Review The Boat Shed Restaurant - Maroochydore

Can't beat the Boat Sheds location right on the river mouth. Haven't been for ages & had a lovely luncheon today. Nice & breezy on a hot day. Innovative dishes for each course & great service from friendly young staff, several of whom must have had medical exemptions from mask wearing amidst the current pandemic.

The views here are unbeatable, watching the sunset over the water and celebrating an anniversary, memorable. It’s great to see mock-tails on the menu, it would be a big bonus to see a couple of non alcoholic wines too! Food was fresh and tasty, staff attentive.

What a find, just happening to be passing by and found this little jam for lunch. Right on the river next to Cotton Tree caravan park. Beautiful light decor , great service and excellent food . I had the swordfish and it was well cooked and well presented . Highly recommend this place.

innocence of Mooloolaba camping swimming walking easy days…. Easy blessed energy appropriately all being taken for granted …. Innocence gentleness…. Australia offers such underwhelming blessed magic.

A definite place to visit A great variety of meals The night we were there the place was at capacity but the staff were still great and all had a smile on there face Will definitely be back.

Most amazing spot, on the water, to watch the sunset. Great cocktails, amazing food and great customer service... will be back

Love the relaxed vibe here. Indoor & outdoor dining. Relax overlooking the river. Great spot for sunsets. Amazing food & good service. A must do in Maroochydore. Child friendly.

Great location, although we were seated indoors, you can still enjoy the views. The restaurant was very busy, but to be expected for the location & delicious food. The food is well worth the price tag, as it is not only delicious & well presented, but the portions are also very generous, so bring your appetite. We ordered a starter to share, the pork salad - best Thai salad I've had in years. Our main fish dishes were cooked perfectly. The wait service was excellent. Would recommend The Boat Shed 👍🏻

The Boat Shed is usually busy as the food is generally very good and the views excellent, ideal for laid back decent service lunch Yesterday, the Sunday after Australia Day, the restaurant was full as was the tapas area. Despite this the service was god albeit a little slower than normal but as attentive. Two of us had the fish and chips and one seafood dish. Excellent quality and a decent sized meal, we were pleased we didn't have a starter. Personally l find their desserts lacking flair but thats common on the Sunshine Coast. We have great fruit available but it's rarely available in desserts Overall reasonable value for one of the best restaurants on the coast. Great place for a special occasion lunch.

I have been several times last year 2016 and this year 2017 and I have been blown away by the food the lovely waitress and staff - the views are so beautiful plus a lovely breeze no matter how hot the day - but I reckon the food is the best it has ever been as I use to go back in 2010 and before that it changed hands a few times and then they were renovating it but since the last change I am so impressed with the restaurant and I feel it is not as expensive as most fine dining restaurants around but they manage to deliver a great entree, and a fabulous mains and their desserts are of a very high quality and to top it off if you love cocktails they do a great job of this as well - I am foodie and I love this restaurant and it has become one of my main places to go and enjoy nice food and be waited on by very lovely staff who are very attentive. Thanks heaps to the Manager and staff for making it such a great venue.

Have been visiting the Boatshed for at least 12 years. Three of us dined there for Sunday lunch yesterday..I would have to say it was the one of the best meals I have had there. Three different mains all perfectly presented with an array of flavours. I had the fried chicken dish with pearl cous cous. Could not fault the service by our great waitress on a very busy day. Thank you.

What a wonderful luncheon I enjoyed at the Boatshed for my birthday. The food and service were superb. The fish of the day , panfried sword fish was melt in your mouth delicious. The trio platter of deserts was excellent value especially to share.Service was extremely friendly and we felt very well looked after. The current menu and quality of meals is much improved over what the Boatshed used to be like year ago ( former owners) The ambience and views ar very special with no where else on the coast offering almost ' beahfront ' dining. I remember the Boatshed when it was just that- a shed you could hire paddle boats from and buy the kids an icecream, in the 1980. There were trampoline pits outside and I often took my kids there. Progress in this case has meant a great change for the better. Lovely place to take guests and friends for special occasions. Highly recommended

Was a go to favourite for lunch out, but on last visit struggled to select meal to order from menu choices, was very disappointed and friends who I took with me would not return. We shortened our stay with no desert and went elsewhere. No issue with food quality or service just menu options.

Absolutely awesome meal. This place is a hidden gem. We have been holidaying at Alex for four years now and didn't know this place existed. Now we will become regulars when in town.

Disappointing. Surly waitress; 2 mains passable; one tasteless and boring; one dessert passable but elements were poorly executed (e.g. rubbery popcorn); one dessert atrocious with rubbery panacotta, and the excessive sourness killed the possibility of enjoying the other more subtle elements in the dish. Service at least was reasonably quick. It’s strange because lunch there a few days earlier was good, but the same dishes for dinner came nowhere near. Inconsistency will kill you.

Absolute favourite restaurant on the coast! Highly recommend if you are looking for delicious food, quality service and the most beautiful location. It doesn't get much better than that! �

Was a lovely night ,meal was nice ,it is a little pricy but worth it once in a while special occasion. The young girl who served us was wonderful very knowledgeable of menu very pleasant and helpful. All staff were lovely . Great view.

