We went to the Dr Syntax Hotel for a meal on Tuesday night. I had heard and read good things since the recent change of ownership and return to its original name so looked forward to a good meal.
The Dr Syntax Hotel doesn’t appear to have its own website yet but is located at 139 Sandy Bay Road Sandy Bay near the corner of Queen St. It was known as the Bay Hotel briefly and many results in Google still refer to it as that. The owner and management has changed though so you should not consider those reviews when considering the new quality.
We ordered a cobb loaf with garlic butter for starters. Accidently they confused our order and brought out a cobb loaf with oil and pesto. The mistake was quickly rectified and garlic butter was brought to the table. It had a piece of plastic seal around the rim of the garlic butter so presumably the garlic butter is not house made but rather bought in.
Jo had a steak which was ordered medium for her main and I had pork belly with scallops and a Vietnamese sald for main. Being at a pub I couldn’t resist the temptation and ordered a side of steak fries which were truly delicious – crispy outside and soft centres just the way I like them.
Jo’s steak was more like medium-rare than medium but was still excellent. I personally found the scallops to be bland – there was no sauce and they just didn’t have much flavour. However the pork belly was absolutely fantastic and the meal would have been truly outstanding even without the scallops.
Jo’s meal did have a hair in it which was disappointing but she said the steak was fantastic otherwise.
The service was excellent and friendly but unlike Rita’s review we didn’t get to meet the owner. It was a fairly quiet night so perhaps he was on a night off.
For another opinion of the Dr Syntax which had a perfect experience check out this review:
Hobart Food for thought: No doctor needed for a meal at the Syntax
So overall they had a few blemishes but the flavour of the food was excellent and I would still recommend the Dr Syntax as the service was great and the food was quality. Also unlike the Shipwright Arms Hotel review I did earlier:
Review of Shipwrights Arms Hotel in Battery Point Tasmania
the staff at the Dr Syntax were genuinely sorry when a mistake occurred and rectified it immediately – some mistakes are bound to happen and what is more important to me is how the establishment deals with them and fixes them. On this count I can certainly recommend the Dr Syntax.
In terms of prices the dearest main was around $28 and entrees were very well priced. The food is certainly excellent value for money.
The Dr Syntax also has a great location and ample car parking which is also important. They also have an outdoor beer garden area which is great for sunny weather.
In summary I really liked the food and the service was great and friendly – I will certainly go back. It wasn’t a perfect meal but the prices are very reasonable and it isn’t pretending to be a fine dining restaurant.
Have you been to the Dr Syntax recently? Please let us know your thoughts. We would love to hear from you and have you join in the discussion.
Dale
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