Review The Gamekeepers Secret Country Inn - Melton

Beautiful English pub setting, roomy, delicious filling meals, lovely country pub setting and fireplace for the Winter months. Also function hire. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Can't wait to go back! We had the Guiness Pie and Lamb shanks, meat melts off the bone, vegies and mash potato.....mouth watering and a hearty meal.

First time here, great food, friendly service British atmosphere, nice and local, food came out real quick. Feels like being in the Uk without the expense of an airfare.

My partner and I have been to this establishment about 4 times now, and every time we go the food is so delicious. We love the menu they provide, the ambience of a old style pub, the service is always timely, efficient and friendly and the prices very reasonable. I have to say also that they make the best calamari I've ever had anywhere!!!!! Our go to place when we get away from our kids for a couple of hours!

Visited on a very busy Saturday night with a number of large groups. Our drink order was taken and delivered quickly however it was a while until our food order was taken. But we were not in any hurry and they were very busy. We both had Salt and Pepper Calamari which was lovely and tender and the serving size was just right. The entertainment was good but it was a little hard to hear with all the noise. It is still a favourite and we will definitely go again

Had dinner here with the family. Extremely helpful and friendly staff, amazing 2 piece cover band that sounded as good as the originals!!! Lovely old English pub setting with food to match. Fast service, great variety on menu and not a bad location for us coming from Sunbury. Would highly recommend for all types of gatherings. Special mention to the waitress staff, couldn't ask for anything more!!

The place has changed hands and has not improved. The food was mediocre. This restaurant has so much potential, and can be changed around for the better. It looks a fabulous place, in the old style English pub. The food menu just needs updating. More salad options should be put on, like a Ploughman's Lunch. Get rid of the stodgy massive Sliced cakes on view, and make smaller presentations. Maybe even do High Tea, with little sandwiches and Petit Fours. It's a shame to see it half empty during the weekdays. I would love for this place to be successful, as it has always reminded me of home in England, but something needs to change.

Delicious food. Great atmosphere. Lovely service. We will be back.

I kept driving past this as I have only been on this side of town for a short time. Being of English stock, I was looking forward to the traditional pub experience. It did not disappoint. I’ve been there 3 times now, once for a 50th - catering and staff were fab. Second time for a casual spur of the moment dinner with my partner - the food was sensational. I had the filet mignon which rivaled any steak I have had in the world. And my partner a delicious seafood platter. Generous portions of tasty well cooked food. Entertainment outstanding. So we decided to book a table of 20 for my birthday, well it was fantastic. How often in a large group does the food come out at the same time? It did that night. Everyone enjoyed their meals and their evening. The owners and their team are a delight. I think we will become regulars!!! Highly recommend 😊

Really liked this place, relaxed country vibe and the live music is entertaining. Good for parties or birthdays. Food was really tasty, and the cheesy bread is absolutely delicious. We were offered some complimentary starters which was really nice! Definitely coming back soon!

Went here for Christmas lunch spent over $1000 it was TERRIBLE. Just some of the issues; not enough staff, waited 45 minutes for drinks and that was after asking several times for someone to take our order, over 2 hour wait for mains, most mains were terrible - varying portion sizes across the table and the food was either over or under cooked, another long wait for desserts, table got desserts at varying times and wrong items were bought over, had to ask 4 times for desserts for people who still hadn't received theirs. The place was EXTREMELY hot almost intolerable - staff response was they had booked a lot of people so that was causing the heat issue. This is the worst dining experience I have ever had and it was a relief to leave. I was very disappointed as have dined here on many occasions previously but after that Christmas lunch never again! One waitress did apologise for delays explaining the restaurant was short staffed and overbooked. Not good enough considering the cost. Speaking to other diners on the day we certainly weren't the only ones with the same experience and by all indications we aren't the only patrons who won't be returning.

