New Zealand Herald

Reviews for Pescado Cafe & Tapas Bar

by Nicky D.
13th May 2013

This was booked as a Mothers day lunch for 12 people. From the time we arrived things were less than great! I had phoned weeks ahead and asked for a reserved table for 12 people. It was an extended family group, ages 18 to 89. We were seated at a table for 10 !!?? with table settings for 8 !!?? When asked whether our table could be reconfigured for the correct amount as booked, extraordinarily we were made to feel awkward and demanding! Even though i had phoned weeks ahead to book all of this. The Maitre D’ was patronising and in a couple of situations actually flapped his hands at us indicating perhaps “be quiet we will get to you sometime maybe ?” . The wait staff were dismissive & inept at best, rude at worst. NO one took charge. Individuals were offered individual drinks eventually. No one took a whole table order for drinks until my husband complained 1 hour after sitting down! No menus were brought until we asked. No water for the table until we asked! By which time we were really feeling like getting up and going elsewhere! The food was adequate, nothing exceptional. We would never return! It seems to rely on the sunny weather and the foot traffic. Customer service and pleasant manners sadly were not something on offer by Pescado staff ! Avoid it !!!

by Sharnika
2nd March 2013

I never complain about food in a restaurant. I have gone to the effort to sign up just to write about this place.

The quality was terrible. Food came out cold, fries tasted like they had been sitting around for days and heated up in the microwave. Not to mention bits of fluff I found on them. Sick. My Cajun chicken came out as a slither of chicken and the majority of the plate was dry mesclun. So so disappointed! Don’t bother making the walk down there. The staff were average.

Not even going to get into the fact that it’s hardly Spanish. Throwing chorizo in a few dishes. Good job. My partner and I have lived in Spain and we aren’t the kind of people to go on about it and what Spanish food should be but I didn’t think I would be going to Pescado for kiwi food I cook at home any other day of the week.

by Ngaio M.
27th January 2013

My husband and I had dinner here on Friday night (25/01/13) and had great expectations on the recommendation of a friend. My husband lived in Spain for most of his life and I have traveled extensively. We got 4 x plates of tapas for the two of us.
Gambas al Ajillo – Prawns sautéed in fresh garlic & herbs, with wood-fire bread. 15.50
**salt and pepper prawns. not even a hint of garlic or herb. prawns were the frozen variety I have in my freezer for emergency dinners from the supermarket. tail on, granted, but I was expecting head on, swimming in olive oil and garlic! below average at best**
Chorizo – Sautéed Spanish sausages, served with button mushrooms, chickpeas & warm wood-fire bread. 15.50
**this was nice. mushrooms were bland alone, but all together, nice. good dish**
Patatas bravas – Double-cooked chunky Agria potatoes, topped with Brava sauce & alioli 9.50
**literal translation “brave potatoes” there was nothing brave or remarkable about this dish. deep fried spud with a drizzle of reduced tin of tomatoes (not even a dash of sugar to balance) no paprika, salt or pepper. very average at best**
Haloumi – Grilled cheese, served on green salad with sliced orange & toasted almonds 14.50
**this was a nice combo, but your average cook can fry a bit of Haloumi and put it on a salad with some almonds! I go out to eat the things I can’t make in 10 mins at home!**

Service: Okay. Not amazing. Not terrible.
Food: Okay. If you can’t or don’t cook or eat anywhere decent. We wont bother again.
Drinks: How is it they claim to be Spanish and don’t have 1 spanish beer on the list? **should have been alarm bells there!**

