Play Pokies at Highlands Hotel in Craigieburn

We went to the buffet at a Saturday. The food was very good and the desert was even better. The kids play area kept the kids happy and they did a very good job by making the play area walls soundproof.

Since we moved in to Craigieburn in 2014, Highlands hotel has been one of our favourite dine in spot for celebrations, for hanging around, for even a me time or just having a slow day, and if our days are busy and lazy to cook their buffet lunch or dinner is part of our daily saviour to get through our mealtimes. The ambiance is great, friendly staff, price of food is just right, the cafe has a very relaxing feel a lobby type set up our you can choose the smoking area tables outdoors, the sports bar offers great ala carte meals and our countless visits with friends or with families to dine at their international buffet is always a good experience.

The Highland hotel buffet was a decent experience, but there's A LOT room for improvement. As someone who loves food I expect good food quality when paying $41 on weekends, I was let down by the overall food honestly. While some dishes were okay, but many lacked seasoning and flavor. However, there were some options like fries and pizza that were good. I also found it disappointing that soft drinks were charged separately, even though we had already paid for the food. The desserts were okay, not fantastic, but overall, it was a good experience if someone likes seafood as they had many options for it. I would recommend visiting on weekdays, as it's less expensive and less crowded.

The buffet had a variety of choices including beef, lamb, chicken casserole, prawns , salmon, calamari, pizza, chips, nuggets, samosas, pasta penne ,spaghetti , fried rice, vegetable hokkien noodles to name a few.
There was a variety of salads also available.
For desert there were cakes slices , apple crumble, pavlova and ice cream.
The venue it self was tastefully decorated.
When l booked l was NOT told that we had a time limit.
Our booking was for 5.30pm but unfortunately due to traffic we got there 20 min later. At 7pm we were told we had to leave in 20 min.
We were surprised that we were told to leave without finishing our meal.
My disabled husband did tell the manager but weren\'t told that there was a time limit when l booked.
He also told her that it was his birthday and would appreciate extra time as there was traffic getting there .
She responded by giving us 10 min extra.
There were many empty tables and there was no compassion. The waitress told us to leave at 730pm .
They suggested we sit in the couch area where kids were running a muck and no supervision. This unsafe behaviour was ignored by staff.
Management needs to ensure that kids are not running around in the foyer and throwing spinners around as this is unsafe behaviour for other patrons. There is a kids playground in the bistro.
Please check your security camera from Tuesday night.
So overall , the bistro food was very good for the price but they need to inform patrons there is a time limit when booking.
Compassion is needed for a person who is not mobile and this should of been shown by the manager on duty.
Three people staying for an extra half hour would not of been an issue, as it didnt look fully booked out when we left.
Supervision and security need to be mindful of other patrons, especially disabled patrons.

I had a great experience at this Highlands hotel restaurant. The dishes were fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The prawns and oysters were especially delicious, and everything tasted very fresh. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. Prices were fair for the quality, and I'd definitely come back again. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys good seafood!