New Contact Details

Hi again everyone,

Since I started this blog I have had a few requests that I place contact details on my site for people who want to contact me about reviews and comments that have been made on this site, but who don't necessarily want to leave a comment for everyone to read.

I have now set up an e-mail address for those who wish to contact me. While I wont guarantee that comments made by way of e-mail wont end up being published, you can e-mail me at cairnsgourmet@hotmail.com.

However, rest assured readers of cairnsgourmet.blogspot.com, no back room deals will be done in return for favourable reviews. I will continue to bring you independent anonymous reviews of the restaurant, bar, and nightclub scene in Cairns. I value the independence that I have from the industry and recognise that unbiased reviews are crucial to our readers. I will not allow our independence to be compromised and will report any attempts to sway our reviews to the readership.

Having said that, I am looking forward to reviewing a place or two over the weekend and reporting to you all what I find.

Cheers,

The Chief Gourmet.

P J O'Briens

P J O'Brien's

Key - Summary Information - Bar

Name: P J O'Brien's
Address: 87 Lake Street, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
Phone: +61-7-4031 5333
Cuisine Type: Pub Style
Price Range: No Cocktails, no wine list (Jacobs Creek range)
Beers: Good range including Guinness and Kilkenny on tap.
EftPos/Credit Cards: Yes, all accepted
Parking: Nil - street parking only
Disabled Access: Two stairs at main entrance, only visible access.
Deals: None known
Dress Code: None known.
Smoking: Yes.
Overall Rating 6 out of 10
Drinks: 6 out of 10
Service: 5 out of 10
Ambience: 6 out of 10
Value for Money: 5 out of 10
Recommended: Yes. It’s a pub, take your mates.

No web presence.

Review:

One of several proud Irish bars in central Cairns, PJ’s as it is known to the locals is an interesting eclectic blend of Irish and the antipodean. The bar itself is decked out in the traditional Irish bar manner for the antipodes, featuring glass enclosed bookshelves stocked with old style bound literature, newspaper headlines feature around the bar, and there is of course the old style machinery and other trinkets in pride of place on the wall. The bar is not air conditioned, in keeping with this style, and is a fairly dark affair providing anonymity and a good place to have a few quiets.

PJ’s also features sports and there are plenty of television sets throughout the bar. PJ’s has a central bar that is circular in shape and patrons are able to order from anywhere around the bar.
PJ’s features a number of unique items that we haven't ever seen in other Irish bars. Most notable were the 'Coyote Girls' and the 'Pole Idol' competition. We were at PJ’s on a Saturday and the Coyote girls were allegedly there, performing. However, we must have missed the show, if there was one. The only girls remotely resembling ‘Coyote Girls’ were five young women in matching short skirts and leather boots wandering the bar in a pack talking with some of the customers.

A rugby league game was being screened the night of the review. This may why the Coyote Girls weren't drawing more attention to themselves, or frolicking on the bar wasting alcohol left, right, and centre. Nevertheless, unless you're looking for this style of entertainment, you might be better going elsewhere, or avoiding Coyote night. The Coyote girls are allegedly about on Wednesday and Saturday nights.

Still on the entertainment theme, PJ’s run a pole idol night where the local talent gets up on stage and struts their pole dancing stuff to win cash prizes. No doubt this was developed for the backpacker and younger locals market, and it seems to pull in quite a few punters. Pole Idol nights are on Tuesdays, and unless you're into that sort of thing you might want to avoid it. Watch out for the ads on television and you'll know when to go, or when not to, depending on what you're after.

There is the usual range of Irish beer available on tap, along with the local drops as well. Guinness, Kilkenny, VB, Carlton Draught, and Stella Artois are all available on tap. In addition, PJs has a well stocked fridge with plenty of bottled beer on offer. There are no cocktails, nor was there a wine list available. We were told that PJ’s has the Jacobs Creek range of wines, and it appeared that there were one or two others available as well. However, if you're looking for a place for a quiet wine, then PJs isn't what you’re looking for. This is a beer and spirits bar. A Kilkenny, accompanied by a double spirits will set you back around $12.50 which isn't bad.

