went for dinner, and I don't normally leave any kind of review anywhere but almost every person on my table of 7 had a bad meal - either the meat was tough or dry and in some cases stale, or it lacked flavour or was too oily. for the prices they charge, I'd really just expect something passable. i ordered the gnocchi and I spent most of the time trying to get it unstuck from the roof of my mouth- it was just that dense. the dessert looked nice, but unfortunately I was too thrown off by my main that I did not want to order any more. doubt I'd be coming back. please either fix the food or adjust the prices 🥲🥲

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of staying at The Royal Daylesford Hotel, and it was an absolutely delightful experience. From the moment we arrived, the ambiance of the hotel set the stage for a truly romantic getaway.

The highlight of our stay was undoubtedly the dinner. The seafood linguini and garlic prawns were exceptional. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and the seafood was remarkably fresh, enhancing the flavors of the dish.

Our room added to the charm of our stay, especially with the spa bath. It was the perfect way to unwind and relax our muscles after a day of exploring Daylesford. The hot soak was not just a physical relief but also a mental one, helping us to calm our minds in the serene environment.

The quality of sleep we had at the hotel was unparalleled. It was a night of peaceful, undisturbed rest, which is often rare in hotel stays.

In summary, our experience at The Royal Daylesford Hotel was nothing short of wonderful. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a mix of luxury, comfort, and exceptional dining. It's a perfect spot for a romantic retreat or a relaxing escape. We're already looking forward to our next visit!

Meh...that's kinda the reaction our whole group of 4 had when we left after dinner...whilst nothing was terribly bad or wrong - it wasn't great either. I was especially shocked when the serving of calamari came out which was $23 and there were 5 tiny strips of calamari on the plate. I actually gasped when the waitress dropped the food off and said I think they forgot the calamari!! Beer choices were pretty average as well, how many lagers do you need on tap?? And hardly anything in bottles/cans to choose from. Left full thanks to the hefty serving of wedges but certainly underwhelmed.

Me and my family went there and honestly for the price we paid the food and service should of been better.
The parmas where plain no flavour and the salad served with it was just leaf mix and coleslaw mix nothing else my son had the cheese and bacon burger which he said was nice. And the garlic and cheese bread was only 2 slices!!!
We will not be going back

From the outside, it looks quite expansive, but when I went in, I found the layout felt really confined. It was warming though and the food was pretty good. Our plates weren't cleared until we actually left which was 3 hours later, so service could've been better. I'm not going to be harsh but having been in hospitality for 30 years I do have an expectation. I'm not overly excited about kids in restaurants, and there was a separate area which was perfect for us dining without kids running around.
The location was fantastic and overall it was a pleasing lunch.

We were planning to stay here for a weekend away. Experienced a very unpleasant interaction with Leanne on the phone when following up on a question regarding our booking (they stopped replying to emails the moment they had the booking). Definitely won't be staying here.

Fish and chips was really disappointing looks better than it is. Batter was terrible it's almost like bread. Why can't you make a simple batter with beer, flour and yeast it's not hard. Salad was small and under dressed. Dips where terrible if your going to make a pesto dip then make it a dip don't serve pesto you use for a pasta as a dip it's different. Mosco mule drink I think someone needs to look at google how it's made instead of making it with solo and lime juice and at $22 you would think it would be good. Lesson Learnt next time we will go elsewhere.
1 more thing old guy behind the bar serving drinks when we ask for lemon does not mean you can pick it up with your dirty hands and put it in the glass I saw tongs there and you didn't use them. Considering you are dealing with cash all day and we just went through Covid you would think you would be trained to USE TONGS. If your doing that what is the kitchen doing ????

??'? Popped in for lunch, had the cheesy garlic bread, and hawaiian pizza both were great, super tasty, and served hot.

One thing I didn't find very hygienic was the dog in the actual venue... It wasn't a service dog or on a lead. At the time, it wasn't being too bothersome to customers, BUT there are designated areas outside the dining venue where you can eat with your dogs, not inside.

