The Hayes — Restaurant in South Island

When we arrived we were told we could sit anywhere we like but all the vacant tables were dirty covered with crumbs and spills. We reluctantly sat at a table expecting the waitress to wipe our table when she handed us our menus but she didn’t so we had to ask. After our meal we were asked if we would like to see the dessert menu which we did, after a long wait no one came to take our dessert order so we just left. It feels like a popular drinking spot for the locals so most of the time and effort is spent on serving the bar and not waiting the tables properly. It feels very cramped inside all the tables are very close to each other so it feels like your dinning with strangers at your table. Unfortunately they are the only place to eat/drink out in Lake Hayes so everyone has no option to go anywhere else so there’s no effort from the owners to do better because they’ll get...

I visited The Hayes restaurant and bar with my family and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and affordability of the food. The menu had a variety of options, from hand stretched pizzas, burgers to salads and Salt and pepper squid. We ordered the Share Platter and Pizza with fries and it was juicy and satisfying. The portion size was generous and the price was reasonable. The restaurant also had a nice outdoor seating area with a view and a kids play area. The only downside was the service, which was slow and they didn't come to the table. There was a small waiting time to get our orders and the staff seemed uninterested in our needs. We had to ask for plates and they smiled and thanked us. Overall, I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere, but the service left a lot to be desired. I would recommend The Hayes for a casual and tasty meal, but don’t expect too much...

Visited Monday 12th May - Brekky

Ordered Fish Tacos to share for a quick meal

Dropped by about 10am in the morning with no other customers in sight, maybe too early for their regulars to come by (?)

The fish fillet seems to be a bit cold or lukewarm, possibly reheated or not freshly cooked, as the dish came out pretty quick. Two tacos with plenty of filling, just unfortunate that the fish fillet wasn't hot enough (or freshly cooked)

Pineapple juice not freshly squeezed, rather from a bottle in the fridge, would have been great if they were freshly juiced considering it is a full sized cafe/restaurant

Service was good

Haven't tried other meals for lunch/dinner, but hopefully next time it'll help with the change in...