Lockleys Hotel is located out in the western suburbs, not far away from Henley Beach. Like all good pubs, they have weekday lunch specials, which is the selling point that drew me in. The place itself is quite large and there is plenty of parking outside. Not only is there a bar and dining area, they have a gaming area, function rooms, accommodation as well as a bottle shop. The beer garden is spacious and modern, with good use of shade sails to keep everyone under cover. The dining area, on the other hand, is very 80’s. There is a mismatch of poker dot and boomerang patterned carpets highlighted in assorted flourescent colours. The venue also lacks natural light which makes certain areas inside very dark and gloomy.

Today, I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana. The meal was ready after a 10 minute wait and was average in presentation. The chicken was tender and succulent, however, it was a bit small in thickness and diameter. It had a nice soft delicate crumbed exterior that wasn’t over cooked. The napoletana sauce had a rich texture, and was full of flavour and depth. I also liked how it had full coverage over the schnitzel. The cheese on the other hand, was not mozzarella. While there was a decent amount applied, it could have spent a bit more time browning under the grill. The chips were slightly larger than your French fry variety and a fair amount was provided. The chips were well salted but they could have been a bit crunchier. I also thought the quality was lacking as there were too many throw away crunchy bits.

Like all good establishments, they have an “all you can eat” salad bar that you can have with your main meal. It’s not the largest I’ve seen, but who am I to complain when it’s complimentary. I started off with the Coleslaw. Vegetables were nice and crisp and the dressing wasn’t over applied.

The other salad I had was the Potato Salad. The potatoes were soft and firm, while the dressing was kind of bland. I did like the inclusion of bacon and chives as it gave the salad more depth.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. The atmosphere was relaxed with the crowd being a lot older than what you would find at the more popular pubs. The pricing is on par with similar types of establishments. The smaller serving sizes you get here are balanced by the complimentary salad bar. I can’t say that I’m in any rush to come back here though.

WHERE: 493 Henley Beach Rd, Fulham