Wharfside Bar & Eatery — Restaurant in Waitematā

It was a disappointing visit with the team at wharf side. Upon arrival there was no meet and greet - there seemed to be so much emphasis on your website to make a booking, only to arrive and there’s no one to show you to a table you’ve booked.

The young lady at the bar was busy, she looked around for her peers - to find none nearby. She was in a “all hands were busy” type scenario so she ushered us to a table with a nod of her head and eye movements that pointed us to the menus and which eventually came to rest upon a spare table indicating we could sit there. There was salt and other donations of food from the previous patrons which the staff had decided needed no attention and would be of a satisfactory standard.

We sat at our table for around 15mins, in this time I was able to see that there were close to 11-12 customers spread out patrons, most enjoying the sun and sipping on cold beverages. A number of them were making good use of the oyster special, with maybe 3 tables (6 x pax) eating from the menu.

Finally, one of the staff realised we hadn’t been served and made a beeline for our table. We placed our order, however I was left to feel that the waiter was preoccupied as he kept looking around the vicinity, he seemed impatient with my husband and I as we were placing our order.

The food come out in a relatively acceptable time. I’d ordered oysters, hubby ordered the fish and chips. I’d quickly downed the oysters and realised I was still peckish.

Hubby waved down one of the waiters and I placed my buffalo wings order plus a lemonade. Hubby continued with his fish and chips L, which was impeccably well presented. The meal was great, albeit the fish was not fresh and you could tell from the batter that it had been battered a day or so prior.

Hubby had finished his meal, yet I was still waiting for the buffalo wings meal. After some time I waived down a waiter to ask about the meal - he assured me he’d followup.

I watched him engage with one of the waiting staff - the individual I’d placed the order with - and watched the young man blatantly lie that an order had not been placed. Upon witnessing what was taking place I corrected the young man and reminded him that I had placed the order along with my lemonade - I’d received the lemonade however not the meal, given the two had been ordered at the same time it’s apparent he’d forgotten to place the order with the kitchen.

The other waiter (I’m assuming he was in some type of senior role as he seemed very proactive) advised that he’d be able to remedy the issue and have the staff prepare the order urgently. Unfortunately the overall experience wasn’t that great and we declined the helpful gesture from this waiter.

We asked for our hill, squared this up and made tracks for our next destination.

Overall a very below average experience, especially for an establishment in a waterfront location exposed to variants of visitors.

I find it extremely unlikely we’ll return based on...

Unfortunately, our experience was dismal to say the least. We arrived, impressed with the location as we got to watch the arrival and departure of ferries. The setting was light and airy. However that's as far as the positive aspect went. When ordering drinks, we asked about a specific wine on the drinks menu, the waitress said it wasn't available and an alternative was asked about. The waitress seemed impatient, advising she would have to check. She went away, came back and said neither were available and when asked if a 3rd option was available, again, her impatience was obvious. She came back advising it was. The time it took for us actually receive one glass of wine, 3 cocktails and a coffee was astoundingly slow considering the place wasn't overly busy. To clarify, inside the restaurant was a party of 4 who had clearly already eaten. And only us. There were patrons outside but the 3 staff at the bar cleaning glasses, wiping the bar area, indicated they weren't rushed off their feet. We placed our orders not long after ordering drinks, which all came out separately. After about 20-25mins a couple and 2 kids arrived. Maybe 10-15mins later, another couple arrived. We still received none of our order. The couple with two kids received their food which was a serving of hot chips and a few sausages. A different waiter was asked about why our food wasn't served, he looked annoyed and said you guys ordered steak and they only ordered some fries. But added, it was being plated up. About 10mins later, the other couple received their food. At this point, our 3 kids are now starting to grizzle, we haven't had any offers for more drinks and are sitting waiting. We still waited at least another 5-10mins. We approach the bar and tell the staff we no longer wish to eat here and can we settle the drinks bill. She blankly says the food is being plated up, we ask for the manager. He advises our food is being plated up and yet not one plate of food has come to our table in this time. We reiterate how poor the service has been, we advise there are 3 staff at the bar who have been cleaning dishes, wiping the bar area down and yet no show of food. He repeatedly says the food is being plated. We then say we just want to settle the drinks bill and leave as we have waited an hour and 35mins after driving an hour to specifically dine here. He advises the drinks are on him and we leave. Not being charged for drinks is the only reason I gave two stars...

Handling a Disappointing Venue Booking Experience Planning an event can be complex and a stressful task, especially when dealing with venue arrangements. A recent experience here highlighted the challenges and frustrations that can arise when communication with a venue is less than ideal.

The Initial Inquiry I reached out to this venue to inquire about availability and was pleased to learn that the date I requested was available. In addition to confirming the date, they provided me with several food menu options to consider for the event. Eager to secure the venue, I immediately responded with a few questions via email, hoping to move forward with the booking process.

Communication Challenges Over the next three days, I diligently followed up with the venue multiple times, eager to finalize the details and secure the location for my event. Unfortunately, my attempts to reach them went unanswered, leaving me anxious and uncertain about the status of my date.

A Disappointing Turn of Events On the fourth day, I finally received a response from the venue. To my shock, they informed me that the date I had been hoping to book was now reserved for someone else. This was a frustrating and disappointing outcome, especially given my proactive efforts to communicate and finalize the booking.

Reflections on Professionalism This experience underscores the importance of timely and effective communication in the event planning process. When a potential client expresses interest and engages with a venue, it is crucial for the venue to respond promptly and provide clear guidance on next steps. Failing to do so not only risks losing business but also damages the venue's reputation for professionalism and...