Game Keepers Secret Inn, located on the Melton Highway hosts a restaurant displaying game- that is, animals in a very rustic and unique dining experience likened to a cabin feel. With service that is both attentive and warm, we felt like welcomed lodgers visiting for a dine in at the local tavern.<br/><br/>Today we ordered the parmigiana and the Kangaroo fillet as mains, with a half cob of garlic butter bread to start. The loaf of cob was very delicious. We never thought we would enjoy butter and bread, but for $5 to get a massive amount of warm, toasty bread with delicious garlic butter. A poor man's garlic bread? We aren't complaining! Definitely one of our favourite breads we have had. We even joked that if this bread was served in the city, you could charge $20 and nobody would even question it, it's that good. As for the meats, they were definitely good and hit the spot. The parmigiana was tender, a bit dry in spots though whilst the Kangaroo fillet was juicy and succulent. We definitely enjoyed our meals here, considering we were craving these foods.<br/><br/>Leaving satisfied, this restaurant is definitely a memorable experience. Good food and service with unique ambience! To summarise: Hearty wholesome pub food!<br/><br/>Food: 3.5/5<br/>Service: 3.5/5<br/>Ambience: 4/5<br/>Value: 3/5<br/><br/>Overall: 3.5/5

Game Keepers Secret Country Inn is a friendly place, very warm and welcoming. Great spot to go during winter to warm up and eat some great hearty food.

The Game Keepers Secret Country Inn is nestled between two first class wineries - Galli and witchmount.<br/><br/>This establishment has really decent food with good portions in a good atmosphere. I had the lamb shanks which fell off the bone whilst others had the huge steak sandwich, risotto and fish and chips. All were happy with their meals.<br/><br/>For an English pub, I didn't see any English beers or fare.

Great tasting food made with care. Schnitzel crumbled on site. A tad pricey though but generous servings, maybe shave $5 off mains would be perfect.

Absolutely love this place and come here often. The staff are warm and friendly, the food is very good with large portions at a reasonable price.<br/>I always start with the bacon and cheese cob loaf. My only problem is trying not to fill up before the main course as the cobb loaf is so good. Seafood is always fresh and delicious and they do a great steak also.<br/>Ambiance, food, service all great. Definitely a hidden gem of the west.

Had an excellent dinner here. The restaurant is very nicely located, feels like your in Europe. They also had a very good singer on the night, that sets up the mood pretty well.<br/><br/>Ordered the lamb shanks that was very tasty and a massive serving as well. The chilli prawn and rice was ok, that need more flavour and kick. <br/>Lemon tart was excellent, sour and well balanced. <br/>Bloody mary with oyster was also a hit.<br/>Overall the night was excellent and left extremely full. <br/><br/>

The food was amazing portion size was huge. Great atmosphere and loved the live music. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back.

Awesome. Love it. Had the midweek menu thing. 3 course. Pumpkin soup entre's. Followed by a main lamb shank and chicken kiev. Desert we had to take home. Good value and great food. Extremely filling and yum. Tip top

Was hesitant at 1st to come here after reading some reviews but so glad I did though, big hearty servings for mains and defiantly didnt need the Bacon/Cheese Cob Loaf we had for entree as well. The couple who owned the place were great as our wait staff and I would recommend this place to others looking for a proper Pub Meal with a nice open fire as a back drop.

My daughter and I had an amazing night at the Gamekeepers Secret Inn last night. The food was yummy, particularly the calamari, which just melted in your mouth. The entertainment was exceptional, what a voice! My daughter was also given the opportunity to belt out a song, which made our night. All staff were super friendly, particularly the owners/managers. I highly recommend this place!

We are regulars here. The staff are always super friendly and always welcome us like we are family. Food is great and fairly priced. I have no problem paying reasonable prices for awesome food and this place does so. They have a great selection of boutique and regular beers and always served ice cold. The ambience is great with true english charm. This would have to be our favourite restaurant at the moment. The cob bread is a must have along with the filet mignon steak. oh, and the prawns are hard to beat as well.....or the Guinness pie, yep, that was great too, or the arichini balls...YUM.......etc etc...Keep it up guys :)

Casual place to go on a Saturday afternoon, staff were happy to let us play pool until we were ready for lunch. The staff are friendly and up for a chat and very attentive to us for drinks etc. <br/>Sat down for a latish lunch, wasn't to many people around which was nice. Staff were again very attentive and meals came put in good time. <br/>Food was amazing.... no complains from us at all, have gone back many times since and have no reason to complain. Make sure you book for dinners because they do get extremely busy.<br/>Recommend it to anyone wanting a good meal and a good atmosphere.

Pretty awful. Though service was prompt when we walked in the door, it stopped there. Wait staff need to be retrained on steps of service such as upselling, quality checking, two plate carries and tray carries. Ordered kangaroo which used to be the gem of the menu but was bitterly disappointing this time around. Too many cheap additions, half the plate was wedges, the other half over buttered green beans- med rare ordered roo came out well done. A pretty disappointing evening.

