boulcott street bistro

for a long time boulcott used to annoy me lots - it was one of those restaurants where you couldn't book. that seemed ok if it was somewhere in the cbd and you could walk past and move on if it was full, but not boulcott. parking is ok in the car park opposite, but its still not a walk past. it is also arestaurantthat really is special, and therefore if you have a special occasion, birthdays etc or you're taking out elderly parents (who well remember plimmer house), you can't guarantee a table and that is a pain. so its usually off to logan brown.
after some years however i returned with a new strategy - go early. and that works - i am actually happy to eat at 6.30pm and as a consequence i now go reasonably often.
apart from the beautiful victorian house , therestaurantinterior has been done up very well. the old house is divided into smaller dining spaces which add interest and cosiness. the cream-lemon walls add to that and give it a french bistro feel, but perhaps a little more upmarket. my only irritation is the single round table between the entrance and the bar - its a bit like a roundabout and not particular feng shui - but other than that the interior is great.
aesthetically this isn't a "cool" modernist restaurant, its white table cloths and professional service make it more classic establishment, but the atmosphere is relaxed with a warmth that tops logan brown. 
the menu isn't large which is a good sign, but i find it easy to choose something that i want. nothing is pretentiously overworked, it is simple honest well cooked bistro food. for entree i've recently enjoyed the english pea soup as well as the perfectly cooked calves liver. ignoring cholesterol, i'll often go for the aged beef fillet, rare with bearnaise and french beans on the side - (and yes fries). the roast parsnip side is gorgeous. dessert last time was the pinot noir chocolate mousse - seriously delicious and beautifully presented.
the wine list is excellent, you can get champagne and many good reds and whites by the glass. i really like the fact that they have half bottles which for two sometimes is all you need.
this is one of wellington's best restaurants - its just a pity that i can't book for the special occasions that therestaurantwarrants.

returned 18/05/15:
excellent evening with superb service:
excellent fried squid - tender, moist
short rib - slow cooked - good , found the sauce on the verge of cloying but not quite..
tomato tart - subtle delicate - excellent.
kings fish - a little dry but the anise flavoured rice base arresting, delicious
eclair - delicious but no match for the pinot noir mousse.
three excellent wines - tattinger/ palliser pinot noir / waiheke man o war claret - all delicious.

my friends and i had high hopes as we approached these inviting premises. therestauranton first impressions looked relaxing and we were guided to our table. our experience was soon to be made memorable and not for the right reasons unfortunately. the young camp waiter who was serving us made a rude remark that we found quite insulting. the food was really nice but we didn't enjoy it after this horrible experience. we won't be back.

many friends have recommended thisrestaurantbecause they are known for excellent food and service. we had friends visiting from out of town so we wanted to treat them to a nice lunch. my husband and i settled on the sweet potato gnocchi and when it arrived it looked beautiful. unfortunately the taste wasn't good. it wasn't gnocchi but rather a bland, pasty dumpling. my favourite parts of the dish were the blistered tomatoes. one friend ordered chicken pot pie which was delicious, and my other friend ordered snapper. it was perfectly cooked, but also very bland. our server was polite & professional and he suggested an excellent wine for us. i think we caught the chef on a bad day because our other friends were shocked when i described our experience.

what a hidden gem! therestaurantis set in a beautiful old home in the middle of the city. the food was beautifully prepared and reasonably priced. the service was a bit lacking, however therestaurantambiance was abuzz!

had the aged fillet of beef here and it was cooked medium rare to the dot. the steak was juicy and tender however the bearnaise had a bit too much lemon.

the whole feel of therestaurantis a bit weird being in a house, but it works. quite a nice and relaxed atmosphere inside.

wellington on a plate - 3 course dinner. portobello mushroom soup followed by braised pork cheeks and olive oil cake. excellent start, soup was delicious with a hint of cheese. pork cheeks were delicious but the portion was very small in fact just couple of bite of porks and rest of the plate was filled with mash and apple puree. olive oil cake was a bit dry but went well with icecream. thisrestauranthas got wide collection of beers and barman knows about his products so do not hesitate to ask for his recommendations.

a bit disappointed with overcooked fish. the setting of therestaurantis good. i ordered the today's fish (king fish, $37), which was overcooked. i advised the waiter and no one followed up.

absolutely outstanding. service was flawless and can't even go close to commenting on how good the food was. favourite / bestrestaurantin wellington.

