Frank's Oyster Bar & Eatery — Restaurant in South Island

The food was delicious, service was way below par. We called to book at around 5pm for an 8pm seating, upon arrival we were told that they only had 30 oysters that evening and they had already gone, as well as the clams. I understand the weather had impacted this, but I wished they’d have told us at 5pm when booking there were minimal oysters and clams for the night… at an oyster bar nonetheless. (surely if you open at 5, you would have known how many oysters were available for service that night)

We were shown to our seats and then told the kitchen was closing at 9pm, that’s fair and we were totally okay with that. The only available table was at 8pm, we did not want to sit at a high table at 7.30pm - which again, is fine. Food came and even before the waitress had put the plates down on our table she asked if we thought if it was enough food or if we’d want to order more? Our reply.. well we were not sure yet, we hadn’t even started eating. We asked her to come back in a bit of time, which she did promptly to ask if we wanted any more food, by now it was only 8.20-8.30pm, around 40 minutes before kitchen closes. I said that I still wasn’t sure and gestured to my husband that I felt pressured to make a quick decision so decided against ordering any more food. Not what I wanted to feel like whilst enjoying my dinner. I felt completely rushed and that she wanted to get rid of us and that kitchen wanted to close to clean and leave. (I’ve worked in many kitchens in and out of my family restaurant business to understand the want to leave as soon as service is finished) - I get it, but don’t ever make the customer feel like this!!

We finished our food and then asked for a negroni cocktail…. this was completely forgotten. We asked the barman for the bill, negroni was still on the bill, we asked him to remove it and I could see them rushing to finish it. By this time, we’d come to the bar to pay, unfortunately by then it was ready but we wanted to leave. So it was slammed down on the side as the waitress was passing, I guess to show her dissatisfaction? I’m deeply disappointed in the 2 young waiters / bar staff. The food, can’t fault it, but not enough to warrant us returning. The bad service was enough for us to not recommend this place & it definitely needed a senior member of team overseeing the floor on a Saturday night. Disappointing, and will unlikely...

Terrible system, great food, poorly laid out menu.

We had heard great things about the food here. The menu had no system, you didn't know what the starters, appetisers, or mains were. You couldn't tell if a main of meat had any vegetables with it or not. The menu was too concise and lacked any structure, so it was impossible to self-interpret. This left a huge opportunity for the waiters to explain the menu and make some recommendations, which was basically left at "its a sharing menu, and the portions are generous".

We couldn't tell if the 300g Steak would arrive as one solid chunk that we'd need to slice up to share, or if the Pork bites would be enough to satisfy 2 people, or if the salads would be enough for the table. We had no idea of scale, how the dishes would be served, or the order in which things would arrive. After ordering, our server instructed us that we'd probably made a mistake and we'd be shocked at the result, but made no suggestion of how to improve our experience - they finished by saying they have a long experience with the business.

As it turns out, we could have easily shared our meals, but the lack of instruction or explanation in the menu had left us poorly informed. I ended up eating a whole chunk of Iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing, a single pork bite, and a huge bowl of mussel fettucine. It was far too much food, and I got tired eating my way through the huge portion. But since everyone had ordered their own food, there was no sharing. The other couple we were with were against sharing with us, so we were left in a pickle.

I think the concept of a fully sharing menu is fine if it's well executed and explained, which this wasn't. Adequate information and menu layout are key for customers self-learning the method.

In events where other guests don't wish to share, some non-sharing plates should be offered.

Waiter needs to lose the ego and focus on what the customers need, rather than what they know about the menu.

The food was YUMMY, all the dishes were tasty and cooked perfectly. Great flavour combinations. I would consider returning with a smaller group of people who are pre-informed about the process, but it's a pretty rude...

I have never been treated so disrespectfully by a restaurant. Because of the rave reviews and the beautiful photos on Google, we decided to ask if it was possible to buy a gift card remotely (from the Netherlands) at Frank's for our friends who are emigrating to Blenheim. The first contact about this was good, and the staff assured us that everything would be fine. All in all, it took a month to receive a bank account number to transfer the amount due for the gift card. I happily paid the 15 euros I had to pay to the bank to get the money in NZ. After transferring the money I never heard anything from the restaurant again. About a week after I transferred the money, Frank's transferred an amount back to our account. Unfortunately, this was less than I paid, and I had to pay the transfer costs myself. I paid a total of 25 euros and never received anything. Unfortunately, we had to arrive empty-handed at our friends' farewell party, even though I started preparing the gift 6 weeks before their departure. I subsequently sent numerous emails asking for an explanation, but Frank's never responded again. The money lost is unfortunate, but the way we have been treated is unbelievable. The food will probably be delicious, but do you want to eat with someone who treats their (future)...