The Belrose Hotel. The Belrose Hotel. The Belrose Hotel. Must remember that it's now called the Belrose Hotel.
But it's hard. Having gone to the President (or Presso) for netball dinners and trivia nights for, say, my whole life, it's hard to make the transition into this snazzy new "Belrose Hotel" that's popped up in my suburb. I'm not the only one; I have yet to meet another Belrose-dweller of my vintage who has gotten with the times and called it by its name.
But anyway. The Presso of my childhood has been bought, renamed and renovated. Very much to its advantage; what was before a dingy bar/bistro is now a big, bright space that you'd be happy to take your kids to for dinner. As are all similar hotels in the suburbs, it's cheap eats and drinks. Often, my mailbox is filled with coupons offering a "BUY ONE MEAL, GET ONE FREE". Not bad, Belrose, not bad.
The service is good; quick and cheerful on both the food and drinks. The drinks are all the standard choices at reasonable prices, but the food is average pub grub.
The problems faced by the President, however, are now faced by the Belrose Hotel. How to attract a cool crowd? The only people who really go there with much frequency are those that are quietly called alcoholics behind their backs, and very young families. Occasionally, a sporting match or trivia night will pull a crowd together, but it's generally limited by its location. Young people would probably like to pre-drink at those prices; but where to afterwards? The Bowling Club? read more