rex morgan, head chef of boulcott street bistro , will be the final chef rattling at the pans at the wellington pop-uprestaurantin sydney . we were fortunate to visit his restaurant, a charming gothic cottage wedged amongst office blocks and cement buildings, during last month's trip to wellington, nestled behind a white picket fence, the cottage is a surprise but welcome sight in the inner city jungle. the house was originally built in the late 1870s, a wedding gift from a well-heeled wellington lad to his lucky bride. in 1991 it opened as boulcott street bistro, and has attracted a legion of loyal diners ever since. we hang our coats on the coat rack under the stairs, feeling like we've just entered a family home for dinner. copper pots hang gleaming in the open kitchen, and after unwinding with locally brewed tuatara pilsners at the bar (the wine selection is particularly impressive), we're escorted to our table, a french bistro style dining room that feels straight out of paris.

even beter than the best! w.... even beter than the best!
wrote that my favoriterestaurantwas in nz was in dunedin. boy was i mistaken.
if you desire fine dining with excellent service and the best food; look no further than boulcot street bistro.
if you are in wellington you must dine here!!!
great wine selection and a bar that knows fine craft beers!
tonight's seafood special was monk fish with clams - i hope they have it when you visit - just perfect!!

family of 8 descend on thisrestaurantthe service was good the food was great and the environment was good . highly recommend,

sorry for the poor rating but we are well travelled and have dined at some amazing restaurants around the world. we know our food.
i was delighted that on our recent trip to wellington that my husband offered to take me to boulcott bistro for our evening meal.
frankly i wish we hadn't bothered. first of all i must say that sam the bar manager was professional and friendly. we enjoyed sitting at the bar prior to dining until the foul mouthed language just became a bit to much from a group of 3 gentleman(?) beside us,. then to find out that the foul mouth man was one of the owners was quite a shock. we should have gone then and there. ok i'm not a prude. i can over look the occasional slip and lets face it sometimes the "f" word is just somehow appropriate. however every 2nd to 3rd word is what you expect down at the local public bar or gang headquarters. not a supposed top of the line restaurant. we moved ourselves away to our table and the foul mouthed part owner. (incidental it was not rex morgan doing the swearing)
we shared a calamari for starters. we often do this at other establishments but we were surprised that the starter was only 7 small pieces for $22. it was ok, nothing spectacular. i then ordered the lamb shank and my husband the steak. the lamb shank was frankly terrible. it had no flavour and little colour. was it steamed? it tasted like it. it came on a bed of uninspiring mashed potatoes and peas. i must send them my recipe...they need help with this dish. i would rate it a 3-4 /10. husbands steak was perfectly cooked but again rather mediocre in flavour. he rated it 7/10. we decided then and there that we would not be staying for dessert and coffee. they weren't getting a $ more from us. what a terrible disappointment this meal was. in finishing i must comment that the service was very good from our wait staff. the following week we traveled to auckland and ate at euro. now that's arestaurantthat delivers!. it was faultless , would give any top internationalrestauranta run for it's money and the prices exactly the same as boulcott. maybe boulcott street chefs need to take a day trip to euro in auckland and see how its done. sorry that is sarcastic but boulcott street you need to take a look at yourselves.

perhaps the most consistently excellentrestaurantin wellington, i've been here several times and swear by it. if you feel like quality bistro meals, cooked by an award winning chef - rex morgan, then treat yourself here. it isn't cheap but is a great way to celebrate in style.

i recently had the fillet bearnaise and my partner the fish of the day. both were amazing, the fish was trevally. we also shared ravioli and calamari for the entree.

the service is particularly good, and helps as they wine range is broad and matches the food perfectly. if you haven't been before then make a date, you won't be disappointed.

you know it's been years since you've been to arestaurantwhen the last time you went was with an ex-boyfriend and you're now married with a child. having said that, my boulcott bistro memories were good, so i was excited to be going back!

we had the calamari to start. it was perfectly cooked, and the tartare that accompanied it delicious, but missed the magic zing that would have made it great.

for mains my husband had the beef with handcut chhips. it was absolutely incredible. melt in your mouth tender, perfectly cooked and seasoned and the bearnaise was the best i've ever tasted. i had the ox cheek which fell apart at the touch of the fork and served with a gorgeous gravy. one point to note here - it is advertised as being served with gnocchi. don't make the mistake that i did and assumed that would be the carb component of the meal - with only four of them to be found, in my book that's a garnish. fortunately, we'd ordered a delicious side of carrots and parsnips which, along with the lovely complimentary house made bread, rounded out the meal.

dessert. i wasn't going past the creme brulee. it was listed as being served with poached fruit so i was a little bewildered when it showed up accompanied by a lonely little perfect slice of fresh orange and a little jug of mandarin jus, which was bland and watery. my husband had the chocolate tart which was decadent and smooth.

service was attentive and polished.

highly recommended.

this stylish little bistro has a big personality and is a gem in the crown of the wellingtonrestaurantscene. we eat there often, and enjoy the cosy atmosphere, the excellent service and hilarious barman, sam.
a five star establishment. highly recommend it.