keystone

went out to lunch with my partner to celebrate a happy occasion. usually get the yummy sticky ribs so got them again today... ribs were dry and difficult to cut with my butter knife usually they are falling off the bone not this time! staff replaced my meal but made sure to tell me that's usually how the ribs come and that would replace it "this time".. disgusting. partner is a chef and i didn't need his knowledge to know it was not good. by the time i got my meal he had finished his so much for enjoying a nice lunch. also... the male waiter unfortunately had a distinct bo smell... not appetizing will not be returning.

this is the perfect spot for a group with a bit of everything for everyone. it is not fine dining or sophisticated and the food is not innovative by any stretch of the imagination. but it is pretty decent and the service attentive. 8 different types of beer and cider on tap which goes well with the tapas style entree that we ordered. not my usual kind of place, but nevertheless it was an enjoyable night out.

were greeted pretty much straightaway. when we were asked what we would like for drinks, i had to ask for the drinks menu-normally this sort of thing is already on the table.took a little while for a waiter to take our drink and food orders and when our order was being taken, he seemed nervous.
my sister had a shandy made with monteiths original as they didn't have waikato drought, i had the dusky sounds pinot gris.
i had the brisket sandwich, the sister had the lamb salad. she enjoyed her dish, think it may be re-created when she gets back home. as for my brisket sandwich-yum. the fries were alright, couldn't taste the sage in the sage salt-considering sage is such a bold herb.

wait staff were not intrusive, nor did they try to up sell/ask if we wanted any more drinks or take a look at the dessert menu as i do not like it when they come up to you while your mouth is full.

toilets were clean, but to get the paper out of the big roll was a tad annoying.

have they changed their menu recently? so disappointing. they now offer tapas and "large plates". our table really liked our entrees or tapas but the mains were terrible. 30something dollars for seriously average food with tiny portions. biggest waste of money. definitely do not recommend this place. good for an overpriced pint of beer i guess?

food: my smoked lamb salad. delicious, lots of flavour and lots of lovely cooked melt in your mouth lamb
atmosphere: it was lunch time, not too crowded and we were seated outside in the sun
service: polite, attentive and friendly. the waitress checked with us a few times (not too intrusive either) and took drink orders which didn't take long to come out.
value for money: very good actually

keystone used to provide classy food, a good range, well prepared... but no more. the choice is limited, ingredients mediocre, but the prices are still up there with the best in town. come 2020, the value is not there any more, the imagination is not there any more. we asked the waitress about this and were told the they "were going for a more casual menu" which is a good euphemism for cheaper offerings. this is sad for a restaurant that used to compete in the wild food festival.

was lovely food and great service but then my husband was splattered with food when waitress dropped plates close to our table, they offered a free glass of wine as a gesture (which was great) expect when we paid and left i note we actually paid for it @ $11.50 per glass, so that is why they only get two stars, or they would of got 4 :(

keystone is great for a social catch up. live music, happy hour and a vibrant atmosphere - key features you need for a good night out! service was outstanding - a bit too much checking in but hey its great for me but not on everyone's palate.

food - i had the fish of the day. good size and beautifully presented - taste good and fish is good and good sides on the plate.

i have been to keystone numerous times - sometimes for lunch, sometimes for dinner or even just a drink. the service is usually pretty good, and often quick which is great. most of the time the food is great and they do have good options.

went for a staff function before xmas. four of us pre ordered the lamb which was presented in a rack type cut, tasted great ! but unfortunately no sharp knives were made available to use. desserts were great also. but we were given a drinks list of all alcoholic drinks, asked a waitress for a list of non alcholic drinks she said there wasnt one. i waited while she tried to remember them off the top of her head, she thought of 3, coke, lemonade, orange juice . not good enough :(

my partner and i got a voucher deal which we chose the duck tacos and the steamed pork buns as an appetizer. they were both extremely good, out of this world! with the mains, i got the lamb meal and he got the pork cheek. the flavours are very rich and fragranced. you do get a decent portion size but because i don't usually go for rich flavours, it took us awhile to finish. personally, i preferred my starter meal 😂 good atmosphere and friendly staff that are attentive.

loved the garlic, sage and mozzarella butter which was served with the bread! great atmosphere and fast service. staff was friendly and attentive. :)

the main menu is quite average food, but the dessert here is quite good. it looks very photogenic and is quite unique. some tables are nice to sit at and have a chat with someone over.

love dining here! fantastic service, attentive waiters, fabulous food, wonderful atmosphere - no complaints at all! will return soon with others who need to have the same dining experience i had. thank you!

had dinner here with my husband last night. he got a 50 dollar voucher from the lawrenson group goody card program because it was his birthday this month, so that was super cool, and he chose keystone. dinner was lovely. had the chips and gravy to start which was yummy, just could have used a bit more cheese curds. i had the chicken tacos which were amazing.  i think they're menu could have a little more variety, but it seems that what they do have they make really well so thats awesome :) service was good too!