Our family have been going to the Boat Shed at Cottontree for a number of years and have never had a bad experience. It is the place we always take our interstate and overseas visitors. The menu is always innovative while the old favourites like maple banana prawns remain. The staff are always knowledgable friendly and attentive and the view is so beautiful.

We went to the boat shed for lunch last weekend and were simply blown away at the quality of our meals. I eat out sometimes up to 4-5 times a week quite often coming home disappointed. We ordered the swordfish special and the salmon with the oysters as a starter and would go as far to say it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. Staff were friendly and very capable, views were amazing and food was divine. Can't wait to come back �

The combinations of flavour and texture were sublime. The quality of the meals is right up there with many other well known five star restaurants. Definitely a hidden gem!

Fabulous food,what a great view while enjoying a fun meal , fantastic 😉

Always first class service and food, a must place to eat and drink every time we come up to the Coast

I had the best Chips ever gluten free amazing and the chai was great as well

We drove down to have a yummy snack in the sun - Worst chips Ive ever had- anywhere. Outside was cold and soggy. Inside cold and hard. Service was slack. We waited for an eternity. No answer on your phones. Your email is out of order. Very disappointed as it has been our 'special place' for years. 1/10 is a generous score today guys. Sorry.

Fantastic experience. Awesome service, our waitress was fantastic & food was on point!! Our cocktails, wine & then coffee were all perfection. What a great way to spend a cold Sunday afternoon.

Had a reservation on one of their busiest nights - New Years - Received 10/10 service, food came out quick, food was 10/10. Couldn't have been better! �

We have been to this place many times and every time we go it gets better. The wait staff are so attentive and friendly and professional. The food is out of this world. I wish we could go there more often. Every special occasion will see us at Your place. Thank You for a lovely Sunday lunch. Guenter and Ute Buczynski

Had lunch with my hubby there yesterday the food was amazing and the staff were great My only negative was it was a long wait to get the mains served Fabulous location if I return up here I will definitely go there again

We had a great dinner. The waiters were efficient and very professional, the meat was cooked to perfection and all dishes were well presented. We'll certainly go back when we're in area.

My favourite place for lunch when we come for a holiday 🌈🎉🌟

Great food and service at the kiosk . never disappointed :) keep up the good work

The fish was beautifully cooked Just right Nice atmosphere on river Great service

Absolutely LOVE the position. The views are stunning and always so pleasant to be there. We ordered coffee around 10am on a weekday. Took a little while to come, surprising with so few customers there. When coffees​ came, the waiter mixed them up (sugars)and they were no longer hot. Small metal and glass table under the tree was dangerously wobbly. Otherwise good and will definitely be back as food there is always delicious. Maybe the outdoor furniture could get an update.

Food was wow! Just celebrated our 30th Anniversary! 10/10 for food, flawless, attractive and scrummy, wait staff fantastic! Well done Chef on 2nd August!

Dinner last night was awesome! Great staff. Yummy food. Dessert was sensational.

Great food, service & personalised magic tricks for the little ones 👌🏼

A fantastic way to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The service was prompt but not pushy. Tge food was lovely and our view was nothing to sneeze at. Will definitely be back!

Superb food and service as always in the most appealing setting for a long lazy laughing lunch. Coconut prawn signature dish is a standout. What more can I say but get thee to the boatshed with haste!

We had a great time yesterday at The Boatshed. A special occasion and we were well looked after by the staff. I couldn't complain about my meal. Crispy skin Huon Salmon with clams and mussels - so delicious. Such a beautiful location

Staff were fantastic, view was really nice and good was spot on! We'll be back!!

Location location location! Meals a bit expensive but very nice

Fabulous food, beautiful setting. Serving sizes are ample. Coconut drunken prawns on cooked banana is always amazing.

Absolutely brilliant location. Food amazing. Service was great. Clean, beautiful place. Highly recommended. �

Had my birthday lunch and was delighted with the food and staff, you will need to be prepared to pay a bit for the fine beach front dining, but expect nothing but fresh quality food in return, and they will deliver!

Beautiful setting and atmosphere on a nice day. Service was fantastic - staff were helpful and always available. <br/><br/>Fairly expensive for the quality of food. Came to nearly $150 for 2 inc. drinks. The scallop entree was delicious, but the main (fish of the day) was nothing special - the salad was drenched in dressing and the fish was over cooked. <br/><br/>Great to come here for a few nibbles / drinks by the water but I’m unsure whether I’d make it a dinner/lunch destination.

We chose to order our lunch from the takeaway at the side of the restaurant and ate on the grassed area overlooking the river. Our fish was wonderful, very fresh and covered in a light crispy panko crumb coating and the salads were delicious.

Sadly we weren't impressed. Seafood chowder very expensive. I thought it was more of a corn and potato chowder....really disappointed. Service very slow. And overall just too expensive. Wine, soup $55!! Very dissapointed. Group of 9. They all felt the same. Lovely setting.

