Careys Bay Historic Hotel — Restaurant in South Island

Really wanted to like this place but couldn't help but be disappointed. Once our orders were taken and meals delivered we were completely ignored even by staff passing on their way to and from other tables. No drink refills were suggested despite being sat inside, with empty glasses, in full view of staff members. Meals were large and looked lovely but my fish was so greasy l left most of it on the plate. Thought we'd cheer ourselves up with dessert (as l said, we really wanted to like this place) but had to ask 3 times and wait 20 minutes just to get a dessert menu. Judging by the staff chatting behind the bar they weren't overly busy. At this point we decided it wasn't worth the effort and left. No comments or questions from the wait staff when we paid despite more than half of both meals left uneaten. We arrived (and left) sober, well dressed and polite so there was no need or excuse for such poor service or rudeness. PS. In case anyone is wondering why we didn't just go and order more drinks or food, I'm disabled, my daughter didn't have ID with her and the lack of service had made it pretty clear they didn't care if they got any more...

The food was a complete letdown!! We ordered a bar platter and a jackfruit roti to go from the vegan menu. The bar platter came with CHICKEN NUGGETS and SAUSAGES, which is not acceptable at all. The bar platter description included spring rolls, samosas and fries, however, there were barely a couple of spring rolls and samosas in it, so basically a box full of fries! The jackfruit roti was very dry, not worth the price. At the time of placing the order, we double checked with the staff that the order is from the vegan menu, yet we were served meat! I can understand that these things happen when the restaurant is busy but the most upsetting part is when I informed the restaurant, they didn't handle it well and didn't take the responsibility. I never had meat before and even the smell makes me sick. We had to throw most of it away. This ruined our whole trip! I think, if a restaurant has a separate vegan menu, they should be more considerate of the fact that the customers are expecting it to be "purely vegan", even cooked separately from the meat and dairy. I hope you guys are more careful in...

Got our timings wrong for a booking we’d made. Arrived weary and hungry. The kitchen politely accommodated us. We returned the kindness by ordering a lot.

Incredible value for what we received. So delighted to be able to try freshly shucked Bluff oysters as well. We were in Bluff itself on Monday and couldn’t get any oysters! Amused that we had to come to Carey’s Bay Hotel to find them.

Excellent service from the staff. Highly recommend a large seafood platter for 2 if you’re wanting to try the local seafood as it showcases the best of what they have. Seafood chowder for an entree and a sticky ginger pudding for dessert topped off what has been one of the best dining experiences we’ve had since commencing travel in NZ. Ended with a bottle of NZ Pinot Noir.

This place is beautiful inside and out and the food is simple but delicious. Definitely worth a visit. Book...