Hit & miss really.....not as busy as what they used to be. Not sure if 'Eat Street'? at watergardens has affected their business..... We were served large, filling portions and there were a lot of GF options available, which was a bonus. Just lacking any real atmosphere....

Really good service, the waiter was so good looking after our two year old giving her little toys and even a complimentary desert. They unfortunately don't do a kids menu. Food was nice maybe a little over priced. Venue needed a good clean. Overall a pleasant lunch.

Pleasantly surprised about this hidden gem. Service is friendly, if not a little quirky. Generous servings of classic pub favourite with a splash of modern cuisine available, with the ability to appeal to all tastes/dietary requirements. Only a few minor complaints: restaurant is a bit over-heated, the steak I ordered for my daughter (a child) was over cooked/inedible, and some desserts were served with fresh cream and others weren't.

Pleasantly surprised. I heard a few negative comments about this restaurant but I must say I enjoyed myself on my visit in September. I ordered i mussels with a tomatoe sauce and I have to say so far they are the best mussels I have eaten. I also had some other seafood items and everything wad great. They had a singer who was charismatic on the night we went. Will try this place out again, very happy.

I love coming here with my friends it is the best experience and the food is delicious. I've never been dissatisfied leaving this restaurant.

Been here a few times and it use to be great and packed! Since the change in management it seems everything has gone downhill. Service is lack lustre, most of the wines we asked for were 'on order' and it took us three tries before they had one in stock. Lack of communication from the service side results in food delivered that wasn't quite what was being expected. Sorry Game Keepers, you need to pick up your game!

Dissapointed is an understatement. My partner and I went back to the inn for dinner on the weekend. We have been there before and it WAS great... NOT THIS TIME! We had a reservation, when we arrived the girl took our name, picked up the menus and walked off.. No Hello, No come this way.. NOTHING, rude to say the least.My partner ordered the steak with Garlic butter, it came out with Mushroom sauce when we sent it back as it was the wrong order, it came back with the mushroom sauce just wiped off and plain butter! My salmon and salad was horrible, the salmon was way overcooked and the salad was limp and warm. Just terrible, the staff are rude, the food was awful.. I wont be going back.

Great Sunday Lunch. Went there for Sunday lunch with the family, I had the Lamb Shanks, which were delicious and cooked to perfection, the kids had Parmas, which I was told, were very good, service was friendly and efficient, prices were average, we will certainly be going back again.

I've heard many things about the gamekeepers secret, so I decided to go there on the weekend with my family. The atmosphere was fantastic, they had a singer who was actually pretty good! He played lots of old songs and wasn't too loud. I had the chicken florentine for dinner, which was very tasty! I would definitely recommend that. The staff were all friendly and full of smiles, and even though it was a reasonably busy night, they still managed to come and see how we were doing. It was a very relaxing, great experience. I will definitely be going back there and would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't been there yet!

First-timer. Have heard about this Pub and as we were in the area decided to give it a go.<br/>The place was fully booked and couldn't take us, but as we were about to leave, an earlier table got up to pay, so we were lucky! The 4 of us had entrees, bruschetta, chili prawns and 2 doz oysters along with a large Cob.......served pretty quickly for a busy night and very tasty. Our waiter informed us there was a 'special offer' on for 30 minutes with glass of wine for $4 and spirits for $5 which we took advantage of!!<br/>For mains, my partner had a Risotto which she said was better than anything she'd ever tasted in Lygon Street or even in Italy!! I had a Rib Eye medium with a pepper sauce, bloody brilliant, My friend had the Beef & Guiness Pie and reckoned the Chef must be Irish to get it to taste that good!!! His partner had the Kangaroo, which she loved. We were too full to have desserts, but the cake selection looked good. All in all, good atmosphere, good music, a BIG open Fire, and the Food was exceptional! The staff attentive and seemed to be enjoying the night too!!!<br/>We'll be back soon....in fact a week on Saturday we have booked for 8 of us :)

More minuses than plusses. We often drive past this restaurant and decided to give it a go on steak night.<br/><br/>Plusses: All steaks were cooked exactly as the diner wanted. Portion sizes were good. Porterhouse steaks were decent in size and juicy.<br/><br/>Minuses: Cob bread was warm on the outside but still cold (just about freezing temp) on the inside. Sauce with the steaks was almost non-existent; there was maybe a teaspoon of sauce to cover a 300gm steak. Vegetables seem to have been cooked by the dip them in boiling water for 1 second and they're done method. I don't mind raw carrot, but raw broccolli, cauliflower and zucchini are not appetising. Mashed potato was full of lumps ranging from pea size up to thick shards with the diameter of a 20 cent piece. I do better at home mashing potato with a fork.<br/><br/>The coffee was nice but difficult to attract staff attention for more drinks.<br/><br/>I wouldn't rule out going back but would have to think about it carefully.