Awesome location & environment, fabulous food and even better friendly service.<br/>Apparently this place is well known amongst our Sunny Coast friends as a good seafood restaurant. They were surprised when we told them they have a takeaway service window now too.<br/>We had excellent takeaway fish and chips, salt and pepper calamari and a really delicious Asian salad in the park. Meal size was large, the barramundi was excellent and chips plentiful, crispy & hot.<br/>The Asian salad was a generous size for only $7. It had a lovely homemade dressing.<br/>All our group noticed the genuinely welcoming, friendly service provided by the lady serving at the counter. I'm sorry I didn't get her name but she is a credit to the business.<br/>There is a beautiful tree which invites kids to climb and play while visiting. There is a big playground a short stroll away for the kids.<br/>I forgot to take photos of our food, we were too busy enjoying the company and location!<br/>I'd love to go back to try the actual restaurant side.<br/>

We were staying virtually across the street and this place had been recommended by friends. We went on a Wednesday for dinner and it was reasonably quiet. Service was lovely; welcoming, prompt, pleasant and helpful while unobtrusive. I especially loved the playful and cheeky friendliness of our waiter as she guided us through our choices. Food was delicious. Plenty on the menu but not too long a list to make selection difficult. Prices very reasonable for an ex@cellent meal. Normally we wouldn't look at dessert but we couldn't resist. My orange polenta cake was highlighted by superbly balanced citrus, rosemary and mint flavours and complemented by the delicious sweetness of ice cream. Well done people. You gave us a real treat and we'll definitely come again when next on hols.

So we had been on the Sunny Coast for a work retreat and a few of us had decided to stay over for the Friday night.  We were staying on the esplande at Cotton Tree and had eyed off the Boat Shed for breakfast (but found it didn't open until 10am), so when thinking about somewhere for dinner, we thought we'd wander back across.<br/><br/>Hugely popular place for sunset with all variety of folk turning up with their own chairs to indulge in the fish n chips from the takeaway counter at one end.  But we wanted something a little more refined, so went into the restaurant proper and enquired about a table.  In all honesty I was half expecting to be turned away without a booking on a busy summer Friday night, but the wonderful manager found us a table and suggested we grab a drink at the bar while they sorted it out.<br/><br/>Within minutes we were seated to catch that glorious sunset, share a bottle of bubbles and wait for our other dining companions to arrive.  Firstly let me say the service was fabulous - warm and friendly, our waiter was cheeky with a sense of humour - love that.  Between the six of us we ordered gnocchi, steak, barramundi and for me the laksa - and more than one bottle of wine.<br/><br/>Food was on the table in good time and I have to say my laksa was superb - one of the best I've eaten and I love laksa ... a lot!  The soup was spicy and rich, there was a generous serving of seafood including mussels, fish, prawns and clams - and the egg noodles were perfect, not too over cooked but with a nice al dente bite to them.  All my tablemates equally enjoyed their meals, if my laksa hadn't been so darn good I would have had food envy.<br/><br/>We also decided to share a few deserts with a cheese plate, salted caramel popcorn semi fredo and chocolate mousse the chosen items.  Again amazingly delicious - everyone shared a spoon or two of everything and we were all blown away by how good it all was.<br/><br/>To top it all off, the bill was very reasonable for such a gorgeous setting on the river, with such incredible food and warm, friendly service.  A definate thumbs up from all of us - and as I always say when a place is good, I hope to return.

Came here on a busy Saturday night. Our meals were all delicious - well cooked, interesting flavours, and generous serves. The waiters were run off their feet, so can excuse ours for being a little abrupt. Definitely not a cheap meal, but our Melbourne guests agreed it's worth the cost.

Very disappointing. We look forward each year to having lunch at the Boat Shed on our holiday. Great location and relaxed atmosphere. We ordered plates to share between four of us. We waited 45 minutes It seems that unless you are actually dining in at the restaurant you are accorded less in the way of service and good food. We were sitting at a table under the lovely tree outside. Our favourite spot. The pork belly must have been reheated from the previous day as it was as tough as leather and tasteless. I have to say though that the crumbed calamari was good. The service was poor and each time I went to the bar to order drinks and also our food I had to ask the young man behind it to repeat what he said twice. I have perfect hearing but he spoke so quietly that it was impossible to understand him and quite frustrating. If he'd been looking at me when he spoke I may have had a chance at lip-reading!! We will not be going back. Overpriced and disappointing.

I have been here a number of times in the last few months and the food has been consistently delicious and the service always with a smile. It can be busy on the weekends but I have always thought the food was worth the wait, and you don't mind so much when you can sit looking out over the river. The hardest thing has been not to order the same thing as last time (because it's always just so delicious). The food is on the pricier end for Maroochydore (entrees $15-25 and mains $30-40) but I would recommend it to anyone, particularly if you can come early for a wine as the sun sets over the water!

Great food, water views,. Third time in 6 weeks. Found myself savouring the thought of my dinner from mid afternoon. It is hard to try any thing new on the menu as I find my self wanting what I had last time. The staff are great too. Just love the whole experience

Loved this place !!. My wife and her family had the best experience thus far on the Sunshine Coast , having tried most reputable spots on coast we had given up on wasting money on going out for dinner . Happy to say this time had value for money on all parts , our meals were fresh and full of creative and balanced flavours . Service was relaxed and friendly and view was perfect ! We will be back thanks to all for a memorable evening.

