Ozeki Cafe & Bar — Restaurant in North Island

On first impressions Ozeki was a quaint Japanese restaurant. We sat down to eat and the area in which we were seated there seemed to be a birthday party happening, every table around us was filled with very loud and drunk young patrons. The noise was overwhelming and made it very hard for conversation to be had by the party of 8 I was with. The restaurant is BYO which obviously attracts young groups of people as a place for getting merry before a night out and to line their stomachs. The noise also made it incredibly difficult to order. The food came out in a timely manner but due to the sheer amount of people it is assumed there was a high demand for food on the evening. Our food came out and it just lacked a little love. At one point we asked one of the staff if we could have the bill and they refused us. We later found out it was the staff member who was collecting dishes (which is fair enough). After the group we were with one person got up to make a speech. One person from my party tried to tell them we were starting to have dinner. Immediately we were boo’ed and jeered at by all the people around us who were there for the party. The staff did nothing to quieten the noisy and rather rambunctious patrons. I really wish we were placed in The front section of the restaurant to avoid this rather overwhelming situation. I would recommend Ozeki but on a day of the week that isn’t a Friday...

I went for a BYO on a Friday night, and the entire dining area was jam packed. This place is mostly busy on a Friday and Saturday night, so make a booking in advance. Be prepared to wait for long hours to be served. You need to get the attention of the wait staff first for them to come to you. When you enter the restaurant, You will see about 10 to 20+ people per table. Diners are crammed like sardines on every table. The noise level in the restaurant is loud, so you need to scream when you talk. Their service is as slow as a sloth during these days. As you order, the wait staff will ask you to pay right away as well on your seat. You will also be charge a $4 corkage fee per person. The staff will then ask for your name so that once they serve the food, they will just shout for your name. They still got our names wrong though, so it took a while before they serve the food to the right person. One of the appetiser that I ordered, Ebi gyoza, was served burnt. Some of our orders were good and some were not. I believe that the quality of the food and the service level is allways compromised when there is too many customers and not enough...

Excellent! Gourmet Japanese at its best!

The food at Ozeki is superb. Always fresh and prepared with caring attention to detail. Each dish is lovingly created and absolutely delicious. The presentation in bento boxes and Japanes artistic crockery looks great too! Check out the pictures on the Ozeki Facebook page and the Ozeki website. I had the bento box with teriaki vegetables, agadashi tofu and assorted tempura along with rice, miso soup and a green garden salad dressed with a tasty vinagarette. The menu is huge and includes the whole range of sashimi, sushi and delectable appetizers like dumplings, edamame, skewers and fritters. If you're unsure what to order, the friendly staff are always willing to make suggestions for a wonderful selection. Ozeki is vegetarian and vegan friendly. They will make sure to cater for your personal dietary needs. It is family owned and the cozy warm atmosphere reflects this. The chairs are comfortable and the tables are made from feel at home wood. This place is without doubt, the absolute go to Japanese restaurant in Wellington. The staff really care and treat every guest with respect and...