Empire Hotel, GYMPIE, QLD

The Empire Hotel has been recently restored and redecorated and looking good. Very colourful carpet with stripes and rings, surround a stunning bar with wood panelling and stained glass panels, with lighting behind them. The dining room is cream, with rich, mahogany coloured, natural wood tables and chairs, and dark leather sofas and bar stools. Three old fire places have been retained with their victorian tiled hearths. An historical account of Gympie is also featured, and in the bar lounge, lots of early framed photgraphs are on the walls, all creating a lovely "old Worlde" ambience. The menu includes a fabulous selection of steak dishes, but also sophisticated choices of duck, lamb rump, grilled Atlantic salmon, chicken escollopini etc., and entrees such as Garlic Prawns, honey chilli prawns, crumbed mushrooms and spiced calamari. Our choices were, entree of oysters kilpatric with garlic bread, and mains of Confit duck, served on a bed of scallop potato, topped with shitake mushrooms in a rich duck jus, and  Beef and Guinness pie, cooked with seasonal vegetables in a rich beer sauce, and served in a ramekin, topped with flaky pastry. Arrayed on huge square platters, both meals were of a very generous size, beautifully prepared and presented, and totally satisfying. Certainly not the average Australian "Pub grub".  Finally,  I succumbed to a very delicious sticky date pudding. Our meals were accompanied by wines from their well chosen wine list, contributing to our very enjoyable dining experience.