Bullock Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in South Island

Bullock Restaurant & Bar, a warm inviting dining experience that you won’t leave hungry from.

I have been dining at bullock for years and they have always served reliably delicious and filling food at a reasonable price. Bullock has an almost homely atmosphere that leans into a rugged country vibe.

They serve a good range of food and we started with Entrée’s of the Bullock custom cob loaf and the Crumbed Bocconcini. They were served promptly. The cob loaf had a delicious creamy corn and cheddar filling that’s great for sharing with a group but was slightly burnt on the top of the bun. The Bocconcini I have had three times in the past and while it was as delicious as ever the presentation left a lot to be desired. Where in the past they were laid out on a plate covered in colourful decretive smears of sundried tomato aioli and balsamic reduction, this time they were carelessly thrown into a bowl on top of a piece of lettuce with the sauce on the side which was an unfortunate drop in quality.

I ordered the Venison and was not disappointed while it doesn’t come with an abundance of actual meat in the dish, the way it is prepared, the presentation and the exciting range of flavours that all play of each other perfectly to create something truly wonderful and delicious that was a joy to eat. The mushroom with the beetroot and the venison topped with juniper berry jus is not a combination I would have ever thought of, but it is something I will not easily forget.

The Chicken and Sundried Tomato Fettuccine was not such a hit initially. A dish that I have had here many times before and am normally extremely satisfied with was severely lacking. Something was missed or done incorrectly in the cooking process and was very noticeable. The dish was sent back to the kitchen and although the response relayed back from the kitchen was quite dismissive and sceptical once asked for a new one to be made it was completed promptly and without complaint. Upon receiving the replacement, it was confirmed by the waitress our concerns where not unfounded and that the first dish had been made incorrectly.

The waitress we had was pleasant to engage with but appeared to be quite nervous and forgetful she was more than likely inexperienced and will improve her customer service skills with more training and experience. I ordered a Raspberry coke with my dinner but was instead delivered a very flat and tasteless coke. Although I had no more than a sip and mentioned this issue to the waitress I noticed after leaving on the receipt that I had still been charged for the drink which was quite disappointing.

While I have eaten at Bullock many times before and will many times in the future, this dining experience was overall a let-down. Hopefully the dropping, of what has been in the past, very high standards is merely a one off rather than a decline...

Hate to say we were disappointed. Booked a table at 7pm as we needed to be leaving by 8.30. When we walked in we stood at the welcome desk for about 2 minutes and were completely ignored. About 4/5 waitstaff walked straight passed us. Eventually we caught someone’s eye and we were told to wait in the bar while our table was made ready. We ordered a drink and waited. 7.20- nothing. We ended up asking at the bar if we could order now, and just wait for our table. We were then told there would be a 20 min wait for our table. What?? We told the bar person we had to be out by 8.30, and they said we could order, eat in the bar, and it would be ready in 20 mins. We said entrees and mains could come at the same time. We ordered. Got to 8pm, nothing. Went back to ask at the bar, and they told us it would be another 20 mins for entrees and 40 mins for mains. I mean, I understand everyone is understaffed, but this is just a communication problem. The correct response should have been, we have overbooked, you should go somewhere else - right at the start. We cancelled the mains, the staters came just in time, and the only reason this isn’t a 1 star review is the wings and mozzarella bites were tasty. Although $15 for 4 wings seems a bit much. No real apology from anyone there, and unless we have unlimited time in the future, we...

I was in TIMARU for a couple days and stopped in at Bullock Restaurant & Bar for dinner. I’ve had the steak here a few times before and it has never disappointed, so I thought I’d try something different.

The Apricot Chicken In Philo Pastry caught my eye and sounded delicious. It was spectacular and my new favourite meal at Bullock Bar. The pastry was perfectly crispy & flaky, and the chicken was smooth and melts in your mouth. Absolutely delicious and surprisingly filling.

I’m not generally a salad guy, but even the salad was spectacular. The chips were crispy and crunchy, and all in all a highly recommended meal.

I was on my own, so I had my dinner in the The Bar area, and the range of beers on tap didn’t disappoint either. Was watching some rugby game replays which gave enough time to make space for dessert.

A Chocolate Tasting Plate and a Cappuccino to finish off a great meal in a great restaurant. I’ll be back again! Thank you Bullock staff for an exceptional evening, and hats off to the chefs!...