Dirty toilets and the dryers have been broken for years! The management needs to take the poor…read moretoilet facilities seriously

My first and probably last time at Palace Cinema Leichardt. My main complaint about this place is…read morethat there's only one queue for both movie tickets and the bar. So if you've taken the trouble to buy your tickets online, and want to relax and have a drink before or during the movie, you still need to line up with everyone else who hasn't bothered to buy a ticket in advance. I would gladly have had a few drinks before the film but was dissuaded from doing so by the long and slow line. These guys need to do a better job at improving the venue experience. For example, install self service kiosks where people can purchase tickets and then free up staff to provide fast and friendly service at the bar. Speaking of the staff, they all seemed pretty demoralized last night when I was there! No smiles, just the perfunctory barking of crowd-control commands like 'cinema six is now open'! Lastly the bins and toilets were pretty disgusting last night by the end of the evening show, making it clear that they're emptied/cleaned at most 2 times a day. We live in an age when home movie streaming has made massive inroads into the revenue model of cinemas, so they need to make sure the venue experience is first class. Licensing cinemas was a good first step, but clearly Palace Cinemas need to do a little more.

Situated along the bay run is the very RSL inspired Haberfield Rowers Club, complete with Keno,…read morerelatively cheap beers and affordable dining. Tables and chairs scatter the deck, and while at times it can be a bit windy, no fault of the Rowers Club, Poisedon doesn't work a split shift there or anything, the balcony has a luxurious relaxed feel. The fish and chips are my favourite here, and I find they go nicely with a lemon wedge in water, or if you're going for that more relaxed holiday Sunday feel, which the club inspires, a schooner of ale. Drinks are served at the bar and the food is table service. The restaurant and bar are open plan therefore there is no separation between the two, though I've seldom spotted a bar fly in there, though the facilities are available. Perhaps the fresh air, view of the water and of the fit people running up and down the track is too much for your common bar fly to handle. The Rowers is a club and you do have to sign in upon arrival though membership is only $10 and does provide some good deals both for drinks and dining and parking is available in their small car park. So while you're eating your fish and chips and drinking your schooner of beer, why not look out at all the people jogging along the concrete path outside and smile to yourself.

Haberfield is my old stomping ground. The rowers was always there, down the end of the street,…read morealways in use, but also in need of a good make-over. Imagine my surprise when it finally happened (some 20 years too late, as might be argued). Gone is the dodgy mission brown structures with their green fibreglass sheeting, the over-patched concrete and the tacked on extensions. In place now is a building more suited to the outlook, incorporating broad decking, floor to ceiling glass and a view to impress, especially as the sun sets. The launch area is a wide expanse of clean concrete with enough room to manoeuvre boats and equipment that avoids accidentally knocking people in to the drink. It looks impressive inside, too. I'm talking about the restaurant, which is positioned upstairs. Bar on one end, kitchen opposite, huge table area to suit groups, or small tables. Just move the tables around like a Tetris game. Does the service and food live up to the standard? Hmm, I'd say no. They could do with a few more wines either by the glass or as a bottle on the menu. And please, no imports. Australia produces enough of the not just good, but great stuff, guaranteed to please. The current wine list looks like someone went down to Dan Murphy's and picked up the specials. How about the food options? There were a couple of things that sounded and/or looked good, but sadly, did not translate well to palate. The tacos were too sloppy and of the MYO variety. Meh. The stuffed zucchini flowers were pretty good, as were the oysters. But really, how can you stuff up a natural oyster? The mains list was uninspiring and dull - so much so we didn't order any of it. We stuck to the entrees and salads, also selecting the laksa flavoured prawns (not bad), the pork belly and scallops on pea puree (served too cold and the puree was too lumpy) and the rocket and pear salad (pretty good but very, very salty). I'm not particularly fond, either, of the 'order and pay at the bar' system, as, depending on where you sit, you are crossing the path of the people entering and the meals coming out or plates going back to the kitchen. It's a bit of a shambles. My suggestion would be to head there for a party or event, but not for an intimate dinner. Another point to note is that there is also now a coffee window operating at ground level, on the Leichhardt Oval side of the building. Great for a pit stop if you're tackling the bay walk on the weekends.

First time here for me and likely to be the last time. A can of coke no sugar and a post mix soda…read morewater, $11.20! Partner ordered roast of the day, beef. Which was dry and overcooked. Looked suspiciously like precut slices rather than cooked as a piece of beef then sliced. I ordered southern fried chicken burger and i suspect the chicken was defrosted frozen patty and was tasteless. Will give credit to the chips, they were tasty.

Lunch at the club for $12 was very good value. There were three of us and we each had a different…read moremeal. The Asian pork and rice was large and tasty but the pork was a little chewy. The calamari chips and salad was another large and tasty meal but the calamari still had its string. The pick of meals was the steak cooked to order. Excellent. Meals are ordered at the counter and brought to the table. There is a separate bar to purchase drinks and coffee. Plenty of free cold water on tap Just help yourself It might be worth joining the club to get extra discounts.

A change in menu has made a definite improvement. It is very popular and no dramas with parking.read more

Had a delicious smal roast pork meal (again forgot to pic it first *sigh*), with mum using…read morebirthday points as a member ... now having cuppucino in "Bite Size" Cafe ... mum was eyeing off larger than usual lamington but resisted.