The Old Bank Hotel

We are locals and I took my mother here for her 71st birthday as we like supporting locally-run businesses. The restaurant has only been open for 6 weeks. The owners are absolutely delightful and the matire d was incredibly attentive. Sadly, the head chef and quality of the menu ingredients and cooking need improvement. We were the only guests in the dining room on a Sunday afternoon for lunch, which we had booked. For the first 45 minutes we had to listen to the head chef, who was sitting at one of the dining tables, self-agrandising and making business phone calls to prospective customers. It was unpleasant to hear the after-dialogue which exposed only interest in repeat custom, which as a business owner myself, I understand, but please have this conversation away from the customers who ARE in your restaurant, paying $40 for a scotch fillet steak with supermarket-bought pommes frites and a sprig of watercress. Comments from the head chef about him teaching his maitre d' wife "everything she knows" is very 1970s and unappreciated by 2 women who built and run their own businesses, and your wife is clearly more capable at being professional. My mother's duck leg was terribly overcooked and she needed my steak knife just to break through the skin. Large chunks of very fatty bacon accompanied the duck. The richness of the duck and bacon made the dish overwhelming and almost inedible. My scotch fillet was beautifully cooked, but as I mentioned, was accompanied by bought little round fried potato balls, that I last ate when I was a child. Our entrées were the double-baked cheese soufflé with crab and the quail terrine. The terrine looked beautifully constructed however was flavourless, and needed the chutney provided to make it palatable. The brioche bread served with the terrine was also clearly supermarket-bought. The soufflé was swimming in a sea of cheese sauce with chunks of what must have been the crab floating in it. These were $22 each.

I feel for the owners who have saved this building from demolition and they are to be applauded for saving it for the enjoyment of generations to come. However, the restaurant prices are exorbitant for the quality of cooking, ingredients and suppliers. We cook for ourselves every day using our own produce and know the time involved in preparation of meals, and we love cooking. Sadly, we won't be back, as I could have cooked my mother a better meal at home for over $150 for the two of us.

Great hotel overall, nice location and amenities, breakfast is recommended, with many of the preserves being home made. The only suggestion is to ensure that you give sufficient notice to the staff if you decide to eat dinner at the hotel. Sunday night in Mittagong can be a difficult time to find somewhere to eat as many of the restaurants are closed.

We had our wedding reception here and my wife and I then stayed for the night. Everything was absolutely amazing: from the beautiful decor of the entire hotel and the attention to detail, to the genuine and friendly nature of the staff to the delicious meals that were served. Barb and Warwick were the most accommodating hosts, and made sure everything was perfect for our stay. Couldn't recommend more highly The Old Bank for a luxurious experience with all the charm and comfort of being right at home.

Absolutely stunning restoration of this iconic building. Every little architectural detail has been recreated with love and perfection. Staff are wonderful and will give you extra special attention, they truly have a love for what they do. Amazing food and always delicious freshly squeezed juice. For a trip back in time you won't forget, visit the bank!!