Bistro By The Food Business - Adelaide

Oh, The Earl. One of the few remaining places in Adelaide with great pub food has undergone a renovation - and it's not a positive change, unfortunately.

My family and I had a dreadful experience at this restaurant recently.

We arrived about 50 minutes prior to our show and ordered a bottle of wine and a tasting platter after being reassured by the server that we'd have plenty of time to enjoy it before the show. Half an hour later we gave up waiting on the food, cancelled the platter, finished off our wine and went into the show hungry.Add to that, being told to 'grab a bucket of cutlery for yourself' by bar staff dressed, speaking, and behaving like they work in the front bar of a suburban pub, and this dive badly lets down the Festival Centre. Unfortunately it seems the Centre has contracted out running the bistro; to the lowest bidder it seems. What an irony that this mob has the Festival Centre and a well-known restauranteur has the new Adelaide Oval contract.This is the second time we've been disappointed here, and it will be our last. Last time we had a $60 bottle of wine slopped over our glasses and the table by a waiter that clearly hadn't poured much wine in his career!Avoid the Bistro and go to nearby Parlamento.

We had a lunch before the footy. It was a freezing, miserable day so to be able to relax enjoy the views and the great food and wine for a few hours was great for all of us. The staff are exceptional to our needs, particulary Adam. This is part of the Festival Theatre complex but operates as a seperate business. I highly recommend you come and experience the service, quality food and wine and you will keep coming back as we do.

Ridiculous prices eg $50 for an average bottle of champagne. Limited items on the menu. The staff ignored my request for a window table. Anyway, the windows overlooking the River Torrens were dirty. Plastic yellow chairs and noise offered no sense of occasion for my birthday. Luckily my oysters were delicious and fresh, but the steak, pork and chicken dishes my friends had were not as good as most pub food. $37-$42 for a steak and you had to order side dishes at $10 each to make a complete meal. Our main courses and two glasses of wine each averaged at $60 per head. No entree, no dessert, no coffee. Look for an alternate restaurant if you're attending the Festival Theatre. I wish we had.