Mr. Pickles Bar & Eatery — Restaurant in Hamilton

Beautiful view, delicious dessert and a fabulous server made up our evening here at Mr. Pickles. There were a few mistakes made with our order, but our server (oh I wish I had remembered his name!) went above and beyond to make things right for us.

Hubby ordered the lamb skewers, which he thought were fantastic and I ordered the saucy boys. It said fried squid but the squid did not appear to be fried to me, at least there wasn't any kind of coating. I did like the squid, but by the end of it it was a bit too sweet. With the mistake in ordering we also received the prawn sando's. While I like prawns in general, these didn't do much for me. Oh! I almost forgot - the duck fat crushed potatoes, oh those were pretty darn tasty! Definitely give those a try!

For dessert we ordered the Biscoff trifle and it was definitely worth it. I highly recommend it. Due to an error we received an extra dessert - the sundae which consisted of coffee ice cream (we don't drink coffee so we didn't eat that part of it) but it had a chocolate mousse/truffle on top that was seriously amazing. Oh my, one of the most delicious things ever.

So, though there were a few mistakes, overall we left happy and appreciated the attention and friendliness of our server and the food, especially...

A nice place with a stunning view of the Waikato River. Located down the back of the old Riverbank Mall on Victoria Street away from the noise and smells from continous traffic. A good outdoor entertaining area but not sheltered from the elements. The interior is small and seems cosy. The overall setting would be great in the warmer months but could be quite cold and breezy in cooler temperatures.

I didn't try the food but other people I was with did, no complaints. This is what one might describe as a cocktail bar with one small cocktail setting you back $15-$20. I opted for a Sprite I can't justify a non-alcoholic cocktail for $14. The toilets are problematic as they are located outside the bar with key pad entry, code available from staff; the only way out is by an electronic lock system which was a little glitchy not an area you'd want to get stuck in. The toilets are separate cubicles that are gender neutral. The lighting is dull and too subdued very gloomy.

The staff were friendly but not attentive. Drinks had to be ordered at the bar and it appeared they were understaffed. ...

Some clever cooking by the chefs at Mr Pickles. We'd had this eatery recommended to us and we were not disappointed. Plenty of choice on the menu. The drinks menu was excellent. The campfire fizz had a smoky undertone and the bloody mary hit the spot. We ordered a few small share plates. Our table attendant was delightful, and she was very knowledgeable about the dishes and made some recommendations. The marinated olives were delicious. Chicken liver pate with a bitter orange chutney was amazing, served on brioche and plentiful. The sticky chicken was my favourite- cooked to perfection with little candied chillis adding a surprising sweetness. Beef cheek croquettes with a hot mustard went down a treat. Bone marrow, potato and gravy with salsa Verde was something else served with sourdough. The crispy Brussel sprouts with sweet chilli and honey dressing were delicious. No room for dessert but plenty of interesting options there too. Prices were very reasonable. Definately will be back to try some...