The worst experience ever "AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST". Rarely do I find myself so convicted by a negative experience that I feel the impulse to share it. <br/>We came in a party of four to have fish and chips. We were informed that we would wait 30mins for our order. 45 minutes later we went and checked on the status of our order. We were told that our order was next and would be ready in five to ten minutes. We waited a further 30 minutes and went to the person working the counter to enquire for the third time regarding our order. The staff then proceeded to talk to us and amongst ourselves in a manner that implied that we were putting them out. They subsequently after yelling back and forth amongst themselves stated that the order had not been received by the kitchen. The cook from the kitchen yelled "give them' their money back if they want or I will cook it but I ain't doing any more"<br/>We decided we were better off getting red rooster and got a refund on our fish and chips.<br/>A very negative experience and we were treated very poorly by the staff. <br/>We would never return or suggest for anyone we know to return.

Don't go there. When we ordered we were told there would be a 30min wait. We didn't mind this as there was a nice view. After we had waited 1hr we went and checked where our meal was. The guy at the counter said ours was next to be cooked. After another 20mins we checked again. Our order had been misplaced. The cook showed very little remorse about the error. We asked for a refund. Will never go there again.

Fish & chips- miserable front staff. Experience was tainted before food even arrived, young girl who took order was beyond miserable and shouldnt be front of shop dealing with customers. Luckily food was reasonable.

Ok not great.. We had lunch at The Boatshed on 27th December for our son's birthday. We were seated in in area of the restaurant we had requested. We had a nice meal but not great. My meal which was trout with avocado and salad was well cooked but I do think the avocado should not be bruised- especially when there is so little of it. Many of the mussels in my daughter's meal were still closed. Overpriced for what we got.<br/>The restaurant did not feel special. The floors were dirty. Tables are bare timber and glasses very basic quality. Especially the water glasses. The server reached in front us to serve others at our table even though there was room to walk around. She gave basic service but didnt interact in a way to ensure we had the excellent experience many people report having. We regularly have better service and attention to detail in the cafes nearby. <br/>It was very hot where we were sitting even with the side doors open. Fans didn't reach us. It was so uncomfortably hot that we didn't stay for dessert. <br/>We had been looking forward to having a special family lunch and even though it was OK we were a bit disappointed with our experience.<br/>Note: We live in the area not WA as noted at top of review.

Mixed review here. The foo.... Mixed review here. <br/>The food was absolutely sensational. <br/>But.... I will never return. <br/>The service and staff were rude. Particularly a rather rude and arrogant French waiter who decided to abuse me half way through ordering due to a miscommunication. What an idiot. Totally ruins what would have been a great experience. The booking was was for 2.30pm and we arrived at 2.15 to be told three times that 'the kitchen is closing soon'. This rushed insistence again ruined the occasion as we were celebrating an anniversary. <br/>So, although the view is nice and the location is lovely. The food tastes great, although a little overpriced... I will tell as many people as I can to avoid this place. <br/>I would rather go somewhere where we can actually be treated nicely and respectfully. <br/><br/>The staff need training in courtesy and I think the restaurant with its constant bookings and full house now just don't care, because people are just going to come anyway. <br/>My reccomendation is to avoid and find somewhere else.

I love this place. We have been going for years during our Xmas holidays at cotton tree. The prawns with banana and rum sauce are fantastic. In my view it is the best location with maroochy river views and beach views from your table I'll be back again next Xmas for more of those banana prawns

Advice to Chef!. Since dining at Boat Shed some weeks ago, I have consulted several noted Chefs on the accompaniments for Confit of Duck.<br/>All have agreed that it should not be served with "Chilli" in "spiced vegetable" bed base! , which leaves the diner with<br/>a "numbed" mouth. Furthermore said "Chilli" was not even mentioned on the menu, so clearly Chef needs to brush up on his<br/>knowledge of French Cuisine!<br/> The Cheesecake dessert had obviously been left out of the freezer too long and was nearly sliding off the plate!<br/>Very poor value for the high cost, despite the view!

Management needs to improve utterly hopeless - don't bother going - too many better places on the coast. Have a picnic outside on the grass for free. The service & food will be much better & you still have the view.

Had a fantastic overall experience at this iconic restaurant a few days ago . Have not revisited for many years due to an average past experience . Very relaxed and professional. Menu and food was fresh,fast and exceeded our expectations by a long shot. We will definitely return when ever we are on the Sunshine Coast . Thanks for a wonderful evening !

Was a little bit pricey but lovely view. Went there last week. I really enjoyed the view. The staff could do with some training. Overall, good food, though little variety for a vegetarian.

