I was a little harsh on this place the last time I came here, namely because I didn't take to opportunity to check out the rooftop terrace. The lower section of this pub was pretty ordinary, and didn't even have any couches, and as such I was ready to completely write if off. However, due to the insistence of my friend when I came down to Lorne recently I decided to give it another try. Fortunately the lower area was closed, so we wandered up to the terrace to be greeted with some amazing views of the Lorne foreshore. Even better, the section of the terrace with the best views was non-smoking. However, it certainly isn't the cheapest place (but then again, it is Lorne) and the staff were a little abrupt, but I still liked the place. read more

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The Mojito Bar up the top is a nice spot for a mid afternoon drink on a nice warm sunny day. Nice views of the beach and the water through the eucalyptus trees. There was a moderate and happy crowd in attendance today and the vibe felt warm, amiable and pleasant. Nice spot up top for couples or a few friends when the weather is tight. The whole space though, especially the internal area, feels rather disjointed overall and unplanned. The shadow of the TAB, poker machines and gaming room sits there uneasily as the place's cash cow and real area of interest. The whole bottom of the pub appears devoted to the TAB. It almost feels like the dining and bar options are a mere adjunct to the gaming operations. That is, just something to get the punters in. It's a bare pass at best. read more

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A lovely Sunday afternoon in Lorne, where to go? Follow the music and you soon find yourself at the rooftop terrace at the Lorne Hotel listening to some cruisey hipster folk band (who look a lot like sonic youth). Once 3pm strikes you can have any beer you like, as long as it's Corona (seriously they only sell Corona). The beautiful view through the glass balcony to the sea is completely obstructed by huge corona signage. I feel like I'm stuck in a Corona ad, but hey, the sun is shining and the music ain't bad... I can always look at the ocean on the walk back to my hotel. read more

Lorne Hotel - There are prominent signs telling people not to feed the cockies, so here's a picture of punters feeding the cockies. - Hotels Near Me - Lorne, VIC

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Great location and views. BUT took 45 minutes to get overpriced entrées and there was very few people there. Asked twice and got attitude from staff. Cancelled mains. Manager very arrogant and didn't care when we tried to discuss it with him. Not even an apology. Lucky it's in Lorne praying on the tourists as you wouldn't last in the city. Manager. If you had just apologised or acted as if you cared you could have changed the experience. Hotel owner. Best get you staff some training. read more

So I am going to admit I am a bit of a food snob up front, but that doesn't detract from the disappointment that is the Lorne Hotel. We visited on the Queens birthday weekend so the place was busy but there were plenty of tables empty. We chose the hotel for lunch because we wanted simple, tasty pub food at an affordable price. Let's start with the food - don't ask me how I want my steak if you are going to ignore my preference. My steak was closer to well done than the medium rare I requested, and almost cremated around the edges. For the $38 they charged I would have expected way more chips than the dozen I received and more sauce might have masked the charred meat flavour of the steak. The highlight was the salad...and we all know you don't make friends with dalad. My wife had the $34 open souvlaki...that's right, $34. That gets you 6 small slices of lamb on top of a wet, over the top salad making the pita bread underneath this pile downright soggy. My favourite part though was that the kitchen clearly ran out of red capsicum (part of the menu description) so they replaced it with sliced tomatoes...to go with the handful of cherry tomatoes already on the plate. Very expensive yet disappointing pub meal...would have been better of with fish and chips on the beach. read more