7 Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Wellington

DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE FOR A PRIVATE FUNCTION.

I recently had my 21st there and it was the worst experience I have ever had.

Having a private function should be fairly stress free for the host however this was the complete opposite. I had to do all the emailing to organise this, the only time I would hear from the 7 bar was after I had emailed them. As I arrived to set up I get told that I wasn’t able to have the whole left side of the venue because there is “only 30 people coming”, however in my emails to them we agreed on having around 50 people there.

Around 10 minutes before the party was starting I was told that anyone can use this bar despite not being invited and that guests will have to have stickers on their hands so that the bar staff can know who is a guest so they can receive the subsidy. I was required to hand out these stickers to guests, which made it very difficult to enjoy my night as I was constantly waiting for guest to arrive so I could give them a sticker. told us just before the party started that they can’t block off the private function area as it’s illegal for them to shut the doors, therefore we had random people outside smoking cigarettes which was then being blown into the venue where my young nieces were. If I had known this earlier I would have never had my 21st here.

The guy who was the “bouncer” who looked and acted as if he was drunk told my friends when checking their IDs that it doesn’t matter if they are underage. This “bouncer” was obviously incapable of doing his job as I was constantly approaching random people in my venue to ask them to leave as they weren’t invited. This guy then approached my sister at 10pm with my young nieces and ask “are you guys leaving now with the kids?”. Apparently under their liquor licensing under 18s aren’t allowed at a private function after 10pm. I was never informed of this at all.

We had random people playing on the pool table and throughout the speeches they were yelling and laughing so the speeches could hardly be heard. The staff did not approach these guys to let them know to quiet down while the speeches were happening. Those guys later came up to the bar of my private function and all 5 of them were served while I (the birthday girl) waited in line. No guest or host should be waiting in line for random people to be served at a so called “private function”. Again, if I were told this earlier I would have never had my 21st there. We found out later the next day after viewing the security cameras that our bar tab had be given to a random guy multiple times who ended up spending $50 of it. Our bar tab ended up running out and my friends and family were paying full price for drinks while this guy was drinking subsidised drinks.

I had asked for food to be brought out at 8-8:30pm. Around 8:40pm there was still no food so we decided to proceed with speeches, during speech (around 8:50) the platters were finally brought out. These platters were ridiculously priced and insanely small!! Those doing the speeches and myself standing up for the speeches got to have no food at all as it was eaten before the speeches were finished.

This is advertised as a “private function” with “exclusive use” on their website but they are completely the opposite. Their website states that they have an “area-specific to you and your guests. Professionally trained staff to ensure your function runs smoothly. And full use of bar including dance floor”, this is everything but what I got. This was hands down the worst communication I have ever had, I was told nearly everything on the day of my 21st so I had no time to change venues.

I work in hospitality so am always considerate and not usually one to complain but this was horrible!! I am absolutely appalled and extremely upset that my 21st was ruined by their lack of good...

Updated 3 star review January 2024: Unfortunately The 7 Bar has changed management recently. They changed the menu and my favourite halloumi salad was taken off the menu. I had the pasta instead. It was fine. I tried the chocolate baileys mousse and was surprised at the texture of the mousse. It appears the new chefs don't know what the consistency of mousse is supposed to be. Mousse is supposed to be fluffy. The pool of chocolate goo they are serving as "mousse" is definitely not. It is sad that one of my favourite restaurants in Upper Hutt has fallen so far. I won't be back.

5 star review from 4 years ago: Outstanding food whenever we eat here. It is our regular as, unlike some other places around town, it never disappoints in meals. The staff are friendly and seem to know what they're talking about. The food generally arrives quickly, even when the restaurant is full.

I am a huge dessert person and I have to admit, dessert is the one place The 7 Bar falls down. I have had the crème brulee, the chocolate lava cake and the chocolate torte. The chocolate torte is the only dessert I felt was not a let down. I could talk about what's wrong with the desserts for hours, but I won't.

But, I guess dessert isn't everything and it hasn't stopped me from coming back again and again. The halloumi salad is my absolute favourite. It's just outstanding. The halloumi is crispy and delicious, the salad is fresh, the dressing is creamy. It's just, everything! My friend particularly enjoys the fish of the day when they have a special with glass/seaweed noodles. It sounds strange but he loves it. The fish always has crispy skin and is perfectly flavoured.

Keep it up! We'll...

I was disappointed with my experience during my birthday dinner this evening. The service started with the waiter taking our drink orders. I ordered a Sex on the Beach cocktail (which was my first time ordering it), but when it arrived, I noticed it looked identical to my daughter’s Piña Colada. After tasting each other's drinks, we confirmed they were the same.

I then asked the waiter who came to our table next if my drink was indeed a Sex on the Beach. He informed me that it was actually a Piña Colada. I mentioned that my order was incorrect, and he offered to prepare the correct drink. When I asked if I could keep the drink I had already tasted while waiting for the correct one, he told me I would need to pay for it, which I found disappointing, so I returned it.

Given that the mistake was made by the restaurant, I felt it would have been a nice gesture to offer the drink as a goodwill gesture. Unfortunately, the situation was made worse when the original waiter came back to our table in a rather abrupt manner, stating that I had actually ordered a Piña Colada. There was no acknowledgment of the mistake or any effort to make amends, which made me feel uncomfortable.

Additionally, the food was disappointing and did not meet expectations, especially considering the overall cost of the meal. The dishes were bland and underwhelming, which further added to the letdown of the evening.

Overall, I regret choosing this restaurant for such an important occasion, and I hope this feedback helps improve the service and quality for...