Wildfire Restaurant Auckland — Restaurant in Waitematā

What a disaster. After going to White and Wongs next door for our work function the year before, I convinced my colleagues to go to Wildfire this year instead.

We booked 2 hours for 16 people and the anticipation I had for going back to Wildfire was immense!

In the 2 hours we had booked, in the first hour, we got the entrées and 1 round of drinks 40 minutes after being seated, 8 of which were missing out of 16 people. Since the drinks were missing, we asked for those and ordered more, but they never arrived.

The food started being served at the beginning of the second hour and it was pretty good except the Sirloin and pork dishes never made it to the table we were on. The Calamari though was quite horrendous. I asked for 3 servings, expecting it to be as per restaurant quality Calamari should and visually it looked correct but upon consuming it, got a flavour experience of fishy corn chips that were chewy and not in the good way like Calamari should be. The rest of the food that did make it to the table was quite nice but the chicken was a bit salty, that's more personal preference though.

By the time we were all eating, more drinks had been ordered but they didn't arrive until were at the 1 hour 40 mark, by this time we had gone to the bar in person to order drinks, which had to be paid for on the spot as they didn't believe we were at a table but we walked off thinking they would be delivered to our table, which they weren't. It's useful to add that the person who ordered the drinks had an arm in a cast with a sling on, so he was obviously incapable of carrying a tray of drinks. So we finally got those right at the end, drank them as fast as we could and prepared to depart.

In the line to pay, the person in front of us was complaining that items were on his bill that he hadn't ordered so when we got our turn, we took the bill back to the table and discovered drinks and bottles of wine were on our bill that never showed up as well. We cleared that up as best we could and left but later on, bumped into the people who were sitting at the table next to us and they too had trouble when I came time to pay as they were being charged for a completely different tables bill and they couldn't find the bill for their own table.

All in all, the only redeeming part of the evening was the meat (that did arrive to the table). The staff were hit and miss with their serving skills, one didn't even know what the one type of pasta was that was being served. I don't know if the staff members who we ordered drinks through either never relayed our order or just forgot but I can't account for a reason as to why they never showed up sometimes. The decor hasn't been updated in the time that I hadn't been there, the bar surround was falling to pieces, the walls were broken where you walk around the bar to the restaurant, the decorative led lights were flashing in places as in faulty and all looked a little run down. My desire to return to this restaurant that I held in such high regard has been replaced by the desire to never return and I thought others should know as well. I was looking forward to it so much that maybe that's why I'm as disappointed as I am.

If I had a suggestion for people who still wish to go, go in small groups of 4-6 people max, that way you may not be seated near the bigger tables so it should be as...

Came here with the missus when I heard about their "carnivorous" buffet - unending streams of meat served straight to your table. Colour me intrigued.

We walked in early for our reservation at 6pm on a Saturday afternoon. Worth it to come early as well, as you get more personal service and attention from the servers who were delightfully Brazilian, in keeping with the theme of a Brazilian restaurant.

The buffet works according to a block of wood that is painted half-red and half-green that functions as a traffic light. Place it vertically with the green portion of it on top and servers bearing carving skewers of meat will drop by your tableside offering different cuts of meat, everything from steak to sausages to roasted chicken thighs, to roasted lamb and freshly baked salmon. Flip it red side up to halt the never-ending stream of meat or if you would like to have a private conversation with your table mates without being interrupted by food.

For those of you worried about your 5 servings, there are bowls of veges served alongside with the meats, just feel free to ask for it.

Once you are done with the mains, there is a dessert trolley that comes around piled high with 5 different treats, of which we got the tiramisu and the creme brulee, which is prepped at your tableside with an actual blowtorch. Leave it temptingly smoking in front of you and tap it with a spoon and you get the crispy crack of the sugar crust.

My tiramisu was all sorts of perfect - enough of an alcoholic hit without alerting cops at roadblocks, sweet without being cloying and bitter with chocolate without the dusty acrid aftertaste. The missus was less impressed with the creme brulee, stating that even though the sugar crust was perfect, the custard was heavy and not as light as other creme brulee desserts that she had enjoyed in the past. That said, it was made with actual vanilla bean, with the specks of vanilla dotted through the custard.

We left after 2 and a half hours, satisfied, and looking forward to...

Title: Disappointing Experience at XYZ Restaurant

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I recently dined at Wildfire and unfortunately, the experience left much to be desired. While the ambiance and decor were pleasant, the service fell far short of expectations.

From the moment I entered the restaurant, the staff seemed indifferent and disengaged. It took an unusually long time for someone to acknowledge my presence and show me to my table. Throughout the evening, the servers seemed overwhelmed and disorganized, leading to delays in taking orders and delivering food.

Moreover, the waitstaff exhibited a lack of attentiveness and failed to anticipate our needs. Empty glasses remained unfilled for extended periods, and requests for additional condiments or utensils were met with delays or simply forgotten.

Adding to the frustration, the overall demeanor of the staff was far from friendly. There was a noticeable lack of warmth and professionalism in their interactions, creating an unwelcoming atmosphere. It felt as though they were more interested in rushing through their tasks than ensuring the guests' comfort.

To make matters worse, when we received our food, it was underwhelming in taste and presentation. It was evident that attention to detail in the kitchen was lacking, resulting in mediocre dishes that failed to impress.

Despite raising concerns about the slow service and food quality to the management, there was no sincere effort to address our grievances or compensate for the disappointing experience. Their lack of response further contributed to the overall disappointment and left us feeling undervalued as customers.

Regrettably, I cannot recommend this Restaurant based on my recent visit. The combination of lackluster service, subpar food, and indifferent management left a negative impression. Dining out should be an enjoyable experience, but unfortunately, this particular restaurant failed to meet even the most basic...