Awesome Experience. We went for dinner last Saturday night and were blown away. Some of the previous reviews did make us a bit nervous, but after checking out the menu and seeing the location we had to give it a try. I'm so glad we did, the food was great and the hardest thing about the night was trying to decide what to eat. I had the duck dumplings and scallops for entree (one of the best dishes I've eaten in months). For my main I couldn't go past the Moreton Bay bug & salmon ravioli with grilled prawns, excellent.<br/><br/>Our waiter Kevin was awesome, he couldn't do enough to make sure our evening was a special experience. We finished up with coffee under the tree beside the river, what a great end to the night.<br/><br/>Definitely a must for anyone visiting the Cotton Tree area.

Do not waste your money. Ignored by 3 staff on arrival.Our waitress didn't show us the specials and the food was very very average. 5 of us for dinner and no one finished their meals as it wasn't worth finishing. There was a very cold wind and you could see seriously everyone in the restaurant freezing but they wouldn't put down the flaps. We could not get out of there fast enough. Table was sticky and filthy. So disappointed as we had gone there for a special birthday.

Great location We were real.... Great location<br/>We were really excited that we had discovered this delightful spot<br/>The 'tapas' menu was all that the kitchen were able to offer at 3.40pm<br/>No matter, we ordered the calamari and the ploughmans platter<br/>Price was ok for the location<br/>The snacks took 35mins to arrive and only when we had prompted them<br/>Service was awfully amateurish<br/>No cutlery offered just take away wooden fork for ploughmans platter ?!?<br/>When we asked for cutlery the waiter looked at us as if we were from another planet<br/>When the cutlery arrived it was demonstrably placed on the table out of our reach <br/>The food itself was average 5/10 the components of the <br/>Ploughmans were far too salty without any balance No water was offered to compensate

DONT GO THERE!. Wait staff good and pleasant enough. Food - 6/10 for value and taste. Bar staff - ABSOLUTELY RUDE, the most ignorant lot I have come across. Standing at the bar waiting for service, I was totally ignored by one of the foreign speaking older males who chose to speak to another customer (obviously one of his countrymen) in their tongue. The conversation went on for some time until the customer decided to order and I decided to leave! My daughter who was celebrating her birthday there was also rudely and arrogantly spoken to by other behind the counter staff when she enquired as to whether or not she could have a cake there.

Beautiful day, great location and outlook, attentive female staff. Disappointing food and condescending "manager" with a complete lack of personality. Slovenly attitude to food preparation and presentation. Don't waste your time. Too many better options on the coast.

Dreadful. I would never go again. Slow, slow, slow - waited an hour and a half for our main courses, I had ordered the tempura style prawns in a banana boat which were cold and had to go back. The waitress took my Wine glass away just as I was about to pour myself another drink and when I politely asked for it back she was very unpleasant. I tried to have a word with the manager to express my dissatisfaction and all he wanted to do was talk over the top of me.<br/><br/>Beautiful setting but that's all.

Don't go here.. ever!!. I went here for my mothers birthday during the day. Staff are constantly interrupting and asking if meals were ok, (asking 3 times about the same dish) doesn't show much confidence in the dishes they were serving. Salt & Pepper Squid had neither salt nor pepper and was quite bad quality for the price. Pork belly was 90% gelatinous fat. As it took so long for the meals to come out in the first place, didn't see much point in pointing out the lack of quality ingredients they were using for the price they were charging. Instead, decided to discuss it with the staff when paying for meal as to not distress the rest of the dining party - ended up having quite a heated argument with the disgustly rude staff member on the register, who decided that sarcasm and belittling was a better response than actually accepting the criticism. Will never go back there again and hope eventually this poor excuse for a restaurant does the district a favour and shuts down for good.

Food was nice but in general the whole experience was disappointing. Had to keep asking for water, asking for drinks,basking to order.... had the most god awful coctail and then when sent back got greasy looks from the staff. Then food took forever and no offer for deser had to ask for the bill after half an hour... Beautiful location but not worth the money they are charging.

Hit and Miss. Great location but that's about it.<br/>Some items on the menu were great, but avoid the mussels they were terrible.<br/>Expect a large bill....<br/><br/>If you go here try the tapas menu under the tree rather than the restaurant.

Went for a special birthday. Service poor. Food good. Charged incorrectly & received call en route home - just to top off the poor service. Have been there many times previously and had no complaints. This time though very disappointed!

It's a shame this place is going downhill. Great location but bored condescending staff combine with plain food to disappoint.

Offensive and rude staff members. I went with family and friends for a birthday treat of coffee but were told we could only sit outside in the rain as they were setting tables for lunch and made to feel like second class citizens. Mind you this was only 10am when we arrived. Pass the word around how disgusting the service in there!!!!

World class. Prime location and beautiful tapas. Great cracking open a beer and looking at the magnificent ocean view. Staff are always happy to compensate any desire.

