Gardners Inn Hotel

Lovely historic pub. Originally the Scotch Thistle Inn, and later the Hydora Hotel, visited by Charles Darwin in 1836. There's a dog friendly beer garden and the sheltered terrace is also dog friendly for the wetter months. Food is tasty and reasonably priced with a good range of specials everyday. Very popular with locals.

I stayed in room 10 , it had a small balcony which needed a sweep and table wipe, my room was above the main bar area and looked out onto the main road and blackheath train station. Friday evening and it was karaoke night. Karaoke started around seven and thankfully finished at 11pm. After I ate I went into the bar to watch some of the singing. I went back to my room at about 9pm and did try to watch a movie but unfortunately the music was loud and the singing ordinary to say the least. Thankfully it did stop around 11pm and was able to hit the sack for some much needed sleep. Yes it was Friday night and yes I was staying in a pub. Yes people are entitled to have some fun but if you are looking for an early night etc etc this is not the place.

So the food was average but fine. The atmosphere was pretty flat and not lit well (too stark). We were inside, so maybe outside in the garden is better. Weird laws about kids not being allowed to be in specific rooms (not pokies, just like rooms that looked cosy and near the bar) put a damper on the experience, as our son wanted to watch the guitar player in one of those rooms and we were denied. In all the bars around us here in the Illawarra, that law does not exist. It feels more like a policy of the venue vs being actual law (I looked this up and can confirm the specifications did not apply to some of these rooms). Anyway, overall the experience was "whatever". But at least the food was cheap-ish.

I am a long‑time regular at The Gardners Inn and have always had a great deal of respect for Tony (the owner), Christian (the manager), and especially Malcolm, the head chef. Under Malcolm’s leadership, the food has consistently been outstanding, which is why today’s experience ( on 1 st January was such a disappointment). My parmigiana arrived undercooked, my daughter’s schnitzel wasn’t crumbed at all (see photos), and the salad was barely dressed. When I politely asked the male waiter (the red‑haired gentleman) to take a look at the schnitzel, he insisted it was crumbed, despite the clear evidence to the contrary. It felt dismissive and unnecessarily argumentative. This is not the standard I’ve come to know here. When Malcolm is in the kitchen, the quality is exceptional. Unfortunately, whoever was cooking today delivered food that fell far below the usual standard. I genuinely hope management ensures Malcolm is present more often, because the difference in quality is stark. I love this venue and want to keep supporting it, but today’s experience was a real letdown.

Came to this pub after going to New Ivanhoe hotel. We did not like the service at the bar. Came to this pub after, much better service with a smile and asked use if we enjoyed the food And yes the food was very good We will be coming back