Plates Café Bar Restaurant Hunt Street, Hamilton, Queensland 4007

"We had an amazing dinner here Wednesday night, our entree and main meals were delicious with so much flavour and cooked perfectly! The staff were very friendly, provided great customer service and checked in to ensure we were happy with our meals. Will return next time we're in Brisbane."

"Straight to it but #3 is crucial. #1 Presentation: lovely, great decor, comfy seating and setting, European fancy but not pompous. #2 Food: Great selection of meals all very different from the next. Portions are big, generous and beautiful in presentation, aroma and taste. Perfect balance of ingredients and blended well. We had the Sweet & Salty pizza (ham/pineapple and perfect), Braised Lamb rump with potatoes and asparagus (so soft, so good), crumbed sausage and chicken nuggets for the children. Pricing if food for size/taste was very reasonable. #3 Service. Well now, I haven't experienced such service in more than 20 years. Liam, where to start with this gent. He took care of my family and I tonight, not serving us, taking care of us. From the moment we sat down Liam helped us settle in, feel comfortable, get the "lay of the land" and importantly, made us feel properly valued. Liam explained the various meal options in enough depth so we had a solid idea of what to expect without going overboard. He discussed drink options and actively engaged in friendly banter making us instantly feel like we were chatting with a friend rather than someone we just met. Liam made my children feel comfortable and welcome, he focused on getting them settled first which was exactly what we needed. He used subtle communication to check with my wife and I if we were okay that the kids meals came with ice cream, this was greatly appreciated as we are mostly a sugar free family and that conversation in many other places we've been to doesn't go so well. In saying that we did allow the kids a treat tonight and without skipping a beat Liam offered to organize the ice cream to be delivered to our room after dinner so we didn't have to hang around, this also proved to be perfect for us and a most welcomed gesture. Liam continued to check in on things throughout the night without over doing it and his approach was genuine enough for my 7 year old to notice. His words about Liam were "You're the best waiter I've ever had" and "I wish I could talk like you, I live the way you talk". When dinner was done, Liam's incredible service didn't stop there, he personally brought us up to our room with the children's ice cream in hand and set it down inside (he also offered for me to take my unfinished beer back to the room). Superb, seriously his approach to his work took our night from good to "We will definitely be coming here again and for a longer stay". 5 minutes after we settled back in our room there was a knock on the door, it was Liam, he had my hat and new glasses in his hand, I forgot that I put them under the chair in the restaurant when we first sat down. Liam, if you're reading this I truly was beyond impressed with everything you did, thank you for making us feel more special than we actually are. Unknown to you, we had a delicate morning ahead of us and you made our night one to remember with a smile. Liam's employer, if you're reading this; I hope you know what you've got in him, please value and take care of this fine young man. Regards, The Shepherds."

"A nice enough place when staying at the hotel. The service was very attentive but the food was quite ordinary. My parrot fish was tasty once I extricated it from the overpowering curry sauce, which was easy to hit and spicy for the fish. My wife's risotto was more like soup."

"Great buffet breakfast. Stayed here recently for business and indulged in a big breakfast after eating very light the day prior while travelling. Lots of different foods to try and all pretty good. The classics - bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, sausages, etc. The sausages were really nice. Not sure what type they were exactly, but very nice. Also plenty of fresh fruit, yogurts, cereals, breads and spreads. Also some anti-pasto type options with crackers, cheeses, smoked salmon, etc. Then there's the sweets table with waffles, cakes, pastries, muffins, etc. Also, if you are a guest and book your breakfast in the day prior you get the full buffet for a bargain $25 instead of $35. I left a full and happy man. Would gladly return."

"Lovely service, great location but I wasn't wowed by the food. The entree was very nice but the pizza was sadly, not. The doughnuts for dessert were stodgy and the candy bacon didn't match the dish."