May Eatery and Bar — Restaurant in Upper Harbour

Good spot, easy parking, lovely decor, great start. And busy!! Our friends warned us not to be greedy - the servings are generous. We ordered, among four of us, three mains, two entrees, a beer and a glass of wine. Entree no 1 , sliced eggplant, fried and with a sauce dipper - outstanding! I wanted more, but I listened to the warning. Prawns - crusted in rice flakes with a chilli-mayo dip. One of the ladies "doesn't like prawns" so I expected to have her share. One bite and she made it very clear that there'd be no sharing tonight!! Among the best prawns I've ever had. Two of the mains were pork and one was roast duck, and while the meat was nice enough the salads and the sauces were delicious. Vietnamese salads have a lovely tang, and the sauce for the meat and noodles was perfectly chillified, such that it left a lovely heat in the mouth but the burn didn't last past a drink of water. The beer was pronounced delicious, and very cold. My glass of pinot noir was excellent, even though entirely the wrong wine for those meals. Who cares about protocol! The real kicker came at the end of the evening - the tab. The men are both over 6'3", the ladies more average height. Four adults fully satisfied, 3 mains, two entrees, two beers, one wine - for $35 a head - is almost unbelievable in these times. Sure you could spend more, but you'd have to be a lot hungrier than we were, or indulging in the tipple to a much greater extent. Daniel is a lovely guy, incredibly hard working, and has already made a roaring success of November Cafe in Mairangi Bay. He fully deserves to replicate the success with this full fledged restaurant. We will be back until we have worked our way through the entire menu. And then we'll be back again. I think we've found the affordable local we've been...

A Beautiful Restaurant with Deeply Disappointing Food

This restaurant is undeniably beautiful, and the service was warm and attentive, however, sadly that’s where the positives ended. The food was shockingly below average, leaving us both disappointed and confused.

The prawn Vietnamese pancake was little more than an egg wrap with halved shrimp and a completely tasteless sauce. Having traveled extensively through Vietnam, I can confidently say I’ve never encountered anything resembling this dish there.

The charred pork was, frankly, a joke, served cold, without even a hint of char, accompanied by an undressed salad that felt like an afterthought. I couldn't even eat more than a mouthful and all just went to waste.

The trice pork (three-pork dish) shared the exact same sauce as the eggplant dish, and the meat itself was unpleasantly fatty and undercooked, a truly off-putting texture.

The fried spring rolls were chewy, tough, and simply unpleasant to eat.

And the dumplings… they tasted unmistakably like a bad batch of frozen supermarket dumplings, certainly not something you’d expect at a restaurant with such a promising appearance.

It’s such a shame. With its lovely decor and good service, this place could have been a great local spot. Instead, it was one of the most disappointing dining experiences we’ve had in a long time. Unfortunately, we won’t be returning and we can’t recommend...

I had a wonderful evening at May Eatery & Bar! The atmosphere was cozy and elegant, with dim lighting and tasteful decor that created the perfect ambiance for a relaxing night out.

The food was absolutely delicious—each dish was beautifully presented and packed with flavor. I especially loved Red duck carry and shaking beef.The ingredients were fresh, and the chef’s attention to detail was evident in every bite.

The service was top-notch! The staff was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu, always ready with great recommendations.

The bar was also impressive, offering a fantastic selection of cocktails and wines. I tried Mojito Lychee and it was expertly crafted.

Overall, May Eatery & Bar exceeded my expectations. It’s the perfect place for a romantic dinner, a night out with friends, or simply enjoying good food and drinks in a stylish setting. I’ll...