Friday, June 19, 2009
The hotel in Lyonville is now open for business
I forgot to mention before, the old Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville which at once time was either part- or fully-owned by one-time radio jock now recently-retired from 3AW Ernie Sigley & that has been inoperative since about 1980 (it was converted to a residence in the meantime) has just re-opened after an 11-year struggle with the local council as a Hotel and Bed-&-Breakfast (http://www.radiospringshotel.com.au/ - that looks like my car in the foreground, but apparently it isn't - different dings). They have an Italian chef & the food is excellent, but be wary of the wine, it's very good but not cheap by a long shot, & the publican seems as though he might have shares in the local wineries by the eager way he encourages you to try each of the many varieties of the local Macedon Ranges & Hepburn Springs vintages. The bar reminds me of an old English-style pub, slightly cramped but very cosy. The restaurant areas are spacious enough with a beautiful open fireplace in one of them, & there's also an al fresco beer-garden-type area for the long-suffering smokers.
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In a couple of words - don't bother! Let me explain. We heard a lot about this place, and went the other night. We walked in, heard this great little band and thought "this is it." From there it was all downhill. The barman was slow, and it was painfully frustrating getting drinks or any service from him whatsoever. The wait staff - the couple that were there - stuffed one of our orders up, and trying to get their attention was not a happening thing. The food was really good, but no use having good food with poor service. It wasn't a busy night by any stretch of the imgaination, and we were pretty peeved. We won't be going back, and we'd be telling our friends to try elsewhere - there's heaps in Kyneton.
Wow! 5 stars!!!
We were lured by the promisingly hokey sign perched a-top a station wagon on the Daylesford road and we weren’t disappointed.
This place is just awesome. One of kind, full of character and full of characters(almost like a movie!), every detail has been lovingly pulled together to create the warmest, most welcoming atmosphere. Velvet curtains, silk scarves draped over lamps, walls covered in fully laden bookshelves, comfy couches, and delightfully mismatched antique furniture. We are Trentham locals, and have passed over our own pubs (good though they are, especially the re-vamped Cosmopolitan) to become Radio Springs regulars. Why? Because we actually feel like we are part of a family. Owners Ken and Jacquie quickly learned our names and what we liked to drink/eat and were interested who we are. I’ve seen them have this interaction with just about everyone who walks in as well as bustling about to look after the crowd, despite only a small amount of staff. No sports TAB, pokies, pool tables, and tv at all. There is space instead for conversation and relaxation. This is a real ‘people’ place.
The food is uniformly great and getting better all the time (eg. the recent addition of thai food on wednesdays which is better than most of the Melbourne thai I have tasted). I am also a big fan of the Italian menu, especially the veal vino bianco, though my husband can’t go past their incredible marinara pasta.
Add to that the fact that there is always live music (my favourites are the Cider house boys and Adrian Koski & Carla Maxwell with their Appalachian sounds). I am a musician myself, and have often had the dilemma of whether to grab an instrument and join in, or to linger longer over my Vavasour Sauv Blanc.
There is lots of great food and wine experiences throughout Daylesford and Macedon. (Try Capone’s Pizzeria in Kyneton- great gluten free bases for the wheat unfortunates like me) But if you are looking for something less commercial and cookie cutter ‘tourist chic’- this is the place. Most importantly if you want to go to a pub where you can be greeted warmly, meet new people and feel at home, then I encourage you to open that squeaky front door. I thank my lucky stars that I did!
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