Swashbucklers Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Waitematā

Online it says you can book crayfish when making a reservation, but on the phone advised this requires two days notice! We ordered garlic bread, a steamed mussel entree, a scallops mornay entree, and a main seafood platter for two with calamari, and fries. The entrees were great and brought out quite quickly. The mussels were a dozen and were juicy and cooked well. However they had no bread with them and the plate and side plate couldn't hold all the shells so it was a mess. No finger bowl given. On the platter, the breaded scallops were slightly overcooked which ruined the flavour, the mussels and calamari were great, nice thin batter on the super fresh fish, and the King prawns were excellent; delicious coconut, chili, and garlic flavour. The shrimps and salmon were just plain, cold shrimps and salmon. The dessert menu was boring so we didn't have any. We were one of two tables by the time we left but waited ages at the door to pay. A waitress we hadn't seen came to settle the bill and very indiscretely watched to see if we were going to give a tip, including watching as I completed the transaction, and checking the receipt as we walked out. We didn't tip as service was definitely nothing special although the girl was friendly - I think that's a minimum service requirement to be honest. Lastly, something needs to be done about the phone message, as the - I'm assuming owner - sounds terrible and very unprofessional. However, we would return again with the kids, it's definitely more of a family...

My family and I visited Swashbucklers Restaurant and Bar around 7 PM without a reservation, and despite being fully booked, the manager went above and beyond to accommodate us. Noticing that our 4-year-old was a bit out of sorts, he kindly found us a table for six. He even brought over colored pencils and coloring sheets, which immediately cheered her up. This unexpected kindness truly set the tone for the evening.

The kids were delighted by the turtles (red-eared sliders) and goldfish tanks, adding an extra layer of fun to our dining experience. The server was exceptionally attentive, checking on us frequently to ensure everything was to our liking. The food arrived promptly and was delicious. Our family particularly enjoyed the Scallops Mornay, and the kids loved the fish and chips and the catch of the day. Both my wife and I were impressed with the fresh giant prawns.

The indoor decor is eclectic and fun, featuring a range of aquatic items like mounted swordfish and outboard motors. There were even some unexpected touches like longhorns on the wall and a full-size mounted bear named Bruno, which, while a bit out of place, added to the unique atmosphere.

Overall, we were extremely pleased with the warm atmosphere and outstanding service. It's rare to be treated so well, especially without a reservation. Swashbucklers made our evening memorable, and we can't wait to return. Highly...

Absolutely disgusted by the owners here. We booked a reservation for this place on the 3rd of May 2023. We turned up (family of 8) to have dinner only to find out they failed to note down our reservation. I asked them that they should honour our reservation. They refused. They asked for evidence when we had made the booking and we showed them the call log and duration. It was a quick reservation over the phone. They asked us who we spoke to but we weren’t given a name it was done over the phone within a minute. But we remembered the voice and it was the old guy (maybe one of the owners). He started playing dumb but said they couldn’t do anything. They offered the bar to us which wasn’t ideal. The old guy started getting agitated and said we couldn’t do anything to outright refusing us and telling us to leave. I called him on his disrespectful and aggressive behaviour. We left. We were standing outside for about 10 minutes in the cold calling around to find another reservation and he had the nerve to come out and ask if we would like to dine outside. In the bloody cold. We had kids with us. What a disgrace. Absolutely appalling. We’ve dined here several times . But this is our last time going here. You arrogant people forget it’s the people that make your business what it is today not your disrespectful behaviour. Thanks...