by Annie T.
17th January 2013

Six of us went to Pescado on a not particularly busy evening and had a bad experience. The tapas were OK but the main meals were, frankly, awful. I ordered the fish of the day which, apparently, came with a ‘lemon butter sauce’. I imagined a light, clear and lemony sauce. Instead, the fish, very ordinary vegetables (not cooked in salted water) and very, very, very ordinary mashed potatoes were absolutely smothered in white sauce. It was like rest home food – very bland. A friend sent her steak back – it was horrible and thin and nowhere near medium rare. My partner’s lamb shanks were tough – nothing like they should be: meat falling off the bone and melt in the mouth. Another friend got her meal well before the rest of us and was halfway through before we said something and got the other meals. I think the wait staff decided we were trouble because we had dared to speak up a few times and so they studiously ignored us for the rest of the evening. We didn’t get asked if we wanted more wine (they could have sold us at least a bottle more) nor if we wanted desserts. We didn’t more water beyond the first few jugs. I don’t think the chefs are up to doing anything beyond simple tapas. It’s disappointing when the food you cook at home is so much better than the food you have out.

One last thing: the wine list is a joke. Given we live in a country with 100s if not 1000s of Sauvignon Blancs, why are there only 2 on the winelist? Ditto for Chardonnay. Bizarre.

by Corinne A.
15th January 2013

Had a great breakfast here with 8 friends on 13.1.12. friendly staff, good service & food. For the location the prices are good. Hospitality is excellent. Have been before and found just the same. Would recommend to all.

by Carol S.
14th January 2013

Met friends here for breakfast/brunch yesterday (13 Jan 2013) – total persons 8. It was our first time dining here and we were not disappointed. The men had the Spanish big breakfast and declared it to be fabulous, some of us had the hotcakes with fruit and that was really nice too, nice to have lovely fresh fruit……. Service great, friendly waiter and staff, food excellent, very generous helpings and all in all a great experience at a very reasonable cost for the city and location. We shall definitely be back…..Thanks very much and keep up the great standards….

by Julie
27th September 2012

Not only was the food very average (lacking in punch and flavour generally) but our waiter forgot one dish entirely and was far too slow refilling glasses of wine. Not at all what you want from a tapas bar which should all be about flavour and quick service.

by leannex
13th July 2012

Had a wonderful long lunch here yesterday and my friends and I were very impressed. Tried four different Tapas and they were all excellent. The winelist has a good selection of affordable wines and the service and ambience was perfect for a chilly Auckland day. I am confident in recommending this restaurant and look forward to returning!

by Jacelyn H.
22nd June 2012

I recently dined here with a friend on Tuesday night using one of those deal vouchers for a mixed platter for two, 3 tapas, and a jug of sangria. I am pleased to report that I had a fabulous time! The service was great with really friendly staff who explained what was included with the voucher. The platter was my favourite, with a great mix of many different tapas that were beautifully presented and tasty. Portion sizes were great too! In fact we couldn’t finish everything on our plates. I would be happy to return.

by Felix
17th June 2012

Nice to sit here for breakfast with a good coffee, friendly waiters and reasonable prices. Yes, a good place to return at anytime to taste the spanish Tapas.

by Jana
14th June 2012

Went to Pescado on a Wednesday evening with a friend. Used my deal voucher for 3 tapas and 1 platter with 1/2 jug of Sangria for $69. The service was great, very welcoming and the waitress was attentive and re-filled water and drinks frequently.Was concerned the portion sizes won’t be enough – but it was gr8! The food was yummy and so filling we couldn’t finish everything on the plate. The haloumi tapas was the best, served with fresh salad, orange and almonds! The place was not crowded at all and the music was just right – not too loud. The dessert menu looked very appealing so couldn’t resist trying one out. It was an ultra decadent chocolate fudge cake complimented well with a berry ice-cream.
Overall had a lovely evening at Pescado and will go back again!

by samantha m.
21st May 2012

We had a terrific experience at Pescado. Wonderful service (which is rare in New Zealand), delicious food with generous portions means good value for money; lovely atmosphere.

All of this despite it being a very busy Sunday brunch. We were impressed enough to speak to the management and give them our thanks.

