The Library — Restaurant in North Island

I don't normally write reviews but frankly I was quite disappointed with the service since I was here like 4 years ago? Came back again with a friend a day ago for her first time in Wellington, raving about the place since the last time I came, it was amazing. Little did I know! Was in for a disappointing end to our day; took about 30 minutes for someone to come take our drink order, even after trying to catch the waiters gaze (which I did, and they go to the next table over which already had drinks? And completely ignore me even AFTER I put my hand up + cherry on top is them turning away after I say excuse me) - finally someone comes and takes our order, and drinks come out decently fast - the whole night goes on with waiters checking in on other tables with enthusiasm - except ours haha. During our last drink after about 5 drinks (wanted to give the place a chance since I had such good memories of it from the first time), the one waiter that took our drinks the first time, also the waiter we had the most success with in regards for waving down for drink orders - we find out it's his first day! How crazy is that, some guy on his first day offering better service than potentially everyone else that has worked longer. It would've been a one star if it weren't for the new guy on 30th March - if you are reading this you are a star. That's all I had to say, very bad service (except for the new guy). Probably won't come back again, but not that you guys care if I don't or not judging from...

Met there at 6pm on Monday to celebrate my dear Dianne's best friend, Catherine's 61st birthday. Catherine shouted cocktails for all - Dianne had rose buds, Catherine had Sea Salt & Caramel Fudge Martini, and Jane and Joe both had something with tonic water. I asked the bar staff what's the best cocktail she can make. Without batting an eyelash, she said Duck Fat Sazerac. I just loooved. It's easily the best cocktail I had in a year! Even better than James Bond's shaken-not-stirred dry martini I had at the Heritage Hotel Manila last month, I had to get-up and thank the bar staff personally.

Obviously satisfied with our cocktails of choice, we ordered a second round, and was again blown away. The fries and squid, both with aioli, were above average. The service was OK, we're not blown away.

The water tasted funny, according to Dianne, I had to ask them to replace it with bottled sparkling water, just plain sparkling water, no lemon wedge or strawberry or any contaminant to alter (enhance?) its flavour. We later discovered that the funny taste in the water came from cucumber. Dianne blurted out "YUCK, who puts cucumber in water!". In fairness to The Library, Joe and Jane loved the cucumber-laced water. I hated it! I find no reason why anyone would introduce a contaminant in drinking water, a common practice in New Zealand. Catherine couldn't care less about the water.

Pour moi, dans l'ensemble,...

I got kicked out from this place for bringing my pie inside! Please read carefully, I will write the full story of that incident:

First thing that happened, moments after I entered the pub (my friends were already in here), a pie that I bought for my friend was taken away from his hands seconds after I handed it to him (he didn't start to eat it) and tossed vigourosly in a rubbish bin behind the bar by a member of staff. Before that incident happened, I tried to politely ask would it be alright to eat a pie inside (and if not, no big deal, I would just go outside to eat it and come back later to join my friends), but didn't even get a chance to make a sound since the same staff member after tossing the friends pie (which I bought for him) in a rubbish bin approached me very aggressively and in a very rude and unprofessional manner told me to go eat my pie outside and accused me of being "intoxicated" and that my pie and I should leave the premises. I wanted to kindly ask for the permission to eat the pie but I wasn't allowed to make such an inquiry at all. It was an extremely rude, dissapointing and humilliating experience for me and I am 10000% sure I am never ever going back to this rude and uncivilised place in my entire life, not the present one nor any other that...