Hard to find a fault here.. A midweek dinner here was on cards after much deliberation. I'm glad we ignored the bad reviews here because, as critical diners, we enjoyed the whole evening.<br/><br/>After finding the front door at the end of a darkened carpark (google maps does help), we entered into The Boatshed finding it three quarters full. Promptly seated, given just enough time to relax & consider our drink, not rushed. Decor is not jaw dropping but fine at this point, the view outside goes someway to offset this. <br/><br/>The menu is split with larger mains and smaller entree/shared plates. Seafood takes the lions share of space here but is backed up with enough other options. Pricing seems very good, sizings above average for mains though entree's not so much. Presentation is fine at this level, not really out there but certainly a step up from pub grub. <br/><br/>Linen not paper, proper drinks service (not once did we need to garner attention from our waitress), & the wine list is mainly local but reasonably priced with a good range by the glass. <br/><br/>Critically, my only point of contention was the background music. Katie Perry might be a hit with school formals but was really out of place here, only one song for the entire evening came close to reflecting the restaurant. About 8 bucks for bread, butter and predictable soft oil/balsamic. And an uninspiring filling for the zucchini flowers is all we came up with.<br/><br/>I would recommend coming here, its a great bistro. I'll visit again.

Slow as a glacier - been 2 hours and we've just had main. Tiny fish portions. Way overpriced. Nice food.

Recommended. I have just had one of the nicest meals with my family tonight. Yes it was expensive but in my opinion totally worth it! Dinner was beautiful and the staff were lovely. Will definitely be returning for my Dads birthday later this year.<br/><br/>PS it would be perfect for a romantic dinner.<br/><br/>10/10

Avoid!. Shockingly bad service, grungy atmosphere (it is a beautiful spot in the day time, right on the river, at night it is a grungy shed). The food is average/substandard pub fare at $30+ prices. Long wait for food, even though it wasn't busy.<br/><br/>We had a party of 12, a third of which chose the Pork Belly, NONE were happy with it, sad for a signature dish. <br/>The three vegos chose the gnocchi (there was little else) none of them was impressed with the flavour or texture of their minuscule, overpriced serve. The girl next to me said that her Italian mother would be angry that they even called the stuff Gnocchi.<br/>My partner ordered the fish, chips and salad. For over $30 I expect fish and chips to be something good. This was three small greasy, overcooked whiting fillets that weren't particularly fresh. The salad was a disgusting, inedible garnish. Even the chips were awful.<br/>I was told the lamb salad would have been good if it had cost half as much. The one happy eater had a medium rare steak. <br/><br/>Come to this place for a drink by the river in the day time. Don't eat there, especially at night. Expect rude, arrogant, incapable service.

Why so ordinary?. Such a beautiful place for a restaurant, but do they just do enough trade with tourists to not bother putting together a great package? The menu read well, wine list reasonable, but the food was certainly overpriced for what you get. I quite enjoyed my meal, but as it was an entree served as a main, I got the biggest mound of beautifully tender calamari imaginable, but it was completely unbalanced without enough salad/salsa or aioli to make it a great dish. Value for money makes an impact on the meal, at $24 it would have been acceptable at $31 it was a letdown. Other dishes at the table ranged from good to not good at all. But even this could be overlooked with stunning service, or even friendly enjoyable service. We were met by someone cheerful and she cleared or plates at one point, but our waitress was so disdainful. It really could be so much better.

Gorgeous views in the autumn sun, perfect spot for wine with lunch! Not an all round top experience due to a very pursey lipped waitress who was somewhat put out having to serve us and didn't see the fly in my freshly poured wine as problematic! 2 out of our 3 meals were lovely, one was not at all. The pâté needed more salt and more bread, we had to wait too long for a second serve of bread which then cost us $6... Overall as visitors to the town we won't go back but suggest if you are prepared to pay too much for average food. Boat shed people if you are reading this you are sitting on a gold mine, lift your game!

Ups and Downs. I went to the Boat Shed today for my Birthday lunch and was very disappointed. The waitress we had wasn't very good at all she was very short with us and you can tell that she was finding it hard to keep up. We had to flag someone down every time we needed something for our table. Eventually we were able to order our food. We decided to order a Pate for the table and then mains as we expected to get desserts for my bday. The pate was tasty but there was only 3 pieces of bread and when I asked for more it took half an hour to come out. Not to mention the charge that came with it without and notice. I also ordered an Entree instead of a main and asked it to come out with everyone elses mains. The food was tasty but when we got the bill I was very unhappy to see that they had doubled the cost of the entree so that I could have it as a main. Again no one had told me that! <br/>We also had to wait an hour and a half for our food which was recognized by them and they gave us a free round of drinks.<br/>It was a shame because my parents were taking me someone nice for a special treat for my bady. I also work in hospo so I know what is expected by staff.

Very Unimpressed. On the 09/03/2013 for the first time I ate at the Boat Shed. I expected amazing food. When my entree of calamari came to the table the presentation was messy and thrown on the plate. The calamari was cold and doughy, could not find the sauce and would not call one flat leaf piece of lettuce a garnish. I was looking forward to the main meal after waiting one hour for it to be served i was shocked at the presentation. If I wasn't with a table of 8 I would have walked out after complaining. The potato on my plate was lumpy and stone cold, the eye fillet was cold and WELL DONE when i ordered medium, barley any sauce was on the plate and the meal was extremely dry! To add not one meal that came to my table of 8 was hot/not even warm. not one of the steaks were cooked correctly. Every person was very disappointed at the fact that the meals are expensive and not one element on the plate was enjoyed. I will pass this feedback onto family and friends as it was a very disappointing experience.