PJ’s also has the Guinness 100 pints club, where you get your name on an honour board when you have consumed 100 pints of Guinness from the establishment. We didn't make any enquiries as we weren't interested in doing the 100 pints again, but this is a loyalty scheme offered by Guinness in a number of bars over the world. It commits you to drinking Guinness for quite a while, but making your mark on bar, other than contributing to the profits, is a nice additional extra for a pub to have. If you might be into this, make sure that you approach the bar staff before beginning your 100 so that all Guinness you consume is counted towards your total.

Staple bar food is available at the rear of PJ’s. There is no table service of food and instead you are handed a 'Guest Pager' gizmo when ordering. This is a beacon about the size of a saucer and it flashes when your food is ready to be collected from the kitchen. When the beacon flashes, off you go to get your own food from the kitchen. The bar food comes in generous sized portions and is pretty good value for money, and of a passable standard. During the day, and early evenings, PJ’s has tables outside that patrons are able to sit at, however you still need to order inside at the bar and collect your own food. It can be nice sitting outside having a few quiet ales in the sun in the early evening. PJ’s also has pool tables at the rear near the kitchen for those that want a game.
Overall we enjoyed our night at PJ’s, cold beer in pints, and it's good for what it is.

There was a good crowd and the atmosphere was friendly. In terms of music PJ’s was essentially a rock venue, with music videos by the Red Hot Chill Peppers, U2, Midnight Oil, and a few other classics being played at random. While the sport was shown, it didn't overwhelm everything else and there was plenty of fun to be had. Recommended so long as you know what you might come across when venturing to PJ’s! Take your mates is our verdict.

The Chapel Cafe

The Chapel Cafe

Key - Summary Information - Bar

Name: The Chapel Cafe
Address: 91 The Esplanade, Cairns.
Cuisine Type: Modern Auz
Price Range: Cocktails $8.00-$13.00
Beers: Mainstream beers only. XXXX, VB etc…
EftPos/Credit Cards: Yes, all accepted
Parking: Nil - street parking only
Disabled Access: Main entrance street level. Stairs only to upstairs.
Deals: 1/2 price cocktails night Friday and Saturday
Dress Code: Smart Casual.
Smoking: Yes, but confined to some areas only.
Overall Rating 5 out of 10 – just, and only because it was cheap.
Drinks: 5 out of 10 (signature drink saved them)
Service: 3 out of 10
Ambience: 5 out of 10
Value for Money: 6 out of 10 (on cheap night)
Recommended: No, unless cheap night and service not important.


Hours:
DOWNSTAIRS
7am - 11pm 7 days
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

UPSTAIRS
Saturday – Thursday 6pm - 2am
Friday 4pm - 2am
Phone: (07) 4041 4222
Email: chapelcafe@ozemail.com.au

Review:

The Chapel Cafe is located in the heart of Cairns CBD just a hop, step, and jump away from the central pool area on the Esplanade. The Chapel has a bar and restaurant upstairs and downstairs. The downstairs restaurant and bar caters to the street level crowd, and also boasts an outdoor seating area.

There are plenty of televisions in the downstairs bar area featuring sport, and other television from the free to air channels. The downstairs area has an open bar feel to it and you are able to watch the people pass the by the bar on the Esplande and enjoy a cold ale or two. This is a good area to relax in with a group of friends.

When reviewing the Chapel, we were interested in reviewing the bar side of the establishment, however the Chapel will be reviewed in future as a restaurant. It is important to note that you can come here for a full meal with all the trimmings, however this side of the Chapel is not being reviewed at this time.

The staircase leading upstairs is on the right hand side of the bar as you face it from street level. The decorations on the staircase were a bit ‘ho hum’. There were lots of photos of frolicking young people taken in the bar at various times. These were put together in montage format and placed in between Henri Matisse prints from the nude blue series.

The upstairs area is glassed off from the staircase itself to create an almost atrium like effect on the stairway, which was a little unusual, however it does emphasise the distinction between the upstairs and downstairs areas. It provides a grand entrance to the upstairs bar area. We elected to go upstairs and see if we could enjoy the view across the Esplanade and out to the harbour.

We had heard that if you are seated outside just before dusk you can get an excellent view of the bats flying around as they head out to feed for the evening. Unfortunately we were a bit late starting to see them, however if you are able to be seated outside and are a wildlife fan this is something to look out for. Of course the usual lorikeets are present for early evening frolics.