Sitting here just finished my "so called filet mignon" almost breaking my jar on how tough it was, looking forward to get the hell out of here. <br/>As soon as I walked in the waitress was clueless. Asked for water 3 times only to be told she couldn't take our order because she'd already got into trouble for doing so because it wasn't her table.<br/>Not one waiter has a smile on their face and I can see why, what a miserable place. <br/>Singer is annoying at so loud I can't speak to my friends. He is making people feel uncomfortable singing at their table and annoying them trying to eat dinner.<br/><br/>One waitress asked my husband if he'd finished and waited for him to finish his last bite to take his plate.<br/><br/>Bad food, bad service and I will not be back.

WOW what a great experience! I went to the gamekeepers last Saturday night with my family, and had an absolute ball! The food was fantastic, the entertainment was just great, and the staff were so welcoming and easy to get along with! Never have I been out to dinner at a place with such a home like atmosphere, loved every second of it and will definitely be going back.

Honestly one of the best meals I've ever had! I had the kangaroo fillet and it was amazing! Nice and tender and so tasty, the staff were so, so nice. Everything came out so fast even considering how busy they were ! We got seated straight away and had a good laugh with one of the waitresses.<br/>Thankyou gamekeepers!

Loved the food well presented and friendly staff

It's a Secret for a reason. Here is the secret....it's not worth it!<br/>Make sure your wallet is loaded to the brim because the prices are more akin to Nobu than McDonalds. Unfortunately the food quality is closer to McDonalds than Nobu.<br/>Been there. Done that. Next!<br/>D+ rating from me....and that is only that high because you are guaranteed a seat at any time.

Where is the love?. Based on the food alone, we won't be going back. I won't comment on the staff because overall they were friendly but perhaps a bit forgetful as the restaurant got a bit busier. My sister had ordered the Gamekeepers Beef and Guinness Pie, which came out watery instead of with a rich gravy inside. I had the Chicken Florentine that was very bland and overcooked with very little filling inside and had no sundried tomato flavour whatsoever. The accompanying pumpkin mash was thin and flavourless and could really have been anything. My brother had the American Pork Ribs, again a major disappointment. Instead of being sticky, tender and moist, it came out dry and very overcooked. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was cooked way too long in advance and had been sitting by keeping warm in an oven or something because all the moisture had been sucked out from the meat. <br/>Overall, very disappointed for the price we paid. The chefs seem to have lost their love for food and cooking because it definitely does not show through in the food.

Dissapointing. I really don’t know why this has 80%! We went on a Friday night and ordered a medium pepper steak, the salmon and a garlic bread. The salmon was way overcooked and came with no sauce or anything else at all to flavor it. It was literally a dry overcooked piece of salmon with a rocket salad that was too salty to eat. The steak was not medium but well done which was also dry and overcooked. It didn’t come with a pepper sauce either, I think they just added a bit of pepper to the gravy instead. We had to ask again for the garlic bread after the meals came out, and I also thought it was strange that they gave us a bread roll that we had to cut it up and spread the garlic butter on yourself. If we were not so hungry we would have sent everything back. The service was good but handing over that $90 for our meal felt like someone was stealing my money :-(

Brilliant night. 4 of us arrived on sat night 19th jan and informed that one of the chefs had been admitted to hospital so they were short in the kitchen and there may be delays. Yes, there were delays, but our entrees arrived quickly, and although we waited about an hour for our mains, when they arrived, wow, fantastic. I had the shanks, 'to die for' , my wife had the duck, said it was the best she'd ever tasted.....our friends had the Rib eye steaks, also beautiful!!!<br/>All washed down with a couple of bottles of the local Gallipoli Shiraz!!! Just a great night, with good service and attentive staff........we'll be back real soon.

Feeling Ripped Off. How excited was I to be going to what seemed a Tradtional English Pub for dinner. We were seated and taken care of by staff quickly. Meals came in reasonable time. Then it happened. My fork could not penitrate the dried up piece of Duck leg on my plate. I managed to get a stringy piece into my mouth. Yep it was like beef jerky, only duck. Not a tough duck just terribly cooked. There were other issues but this one left me feeling quite ripped off as it was not a cheap meal my any means, and I couldn't eat it. I explained my dissapointment to two different staff members. Oh goodie they will tell the Chef. They kindly took our money and we left as fast as we could, vowing never to go back. It was a quiet drive home as we had spent a small fortune and felt unsatisfied and ripped off.