It’s odd that the reviews here are either very positive or very negative. Perhaps they had a change in management?
-2012 May

by Lydia
20th February 2012

I am incredibly disappointed in the service here. Went to Pescado on a Sunday morning for some breakfast – the restaurant was about 3/4 full at the time. We seated ourselves, waited for a menu whilst the wait staff stood around, and when I finally managed to catch the waiter’s eye and ask for a menu, he was apologetic and brought us the breakfast menu and to take our drinks order.

10 minutes later, the coffees arrived and said waiter left. Another 10 minutes later he comes back to the table to say that they are not serving breakfast any more, and even though he had given us the breakfast menu, there was no way for us to have anything on it, although we arrived at the restaurant at 10.55am (breakfast closes at 11am).

We weren’t interested in tapas on a Sunday morning, so decided to leave. When we complained about the shoddy service when we went to pay the bill, no one on the staff was interested, nor did they apologise.

Definitely won’t go there again.

by Kim B.
28th January 2012

My husband and I dined at Pescado last night for our wedding anniversary. The service was first class…friendly, helpful, fast and efficient. The food was faultless and that coming from me who is a wondrous cook, says a lot. There are not many restaurants I write a rave review about. The beef skewers were not only delicious and cooked to perfection, but the finest quality beef had been used. The calamari was melt in the mouth. The lamb rack, though not medium as requested, was tender and melt in the mouth. The accompanying mashed potatoes, peach salsa, mint gravy and vegetables were just divine. We will definitely be going back. Thanks to the staff at Pescados for a lovely evening.

by Nathaniel
20th December 2011

Not a good restaurant for special orders. My partner and I are on a low carb diet and so we requested whisky with diet coke. Drinks had regular coke. Also requested that the mashed potato be left off or substituted with vegetables. Meal came with mashed potatoes and we were offered a bowl of fries to make up for it. Waitress was very helpful in getting the situation rectified, replacement arrived promptly.

by Russell
19th December 2011

A group of us went there for brunch on a weekend recently.

I was a bit disappointed with the breakfast menu – really just a standard cafe breakfast menu, I expected some more Mediterranean options (there was one Haloumi dish and the big breakfast had Chorizo – I guess this was the Mediterranean influence?).

Food was good, one dish had to go back as the eggs were overcooked, but it came out again very quickly with them cooked perfectly.

Service was a bit lacking – someone at the table asked for another menu (they were still hungry) and it never came. No one came and asked us if we wanted anything else after we got our food/drinks, even though we were there for quite a while.

There is only one high chair in the entire place. Odd considering it is the closest cafe to the children’s playground. When we were there I counted at least 5 children in the restaurant – all sitting on their parents knees (except for the lucky one in the chair). Perhaps they are discouraging parents to come in.

by Diana C.
9th December 2011

Excellent. I went there last week for a corporate Christmas drinks/tapas function and last night again for dinner.
The duck on risotto is divine.

by Barry
11th November 2011

Fantastic food really tasty and a great variety. The Pate dish is a must try. The chocolate desert is to die for. We had impeccable service even though they were very busy that evening. A must experience. Will definitely be back.

by Hazel
4th November 2011

Chorizo: sautéed Spanish sausages, served with button mushrooms, chickpeas & warm woodfired bread
“I thought that $15 for this tapa was too expensive for the small portion plus tasted oily and not fresh – could be better”

by Janak
31st October 2011

Hi, there if you looking for beach, tapas, great wines, coffees, and good service, don’t miss this place! !!!

I have been couple of times, great experience, and very busy, which means nothing else to say

Love to be here again!!!!!

by Mark
31st October 2011

Do not eat here. A total rip off. I paid $15.50 for five meatballs and a piece of bread.

Not value for money.

Staff stuffed up our bill also. Far too many better places to go than to go back here again.

by Lynn C.
12th October 2011

Pesacado was a delightful surprise.great service, fabulous lamb shanks. Some good wines by the glass, great ambiance. We will return!

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