Sands Hotel

Will never eat here again!! The staff in the bistro, particularly the chef are rude and unhelpful! My family and I used to go here for everyone's birthdays but in the last 12 months it's changed! We have Coeliacs in the family and they used to do alot of gluten free dishes and were always helpful and careful. But then they changed the menu and withdrew gf. Was told on 3 separate occasions that the gf fryer was broken (which was later revealed to be a lie) they just weren't interested in helping organise something for the Coeliacs. So we stopped going there. This week thought I'd give them another chance but what a mistake! They've changed menu again, it now has gluten reduced options which is just a joke! Went up to ask if chips or calamari were gf (which used to be before) and they were so rude made us feel so annoying, we just left! I complained to the manager on our way out who said i could ring Paul tomorrow to discuss so I have rang 4 times, he's never there and doesn't call back, so I gave them a chance before posting this review but bad luck now! Do not recommend at all! If i could give 0 stars I would! Staff are rude and chef is just lazy and just finds gluten free people too annoying! We drove 20 minutes to the Settlement in Cranbourne where they have a hole page dedicated to gluten free, staff are fantastic, food was amazing and drinks are cheap!! Go to the Settlement people!!!

I had Fish & Chips with flathead tails. Although the flathead tails aren't gluten-free, I was impressed by how allergy-aware the staff were. Since my family has a Barramundi allergy, the waitress double-checked to ensure the meal was safe for me. I've dined there a few times before & had that dish 3 or 4 times before she was satisfied it was safe!! I was also pleased to see they offer a gluten-free pavlova, smartly placed separately from other desserts. It made me wonder if a staff member with celiac disease might work there! Many pubs offer gluten-free desserts but place them near regular flour options, making their gluten-free options not celiac-safe. It's rare for a pub to go out of its way like this. Many offer gluten-free choices but use shared fryers, which isn't safe for celiacs. While not all staff may be as allergy-aware as today's team, it's a positive step. I hope other venues will follow suit by offering desserts that celiacs can safely enjoy, even in non-certified gluten-free environments. (I was with the 12.15pm booking on table 17) food was delicious too