Always a good spot for a drink and a meal. The food is high quality pub fare, it is expensive. A classic Parma will set you back 31.90 + surcharges... but we came back twice as all meals were consistent and enjoyable.
The dining room is a bit clinical, try and grab a spot in the bar area.
Avoid the red wines by the glass, they are all terrible, even for a pub!
Overall a good place, great location. We will come back.

The whole experience from beginning to end was amazing friendly staff, management and the owner.
Room was very clean and spacious with the best spa bath and very comfy bed.
Do your self a favour and book this hotel you will love it 😍
If I could I would give it a 10star ⭐️ I would

My partner and I stayed here for 2 nights. Super impressed with the service, cleanliness and the location. Super close to everything you could possibly need including shops and restaurants. The restaurant downstairs provided excellent service and our food was delicious.

Our only negative was that it can be noisy in the mornings. Again while this is not a direct fault of the accomodation it is something we wanted to note.
I would highly recommend it this as a place to stay or as a restaurant to dine at.

We went there for dinner and when we walked in the waiter was not really interested in helping us. She displayed little knowledge of the drinks that the pub offered. The food unfortunately was also average. Fish & calamari overcooked and the curry still had the bay leaves and starineese left in it. Very disappointed for what was not a cheap meal!

Room was fantastic, however the bed was so hard!!! Iike a brick!! Location was great.
Loved the fan, balcony, double shower and products provided.
Room service was average, would have been nice to get new bowls each day as we used them daily however they just sat on the bench.
No guest info sheet or anything either, bit odd.

Great pub for casual dining, enjoyed it. Food was good, service excellent. We enjoyed a game of pool while we waited for our meals which didn't take long at all, considering it was a busy Sunday lunch time. We had a group of 11 and were greeted by friendly staff and looked after beautifully. Highly recommend for lunch!

Have been here twice in the past few years. Consistently good food. Excellent range of wines and cocktails. First time I have ever finished an entire plate of potato gnocchi. So good that the last spoonful was as delicious as the first. My wife had a surf and turf parma, that was perfectly cooked. Nice atmosphere and great central location.

I'd only come here again for a drink and that's a push. Service was ok and the outdoor seating with the dogs was great, however the food was very, very overpriced and average. Nachos were huge but overcooked, the cheese was burnt and stuck the corn chips to the plate you couldn't move them and the vegetarian burger was really bad, especially for $22. It was tiny and tasted like curry. Do not recommend here for food, maybe just a drink in the sun if you can't get in anywhere else. Such a shame for a great location.

The Nachos were great and the shaded outdoor area is a good space. We ate here because we have a dog. Was a bit disappointed that other patrons were allowed to have their dogs off leash and wondering around. When my partner asked staff if they could ask them to leash their dog she was told bluntly that there were no rules and they have no right to tell someone to leash their dog. I don't think that this is a good enough response.

Had a booking unexpectedly cancelled by another venue, and the staff at this hotel worked effectively to provide a room in a house they had just taken over.
The room was very clean, as was the bathroom, and both, on hot days, were cool.
The staff really went out of their way to help and made the weekend very pleasant, rather than stressful.
Strongly recommende them because of their great service.

Originally phoned to reserve a table and told they don't take bookings so went down to be asked if we have a booking! They did fit us in. We had a curry and lamb shanks quite good. Salmon not so nice - dry, flavourless and with bones. Not ideal for the price - prices overall high for a pub meal. Staff too efficient - asking to take your plate when half way through eating and taking drinks before being finished. Would be nice to all have finished eating before having the table cleared. Felt rushed as if they're wanting to get the next sitting in. Probably won't return.

Great and friendly staff. But the meals were very average. The sea food platter was very over cooked the 2 king prawns on top were very hard, the chicken surf and turf, well the chicken tasted like processed chicken it was hard to cut and eat , also it needed more creamy garlic sauce on it. Last was the pork belly, hardly any crackling and the pork you got was very dry. $105 For 3 meals . Come on you need to do better.