Great. Found the food here really nice. I have Crohn's disease and need to be very careful of what I eat. The staff were more than happy to cook what I needed. The others at my table were also happy with their meal and meals were big enough. Service was slow, but the resturant was very busy. Loved it and would recommend it.

Terrible experience. The .... Terrible experience.<br/><br/>The location is fantastic however we were there on a windy day, not that the restaurant could do anything about that.<br/><br/>The staff there however were disinterested and slow. I ordered the pork belly and the serving was very small and the meat cut was 95% fat with next to no meat on it. Pork belly is meant to be fatty - but not all fat I ate the meal feeling like I had been ripped off. I would have given feedback to the staff if someone asked how the meal was but no one did. So I thought I'd write this review to say i'll never go back.

Mediocrity. Disappointment ..... we moved here in 2008 <br/>Views obviously beautiful ....food good <br/>Now ...... 2012 ....<br/>Views beautiful ........ food has been deteriorating since 2008 <br/>I had to send the prawns back ........ think they were a bit old <br/>The fish and chips were bland and greasy <br/>Had better from a fish and chip shop <br/>HOW DIFFICULT CAN IT BE TO DO GREAT FISH AND CHIPS ....??????<br/>Just because they have the great view ..... that is no excuse for their poor standard of food <br/>Whoever owns this place ..... should take a long hard look at the quality <br/>I would love to buy it and hire a great chef <br/>What a terrible waste it is <br/>Bad news spreads very fast <br/>Boat Shed ......lift your game ..... !!!!! <br/>It could be a very special place ..... shame on you ...!!!!

Should have stayed a boat shed. Rude offensive staff, great location and views however I wouldn't recommend to anyone. Don't waste your time and hard earned.

Unimpressed. I've been to this restaurant a few times over the past few years and everytime the service is worse and the food less impressive.<br/>On our last visit it took 1 and 1/2 hrs to receive our lunch and then desert arrive an hour later. When mentioning to the staff it had been so long, it seems to appear on the table in moments. <br/>Id make a small exception to the wait time if the restaurant was busy but it was only half full.<br/>The staff weren't very helpful or attentive and the food i found was good but not in par with the prices. I doubt ill go back.

The service was exceptional from the moment we sat down, views delightful and the food was fantastic. Everyone enjoyed their dishes, we were offered more bread to finish off our shared dips and the fairy floss on one of the deserts was a master piece. We certainly would go back. Lovely for a special night out.

Boat shead. Went to boat shed on sat night been there at least 10 times but not for about 18 months the menu was terrible to fancy and had to much sea food used to love the steaks but only had 1 to chose from everyone at our table all had problems at with the menu when we did order it took about 1.5 hours to arrive not good enough we eat out alot and found this place very disapointing wont return remember locals talk and keepyou in business and dont get me started on waiting 1 hour for a cab that the waiter said she had phoned for when i rang on my moble it turned up within 5 minutes they said they had no calls from staff

Disappointed :(. I found the Boat Shed really disappointing... The service was terrible. It took nearly 1.5 hours to get our main meal and then a further hour for coffee and desert. The meals were bland and probably wouldn't go there again.

Enjoy the view. This is the best location in Cotton Tree. Perfect for sunset drinks, basically the only nice cocktail bar near here, and the food is pretty good.

Well we've just finished a delicious meal at the boat shed in Maroochydore. Aside from the food the great attraction is the location and ambience of the restaurant. It sits on the bank of the beautiful Maroochydore river as it enters it's delta to the sea. My partner ordered the veal scallopini and I the crispy atlantic salmon. The veal was wrapped around asparagus which was different. The veal and salmon were delicious. The dessert a treat rose water and lemon scented meringue with poached rhubarb was excellent as too was my passion fruit brûlée with orange sorbet and pistachio biscotti. Andrew Munro

Great Experience. Stunning location, fantastic & attentive staff, interesting & diverse menu. Crumbed lambs brains were delicious as was the rib eye fillet. Will definitely return.

Great service and grea food. I was amazed to read such poor reviews. I can only comment on my experience. Wonderful view, comfortable seats, attentive service, delicious, well presented food and reasonably priced.

Congratulations!. We attended The Boatshed this evening and were very delighted with the quality of service and the presentation and standard of food. Yes, we had read a few unfavourable reviews from the past 12 months, however, we decided to experience for ourselves - and were not disappointed at all. Well done to The Boatshed team for a wonderful evening!

