Welcome to OP's Bar & Cafe

I reviewed this pub quite some time ago after several work lunches and Friday night drinks, and returned last night for an evening meal with my partner. Every time I walk into OP’s I am struck by how few people seem to have discovered this place. Next to Zest Health Club on Scarborough Beach Road (near Hutton St) this is a really nice pub and after last night’s great meal I would encourage everyone to give it a go.

We decided to curl up on the big black leather couches near the big screen and have a few drinks while we looked over the menu. This is my favorite spot at OP’s (although it would have been great to have had the big screen actually turned on so we could kick back and watch a big of sport).

We shared a plate of crunchy and very tasty lemon pepper calamari with side salad and aioli for entrée. I have had the calamari here before and while it was fairly nice the last time, it has been dramatically improved, more thinly sliced and crisply but lightly cooked, it was fresh and delicious.

Our main meals would have fed four people, they were so huge, and my partner was happy about that. He had a sirloin, with asparagus, potato rosti and a red win jus, and I had the surf and turf combo, a sirloin with prawns & garlic sauce and also served with asparagus, potato rosti.

The asparagus added a cheerful bright green to the plate and were very appealingly presented, wrapped in a bundle and secured with a strip of proscuitto. The steaks were enormous and at least an inch thick. Although both of us had ordered them cooked medium but only mine came out right, still with some pink in the middle. My partners steak came out quite undercooked compared to mine and it was still quite bloody, although no less appetizing. I was happy as I had explained to the waitress who took my order how I would like it and it was cooked exactly right. My partner ate all of his and half of mine so I think he enjoyed them both too.

On my last review I think I complained about the lack of service. Well, someone must have been listening because the staff who served us last night were so friendly and accommodating, and the meals came out promptly. For us that is a really important part of a good dining out experience and can make the difference as to whether we will return or not.

The only tip I would suggest to the managers is to just cosy the place up a little more. Overall the décor is very good, it’s fresh, bright and clean looking. But a little more intimacy rather than such a big open area might be more welcoming. Stand up. The two areas setup with lounges are fantastic but perhaps bring the long bar which is now sitting along the side back into the middle where it used to be (running parallel to the bar) and divide the space up just a bit so that the tables have a little more privacy, add a few plants etc so that there is not such a cavernous feel to the middle of the room.

Definitely a good spot for a nice meal.

Not sure if this place is just a well kept secret or whether its location works against it as the place wasn’t exactly a hive of activity the other night when we visited but if the quality of the food and service we experienced are classed as the barometer which divides the good from the ordinary and the just plain bad, OP’s should be booking out regularly. First impressions and the feel this place gives you upon entering is maybe more akin to a large function room as opposed to your normal run of the mill pub type venue, it almost appeared as though the tables were set up so they could be easily cleared away again for a dance floor or similar, the lounge areas dotted around the outskirts though are quite cosy and given the place was fairly empty made a good spot for a pre dinner drink. Myself and my special girl were on a steak theme after having the lemon pepper squid as an entrée between us. I had the Sirloin whilst my partner the surf and turf and we asked for both to be done medium and apart from maybe being just a touch on the rare side the whole meal was very enjoyable. I guess if anything I was a bit surprised given the value of the food and the excellent service from the bar staff that the place wasn’t a bit more popular even though it was a Wed night however given our good experience we will be back again.

Ambience: OP's have done a fantastic job in doing up this pub. It's light and spacious and has a really nice feel to it. The balcony area and the TV screens for showing sport are great. The several times I was there on a Friday night they passed around savories (mini pasties, pies etc) to everyone which was nice and the acoustic musician they had on was fantastic.

Food: I've been there for lunch & dinner quite a number of times and was there for a few work lunches recently. The food is usually really good. If you're into steak this is a great place to go, the steaks are about 2 inches thick and the mash that comes with it is divine. If you're a garlic fan then try the garlic sauce, its SO yummy, but seriously garlicky. The calamari is good too, and portions are very generous.

Service: The bar service is fast and friendly, however the food service is very slow, takes a long time for meals to come out, which can be frustrating if you're in for a lunch during work hours and only have an hour. We had a big group in for lunch (about 23 of us) and the orders were all over the place - those of us who ordered first were the last ones served our meals which put a few peoples noses out of joint. I was also really annoyed when my and one of my workmates received our steak burgers and asked for some tomato sauce, only to be charged $1.50 for it.

Drinks: The drinks there seem to be a similar price to most pubs, except for two things...don't go ordering a pint glass of Lime & Soda or Lemon, Lime & Bitters unless you're prepared to pay a premium price for it. At $7 and $9 respectively, these exceptionally high prices had everyone falling off their chairs. A comparable price at several other local pubs is around $3.50-$4.00 so we all thought these were way overpriced.

But overall, OP's is a really nice pub and I'd recommend anyone to give it a go.