Harbourside Ocean Bar Grill — Restaurant in Waitematā

I don’t normally bother writing reviews, if I have a bad experience, I simply don’t return… but my experience was so so bad at Harbourside this Saturday night just gone, that I feel compelled to warn others off from experiencing what we did.

We booked in for a table of 9 for 8pm Saturday evening….. upon arrival, apart from one other table of approx 10 guests, the restaurant was empty…. Warning bells should have sounded then…. We were not met by anyone at the entrance, we drifted about looking lost until someone spotted us from the kitchen area and came over, casually pointing to the table they had assigned us…… from there the evening was just one bad thing after another.

Drinks ordered didn’t turn up and had to be requested again, wine requested turned up wrong, when pointed out, apology made and promise of correct wine to come…… 10-15 minutes later, had to remind again that the corrected wine had still not arrived yet.

When drinks were finally corrected, my partner asked the waitress to explain something on the menu, she was told “oh it’s sort of like cabbage or lettuce, one or the other”….. didn’t suggest she would find out or would ask the chef

Entre’s came out and were served to wrong places around the table, 3 turned up a good 5 to 8 minutes prior to the rest of the table, 2 diners began eating the wrong entre before realising and plate swapping across the table had to occur, one diner missed out totally on her entre but just couldn’t be bothered by this stage.

Mains turned up, oops wrong mains to wrong table……. Mains turned up again, more confusion about who ordered what, long story short, finally got correct meal to correct person.

My eye fillet steak was cold, gravy cold……side dish of macaroni cheese looked and tasted like a supermarket microwave ready meal … and was cold

My Desert was a chocolate pear dish, the half a pair that was served was bland and absolutely tasteless with a bruise on it that did have a taste…. a taste of bruised fruit

In summary, I was expecting a fine dining experience, it was anything but……. the service was terrible, the food was second rate, the presentation poor and absolutely zero attention to detail…. then to top it off when it came time to pay, we were each forced to have to select “yes” or “No” to a tip option on the Eftpos machine 🤬🤬

The bill for our table was just under $1400…… for fine dining, this would be a more than reasonable amount to pay…… for what we got, it was daylight robbery.

Needless to say, we will absolutely not be back, probably the worst dining...

Yesterday, my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting a breathtaking place near the ferry station to celebrate her birthday. The experience was made truly remarkable by the impeccable service we received from the staff at Harbourside. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to our waiter, Griffin, for going above and beyond to ensure our every need was met.

Griffin's attentive and thoughtful care truly enhanced our dining experience. From recommending exquisite dishes to promptly addressing any requests we had, his dedication to providing exceptional service was evident throughout the evening. His warm and friendly demeanor made us feel welcome and well taken care of, adding a personal touch to our celebration.

In addition to Griffin, I would also like to extend my gratitude to Kelly and Akki, who played instrumental roles in creating a professional and enjoyable atmosphere. Their attention to detail and commitment to providing an excellent experience contributed greatly to the overall success of our visit. Their expertise and passion for service were evident in every interaction, and we felt genuinely valued as customers.

I wholeheartedly recommend Harbourside to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience. The combination of stunning surroundings, attentive staff, and exceptional service makes this place a must-visit destination. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply seeking a delightful culinary adventure, Harbourside delivers an experience that exceeds expectations.

We are already looking forward to our next visit to Harbourside. The care and attention we received during my wife's birthday celebration made it an unforgettable occasion. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire team at Harbourside for creating such a special and memorable experience. Your dedication to excellence is truly commendable.

At the end I would also like to extend a special thanks to the talented dessert chef, June, for her exceptional creativity in designing a beautifully crafted birthday plate.

Once again, thank you, Harbourside, for making my wife's birthday celebration truly...

Great expectations

It was rather an underwhelming experience. So much promise in the menu and so little delivery. We had two entries: Scallops and Barbecue squid stake Scallops ($37.95NZ for 4 pieces) were overcooked and burnt butter was literally burnt to ashes, so were some unidentified seeds. The Squid ($31.95 NZ) was arguably the best dish served. Cooked to perfection and accompaniment of green olives, cherry tomatoes and basil oil was close to the good standards with the little arrows in the balance of quantities of aforementioned ingredients. Green olives overpowered all other ingredients. Perhaps, there was too many of close to 'use by date' olives in the kitchen and the chefs went 'all in' to use them rather than throwing them into the rubbish bin? We had Eye fillet ($56.95NZ) and Duck leg($54.95NZ) for our mains. Both mains were way off the restaurant quality and standards. The stake was well under, we ordered it medium rare and it was close to blue. It had no colour on the outside as you may expect from a stake. The jus was over reduced and bitter. The duck was the most disappointing dish of the meal. The duck leg was very dry. It had the taste of an old fat and was encreadibly unpleasant in texture. The sweet potato accompaniment was too sweet and had the consistency of a baby food. The atmosphere of the place is seriously affected by the very close proximity of tables. In the empty restaurant, we were squashed into the one side of the place very close to the very busy table of 7 people with children. The service was ok, with little too enthusiastic waiter, were conversation becoming too long and uncomfortable.

Overall, disappointing. Can not recommend this establishment. At this price range one may expect at least consistency in quality of dishes. Don't waste your...