Spice bar at Melbourne Qantas Domestic Business Lounge

[Ade]

food is better IMHO than pre covid!

good to know. Hoping to be in MEL next week, flying after almost 8 months

 

[serfty]

In relation to the Spice Bar, food from there has always been to order and served by staff.

The rest of the lounge is still approach the counter/bar and request.

 

[RichardMEL]

MEL/SYD/CBR are still staff serve. Other lounges may vary depending on local policies.

 

[SYD]

Departed MEL for SYD a few moments ago, I saw recently that peeps were reporting the MEL QP closed. It was open today and the J lounge was maybe 1/2 full or less.

Meanwhile at the Spice Bar, the offering was unexciting and ordinary.

SYD+1 reported that the Fried Rice was awful. The noodles weren’t great

Staff at the buffet stations still.

 

[AIRwin]

@jakeseven7 please give your Gordon Ramsay-like review on this...

 

[jakeseven7]

@jakeseven7 please give your Gordon Ramsay-like review on this...

Haven’t had the soup! There was an amazing laksa last week though.

 

[AIRwin]

Haven’t had the soup!

Just from the presentation? I remember cracking up at your recent comments on the photos of the food offering at the Plaza Premium Lounge in BNE...

 

[jakeseven7]

Just from the presentation? I remember cracking up at your recent comments on the photos of the food offering at the Plaza Premium Lounge in BNE...

Oh what did I say? I need a laugh

 

[AIRwin]

Oh what did I say? I need a laugh

Post in thread 'Qantas Lounges will begin reopening from 1 November 2021' Qantas Lounges will begin reopening from 1 November 2021

 

[jrfsp]

Staff at the buffet stations still.

I wonder how much longer this will last. Europe / USA seem to have gone back to self serve.

Aside from the touch points, i cant see how standing in a queue with lots of people is more "covid.
safe"

Would make more sense to do the QR system ordering from the seat.

 

[AIRwin]

@jakeseven7 please give your Gordon Ramsay-like review on this...

@jakeseven7 no review = good review?

 

[Lynda2475]

Would make more sense to do the QR system ordering from the seat.

Id like to see this, means one can do work whilst waiting for food and drinks to arrive, rather than sanding in a queue.

 

[RichardMEL]

I agree, but of course lounges like QR etc have huge staff cost savings. QF (accor, whoever is running it) would need at least a few more staff to go serve tabes etc vs having one person hanging at the staffserve station and that is probably a factor I imagine. I agree it sure would be a smarter way to do it

 

[clifford]

Just make it self serve again, for goodness sake.

 

[RichardMEL]

Just make it self serve again, for goodness sake.

Just a guess that there may well be a change come March 1. NSW will drop everything then. Vic probably will too - they've done half of it... so I suspect things will change in this regard - things like QR check in, showing vax status and buiffets in the lounges that have staff serve.

The next one will be when the feds will drop the airport/aircraft mask mandate. I imagine it has to happen by mid year. Probably sooner. There will certainly be a lot of pressure on them to do so as time goes on (of course this is not a QF specific issue)

 

[SYD]

Just make it self serve again, for goodness sake.

The MEL DoubleTree where I stayed, has reintroduced self-serve breakfast buffet (and I assume many others have also).

 

[Lynda2475]

The MEL DoubleTree where I stayed, has reintroduced self-serve breakfast buffet (and I assume many others have also).

Im not they ever stopped they were doing self serve breaky when I was there first week of January. so its not new.

 

[SYD]

Im not they ever stopped they were doing self serve breaky when I was there first week of January. so its not new.

Al a carte cooked to order during my previous stay - albeit quite a few months ago (pre Delta).

 

[Virgin Bart]

I wonder how much longer this will last. Europe / USA seem to have gone back to self serve.

Aside from the touch points, i cant see how standing in a queue with lots of people is more "covid.
safe"

Would make more sense to do the QR system ordering from the seat.

Interestingly, first day in almost two years with self service bar in MEL

 

[Peasant]

SYD+1 reported that the Fried Rice was awful. The noodles weren’t great

I agree...the fried rice wasn't great, but I actually quite enjoyed the miso noodles today.

Interestingly, first day in almost two years with self service bar in MEL

Was today the first day? If so, it was a nice change. Less nice was the selection of wines...I really wish they'd invest a bit more in some quality. Chardonnay is my poison of choice, but a 2021 Penfolds Koonunaga is...not particularly rewarding.

I will say that the F&B staff seemed rather testy today.