A very comfortable country pub, warm atmosphere, friendly staff and great meals.
I had the seafood plate- fish, prawns, seafood trumpets , chips and salad.
Second was the gnocchi with chicken.
Big serves $32 each and we struggled to finish.
Highly recommended.

Have had lunch here a fair few times and they never fail to impress! The food and service is amazing. Seriously, everything I have eaten here has been the best of whatever it is I've ever eaten. Yesterday I had the parma which was amazing, such fresh, flavourful chicken! The fish has the most light, crisp coating and the chips are just too easy to eat. Don't know if the dressings and sauce are house made, but they are perfectly complimentary of the dishes. The staff are also very welcoming and accommodating and the atmosphere is absolution lovely, whatever your in the mood for with a couple of seating options. I love this place and couldn't recommend it more!

Loved the period hotel atmosphere. Really nice friendly staff. Damn cold when we went.. late April... staff directed us to a warm spot in front of the open fire to keep warm. Good selection of craft beers. Both had lovely generous serves of vegetarian meals. No we're not rabid vegans just don't like meat that much. Recommended for couples.

Absolutely freezing room. Middle of winter, no heating on. After turning the heater on (previous guests had it on 30) still hardly warm after 2 hours.

Super efficient service and grateful to be served so fast! Highly recommend the lamb shanks which were delicious and great value for money due to the large portion size. Nice to have a good dinner option while staying at the hotel :)

Room was large and spacious with a comfortable bed. Bathroom was clean and a good size.
The downside to this room was the noise and activity from downstairs with all the pub patrons. Very hard to sleep - so if you are after a good night's sleep don't stay here, it is by no means quiet!

A very popular hotel with a good selection of pub meals. I came with a large group of people and the chef did not stint on portion sizes. The fish and chips were very crispy. Lamb rague was beautiful. The rice in the prawns and rice dish could do with more liquid while being cooked. There's enough selection here to choose from if you are staying in town for a few days, and you are just after a pub meal. Children's party was in progress in a separate part of the hotel when we were there. Parking can be a challenge on the weekend, but we just had to walk a little bit further. Lovely and warm inside - very welcome when you've come in from a cold rainy day outside. Reasonable prices for a country pub.

Always open and always reliable. The linguine marinara is especially good. Its so nice to sit at the new tables/ benches on the lawn in the sunshine

So. Im leaving a 4 star review and I didnt even eat here. Ill tell you why.The waiter that greeted us had so much charisma, charm and warmth, we had to take a seat. After reviewing the menu, sadly there werent any vegetarian options for us to enjoy.I didnt catch the waters name but he looks like a young Matt Damon.

Lunch Easter Sunday, meal was amazing and waiting service was good, however having two staff on taking food orders and drink orders with a very long cue was appalling especially at one stage all we wanted was a drink so stood in what was thought to be the drink line watching a staff member clean behind the bar and when weasked if we could order just a drink asthe food line was so long we were told no we would have to wait in line or go to the other bar which had just as long of a cue. i understand penalty rates etc but really after the year we have all had.. better service is notmuch to ask is it? or keep the bookings to a manageable level... or simply put more staff onVery disappointed and felt so sorry for some of the staff so rushed off their feet...BTW wewent to another venue and had that drink..

A good place to eat and I loved the Gardener's pizza available at the sports bar. The outdoor seating consists of a series of picnic benches and you can eat your dinner in the sun or shade. The suites are very fancy and great for a getaway. The only draw-back is that it's directly above the bar and it can be very difficult to sleep due to the music and drunk people who are very loud until 1am.

Love staying at The Royal Daylesford. Beth is always helpful with booking. Staff welcoming. The rooms are elegant. The food fresh and tasty. Have enjoyed my stay everytime