The Apple Shed Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in South Island

Save your time and money and go to Jellyfish Cafe and Bar instead. It is located on the wharf as well, and has excellent food and service.

The Apple Shed was a massive disappointment, especially since it was rated number one in town on TripAdvisor. The disappointment began from the moment we walked in the door as we were ignored for several minutes. Service did not improve when we got to our table. Our waitress was very nice, but it was clear the restaurant is understaffed. By quick estimation, the restaurant has 15-20 tables, but only had 3 waiters total. As a result, everything moved at a snail's pace.

Food took far too long to be delivered to our table. I ordered the Venison, it was dry and tasteless. The noodles that came with the Venison were quite good but not enough to make up for the terrible Venison. I also noted that the lady at the table next to us also did not like her dish at all. Almost the entire meal was left on her plate when she left the restaurant.

My wife ordered the eye Fillet. She stated the meat itself was above average, however the meal had bacon in it. As we do not eat bacon for religious reasons, we avoided the lamb dish from the menu (which had bacon in it). We re-read the menu after finding the bacon twice and no mention of bacon was made. Why would you put something on a dish that isn't on the menu?

We finally wanted to order dessert but again service was terrible. We sat with our dessert menus for almost 10 minutes without any attention from the waitstaff, before finally getting up in frustration to pay.

All in all, this was the worst dining experience we had in New Zealand. Next time we are in the area, we will go to Jellyfish. But we won't be coming...

Great views and location, the rest needs assistance. Realise the business has recently reopened and staff are still in training but the "boss" disappeared next door to another restaurant after we arrived leaving the young but eager staff to fend for themselves. They were nervous and apprehensive but worked the room as best they could without any obvious direction. They need leadership, training and supervision if they are to learn. Two options for Sav Blanc on the menu by the glass, and one was out of stock so no choices for the diner, only one option available. Staff presenting utensils handling the end that goes in one's mouth, serving across the table, not knowing intricacies of the menu. Main plate (slow cooked lamb shoulder) arrived and looked delicious. Had to carve it off the bone (should have fallen off the bone) with a standard table knife, lukewarm almost cold, broccoli side was cold with the strangest sauce that stuck to the palate, all plates felt cold including the serving plates - so it was a race against time to consume while the food was still somewhat warmish. For the money it was an unfortunate disappointment that we cannot blame the youngsters for. Owner and chef need to step up before the tourists...

My friend and I went for dinner on Monday night while staying in Mapua. We came across the Apple Shed on our walk down to the Mapua Wharf and we were not disappointed. The restaurant is beautifully furnished with a nice atmosphere and great views over the water (in high tide). Waitresses were also really friendly and helpful and let us try both types of Pinot Gris before deciding which one we liked best.

The food was the standout of the night though. We were blown away at how amazing it was. I don’t usually order vegetarian dishes but the cauliflower risotto appealed from the menu and was absolutely delicious. Then we had the chocolate mousse with coffee ice cream, pear purée and salted caramel popcorn. This was also delicious. Both meals beautifully presented and combination of flavours of both dishes worked perfectly together. Meal sizes were perfect for us too, as they allowed room for dessert without being too full. The best food we’ve had since being in New Zealand so far. If this restaurant was in Melbourne I would say the Apple Shed was worthy of...