Wildfire Restaurant Wellington — Restaurant in North Island

Disappointing. Save your time and money. The good: potatoes were excellent. We got to hear the Top Gun theme song. Mussels were huge. Disclaimer: I went with my wife and we have Brazilian family and know true churrasco - and this isn't it. The bads: Overall this restaurant does not know what it wants to be. Decor and prices of fine dining. But food falls well short of expectations. Many traditional items are either poorly done or not on the menu at all. Instead they have added unique items to the menu, unfortunately most of them are also not done well. It gets two stars instead of one because it was clean and the servers were friendly and helpful. Caipirinha: you have to search for it. It's not listed as a specialty cocktail. 3 cachaças on the drink menu, but they only actually had one a available. The actual drink was poor. Tasted like a watered down sugar drink with the tiniest hint of lime. Not authentic at all. Food, starting with the meats. The meats were generally dry and either over cooked or had just been sitting out for too long. It was a Wednesday at 845 when we sat down. But they are open until 11 and I expected better. Also, they cook over gas which does not impart the same taste as over charcoal. Generally the meat was without flavoring and appeared to not have been seasoned. They provided 3 types of dipping sauces on the table which was strange. The sauces should have been unnecessary, but the horseradish sauce improved the red meat. They did not offer any farofa 2a: picanha - they did not have it. Apparently it is offered on the weekend. Particularly disappointed because it features prominently on their website. I thought a place like this would offer to cook some for us after we sat down and specifically asked for it, but we were dead wrong. 2b: rump steak instead of tri tip? Rump steak was still the best meat available. Other offerings included: two cuts of pork and a cut of lamb. Sirloin steak, thinly sliced and dipped heavily in teriyaki sauce. Can't explain why they do that ... if you want to know how the meat was - it is the primary reason for the two star rating. 2c: if you are still with me on the review... Oysters were huge and should have been delicious but they were covered in what tasted like a canned tomato sauce with a hint of Texas Pete. Ruined something delicious and made it below par. I couldn't believe it and tried them twice. 2d: no chicken wings and no chicken hearts 2e: no feijoada. 2f: they had fried calimari which tasted pre-breaded and frozen - like what one would expect from bad Italian. 2g: spicy cauliflower was not terrible. It matched nicely with the Asian theme that kept poking up through the menu. We went in with high expectations, left disappointed and maybe even a...

Oh my gosh where do I start....What an amazing experience. This was our first time at this establishment and boy did they give us royal treatment. First of all the restaurant is situated in an area away from the hustle of the city centre. So we were wondering if it will have the atmosphere we were looking for. Well ,needless to say based on the start of my review ,the atmosphere was fantastic.Mostly because of the amazing attitudes of the staff. Not only are they genuinely friendly, they are food knowledgeable and you got the sense that they truly want you to experience something different. Everything is well thought of and I remember saying to my partner how it just feels like a well oiled machine. They work in unison and like a great relay race, everyone knows their role. This was by far the best “Meat” experience I have had since being in New Zealand.But more than that ,you get the impression this establishment repeats this service time after time because thats how good they are. Even though it was a Christmas special, the quality of meat they present is clearly something they pride themselves on. The Tapas was to die for, especially the Tuna and Arancini balls , the Tomato Tapenade mmmmm, the desserts beautifully constructed but once again...the meat was honestly melt-in-your-mouth delicious.Our favourite was Pork Scotch Fillet with cranberry glaze,Pepper Sirloin Steak,Salmon...and so much more..like the delicious Lamb. They have that 5star vibe without the pretentiousness. I cannot stop talking about the fantastic staff So after leaving the restaurant we looked at each other and immediately agreed it is a “must return “for us. The manager was extremely humble and spends time talking to all patrons. We will certainly be...

A genuine 5 star experience. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left we were welcomed, looked after, pampered and fed some of the best food I've had in a very long time. I came to meet family after a very last moment change of restaurant and had a seat added to the table on arrival and a drink in my hand inside 60 seconds - literally. Yes literally. I know what it means but you have to understand - the GM grabbed a chair for me and another staff member brought my drink order that quickly, and with a smile to boot. The service is attentive and speedy, warm and welcoming from the GM through to every other staff member for our entire visit. The food is fantastic. I cannot say enough about it. The entrees and sides are good, but you're coming for the meat, which is great. Every option is offered at the tableside on a very consistent and regular manner, but somehow it is all offered hot and fresh as well. When at the end of the meal I asked for another helping of the sirloin (like freaking butter it was) I believe it was cooked to order and brought to the table - long story short it's all amazing and this place cannot be faulted on quality, presentation or service. All in all your glass will not be empty, your plate will be full of great food, you'll never have to look for someone to help when you'd like something, and to cap that all off the staff seem to genuinely take pleasure in looking after you for your visit. Gold standard service meets top notch food and setting. Perhaps a little pricey but one I will happily pay...