Lilian — Restaurant in Waitematā

Overall, this is a long, honest review because we absolutely loved the food, yet the total Lilian experience feels like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be yet; stuck somewhere in the middle between casual and fine dining and because of that, it's hard to know if we'd go out of our way to come back.

So, I'm honestly having a hard time finding a representative number rating based on how we feel because we talked about it a lot; I'd say overall 3.5 if I could. To start with the good, the woodfire pork sausage pizza was without a doubt one of the bestngourmet pizzas we've ever had and if we were to come back, it'd definitely be for that. The grilled octopus was also surprisingly great because unlike every other one I've ever had in various countries, this one wasn't tough and chewy so was pleasantly surprising. Cocktails were also very unique and very tasty too, so from all the food side, 5/5 for sure and I can see why there was heaps of people walking in trying to get a table.

But the points of contention we had were mainly about the overall atmosphere and service experience in that when we compare the price to dining experiences at similar high-end / boutique restaurants, what they have is that extra touch. The tables could have a little more uniqueness to them. The outside seating could have something to make it more visually appealing than what feels like any other bar with seating basically on the sidewalk looking at the street (eg fairy lights wrapped around the poles alone could do wonders for the aesthetics, something like that to make the outside seating feel more inclusive and special). Then at similar calibre places, when you're given a variety of dishes, you usually get new plates bc like after eating grilled peaches with ricotta followed by octopus, I really don't then want to use that same plate for pizza too and have all these unique flavours mixed together. The last note is that whilst the servers were VERY nice, it still just felt very casual and disconnected between how everyone was dressed as if it was no different for a cafe, yet you'd never be spending $200 on a two person date night meal at a cafe. Then the toilets and inside seating have almost like a rustic appeal, but I wonder if this was more unintentional than intentional (bc like whilst the bathroom sink looks rusticly special, the toilets and...

I recently dined at Lilian, and unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. The service was subpar, with the staff appearing inattentive and disorganized, which negatively impacted the overall experience.

The atmosphere was equally frustrating, as the noise level was excessively high, making it difficult to engage in a conversation without raising my voice. Additionally, the tables were incredibly small and placed uncomfortably close to one another. As a result, I could clearly hear the entire conversation of the neighboring table, which further detracted from the experience.

In terms of the food, I ordered the pepperoni pizza, but it was overwhelmingly spicy to the point where it became nearly impossible to eat and enjoy. To accompany the meal, I chose the Lilian Limonata drink, but unfortunately, it was unpleasant and lacking in flavor, leaving much to be desired.

Overall, the combination of poor service, uncomfortable seating arrangements, and disappointing food and drinks made for a less than satisfactory dining experience. I would not recommend...

The reviews seen in magazines and the obvious hype about this place really build up a promise that did not deliver. Never mind that we had to wait for more than 2 hours and that several people that walked in after us ( a group of 3) got called at least an hour prior ( we waited for a table in the incredible bar across the road- where the food actually might be better) so we saw all of this happening.

Where to start? The service is not good, the waiters don’t make eye contact nor they seem happy to be there, the food was overall disappointing and overpriced.

The chicken liver parfait and the lamb were good towards great, though the lamb rump is 6/7 tiny slices of lamb. The portobello mushroom with pecorino pizza tastes like butter, there’s no palpable taste apart from that. The burrata was hard and closer to a mozzarella. Also it was not seasoned. If you are looking for a better option, go to the supermarket and get it from them.

The type of place where you probably can go to have a decent drink, but don’t recommend to those who...