The Star Hotel Sale

Booking a table for 30 people at the Star Hotel in Sale felt like a logistical nightmare—dietary restrictions, last-minute no-shows, and one vegan who “forgot to mention” their preferences until arrival. But the staff? Absolute legends. They rearranged seating on the fly, handled substitutions without batting an eye, and even kept the chaos to a dull roar. Now, the star of the show: the yellow curry with tofu. As a vegetarian, I’m used to being handed bland, token veggie options, but this dish was a revelation. The curry itself was a symphony of flavors—creamy coconut, zesty lemongrass, and a gentle heat that built with every bite. The tofu? Crispy on the outside, silky inside, and soaked up the sauce like a flavor sponge. It’s rare to find a pub that treats plant-based dishes with this much care, and I’d argue it’s better than most tofu curries I’ve had at dedicated Asian restaurants. The rest of the group raved about their meals too—classic pub staples like steak and bangers were devoured, and even the gluten-free diners got proper plates (no sad salads here). Portions were huge, service was lightning-fast despite our crowd, and the vibe stayed lively without tipping into chaos. Special shoutout to the team for accommodating our herd of 30 with humor and efficiency. They even split bills without the usual apocalyptic sighing. If you’re coordinating a big group (or just want a curry that’ll make tofu skeptics rethink their lives), the Star Hotel is a winner.

Chilled pub in Sale. I appreciate that they had gluten free items on the menu. A few years ago it was really tough to find things I could eat in country towns but it’s getting better and better! I had the chicken schnitzel with chips and veg. They do ‘half’ sizes of meals which is great, pub meals are always huge and I dislike food waste. For gf, the chicken was just grilled and not a schnitzel, which was slightly disappointing, but again, tbh just grateful to have something to eat lol. On the plus side they did have a gf gravy. All in all it was pretty yummy and fairly standard pub fare. Would eat there again. [Not sure if the chips were fried separately because I’m not coeliac but have an autoimmune condition that flares from gluten, but can handle the occasional cross-contamination. So if you’re a coeliac worth double checking this.]