The Deck @ Regatta Point - it's not me, it's you...

borizuka said :

There is a small cafe up at Mt Stromlo, don’t recall its name at the moment.
Not as centrally based, but the small deck does have a nice view of the Brindabellas.

You’re thinking of Scope – quite small but it should be able to do 12 if you book. I wasn’t astounded by the food, but the staff were nice and the coffee wasn’t horrible (maybe a bit on the weak side). Great views, though.

The Deck has some of the worst coffee I’ve had in ages, and both times I’ve been there the staff had a lot of trouble operating the till.

There is a small cafe up at Mt Stromlo, don’t recall its name at the moment.
Not as centrally based, but the small deck does have a nice view of the Brindabellas.

And if your a mountain biker you can take your bike up and get your misses to meet you at the bottom when you are done!

pptvb said :

WOW ….talk about timing!
I’ll have to look around me thinks!

Maybe try Bookplate at the National Library?

🙂 Gold! I’ve had a similar experience there..
I might have to print this (and the previous RA post in 2008) and mail it to them, in case they don’t read RA. Then again, I assume they wouldn’t care.
Maybe i’ll have to send it to their Melb headquarters..!

What a great post…loved it.

You’re right…given the location, and the views…this should be one of Canberra’s showcase eateries.

Instead, it’s run more like a cafeteria. And not a very reliable one at that.

Why on Earth is it being run out of a catering firm in Melbourne. Let some can-do Canberrans run the joint…people who are in tune with what’s going on around them (like Floriade!).

I can’t say too much on this for fear of venturing into Commercial-in-confidence matters, but suffice to say the problem with this place is not so much the staff (who are variable) as the management.

The owner is a company in Melbourne who are basically a catering business with a very large portfolio of locations across Australia. The problem is at least in Canberra, they seem to be very hands off, sending in a rotating roster of managers and events managers who last I kept track of, never bother to stay longer than 6 mths.

Finding decent staff in Canberra for hospitality is difficult, though not impossible. Several well regarded local restaurants have staff, often very young, who are well trained and attentive. It’s obvious that not only do they retain staff (you can see the hierarchy of older staff being promoted to more senior roles) but the managers also work hard to ensure they have quality staff.

The greater bulk of cafes though seem to take whatever scraps apply, who come in and work for a short while then leave. I won’t name the place but a certain pricey cafe at one of Canberra’s national institutions is guilty of this, with wait staff looking overtly glum and at times rude.
Add to that management that is constantly rotating and you have very little corporate knowledge and very little opportunity to build a solid team. It becomes more like a Maccas franchise.

Yep I agree it’s a debacle. I tried to book us in there for Chrissy lunch (work) and ended up having to call somebody in Melbourne where I left a message and nil response. Ended up getting the menus sent and $45 for a BBQ not really value so it’s back to the drawing board.
Did have a couple of beers up there on a Sunday late last year and found it to be pretty good though.

Interesting. I’ve been there a few times over the past couple of years, and the service is indeed highly variable, even across an afternoon. It’s a superb location just crying out for an owner that knows how to run an upmarket cafe.

WOW ….talk about timing!
I was just on their website. I’m looking for a lunch venue for 12 or so people, somewhere central, and thought this would be perfect.
I’ll have to look around me thinks!