Topaz Bar and Restaurant is part of the Findon Hotel. From the outside, the building looks old and tired, however, on the inside the venue has an American diner feel about it. There is plenty of natural light coming from the atrium, however, certain parts of the restaurant section feel dark and gloomy. There’s an outdoor beer garden fitted out with fake grass and even a play area for the kids. The menu offers your classic pub style dishes.

Today, I ordered the Beef Burger. The meal was ready 15 minutes after ordering and was nicely presented. The beef patty was nice and thick, and really well cooked, however, it was remarkably similar to the ready made variety that you purchase at a supermarket. It had a distinct flavour to it which was similar to preservatives. The bacon was lean but it was inconsistently cooked. Some parts were really crispy, while other parts weren’t. The lettuce, tomato and Spanish onion were fresh, and the tomato relish used made the burger less dry. The bun was nice and firm, and strong enough to hold in all the ingredients. A fairly standard burger that would have been better with a different patty. The chips were crisp on the outside, however, some of them were under cooked. Salt wasn’t even added to the chips which was disappointing.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was reasonable. They currently have 30% off main meals at lunchtime everyday. The burger wasn’t great unfortunately and it was very similar to a burger I had at a different hotel (which I didn’t like).

WHERE: 261 Grange Rd, Findon