The upstairs area is very different to downstairs and the owners are clearly trying for a lounge feel to the upstairs area. The lighting is quite dim, lots of candles, and lounge music was the main fare. DJ Jodie was spinning the discs that night and played Kylie Minogue and Michael Buble lounge music.

As soon as we got in the door we were informed by staff that we would not be able to be seated on the deck because all the seats were booked. There was only one couple sitting on the deck when we arrived and the bar itself was deserted. However, apparently all the tables were booked, so we took a seat at one of the booths. If you want to seat outside, we’d recommend booking in future, however it was a bit galling to be told that we couldn’t sit where we wanted to in a nearly deserted bar.

There was an extensive drinks list (including a fair to average array of wines), however we had to get the drinks list ourselves from the bar. The waiting staff were apparently too busy looking after all the punters that weren’t there to provide us with a drinks list or menu. Once we had decided, we then also had to order from the bar ourselves. Again the waiting staff must have had something better to do than look after paying customers. The Chapel could benefit from training their staff and informing them of what waiting staff are supposed to do. I don’t think they get paid to sit in the back of the upstairs bar area gossiping with the DJ and ignoring patrons.

I ordered a Boddingtons to wet my thirst on a warm Far North Queensland evening, and my associate the Pink Chapel Absolution, the signature drink of the Chapel. On ordering the Boddingtons from the drinks list we were advised that they didn't have Boddingtons, and hadn't had it for a year. One would think that they could have updated their drinks list in that time, but apparently that’s expecting a bit much. A pint of Heineken from the tap was substituted for the Boddingtons at short notice and fortunately there was plenty of that.

The Chapel Absolution arrived quickly along with the pint. As a signature drink, it was a little surprising when first tasted. It consisted of Absolut Citron, peach schnapps, cointreau, grenadine, with some coconut (desiccated) all blended in with the ice to form a slush. The Absolution initially struck the palate quite hard, but as you got further down the glass it did get a lot better and grew on you. That probably had something to do with the alcohol content, and it might be better to start with a wine and then graduate on to the Absolution. The Chapel Absolution was an interesting drink and worth trying again if you can put up with the poor service. On 1/2 price nights it is also good value and that might explain the lack of service we experienced, although I doubt the staff work on commission. Next time we might also find room for the Toblerone Daquiri and the Mango Daquiri which both sounded pretty good.

As the crowd increased it was apparent that The Chapel mainly draws in a younger crowd. Downstairs tends to have a mixed age level, and the younger crew come upstairs. The bar staff became more friendly during the evening, and we couldn’t help but wonder if that was because they learned we were locals. I can’t emphasise enough how disappointing the service was. No doubt the DJ featured at the Chapel helps bring in the younger set, and in the later hours The Chapel would definitely rock. Overall not recommended, unless on a cheap night and you don’t care what kind of service you get. The Chapel is not a beer lovers bar by any stretch of the imagination. Only run of the mill tap beers are available, The Chapel could do with getting some interesting brews in there, like Boddingtons which they falsely claimed to have.

The Courthouse

The Courthouse

Key - Summary Information - Bar

Name: The Courthouse Hotel
Address: 38 Abott Street, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
Phone:(07) 403-18672
Cuisine Type: Pub Style – separate kitchen.
Price Range: No Cocktails, small wine list, $4.40 to $6.00 per beer.
Beers: Beer - 10x tap beers, 19 bottled beers
EftPos/Credit Cards: Yes, all accepted
Parking: Nil - street parking only
Disabled Access: Main entrance not at street level, some stairs.
Deals: None known
Dress Code: None known. Tidy Casual.
Smoking: Yes.
Overall Rating 6 out of 10
Drinks: 7 out of 10
Service: 6 out of 10
Ambience: 6 out of 10
Value for Money: 6 out of 10
Reccomended: Yes. Take your mates.

No web presence.

Review:

The Courthouse is an impressive establishment, and aptly named being the former Cairns Courthouse. A lot of hard work and money have gone into lovingly restoring the old building and turning it into a nightclub/sports bar in the centre of the Cairns nightlife district. A truly fantastic job has been done on the restoration of the Courthouse. The original marble has been retained where possible, and the facade has been kept in place. The marble colums, coat of arms, and exceptional flooring really make this a stand out venue. In keeping with the style of the building, the Courthouse is not air conditioned. The Courthouse grounds at the front of the building facing Abbott Street are used as an an outdoor viewing area to take in sports games, and also house an outside bar and bbq that is put into action for big games to handle the large crowds. There is a huge outdoor screen complete with projection tv and good sound for the games. Also, the Courthouse shows movies outdoors during peak tourist season.

