Chelsea Heights Hotel - City of Knox

The food took only about 15 20 minutes and when it arrived it was absolutely delicious. Although it is disappointing that they don't have bread rolls anymore.

Review: Chelsea Heights Hotel Restaurant, Springvale Road, Aspendale Gardens, Victoria. Head for the Mornington Peninsula south east of Melbourne and there in Aspendale Gardens where the Peninsula Freeway used to begin is the signature dome that characterizes the Chelsea Heights Hotel (with the neighbouring business park). The freeway always seems to signify the separation of suburbs with the spaciousness of the rural country and the handful of small towns further south that have developed from the original villages and townships that represented the early settlements in this part of the state. One hundred and fifty years ago this was the Carrum Swamp. With the 9 km extension added to the freeway in 2021 you now join it 9 km closer to the city and speed passed the Chelsea Heights Hotel with its characteristic geodesic dome to the bayside of the freeway. As the city suburbs have extended further along the bay in recent years the once gorgeous open country with sweeping views across Port Philip Bay have been replaced by extensive areas of modern houses, industrial parks and shopping malls. The agricultural hinterlands have also changed with high value cropping replacing the livestock that once dominated. A glass of wine anyone? As a local hub, however, the hotel continues to remain supreme in the area – popular as a place to eat/drink/stay and, with occasional live performers, as a place of entertainment. Well, we were there for midday, which was clearly the the wrong time for the evening entertainers, but it was an ideal time to take advantage of the spaciousness of the place and the relative emptiness of the dining room area. The experience of lockdown during 2020/21, 2 3 new variants of Covid 19 currently on the loose (according to contemporary reporting) and a hike in infections across the country, we remained cautious with eating inside with many other people. There were 20 of us in our group, however, and we had an end of term/year meal to celebrate with others from our combined classes. It was time to recognise that the year was fast approaching its zenith and that everyone was looking forward to escaping from what has been a cold and wet winter spring was hopefully catching up with the seasonal changes. Arrive and park in the large car park out front. There’s an entrance into the buildings through a surprisingly small door with an elaborate over hang to one side of the dome. Lists on either side of the door describe the facilities in the buildings – public/private dining rooms, couple of themed kid’s play areas, sports bar, public bar, gaming, etc. ‘Versatile’ comes to mind. We had a long single table to one side of the ground floor dining room with people lined along each side and at both ends. The end of the table was up against the glass windows of the dome, over looking an area of outside eating. It was empty. The dome is large with a high ceiling sufficient to accommodate the three mature palms that provide an attractive green veneer that lowers the ‘ceiling’ and envelopes the tables. There is a wide stairway to a mezzanine level that also seemed to lead off … to where? At ground level and in the centre of the dome there is a services counter. This is where you buy drinks to go with your meal. You order and purchase your foods from a second services counter to one side of the dome – fronting for the catering/kitchen services further back. Join the short queue, explore the menu that’s posted and/or handed around. Register your name/table with your order and, after a short period, the food follows you back to the table. There were a handful of waiters/waitresses walking up and down with plates at our table keen to match people with plates. The two of us ordered a selection of antipasti – garlic bread, bowl of potato chips and a plate of calamari – as finger food to share. It was a reasonable choice for which we paid $29, until we saw the alternative meals appearing at the table. The fish chips meal opposite looked appealing and, check the Senior’s menu, it was just $9.90. Great value. Next time then. It was a first time in the place, and you tend to learn from experience. Everything worked well – the people moved up and down the table to talk with others seated at a distance – there were friendly and competent wait staff, appetizing foods and good value meals. It was a comfortable place in which to socialize. For those of us Covid 19 wary the aerial space provided that sense of assurance that we were sufficiently separated from other groups. That said, if the place had been busy … how noisy does it get … could we have spoken/heard each other easily across the table? Again, next time then. Peter Steele 15 November 2022

Food is terrible, veg is alway microwaved and rubbery. Nothing ever seems fresh. Very bland, arachini ball are defiently bought frozen from the local shops. You would honestly make better at home yourself. It's such a shame really because we would be there weekly otherwise. Apart from it's convenient location expecially for the houses across the way and it has a play area to keeps kids happy thats about all it has going for it. Staff are helpful and friendly.

I went for lunch with a friend and the restaurant was almost empty, with only one other table occupied. There was a bucket on the floor to catch water leaking from the roof. We placed our order using a scanner, but the food took a long time to arrive as there were very few staff members for such a large venue. When our food finally arrived, it was lukewarm. We ordered coffee, which took 35 minutes to come. The place hasn't improved in the past 20 years, and there are many other hotels offering better competition. I would not visit again.

Arriving at the sports bar I was welcomed by a lady demanding to see my check is and vaxx status , masks must be worn when not seated she screamed , did not make for a pleasant day and we all decided not to go back.