Fortrose Cafe and Restaurant — Restaurant in Waihopai Toetoe Community

Chose the place as a lunch spot heading on around the coast from Invercargill during our SI tour. Been to lots of such places on our travels doing our bit to help the tourist industry.

Unfortunately very dissappointed; 4 staff on, place maybe a third full 12 customers - dirty tables, slow removal of used plates, items on menu not available (1230pm).

First choice food unavailable ended up with the cod meal; expensive and pretty poor all round. Bitter coleslaw/salad mix with a very unpleasant dressing, hacked up tomatoe chunks with stems intact, a mountain of tasteless, undercooked wedges and 2 small pieces of cod deep fried in such a manner as the fish could have been anything.

Partner had the last available serving of chowder - it was good.

Wanted to finish with coffee; ordered, paid and waited and waited. Asked where is coffee told someone else is doing it. Waited some more. Decided to cancel coffee, waited at counter. The older staff member reluctantly refunded after informing us they were busy - place now down to 8 other customers!

Recomendations; brighten up the attitudes, review the menus and quality of prepping and service. Build on what has been, and could...

Stopped there with my partner and his son. The young lady that served us was polite, helpful and made an excellent coffee. The only let down was the other worker there (she was sitting out in public area at a table with 2 others, but had a apron on so assume she was working there as well), was talking quite loud and complaining how they didn't have to pay rates (not sure where) until the maoris did their land grab. My partner is teaching his 9 year old son his maori heritage and today he got a little taste of racism and lies of the past. Lady it was the European that bought currency to NZ therefore iit was the European that introduced rates and taxes. If you are going to work in a café that is in a heritage trail you need to check what you are saying especially in front of kids and people you dont know. On saying that though, the service from the young lady and the veiw will have...

Absolutely 5 star! Me and my partner stopped here with my parents visiting from England on our road trip through the South Island, the food was so so tasty so many options for veggies, I had the egg mayo sandwich and it was hands down the best egg mayo I’ve had it was super fresh and super tasty devoured in seconds! Coffees were so good! My parent’s aren’t used to good coffee coming from England haha so they were loving it!! The staff were so so friendly and we/they had a good laugh with my dad when he asked for a normal coffee haha! So clean and so tidy! Definitely will stop off here each time we pass through! Merry Christmas team!...