Cooley's, Just too Cool

This recently refurbished pub in the main road of Moonah has long been a favourite for many, but sometimes a refurbishment and a change of style and menu can be something best left undone. Sure changes to the menu and specials are good but in this case I would say the drastic changes ruined it.

The staff where so prompt the menu hadn't even been opened when asked were we ready to order. I like to study a menu as every good reviewer does. The entrees were suggested to be of a tapas style, most around $12.50, with things like spicy chicken wings, lamb kebabs, dips and bread, babaganoush with crispies ( not sure what crispies are) I could have happily shared one and left as the main menu left us some what dumb founded.

Expect to find nothing under $20 in the mains and a very small menu choice as well as as a small meal, chicken schnitzel, porterhouse steak, Flathead fillets, scallops, seafood bouillabaisse and that's about it for the menu. I had the scallops $26 and my partner the schnitzel $24, both served with "fat chips" which were simply the usual steakhouse fries. Mine came with a Japanese coleslaw, which was a small pile of messy looking cabbage and thick peeled carrot. The scallops were panko crumbed and quite nice, served with a wasabi aoli which was far to over whelming for the gentle taste of a scallop, i thus asked for tartare, didn't have it so it was citrus aoli which was a much better accompaniment. The chicken schnitzel was just that and nothing wrong with it and no comment to make.

Desserts were all $9 with pana cotta looking to be the most interesting, the table next to me was probably the high light of the experience with a man totally confused as what to have and wanting to leave, his wife wanting everything that wasn't available, even down to ice cream sundae for dessert, ' sorry no topping, sorry no nuts' what did they have? not very much. For a large man the scallops where gone in less than 5 minutes while his wife tried desperately to cut and chew her steak.

Scotch fillets were sent back looking very bloody, staff messed up an order and proceeded to have an argument about it in close range of my flapping ears. Jazz music played furiously in the back ground and what with staff rushing to and fro to fix problems and take drink orders it was all too much. Maybe it will improve with time, but the pricing for a small scotch fillet served with nothing I could see was $33, not really pub prices any more. I wont be going back or recommending it, 2 out of 5 stars, the last star being added with a push, because they really where trying to create something new out of this old pub.