Sands Hotel

The Sands Bistro in Carrum Downs offers a relaxed and welcoming dining experience that caters well to families and casual diners alike. From the moment we arrived, the staff were exceptionally polite, attentive, and efficient, creating a comfortable atmosphere that carried through the entire evening. Our meals were served promptly, arriving hot, fresh, and well-presented. The menu offers a good variety of classic bistro options, and everything we ordered was flavorful and satisfying. Portion sizes were generous without being overwhelming, offering great value for the price. A standout feature for families is the inclusion of a small kids’ play area. While it’s a welcome addition that helps keep younger guests entertained, the space would benefit from being slightly larger. Additionally, the presence of coin-operated machines within the area can be a distraction and somewhat detracts from the overall family-friendly feel. A more open, interactive play space would be a great improvement. Despite this minor issue, our experience at The Sands Bistro was very positive. The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was smooth, and the food hit the mark in both quality and timing. It’s an ideal spot for a casual night out or a family meal, and we left feeling well looked after and satisfied. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and would definitely recommend The Sands Bistro to others in the area looking for good food and friendly service in a laid-back setting.

Michael Larman · 2025-08-30

I don’t come here often, but whenever I do, the meals are consistently cooked properly — sometimes a little overcooked or “cremated,” but honestly I prefer that over what’s happening at your cousin venue, the Fountain Gate Hotel. They’re currently undercooking almost everything. The undercooked pink chicken parma mentioned in another review actually sounds far more like Fountain Gate than The Sands. I was recently served three undercooked meals there: a pink pork cutlet that came out in 15 minutes, a chicken schnitzel in 14 minutes that wasn’t cooked through at the end, and a nine-minute steak that was still undercooked in the middle. I came here yesterday because I knew the food would be safe and properly cooked. Even slightly overdone is better than playing raw-roulette. My seafood linguine — one of your new menu items — was cooked through and tasted great.(pic 1) Some of the staff can be a little snobbish or come across rude at times, but overall the food quality here is far more reliable compared to Fountain Gate Hotel at the moment. The other photos I included are from Fountain Gate, showing how everything looked fine on the outside but was raw inside. Casey Council amusingly classified it as a “presentation issue,” which definitely wasn’t the case.

HonestDinerReview · 2025-12-01

The venue and staff are lovely. The kids really enjoyed their nuggets and chips. However our meal was awful. We got a parma and it was pink. Sent it back. Got another one and took a bite and the consistency was like a mix between a rubber chicken and gristle. Absolutely inedible. It was disgusting. I am still feeling unwell whenever I think of it. I have never been served anything as bad as the parma I had tonight. I couldn't even have the plate sitting near me and had to move it away. Staff were lovely and gave us the option of another meal or a refund. We took the refund as the parma was so horrible it put me off food for the rest of the night.

Jodie Rabaut · 2025-11-22