaurant. The Seafood Orecchiette was tasty, and had generous pieces of salmon, Blue Eye trevalla, mussels and calamari while the lamb backstrap was perfectly cooked.
Desserts were nice, though underwhelming.
Prices are a little high, but understandable given the location, though wine and beer prices were reasonable.
The space is big, and airy with plenty of room for social distancing, especially now tourist numbers here have collapsed due to borders being shut.
Staff are great and very well informed about the food and wine.
But the mosquitoes ate us alive! Doors and windows are left open late to take in the view and sea breeze, but they also attract huge numbers of mozzies, so, eat early, cover yourself in insect repellent before you eat, or ask the staff to bring you some insect repellent as soon as you take your seat.
Written 11 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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