cool change bar & eatery

the worst meal i have ever had. and terrible service too.

we booked a table for 8pm and they were busy when we first arrived, and they were slow to take our orders so we expected a bit of a wait but it took an hour for our meals to arrive.

my moroccan lamb main sounded so promising, but came with macaroni and peas over the top despite them not being mentioned in the menu. the 'aubergine puree' was two unappetising grey blobs on the plate that didn't taste of aubergine at all. the 'tabboleh' didn't have one scrap of parsley (or other green herb) in it. it was virtually inedible. the only redeeming feature was the lamb shank was very tender, although spoiled by an overly sweet sauce. my friend's steak was no better, cut into strips before arriving at the table and with unedible fatty strips through it. it came with an undercooked, overly cheesy pea risotto.

at prices of $32-34 per main this was well below average let alone the standard you would expect.

when we advised the waitress we weren't happy with our meals she said "all i can do is point it out to the chef". but nothing happened, we were not offered any options or extras and still charged full price. we left grumpy and disappointed. what a bad end to a great girls' weekend away.

do not go to cool change, there are much better options in martinborough than this!!

without hyperbole, the worst service i've ever had. anywhere. ever.

my friend and i left gobsmacked.

we called early in the day and were told there were no tables until 8.30, but we went and sat outside and had a couple of wines and some fries earlier in the evening. 8.30 came and went, and our booking seemed to have been lost. finally we had seats, and an hour after ordering, we got our food.

my friend ordered the steak, which came with fries and a lump of dry salad. the steak itself was overcooked and tough. my fish special appeared to have frozen stir-fry veg in it, although the fish itself was very good. when the waitress came to ask us how the meal was, my friend said she was honestly a bit disappointed in her steak. our waitress immediately got aggressive, and gave her a lecture about how "steak and fries are steak and fries. what did you expect?". my friend said, rightly, this is a $34 steak, so she expected better quality than this. the waitress then said, sarcastically, "well, what do want me to do about it?" she was so rude and aggressive that not only did she neither apologise or help us, but my friend had to eventually ask her to leave our table so at least we could eat in peace.

when we went to pay, we told the man behind the counter what had happened. he first told us that's what you get when you don't make a booking. then, when we told him we had made one, he said "well, whatever". when i said that wasn't really the issue, he said the waitress was just a grumpy person - and when i said that wasn't really good enough, he said "well, welcome to martinborough", threw the menu he was holding down on the bar in front of us, and walked off.

i've never been treated so rudely anywhere - let alone a restaurant where we'd spent well over a hundred dollars on what was meant to be a fun girls' night out. i understand they were busy, but all it would have taken was the waitress to just say "i'm sorry to hear that - can i do anything to help?" my friend didn't even want her steak cooked again - a drink off or some sauce on the side would have covered it. being busy is no excuse to treat your customers like dirt.

"terrible" pretty much covers it.

away this weekend with a small (but fantastically formed) group of my girlfriends, we decide to check out cool change. no small ask really as i tried it a year ago and after waiting over 45 minutes to be seated (when the manager said it would be 'three'), therefore opting for tasty fare elsewhere, i was reluctant but eager to see what all the fuss was about! surely we just got them on a bad day?! apparently not. we walk in, and to be fair, the place is buzzing. a table outside and one near the bar is free but the restaurant looks fairly busy. we take a peek and a waitress appears and asks 'have you got a booking' when we reply 'no' she looks (well, no exact eye contact was made) and scoffs with disdain, 'well you're not gonna get in'... not so much as an offer to sit outside or at the table in the bar and grab a drink and nibbles - just rude disdain. on the very bright side, we went down the road to medici and, while they were full, they took my name and suggested we have a drink at the lovely wine bar micro and they even came looking for us and walked the group back to our lovely dinner and wine selection. nice to know you can get quality, warm, friendly and welcoming service in the lovely martinborough. it seems this rudeness was just reserved for cool change... twice, no less. it'd take quite something for me to give it a third nudge.

chose cool change after reading restaurant reviews. had a special weekend planned for my so and cc delivered.
food was excellent, the prawn cocktail had a novel twist and the rib eye steak was done exactly to my request (the rare side of medium rare). her lamb shank was superb, and i'm not normally a lamb fan. we drank wine by the glass to optimise food/wine matches. i ordered my red to accompany the rib eye just as the food arrived; the wine arrived about 30 seconds later. the two very attractive (female) wait persons couldn't be faulted. there were only the two of them to service a fully booked restaurant so full marks to the chef who delivered plates to the tables when they were busy. we will be back!

cool change came highly recommended by the owners of the place we were staying at for a couple of nights so our expectations were high. shame they couldn't live up to it. the service from our young waitress was attentive and efficient so top marks there. the starters got a resounding vote of applause so we were going great guns to start with. unfortuantely, the mains were a disappointment. we ordered 3 fillet steaks, all medium rare. shame that when they arrived they were neither fillet steaks, nor cooked properly. the two kids had the snitzel burgers which resembled cardboard but they didn't seem too bothered. fair play to the owners in that when we complained, they knocked half off the cost of the steaks. but still, a restaurant that serves cheap cuts of meat when they sell them as fillet steak is wide of the mark, and to top it off, the chef is apparently south african. now a true south african surely would know which cut of meat was which, and how to cook a steak properly. sorry to say that we won't be back.

this would have to be one of my most memorable dining experiences of 2012.

from the uber cool decor and eclectic atmosphere to mouth watering taste sensations, cool change lives up to its name in every way! jimmy ensured we were primed up with plenty of bubbles in the bar and bree was a lovely, attentive and knowledgeable waitress.

i chowed down on cauliflower soup, chicken kiev and a delightful crème brulee while my wife choose pork belly followed by good old fashioned rhubarb crumble.

superb people, high quality food at reasonable prices.

i can't wait to return!

we ate here for my birthday because david burton said the steak was fantastic. as it happens neither of us ate the steak but instead enjoyed squid, duck two ways, venison, pork belly and then wonderful desserts all accompanied with a great selection of drinks.

cool change is a warm, inviting place where the food is well made and delicious and the service is warm. the restaurant delivers upmarket food with unpretentious service and a friendly vibe. we dressed up but others had come in off the street and were equally welcome.

absolutely recommend the chocolate mint pudding for a velvety, chocolate finish that isn't overwhelming. mine was warm and gooey and i could have happily fallen asleep in front of the open fire straight after.

we spent a relaxing 2.5 hours here - i particularly appreciated that there was a period of time before each course was served, which allowed for the last course to settle and for great conversation time. i never once felt hurried although the restaurant was busy.

we had a wonderful dinner on saturday night, atmosphere was great, the staff very helpful and offering ideas and quick service, and food was wonderful. we had the lamb for two was exceptional. the dessert was especially good the chocolate mint pudding - we will definitely go back. great spot.

went there with my gf and had a great time. good food and wine. only criticism is they forgot about our 2nd drinks order but not a big deal. would definately go back :)

fab service, good food and great surrounds. will definitely be back. go jimmy and kors..

had a great meal here on a busy friday night - food was excellent, service was 100%. highly recommend cool change for a relaxed meal in great surroundings. the beer can chicken for two is a great option and the cinnamon bread and butter pudding is fantastic.

gorgeous setting and fabulous hosts who will cater to your every whim. don't be fooled by the menu which is full of clever spins on all your favourites, not to mention risotto like it should be, sloppy and delish!! really outstanding. this chef knows his stuff and clearly loves cooking. i suggest you tell jimmy what you like in a wine and let him choose for you. try something different.