Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle, 2 stars

Walking through the door is like going back in time 15 years, maybe 20.  Well overdue a face lift.

Had a number of breakfast, lunch and dinners here.  nice enough,

Buffet breakfasts and lunches are good, just a little old fashioned.  The bread is tip top brand, the orange juice not fresh, the scrambled egg to watery, the coffee bitter and flat.  Overall, not bad just really not great.

Dinner consisted of overcooked meat and nicely prepared veggies.

Summary:  My 90 year grandmothers favourite place.

Melbourne Casino

Cheesecake at the Casino - yummy - I can live in here!

Raffles Pub, Applecross, 3 stars

Downstairs at the Raffles on Canning Hwy.

I think we have probably been here 10 times. Surprised I don't seem to have written a summary of my experiences.

On the plus side: Food is consistently good, basic and not cheap but good. The steak sandwich is my choice most often. Location is great, nice way to spend a sunny afternoon or stop for breaky on a bike ride. Beer and wine selection is always sufficient to find something nice.

Other thoughts: Service is patchy. From great to very poor and actually rude on occasion. Actually now I think about when its good service its not very genuine.

The restaurant upstairs is ordinary (and expensive).

Sparrow Indonesian Restaurant, Northbridge, 3 stars

Cheap, great value, ordinary food.

For $30 we have enough for 2 and enough to take home for dinner the next night, that possibly makes it cheaper than Macdonalds.

decor can only be described as plain. Was this a Greek restaurant once a upon a time? The fake grape vine is oddly out of place.

Although it is cheap i don't think I will look forward to coming back so probably will not.

Ohnamiya Japanese, Applecross, 3.5 stars, Not open late

34 Kearns Crs, Applecross 6153

Always busy, basic bento box food. Great service.

A quick and tasty mid week meal.

The Burger Bistro, CBD, Shafto Lane, 3 stars

After Hero Burger in North American. What to say.. humm what to say.

Nice enough I think. After Hero Burger it is expensive and the chips are ordinary. Close to $20.

A good dinner on your way home perhaps.

The organic chicken is great - perhaps some organic beef perhaps or lamb would be nice.

Arc Of Iris, Margaret River - 3 Stars

The info:

• (08) 9757 3112; 151 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River 6285
• BYO only
• The do take cards (despite what you might hear)
  

The Good:

• Comfortable and cozy place, come to dinner early and stay and talk all night.
  
• Eccentric decor adds to the atmosphere.
  
• Service was excellent.
  
• Cool name.
• The pork belly is excellent.
  

The disappointing:

• Overall the imagination of the menu
  

The Bad:

• Almost certain that the baked lamb is in fact mutton or hogget. It is tasty and soft and fall apart and overall a nice dish. But it is strong smelling and tasting and just not lamb. The bowl presentation is not great either-looks good, but its difficult to eat. Lies about the ingredients is unforgivable so I am really hoping I am wrong about this, but I don't think I am.
  
• The fennel and tomato salad with orange vignette is disappointing, mostly greens and little in the way of orange flavour or fennel. I think when you are naming the salad, the main ingredients need to come first. We make a really amazing fennel, orange and toasted almond salad, the salad here just did not match up
• Spiders webs in the corners, this place needs a clean beyond the apparently clean kitchen.
  

The bottom line:

• Cannot decide if I can look beyond the failings to relax a little and really like this place. I really want to like it.