Bad experience.. When we arrived we were seated at a table directly below a speaker, with some rapper swearing his head off at us(what a way to set the mood). The staff were pretty freindly and the service was ok. I ordered the Beef and Guiness Pie and my partner ordered the Duck. The food arrived fairly quickly, as the waiter put my pie in front of me I asked for a pint of Guiness to go with it. Imagine my shock when the very knowledgable and worldly young man told me that I couldn't have it because Guiness was no longer in production! This also posed the question as to what was used in the Beef and Guiness pie if this multi million dollar company was no longer in production. When I pierced the lid of the pie I found out, not only was it scolding hot(unlike the stone cold vegatables next to it) but the Guiness seemed to have been replaced by infusing some kind of burnt smokey flavour into it. As for the Duck, it was a very scrawny piece that was so tough my partner could barely get her fork into it. So if you're after an English Pub experience with atmospheer and good food, definately give this place a miss. Oh, and when we let the staff know about the poor quality of our meals, they just shrugged and said they'd tell the kitchen staff, before happilly taking our money.

This was our 2nd visit - (the 1st was a year ago and we loved it) but something has changed. The service was great, atmosphere lovely but none of us finished our meal sadly...quality was poor for price. We hope it improves, but we won't go back for now. Will keep an eye on others reviews. Maybe we just had bad luck.

Amazing roast duck! Indescribable.... 100% recommended!<br/>The lamb shanks... Good old true wholesome cooking just like grandma made... The gravy, second to none.<br/>Beautiful meals, staff are bubbly and welcoming and the proprietor is a very warm gentleman who makes his guests feel very welcomed.

Excellent value for weekday lunch.. I lunched here with friends recently and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The staff were very attentive and the meal and atmosphere was superb! Everyone of us 16 enjoyed their meal. Main and dessert for $22.50. per person and the landlord provided 4 free bottles of wine (pity I was driving). I had fish and chips and the serve was not overwhelming as I find in many pubs.. I had room for lovely bailey's cheesecake for dessert! The decor is slightly shabby though. They often have live music at weekends and can't wait to return here with my husband.

Crap Service. We were invited to a 50th birthday party that turned into an embarrassment for the guest of honour after we waited an enormous length of time for our lunch.<br/>We waited, hold your breath, for 2 hours, count them people, 120 minutes....from the time our order was taken until, after numerous complaints, we had them dumped in front of us.<br/>If it hadn’t been an important occasion we would have all walked out; <br/>There was around 16 people in total, hardly a huge number for an establishment that should be able to cater easily for this number. Of the main meals delivered one -a simple parmigiana had to be returned as inedible - we think it must have waited in the bain-marie for so long it deteriorated into a kind of nutritious soup that would normally be used to create lab cultures.<br/>On top of that the food was ordinary, maybe boring or bland would describe it more effectively.<br/>Just in case you’re wondering, they were under-staffed and over-booked, but why should the customer have to worry about their labour and scheduling problems.....??<br/>The place is a pitiful disgrace. McDonalds would have performed better and possibly even tasted better!<br/>DO NOT GO THERE!!!

Simply great! Try it.

Yum. 4 of us had a great dinner for a birthday but its not cheap around $200 but wonderful enjoyable evening good service and good variety on their menu certainly improved from a few years ago

It's hard not to like the GKS, it's pretty much snack bang in the middle of nowhere but has a certain charm about it. Certainly not a cheap exercise but worth it purely from the 'Old English Pub' novelty perspective.

Gr8. Went there with a group in early November. Lunch menu fantastic value for money. Lamb shanks were to rave about and the Gamekeepers Steak Sandwich was scrumptious. Divine dessers (tiramisu and wildberry cheesecake) <br/>Excellent service and unique atmosphere.<br/>Loved it

Great. We had a birthday party there recently and the service was excellent, very friendly and helpful all night .. Food was good and plenty of it as a finger food selection and the venue was very pretty ..

Wow. Just got throught the huge servings. But wow, what else can I say? A secret alright, the place, food, service all well done. great for big family gatherings, no squashy little tables. Loved it!

Best Sunday lunch I've had in the 5 years we have lived in Oz.