Pioneer Kitchen - Dining Room & Bar

The Pioneer Kitchen has a fantastic ambiance and provides excellent service. Unfortunately, the meal itself was underwhelming - it was pricey, small, and the quality was just average during our visit.

The service was very quick, although it was the end of lunch and the bistro was nearly empty, so it may not be the norm. My companion ordered the squid salad and enjoyed it, but found it a bit dry and in need of more dressing. I ordered the gnocchi and paid extra for chicken, which ended up being cold and had a strange taste with the sauce. The rest of the dish was fine, but I regretted paying extra for the chicken. We decided to share the peach melba dessert, which was supposed to have poached peaches with vanilla ice cream, mango, and raspberry coulis. However, what we received was peaches with vanilla ice cream and raspberry topping, which were disappointing. I had heard good things about this bistro before, but it seems to have declined since then. I won't be returning, as there are other restaurants nearby that offer better meals for the same price.

We both enjoyed our meals and the service was wonderful! the new layout and decor is very nice. thank you.

The Pioneer Kitchen, Dining Room Bar is located in he suburb of Grovedale. My family had enjoyed a day trip to Lorne was on the look out for a convenient place for dinner when we came across this venue. [Décor]: The décor was...rather boring with standard furnishings set up over split level flooring in a beige grey colour scheme. In an attempt to add some interest colour to the room sections of geometric paneling have been installed along with some pale green chairs cushioning. Windows run along one wall enabling customers a view into the kitchen if so desired. To their credit the owners have built in a Kids Playroom with glass doors which enable parents to keep an eye on their children at all times. [Staff]: Whilst not altogether rude the staff weren 't overly welcoming it was quite difficult at times to catch their attention when service was required. It would have been nice to have been made to feel welcome which staff can quite easily achieve by simply making an effort to interact with their guests. [Menu Meals]: The menu was typical for a bistro however we found the meals to be somewhat overpriced. Kids do get their own selection albeit limited. Our son went for the stock standard Burger Chips. Served on the now very familiar wooden board with a side dish of tomato sauce he didn 't particularly find anything outstanding about his meal although did polish it off. I opted for the old time favourite Chicken Parmigiana with Chips Salad. Nice enough a fair portion but not worth $24.00. The remaining members of our dining party went for Steaks. Both thoroughly enjoyed their meals reported that the meat had been prepared in line with their individual requests. [Desserts]: For dessert you can either select a cake from the display case or opt for an alternate dish from the Menu. Kids Meals come with a small serve of 'Frog in a Pond '. At $8.50 I went with a Black Forest Cake from the display which was nicely presented again whilst a fair size it was quite a frequent version that you can find in many Cafes Restaurants these days. My husband friend each had a cake described as a Chocolate Fondant, Szechaun pepper crème anglaise, peppermint Chantilly chocolate Ganache at $14.00 per serve. Once all our selections had arrived had been sampled they quickly shared some regret at not ordering the same as me. [Summary] Considering that our stop at The Pioneer Kitchen was on the spur of the moment, overall the dining experience was pleasant enough. The facility was clean tidy with a noticeable family friendly atmosphere. With a list extending between Roast Pork through to Nasi Goreng the Menu tends to have something for everyone including Gluten Free Vegetarian dishes however I did not notice anything listed for Vegans. Kids under a certain age are given a Little Nippers Colouring Sticker Pack in addition to their meal as mentioned there is an indoor playground onsite. If we were to offer a suggestion it would be for the owners to take some steps to improve the Customer Service elements as our experience with regards their staff was disappointing. Were we to find ourselves in the area again I am still in two [2] minds as to whether or not we would return to The Pioneer Kitchen consequently in this instance I must leave my fellow travelers with an open verdict in regards a recommendation. : Thank you for reading this review

We have been going to The Grovey for over 12 years, and it has had its ups and downs. We have noticed significant improvements over time, with a constant effort to please customers. The quality of the food can vary, but recently it has been quite good with a diverse menu to suit everyone's taste. The restaurant has plenty of seating with easy accessibility for children and wheelchair users. The children's play area is well-designed to minimize noise. The service is generally good, and wait times for meals are reasonable. The prices are on the higher side, so it is not a budget-friendly option. The ambiance is what you would expect from a pub restaurant with a children's area, but the recent modern extension offers a more comfortable dining experience. There is a wide selection of beers, wines, and spirits, as well as ample parking on site.