Groper Garage Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Kaikōura

I feel bad giving a 1 star as the food and atmosphere was fantastic. However the service we received from the front of house manager Anna was beyond disgusting. We witnessed multiple younger staff be bullied more than once throughout our evening which was hard to watch.

It was a public holiday (Easter) so rules around alcohol etc which is fine. We had come for a family Easter gathering. We had finished our amazing meal. The rule was 1 hour after your meal you could drink till.

We purchased some drinks with no issues from bar staff. However on collecting these from the bar. Anna in her egotistical a Forced us to skull our drinks as she refused to give refund even through it was the bar staff that served us without asking how long we had been there. Anna made a scene and other guests left. It was only 45 minutes since we had finished our meals. Anna’s way of delivering the message was rude, caustic, and not kiwi like. Anna needs a leash put on her as power has clearly gone to her head!

I am a business owner myself and if i had toxic staff like this i would be embarrassed. I hope the owner of this fine establishment reads this as it is staff like Anna that jeopardise their reputation and business performance. We were a group of 7 who had travelled out of town. spending large amounts of money and our time was not up. Anna needs to learn to read a clock.

I hope Anna is moved on swiftly or at minimum disciplined as even the other staff were too scared to challenge her - multiple staff apologised on behalf of the businesses as the new Anna was in the wrong and deliver the worst customer service. I welcome the owner to respond - I am happy to discuss this further in detail.

Multiple customers walked out after this. Anna caused a scene - it was embarrassing.

All other staff were fantastic, great atmosphere would come back as long as Anna...

Went with our family, saw it first day in Kaikoura, looked a great place from the outside, so we went in, it was a Tuesday night and they advised delays on food which was fine - ended up coming out quicker than what we thought which as good, - on the food all the family enjoyed, I got the mussels, the sauce with it very bland and didn't taste of anything and the squid which was fine, however the service we got from a young blond haired woman that served us was appalling, from the start she was rude, seemed insulted by the fact we wanted to order some food/drinks, she lunged for a menu on the bar and in doing so her arm knocked a bottle of wine back behind the bar smashing, and she seemingly blamed us, think she needs to find a new occupation, her and hospitality don't go, maybe she was having a bad day, but we left this place ASAP after the bad vibe she created and would never be back, and told the same to a few people whom asked what it was like when we were leaving and they were looking to eat, they turned around and crossed the road to the whaling station to eat. Hence low rating, food was fine but we had a really bad vibe from the start due to someone whom fronts the business having a major attitude problem, and wanted to be...

We arrived on time the meal was for 7.30 on a Saturday night for 15 people .For start we had to ask for extra table as their was to many chairs for 3 tables . We waited ages for 1 drink order to be taken never mind arriving and we would have ordered more if asked my be even dessert .At our end of the table 1 person ask for no tomato in her fish burger . Their was know tomato in her burger which was good but the other 2 people had no tomato as well (its written in the menu tomato) but also the person who got the souvlaki at our end didn't get tomato the person at the other end did get tomato. The pasta dish that someone else ordered was swimming with oil . The pizza for someone else arrived burnt .All up very disappointing we know it was busy so if you unable to caterer for so many why take the booking So that worked out half the table were unhappy...