charley noble eatery & bar

nice environment, but poor value and - at least in the case of the meal which i chose - poor food. we visited at lunchtime, and this place definitely needs a lunch menu. we had to pay dinner time prices for poor quality - i definitely won't return for lunch again. i ordered the chilli clam chowder and it was dreadful - with a name like this i expected plenty of flavour but it had absolutely no flavour other than that of flour and water. so it was probably just as well that it was the smallest chowder (or soup) serving i have ever had in a restaurant. to pay $16 plus $4 extra for some very average bread at a lunchtime, and receive such a disappointing dish was unacceptable to me. the service was friendly, but things like trying to order a cider and being told that there were not any, then seeing on the drinks list later that they do offer a cider, took the edge off it a little. however, the environment is pleasant, if stuffy on the day we visited, and to their credit, charley nobles are actively seeking feedback and encouraged us to complete a comments form, so maybe it will be worth trying it again one dinner time at a later date.

absolutely loved this place. the food is outstanding and i especially like the charcoal burning grill. i had the pigs tail and the lamb shoulder washed down with a lovely, draft tuatara apa. it was fantastic and the chocolate candy bar with the caramel popcorn base is divine. the service and decor were tops as well and you can't beat the prices. definitely a standout on the wellington food scene..

charley noble is setting the standard and bringing in a new flavour to the wellington hospitality scene, and it is making people stand up and take notice. with nothing else like it in wellington i can see why charley noble has taken off so well. with everything from the open kitchen fit out to the professional team they have pulling it all together this is a definite must for any food lover in wellington. the crudo and the burger are stand-out with the wine list being extensive but easy to navigate due to knowledgeable staff. all in all this is a venue i will definitely be frequenting very often.

what's not to like about this place - fabulous food, great service and wonderful setting. i thoroughly recommend it.
we went along early to ensure a seat as we'd heard it was busy having just opened and received a great review in the dompost. i was expecting it to be in the vein of a lot of the new style eateries like depot, wbc etc - there are similarities but for me charley noble held more surprises and interesting combinations. loved the octopus and pigs tail salads and the lamb shoulder was very tasty. the roasted cauliflower was definitely a winner and took this generally neglected and unfashionable vege to new heights. had no room for the wonderful deserts but did get to try a spoonful of the chocolate candy bar which was gorgeous
and the building is great - very majestic and elegant without being fussy
great to experience such top notch food at a reasonable price.
i'll be back.

went as a group of 9 having high hopes after reading the menu. while i appreciate it was very busy it took an hour and a half to get our food after waiting half an hour to have our orders taken, and were not kept up to date on the foods progress.

when the food came out we found the portion sizes were tiny, especially for the high prices. the burger was small, few chips and the bun was dry. steak was slightly undercooked. the "large" spaghetti was on the smaller end. the oxtail ragu offered little meat and sauce, what meat there was had been tainted by sinew. steak sauces got mixed up and ended up with the wrong sauce.

on the other hand, the waiter we had was fantastic, he was friendly and helpful. he came out as attentive but not overbearing. the decor was refreshing and the open kitchen was a welcome view.

mr burton must have got the special treatment. charley noble, drop your prices or up the portion sizes and get your food up to standard with some reasonable wait times and i'll be back!

we tried to eat there last night. arrived at 6:15pm to be told a half hour wait. that's fine, drink at the bar. one and a half hours later we are still at the bar waiting for a table with nothing looking promising. disgusted with being misinformed about the wait time we leave and have a great meal at a different restaurant straight away. being in a sales role is about managing customers expectations well and charley noble completely lost it there and have now lost me as a customer. had we been told a one and a half hour wait we could have re-planned our evening accordingly. in hindsight i guess "who leaves their dinner table at 6:45pm?"
restaurants that don't take bookings don't work in my view but i guess they have been driven to it by the apathetic approach of new generations that don't consider agreements to attend events or bookings set in stone and consider it okay to just not turn up rather than take the 30 seconds to formally cancel said agreements.

bruschetta with the beans and asparagus - great and surprisingly tasty
the main - pasta - please order a big serving - and it was the most delectable ravioli
but the killer was the dessert. i never would have thought of ordering this but it was suggested by the waiter - as it was billed 'chocolate candy bar' ... hmm no mars bars for me. it was crushed popcorn as the base like a wafer, another layer, chocolate and a beautiful layer of icing on top that i wrote my name in with a spoon ... and then ate it. and a few pieces of candied caramel popcorn on the top no less. loved it.

food was ok, provided you are willing to wait 2 hours for a main! we went as a large group on the 9th of november. normally restaurants should like a larger group of 20, but it appears that david burtons good review and a packed restaurant meant that treating customers with any kind of respect goes out the window. we arrive at for our 6.30pm booking to a half full restaurant. our two tables had one group of adults and another group teenagers. the teens got served first (mains only) then we were served our entrees. food was good. when our teenage table was asked about deserts, we asked about our mains at 8.30pm! the waiter with the average attitude told us it was coming, but did not know when or was willing to specify a time frame. we then asked to speak to the manager, who took over service and told us that our table was being started. by this time it was 8.40pm. we received our meals at 8.45pm, 2 hours 15 minutes from arriving in the restaurant. the manager made no effort to apologise for the slow service nor did he offer any compensation. the food was good, but in balance with the service it only gets a 1 star for me.

outstanding service with a fantastic menu, something for everyone. comfortable seating which is a must and no loud vicious music to yell over. the steak is juicy and was cooked to my request. i have eaten there several times now and can't wait to go back to try something new.

visited charley noble for lunch and i was impressed! we were limited for time, but found the service to be friendly and efficient and our food arrived quickly and was delicious. try the lamb shoulder with couscous, it certainly hit the spot for me. we will be back, maybe for dinner next time, but a great place for lunch with a buzzing atmosphere and impressive décor.

as you see i've never reviewed before, but this was bad enough for me to take the time. we went for dinner with 8 people (bill came to nearly $600.00). the staff were obviously wanting to be somewhere else - they were actually quite rude. not friendly, warm or inviting. the food came after an hour of waiting, some plates were quite large (burgers), but half a fillet of snapper was a tad small for $28.00 to say the least. the worst thing was paying $18.00 for a quarter of a cauliflower, sold as a large plate - albeit with cauliflower puree. in addition, the wine was so off, the waiter laughed at how bad it was - they've only been open 3 weeks :-(. the best thing was the cup of tea, presented beautifully. although we all work next door, i doubt we will be going there again. huge shame as it could be awesome - get some warmth and friendliness guys.

we went for dinner. the man seating us sets the tone for the evening. it seemed like a chore for him to help us spend time and money there. the food was fine although pricey for the serving size. the oysters were delicious the migonette the perfect accompaniment. my steak was more medium than the rare i ordered but it was no problem to send it back. we were short on time so i left without eating it. the waiting staff were pleasant and helpful, but don't bother with the host, he couldn't be bothered with us.

we went for lunch. burgers were very good, pot pie excellent, snapper a little on the small side but very well cooked. all presented very well. staff very enthusiastic (as they've only just opened). service a little slow - we just got out in the hour. will definitely visit again.