The Courthouse is associated with the Cairns Resort by Outrigger and is in the same building as the resort, however it is open to, and easily accessed by the public. Patrons can enter through the hotel, or from Abott Street. There are security staff usually working at the Courthouse and they are friendly and very professional. Enetering the Courthouse from Abbott Street, patrons are required to walk through two rooms of seating before entering the main bar area. Off the right hand side before enetering the bar area is a gaming area for those who like the pokies, and to the left is an area where you are able to order snack foods. Unfortunately when we were there, there was a one and a half hour wait to order a bowl of fries. It is fair to say that it was a busy night, however that seems a bit ridiculous, and essentially our only option was the sausage sizzle outside for $2.50 a banger, but that didn't really take our fancy.

The main bar area has two separate rooms off to each side, one of which houses open air seating that is utilised by the restaurant that operates from the same premises. The other area has pool tables, however this was closed for a private function when we were at the Court house. It was easy to get a seat inside, even the couches were free as most people were there for the sport and were seated outside, watching the action on the big screen. The Courthouse is set up as a sports bar/nightclub and has four televisions, two side by side on two walls, in the main area. On each wall one television will be playing sport, while the other plays music videos that each feature advertising at the end of each clip. The music was mostly recent hip hop and R&B played at a fairly high volume, not the place for a quiet chat, more a place to come for a big night out. Whie inside it is not possible to hear the commentary to the sport because of the music, however the commentary to the sport fixture is available outside.

The Courthouse bar is an elliptical bar in the centre of the room with service available at any point from the bar. The bar serves beer, wine and spirits, however we were advised that there were no cocktails available. The Courthouse has 10 beers availalbe on tap, including XXXX (both Gold and Bitter), Hahn Premium and Light, Tooheys New, Tooheys Old Dark, Becks, VB, Stella Artois, and Carlton Draught) and 19 bottled beers available. The tap beers range from $4.40 to $6.00. Unfortuantely when we were at the Courthouse they were serving beer in plastic cups which wasn't that good, however this was probably due to the large numbers of people there to watch sport, and would be because the drinks were being taken outside for watching the game.

Overall we enjoyed the Courthouse for what it was, a sports bar come nightclub featuring hip hop and R&B in the Cairns scene. This bar is reccomended to those who are seeking a fun night out with a younger crowd. A good place to go to enjoy a few beers and a bit of music.

Revisit:

Just a small addendum to our original review, we recently revisited this establishment and can advise readers that there is a sepcial on Friday nights at the Courthouse. All beers are $4.00 per bottle. Not the best value in town and this might account for the lack of punters, if you're looking for a quiet sports bar to watch the footy, this place is one to consider if a quiet place is what you are after.

While the staff were very friendly, and helpful in putting on the game that we wanted to watch, you are strictly informed by signs all over tables that absolutely no food can be consumed on the wonderful leather couches that are perfect for watching sport from, being placed right in front of a big screen rear projection TV (not the best definition, but good enough) as they are. It gives you the impression that the establishment consider that they are doing you a favour by allowing you to go there and purchase alcohol and food. Newsflash, this is known as the hospitality industry, be hospitable, and if that is too much to ask, at least be hospitable to the customers.

We didn't consider that the prohibition on food was very responsible given the availability of comparatively cheap booze that you are encouraged to indulge in. Although the kitchen was open, and we ordered some passable fries and tempura battered fish, we were informed that should we wish to have cutlery we would need to move to the 'dining room' because it was against Queensland's anti-smoking legilsation to allow us to use knives and forks to eat our food.

I beg your pardon? Eating in the bar in a civilised manner is against legislation? Perhaps one day someone might be able to tell me how this works, however for now I am content to wonder how on earth the government can possibly think you need cutlery to smoke a cigarette, or that somehow, if you don't have cutlery to eat food in the main bar area, this may, or may not, have some relevance to smoking. If anyone out there knows the answer to this conundrum, please feel free to comment.

There was no reason to revise our original review of the Courthouse.