cool change bar & eatery

like several reviews will show - there aren't a lot of choices when you come to martinborough. having exhausted the options, we settled on coolchangeon a sunday night. it was lively enough, we were told that only tapas were on offer for the night.

first of all - they're not tapas. they are huge. maybe i don't want to labour the point of how things are named on a menu but if i'm having tapas i want spanish tapas.

we ordered the chicken wings, fries, beef and onion quesadilla and the lamb cutlets.

everything just needed a tiny bit of love and it would've been great. the food was tasty enough but just really lacked any care whatsoever. here are my tips for the restaurant going forward:

chicken: calm down on the sauce in the bowl and crisp up those edges in the oven a bit. also a little five spice sprinkle maybe even some chilli kick wouldn't go amiss!

lamb: overlooked. way over cooked. it also wasn't in any way shape or form, crusted. do yourself a favour and make a gremolata or a chimichurri and serve it with that on top - please stop using that green oil.

fries: okay, well cooked - but too much. you can chill on the serving size. it's out of proportion. especially if you insist on calling it tapas.

quesadilla: a thin quesadilla served on a cold plate is going to come out cold. again, needs spice. flavour. come on! it's supposed to be mexican! where my spices at! this one needs the most punch and i didn't get it. also beetroot relish and caramelised onions do not go with this so don't serve it. make some salsa, get some jalapeños. do the right thing.

hopefully this place will take some care from now and stop skipping out on the flavour

the selection of open restaurants in martinborough at 8pm is limited. but that doesn't mean a good experience is out of the question. my friend and i stumbled upon coolchangeas we were walking around the silents streets of martinborough at night. what we discovered was a great evening out.

we were not sold on the limited menu but the staff seemed friendly, so we took the chance.

friendly staff was an understatement. we couldn't decide on a pinot noir so the waitress suggested we sample a selection of local options. she never rushed us and was happy to serve 2 glasses of our chosen wine.

the food was equally as impressive. the pork terrine was devine but the apple jelly that accompanied it made the dish go from good to great. not a diet dish, but a cheat day treat anytime.

the pork belly lacked a crackled skin but was cooked to perfection. i can forgive this minor error as the flavours in the dish were heavenly. though i may have used the crackling crumb from the terrine to lift the texture of the dish. the accompanying sides were good but lacked imagination. it was essentially meat and three vege on a plate.

no dessert for me, but still on overall great dining experience.

on account of another restaurant we had a booking being closed, we popped into coolchangefor an evening meal. the bar area was very busy, but that's to be expected on a balmy saturday evening.

the meals were reasonably priced but not a huge selection. they were tasty and generous portions, and the restaurant on the whole had a good atmosphere

we dined at coolchangea couple of weeks ago - for the fourth time - and once again enjoyed an excellent meal. the food was well presented and delicious. we'll be back!

coolchangewas a terrible end to what had been a lovely and special weekend away.

i have never had such a terrible meal, and am gutted that i had to pay $36 for my main which was virtually inedible. my friends meals were just as bad (if not worse). terrible service, terrible food. from the reviews posted it seems like it started out ok but something has gone terribly terribly wrong. my suggestion: don't go!!

chose coolchangeafter 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!

coolchangecame 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, coolchangelives 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.

coolchangeis 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.

had a great meal here on a busy friday night - food was excellent, service was 100%. highly recommend coolchangefor 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.