Brac & Bow — Restaurant in Featherston Community

Booked birthday celebration lunch for 8. Table set for 6. Felt like we were the mistaken ones. 2 very different personalities behind the bar. Lovely very welcoming gentleman with a smile but not so welcoming woman with very intimidating impatient demeanour. Gave the impression we were on a school trip. We’re in our 70’s and 60’s. Drink not delivered when told it would be x3. Meals were perfectly prepared and presented. All 8 guests very impressed by their quality. Steaks were melt in mouth and tasty, burgers were devoured with gusto, beef cheek was rich with flavour and the chowder was perfect. Birthday cake had been bought down earlier as a surprise and delivered to kitchen. The cake was bought out with candles etc at the appropriate time all cut into 8 pieces , presented on plates with raspberries (5) raspberry compote and ice cream. (Tsp)Very impressed. Very surprised as the additions were NOT asked for. We thought, what a lovely touch. The shock came when paying. An extra $5.00 per person for the cake. That’s $40 on top of what the Countdown cake was worth. When questioned , the woman behind the bar questioned the gentleman on whether he had explained the additions to the cake. He answered yes. There must have been a miscommunication. All we wanted was the cake to be bought out with the candles we had supplied and that weren’t used, without any additions. So be aware. More heating is needed and more staff on the busy days. If you’re wanting a lovely mouth watering meal, then yes this is worth it. If you’re wanting a personal friendly service included, then...

Average Experience Overall

I visited Brac n Bow and left with mixed feelings about the experience. It was nice...but not what I expected. I tried the Spanish eggs, asking for medium eggs but unfortunately, they were overcooked and hard, which was disappointing and the chorizo didn't taste fresh and the bowls had crispy dried tomato on the side of it. (I make Spanish eggs all the time and just found putting the bowls under a grill is just unnecessary and ruins the presentation) The chicken burgers were nicely presented but were pretty stock standard. Fries were on point though 👍🏼

The bar staff need some training on how to prepare drinks consistently. The cocktails were a bit disappointing— I got a warm thick mango mimosa that I needed to mix with a straw from my previous drink. My mother in law got a strawberry cocktail with no ice. Service was friendly, perhaps not as attentive as I'd expect from such a fancy restaurant, but it was slower than expected, especially since the café wasn’t very busy. Both food and drinks took longer than expected to arrive.

While the atmosphere was pleasant and beautiful, the food quality, timing, and cocktails left room for improvement. Overall, it was an okay experience, but I’m not sure...

The Brac and Bow team were the perfect mix of relaxed professionalism and thoughtful precision. From the moment we connected, John was incredibly helpful in making sure every detail was considered. We chose Brac and Bow to cater our wedding at Tarureka Estate because they’re proudly local to the Wairarapa and committed to sourcing fresh, local ingredients — a choice we’re so glad we made.

The menu was extensive, and dietary needs within our whānau were effortlessly accommodated. The team cooked and catered onsite, worked seamlessly with the Tarureka crew, as well as providing bar service. All at a very reasonable price. They went above and beyond — even our dog Quba was treated to special wedding-night snacks, a gesture that felt so true to Brac and Bow’s values.

The food was exceptional. Our guests are still raving about it and saying it was one of the most memorable parts of the day. We couldn’t recommend the Brac and Bow team more highly — they helped make our day...