The Grand Hotel

We first tried to come to 30 Knots for lunch on a Saturday, but got all the way upstairs to find out that they don’t offer lunch on Saturday. What’s disappointing, and they should let you know ahead of time at the door that daytime is drinks only. So be it.
We return a couple of weeks later on a Tuesday evening for dinner and drinks, and was very glad we did. We got there right around when they opened, so it was quiet, but got busier fairly quickly.
Their drinks selection is quite good for beer and spirits; wine seems okay too. The food options are quite varied, and we ordered a few different things — a burger which was surprisingly good, onion rings which were phenomenal, and a chicken schnitzel which was… okay. Definitely the weak part of the meal.
The space itself is nice, with a nautical theme that isn’t overwhelming. Service is friendly, prices are fair. Would return!

The Grand Hotel? Really? I thought. Of all the times I’ve walked past that place (and its across from Daiso, so thats a lot), I’ve never felt the urge to enter that pub. But it’s Merivale, I told myself. Maybe I shouldn’t be so superficial. I’ve heard positive things.
So off we went.
Dan P said the fish was good. I should have listened. Someone in our group did, and I snuck a bite. It was pretty tasty. Nicely cooked, simple, delicious.
But me? I loves me a burger, and I really loves me blue cheese on me burger. And there it was — the black and blue burger. If the description had read «extremely well done, crumbly patty, with a disproportionate amount of bun, served with under seasoned chips «I probably wouldn’t have ordered it, but I was naïve. This was Merivale after all.
Food sads are the worst kind of sads.
They’ve got a good atmosphere at 30 knots, and as good of a beer selection as you can get whilst sticking mainstream (Little Creatures and White Rabbit alongside some Squires), and at $ 20 and under for mains, lunch is very budget friendly.
I’ll be back. But not for the burger.

The food here made my week. I had the barramundi. It was simple, not too heavy and well crafted.

Those Merivale masters have done it again… All that’s missing is the captain yelling «Gill — i — gan!»
The 30 knots is a small nautical themed bar offering upscale bistro dishes at decent prices. Situated upstairs at the Grand Hotel.
I had the Barramundi and at under $ 20 it was a clever dish using fresh vegetables to balance the crispy perfectly cooked fish. It tasted great, but was screaming for a sauce or some other element to lift it slightly.
The only gripe I had was the timing of the dishes. One came out and there was a significant wait before the other two arrived… It was noticeable but not enough to ruin the meal.