Published:
July 19, 2024
About Sir Charles Darling Hotel
Classic pub meals & regional wines in an 1850s venue with live sports on TV & a beer garden.
Dine in
Takeout
Delivery
Service Options
Highlights
Great cocktails
Sports
Offerings
Alcohol
Beer
Cocktails
Food
Food at bar
Hard liquor
Wine
Amenities
Restroom
Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi
Crowd
Groups
Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Pets
Dogs allowed
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Wheelchair accessible restroom
Dining_options
Outside food allowed
Seating
Atmosphere
Casual
Cozy
Planning
Accepts reservations
Parking
Free street parking
Paid street parking
Plenty of parking
Map
Sir Charles Darling Hotel Reviews
We really enjoyed The Sir Charles Darling Hotel. Our meals were very all yummy, good portions & staff were very friendly.
- Bill
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
We have eaten here many times, and the food is always good, good-sized portions and good service.
- Jenelle Oldaker
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
We didn’t have a booking, but that was no problem they fit us in. Staff were awesome and friendly. Nothing was a bother to them, they were very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend the steak… cooked to perfection.
- Andrew Q
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
We arrived for dinner without a booking staff made us welcomed and seated us on a table even though bookings are essential . The food was excellent porterhouse steak was cooked to our perfection the mushroom sauce was one of the best I’ve had for years. Pasta was great too. If in Geelong you should definitely eat here I highly recommend it ..
- Meng-Hsuan Lin
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
The food was fresh and yum with big portions.
- David R
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Oh wow, had to delete my old review.
This place seems to get better every time I come here, it's just not often enough.
Every meal was an absolute winner 🏆
Great friendly staff and quick service.
So glad we visited again.
- Janine Watson
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Lunch here was excellent, the chicken scallopini with strands of bacon, and mushrooms on a creamy sauce was very tasty and fresh. The service was A1..highly recommended.
- Zach
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Lovely front of house staff, but steak came out medium-well done instead of medium rare. I sent it back asking for a medium rare. The chef apparently needs to go back to cooking school because they claimed that it was indeed medium rare...
- gail fearnhead
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
I had my birthday dinner with my family here last night and the food staff and atmosphere were amazing. Thankyou for going out and beyond to make me feel comfortable and I will definitely be back.
- Philip Lawry
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
If you're seeking a proper Australian pub meal in Geelong, the Sir Charles Darling is a strong candidate.
Decor is simple, their friendly staff are motivated and they serve generous portions of great food.
My Aussie hamburger with the lot dish was fabulous and brought back memories of the classic 1970s fish and chip shop meal.
The wine list is short, but we found two gems in there.
Of note, the pub serves meals all afternoon when most restaurants are closed in Geelong.
All in all, recommended big time.
- Stephen Smilevski
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
If you are looking for a good pub meal, this place is perfect. Very friendly service. Reasonably priced and sized meals. Other common pub amenities. What more do you want? Will definitely be back in the future. Lots of appealing items left on the menu to try out.
- Karlie S
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
I am in the area for work and this has quickly become one of my favourite places to eat. The staff are friendly and helpful, the meals are tasty and it’s within walking distance to accomodation and the foreshore.
- Phill Page
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Huge shout out to the staff at the Charles Darling Hotel.We had lunch yesterday and the staff are amazing and the eye fillet was cooked to perfection! We had our Jack Russell with us and they brought us out a water bowl and the kitchen gave Odie treats and some steak. Outstanding food and service.
- David McMahon
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Highly recommend, beautiful fire, consistently great meals and excellent staff. Great place to take the family for dinner.
- Valerie Ryan
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Had pepper and salt sqid at lunch today all we could taste was the pepper so much no taste of the lovely of sqid don't order pepper very very disappointed and plates left on table well after we eaten I didn't eat at all never happen before at lest 30 plus minutes.plus
A big No from us. Pick up your act in the kitchen birthday spoilt.
- Coffee Bay
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Had friday lunch with some of my work colleagues. The dining area is smallish, dated but still neat and tidy. Meal orders were taken at the bar, which is pretty standard for venues of this type. We ordered from the lunch menu which had meals ranging from $12.50 to $17.50. I had the Club Sandwich, which was good, others ordered the $17.50 Porterhouse which was a surprise winner. I'm sure we will visit Sir Charles again.
- Dominique Jeremiah
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Group of 4 dined here over long weekend had made a booking. We were advised on arrival they were extremely busy could be delayed meals… there were none. Sun our waitress was fantastic great sense of humour all the staff were genuinely great and friendly. All our meals were tasty 😋 atmosphere was very good extensive menu if you can’t find something to eat I’d be surprised.
- noodles9_9
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Great pub! Love steak night. Delicious dessert (choc lava cake)
- lynelle Schofield
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Great pub grub! We had steaks and bangers and mash, the service was great and meals arrived promptly considering it was a busy Tuesday night
- ben prior
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Food was ok, eggplant parma had my hopes up but didn't deliver. Staff were good but seemed to not like my friends questions and request to have table cleared.
- Brett Brennan
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Food was delicious except we had ordered 2 of the exact same steaks on the table one was about 400g and one was 300g and we both paid for the same size, and the 300g was over cooked
- Brad B
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Fantastic food, had the porter house steak veggies and the best mushroom gravy ever. Staff very freindly. Great location in town.
- Derwin Or
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Came for steak night on Monday night. $27 gets you a really nice cut of steak with the fat trimmed off. Salad and chips could be a bit more generous and the place could do with a touch up. Otherwise excellent meat.
- Travis Incognito
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Attended on a Tuesday evening after visiting an ill relative in hospital up the road.
Turns out Tuesdays are super popular because they quickly turned us away as we didn't have a booking. Note the place was 90% empty at that point.
Zero flexibility or customer service shown. The tone was super rude and dismissive.
Last thing I needed after a rough day, won't be back.
- Julieann Mcmillan
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Amazing food and staff were amazing .
The only pub we go to when we r in Geelong.
- rajiv mishra
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Always a treat to eat at Sir Charles Darling.. unbeatable Chicken Scaloppini!!
Best Resotto, excellent chicken schnitzel wraps, out of the world Thai beef salad, unmatched steaks and eggplant parmi, topped with nicely heated sitting area and lovely lovely service from behind the counter and kitchen. Portions are big enough for hungry people!!
Good luck!!
- butch armstrong
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
Absolutely amazing place cannot recommend the food, the staff where amazing and friendly, greated you and made you feel welcomed.
Havent had a meal here before but is now on my list for celebrations or just a family night/day meal
- mai indasan
19 Fri 2024 at 09.32 pm
30 December 2021.
Great food and generous size. Place is clean. I also like how the lady with dark hair checked We are fully vaccinated.
We had a really great time and was enjoying the food until one of the waitresses (the taller and bigger one with light hair colour) suddenly appeared, picked the tissue my baby dropped on the floor and placed it on my husband's plate and wanted to take the plate away! She did this very quickly to clear our table. Hubby told her that he was still eating the chips then she just took the tissue off and walked away expecting us to eat the chips with that tissue she placed from the floor? Really? That was shocking and annoying 😒. She was very rude. We were slowly eating and chatting away and still had a lot of food on other plates and was shocked with what she did.
Before she entered the kitchen she looked back and saw our shocked face and did not even apologise. It's a shame how she can turn the place down with her personality.
Apart from that all other staff were nice and food was great! We didn't have to wait long for the food to arrive. Kids meal were also sumptuous. 👌
I hope the owner can read my review and give my feedback to the staff as it is important for customers to have good experience.
- Jo Jo w