Australian National Hotel

FOOD & DRINK The Aussie Nash is part of the A.L.H. Group of Hotels, whose stable includes the Royal Exchange Hotel, the Brunswick, the Newstead, the Indooroopilly, Newmarket and many others in and around Brisbane. We‘ve been to most of them and have never failed to be impressed by the high standard of food, service and hygiene. The A.N. was no exception. My wife and I dined on a quiet Saturday night in November. We kept the ordering protocol fairly simple: a schooner of Great Northern Super Crisp for me and a lemon, lime and bitters for my wife, followed by two main meals, the senior steak with chips, salad and pepper sauce ($19) and the Buddha bowl with lemon and pepper flavoured calamari for my wife ($28). My steak was well cooked to perfection, just the way I like it, but still tender and full of flavour. The crispy chips and nutritious salad made the perfect accompaniment. The Buddha bowl had rice, seaweed, avocado, cucumber, tomato, vegetables and lettuce, and topped with a soy and sesame dressing. All the ingredients were fresh, tasty and wholesome. Adding the calamari was a genius move to give it an extra zing and lift. We ended with our fav sticky date pud at 10 pesos. The pud was sweet and moist, covered with a syrupy butterscotch sauce, and sprinkled with a few drops of castor sugar. All meals were nicely presented to the table on stylish and colourful crockery. AMBIENCE The A.N. is airy, spacious and homely, with plenty of room to stretch out and get comfortable. Outside the bistro is the billiards area, and there’s also a pub and a poker machine room, so there are many different spaces here to enjoy. We stuck to the bistro area. The decor is retro industrial style, with high ceilings, strong lighting, wood and steel furniture and carpets throughout. This all works beautifully to create an inviting, warm and welcoming atmosphere. Being a quiet night, there was only a smattering of other guests, but that didn’t detract from the overall cool ambience. Acoustics were good and we were easily able to converse. SERVICE It was a breeze to order using the app. You simply scan the little barcode that’s attached to a disc on your table, and place your order. Payment is done immediately, and you’ll receive an email of your bill. This simplifies the whole procedure, although only afterwards did I notice that seniors are entitled to 20% discount off regular menu items, but of course the app didn’t recognise that, so we lost out. After completing the ordering, meals were brought out to the table pretty quickly by a super nice young man, neatly turned out in a smart black uniform. He was polite, friendly and attentive, and in his capable hands, everything ran smoothly from beginning to end, and that’s just how we like it! COST All up, for a schooner of Great Northern, a cold drink, two main meals and a single dessert we paid 70 pesos, so thank you to the A.L.H. Group for at least providing some financial relief to hard-pressed senior citizens. This at least is an affordable evening out for us, and it’s worth mentioning here, that most of the A.L.H. group hotels that we’ve visited have seniors menus and modest prices for both food and drink. TOILETS Toilets are behind the bistro. There are ample male and female cubicles, and they’re clean and well provisioned, although I did notice some graffiti in the male toilet. PARKING There’s easy parking right outside, in the venue’s own car park, which it shares with the popular and well-stocked Dan Murphy liquor store. This makes it extra convenient, especially if you’re still thirsty after your meal, as you can always pop into D.M. to top up the beer or wine cellar. SUMMARY We love the A.L.H. Hotel Group and have had positive experiences at all their hotels. They have consistently high standards, with reasonable prices to match. The Aust Nash as it is affectionately called, now goes on our list of favourites for a return visit. With great food and service, modest prices, a relaxed ambience, clean toilets and easy parking, you have all the ingredients for a perfect night out.

I recently had my son's 21st Birthday in the Secret Room at the Australian National. From the time I visited to enquire about the venue to the actual event, all the staff were friendly and nothing was a bother to them. The Secret Room was spacious, well fitted out and private from the rest of the hotel. I went for the drinks package which included a great selection of beers, wines etc. I also opted for a platter selection of finger food - they were generous in size and delicious. The audio/video system allowed for playing your own play lists. Jesse and his staff were fantastic on the night and tried very hard to please - which they did ! We had a great night thanks to all at the Australian National - highly recommended.

Had a 30th at the Aussie national over the weekend and hire the venue upstairs. Staff where friendly and so easy to talk to regarding setting up etc. huge area dance floor, do booth 2x lounge areas your own smokers area and even a reception desk at the front before they can enter inside. Will definitely be back again.

Good big size pub with plenty of parking good selection of meals and 17 different beers on tap. Pokies room, smoking dosa, upstairs function room for both private functions and public, big TAB set up, always found it clean and fantastic service with the bar staff. Not to mention Dan Murphys is right next door.

Great staff, plenty of beers and a large variety of spirits and wines. Functions room upstairs is huge with a large smoking area and separate outdoor courtyard for the non smokers. Different seating areas and bars are ideal. Can pick between bar, bistro or gaming depending on your mood and group. Minimum of 20 TV's and 2 projectors showing the latest and live sports and racing.