The Shire's Rest Cafe — Restaurant in North Island

The main reason I've dropped a star is as the service was so excruciatingly slow. I came up to the cafe as I had around 15 minutes until I needed to leave with my coach. I ordered a food item which was handed to me instantly and I also ordered a drink. There was around six members of staff present at this time who were all fumbling about doing different things around the food serving area, but it still took them around 15 minutes to make one drink. After waiting over 10 minutes I did eventually ask them if they were actually making my drink as I needed to leave, and at that point one of the staff members said that they had just started making it. There is not the excuse that they were busy as in the time between me ordering and me receiving my drink there had only been two people served in this time frame. Also, when I arrived there was nobody waiting to receive any orders. The items received from here were of just your typical standard and nothing special. I ended up being late to my coach but thankfully they waited for me and shared my thoughts on having to wait around 15 minutes for one drink in a place that is not busy and has way more staff than required. The seating area was quite pleasant and at the back area they have walls with all different pictures across them which looked quite cute and across the front they have an area looking outside. Staff when spoken to were friendly and cheerful, and the overall café did appear to be very well kept and clean. I've personally found New Zealand overall to be very slow at making drinks so I'm not sure if this is just a problem here but you would think that that staff would be more in tune that some people are on a time frame at an attraction...

The tour was amazing and I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, we had a disappointing experience at the cafe. We were in line to order coffee and there was a lady infront of us that was being helped by a staff member at the display case. There was another staff member at the cash register who was looking around and not serving anyone. My husband slowly approached to order and she rudely told him to get back in line. The staff member at the display case directed us to a staff member at a different register even though that person was already helping someone else and the staff member who was looking around was still just standing there.

We sat down at a table and we had brought small sandwiches to eat before the tour and another staff member (guessing he's the manager judging by others' comments of him) with glasses and dark hair tied into a bun under a cap, came to us and rudely told us no outside food is allowed and to put it away. His attitude gave us a sense that we were not welcomed despite ordering from the cafe. The person who brought us our coffee didn't say anything about our sandwiches, so not sure how enforced this rule is. No where in the cafe did it say we can't bring outside food and if there was a sign, it was not visible.

This is more of a casual public sitting place than a traditional sit down restaurant with a server and I'm sure there are families and guests that have dietary preferences/restrictions that would need to bring their own food for themselves or for their children.

For an international tourist attraction, the staff at this cafe were not...

I mean overall was an okay place. Firstly it took awhile for them check about me requesting swap out tomatos for something else since i cant eat tomatoes but i mean it was no big deal if they couldnt but i felt like with ur typical big breakfast this is something everyone serving should be familiar with. But yea i didnt mind the wait just felt bad for ppl behind me.

Next when i got the food, after all the checking and customised order, the food came out unchanged. And it was a default meal. Again its fine i informed them and they took it back and got it fixed. Then after waiting another 10mins when i got the food the poached eggs became hard solid boiled eggs. It was pretty much a hard boiled egg. At this point i just ate everything else because everyone else on the table were finishing up. Left the eggs. There was no checking in if everything was okay. Even when they collected the plates and the hard boiled poached eggs were clearly cut open then left and not touched, not even a question if it was okay. I get these things happen and i dont mind but there was just no follow up or care how i got my food. Next time ill just order from the...