The perfect ruined evening<br/>What a night,<br/>It was a nightmare that I will not recommend anyone.<br/>On our anniversary, we decide to chose the Boat-shed as the place to celebrate.<br/>It was the biggest mistake ever made in my life, service was I should say the best of all.<br/>I will definitely not go back to this restaurant for the rest of my life.<br/>When you go to a restaurant you expect to have a warm place not a freezer<br/>When you go to a 3 and half star restaurant you expect a chef not a kitchen hand in the place of a chef.<br/>The food was pre-made at least 3 or 4 day, the steak was burned char coal both side, half was left on the plate, the pork was the same impossible to eat, extremely disappointed, usually if service and food is good the waiters and all will be surprised by my generosity, not this time, not one cent.<br/>Cocktails, left most of them on the table, I know how to make cocktails and I presume the guy that did it was not even a bar tender and so on.<br/>One star possibly 1 and half, 2 stars will be over the top.<br/>Sorry guys, change you thinking and good luck with your future in the restaurant business, I suggest that to say you have 3 and half star is over the top, please go to any other 3.5 star and see how it works.<br/>If you where overseas you will be close within few months.<br/>You have a lot of suckers around, not me and my wife.<br/>By the way after we left your restaurant we went to the RSL few meters away and we eat there to.<br/>Best of luck<br/><br/>Menu - Pork & Fillet

Tired and Declining with a Sidedish of Shocking Rudeness. Having dined at the Boatshed over 20 times in the past 3 years for business and family occasions the place has gone into decline over the past 9 months. Dirty walls, broken outdoor furniture, cigarette butts and weed infested planters are noticeable even with the amazing view. Service is now just dreadful, ill informed, unprofessional and on over 5 occasions now down right rude - " if you spoke to the person next to you in a pub on a Saturday night you would get hit" rude. I have gone to management twice in the past with concerns and after our recent Mothers Day lunch nothing has changed, we got burnt food thrown into the mix with wait staff agreeing it was burnt but saying it was too busy for the kitchen to cook a replacement and they still wanted us to pay for it!!!!!! It would have to have been the Mum in question's main meal too - they knew that and did not give a flying. We had waited 1.5hours for our main meals to arrive after our entrees had been cleared to be served attitude for daring to ask how much longer our food would be. <br/><br/>It used to be a beautiful experience, I recommend you limit your visit to a glass of wine and tapas under the cotton trees (If you can find a seat that is clean and not broken), and stay well away from the dining.

Bland, Bland, Bland. Food was BLAND and we were given the worst seat in restaurant (even though we booked). We made the manager aware of all this before we left - no apologies given, just defensive retorts. A good restaurant has to be more than just a good view. Actually, I wouldn't know if there was a good view, I was facing the car park! My advice: buy take away and sit on cotton tree beach, same view and much better food.

Dont go there. The waitress was really condescending. We were given a really crap seat with a view of the car park. We asked for a better seat and were declined even though there was no one sitting in the seats with views the whole time we were there. Calamari entree was nice, but the fish special wasn't so special and the pork was dry. They are serving winter dishes in summer. Overall it was really disappointing.

One of my favorites. The Boat Shed was once a hidden treasure and now everyone has heard about it, so bookings are essential.<br/><br/>** The Best location<br/>** Great food<br/>** Friendly and attentive service.<br/><br/>I have no hesitation in recommending this as one of my favorites.

Fabulous setting. Yet again they were helpful and service was professional. The food was well presented and tasty. This is well worth a visit.

Would not return!. Very disappointed in our meals - the Lamb shank had too much fat not enough meat and the Osso Bucco was so dry it was hard to chew - on reflection should have sent it back. I suggested going there and our dining partners from NZ shouted us which made it embarrassing! Would not recommend their version of Tiramisu - they should make it the traditional way.

Love it!. Went recently for my anniversary dinner, loved everything about it.......the location is A++++ staff great food was awesome!!! Cant wait to go back!

Great ambiance, food and staff. If you asked me what i liked i woiuld have to say all of the above. Perched your self on the edge of Maroochy River is super comfy chairs and enjoy it all.

Service Versus Food. The food has always been excellent in taste and presentation. However, service lets the tremendous efforts of the kitchen staff down - on our last visit 2 weeks ago, our dinner plates were left on the table for 40 minutes after we'd finished eating!

Love the tapas under the cotton tree. The restaurant always disappoints me. Service is random.

Extra small Portions. One more disappointing aspect with the barra and snapper meals is that both dishes had very small portion sizes in fact you could call them entree sizes, left you feeling cheated especially when they were also loaded up with huge chip portions to make the plate look full. For the money you pay you would be better going to Rickys at Noosa for value and real local fish!<br/><br/><br/>-----07 Jan, 2011-----<br/><br/>Boatshed - Cottontree. Great postion and view however twice now we have had the snapper with lemon butter and they have served up 2nd grade frozen imported snapper as local, how do I know, I am an ex seafood auctioneer, processor and fish inspector. Why do they do is? for the sake of a QUICK BUCK!

Disappointed. The location is superb but was not happy with my choice of meal. The seafood marinara was very watery and tasteless. I enjoyed my meals on previous occassions but found this visit very disappointing.

Awesome once again..... Enjoyed the Boat Shed again last week. Even with such a large group (12), the service and food were awesome! Everyone walked away very happy, and the bill was very reasonable too.

Great Value. What a place, Beautiful setting with modern cuisine. Eny a walk around the nice setting before or after dinner. Best around dusk on a warm night with a gentle breeze.

fabulous food and excellent wine list.

The Boat Shed combos are not breaking edge but they are artfully and professionally executed.