sails restaurant

we've been to sails restaurant about three times prior and each time had been enjoyable experience. writing the review this time based on the voucher deal we got for degustation for two at sails.

as we've never had a degustation dining experience before we weren't sure what to expect, and our biggest concern was regarding the portion size (from reading degustation @ other places). i can say that this is not a worry at sails, the portions end up just right (the angus will fill you up) and the dessert wine we decided to have with the baked lemon creme was something i'm missing now as i'm typing this review. the voucher was worth it ($120 for two) and i'd definitely come back @ full price for a special occasion, and possibly with the paired drinks option!

we used the zomato 1+1. such a good value when the main is at $43. we had the catch of the day which was snapper, clams and fennel. it was divine. good serve.
for starter we shared a sashimi plate. everything was topped off with a lovely bubbly.
service was good, waiter attentive. i had three clams and two had nothing in it. the waiter got the chef to cook three more. they were yum!
décor is very nice, view of the harbour bridge.

this has always been one of our favourite restaurants and we have probably been her more than 20 times over recent years - but we will probably give it a miss for a while.

having celebrated many family birthdays there, we were keen to check it out after the renovations. we suspect that not only has the decor been renovated, but so has the kitchen staff !!
i had lamb, which was dreadfully undercooked (virtually raw).
it is ok to do beef this way if that is how the customer wants it, but not lamb.
my daughter-in-law. who ordered fish n chips, said "i could have got better from a take-away for less than half what you paid there!"
when i quizzed the rest of family afterwards, none of them thought it was up to the standard we had grown to expect from one of auckland's prime dining spots and not worth the money.

to give them credit, the service was excellent and cost of my meal was taken off the bill when i complained. we can only hope the kitchen staff will get some training before we are tempted to go back again.

my experience of sails was very much a bittersweet one...
the food was amazing! the flavours that came out of that kitchen were fresh, well seasoned and well portioned! on the other hand, the service we received very much dampened our evening and overall it was a below average restaurant service. we went to sails with a 5 course degustation voucher deal and as i understand it, the goal of a business when it lists their service on deal sites is so that people can go and experience all that they had to offer with the possibility of future re-visits. our waiter seemed like he had had a very bad day; we were greeted with a brief nod (no greetings or welcomes) and presented the a la carte menu. we reminded him that we are here for the degustation, at which point he begrudgingly went back to the counter to get the correct menu. when our order arrived, every time the waiter walked past or behind my chair, he would knock it. i'm not normally fussy about this kind of thing, but after the eighth time with no apology, i was starting to get annoyed. we did not receive our tea and coffee at the end of our meal, and we didn't want to ask as the service was so poor that we had no intention of staying any longer. overall, the food was great, but in my mind it does not make up for the unprofessional service. we will probably not be going back there as there are many many other restaurants with equally amazing food and much better service.

good place for formal or informal dinner. nice service and good view of the bridge. seafood and dessert are really delicious. but won't recommend the steak.

very nice place. quiet, nice ambience, good service, good wine list and the food was excellent. a little out of the way but walkable from the viaduct. will go again.

had a lovely meal with friends . great seat by window. enjoyed three courses each. awesome staff and we'll spaced out courses. the sashimi plate was beautiful and fresh, followed by john dorie with a smooth parsnip puree. the dark chocolate dessert was to die for. fantastic food and ambiance

although the food was excellent, i have to say i was sorely disappointed with the poor service by the waiting staff. i have dined at many other fine restaurants before but have never encountered such cold (almost rude) behavior. i certainly expected more from a top-class restaurant; it would not hurt them to indulge their patrons with some smiles, humor and light-hearted conversation to make the dining experience a truly world-class one.

amazing view. we had the 7 course degustation which had menu that we really liked. the food was served in a prompt manner and the portions were just right. we left feeling satisfied, neither too full or still hungry.

enjoyed every minute of the 5 star dining experience despite covid level 2. sails staff was attentive. we tried out the signature 6 course menu and it was truly amazing. every dish was so yum. my favorite was the salmon dish. so good.

always amazing. we come here for the special stuff, birthdays, anniversaries, and just cos. they are always, always impeccable in food, service, atmosphere, views. sigh
the seafood and lamb is always good. only had one dish i didn't enjoy so much, the duck, mainly cos there was so much of it and i am not such a big fan of game. beautifully presented meals, and you certainly get our money's worth. i'm a huge fan!

over rated. went there for my partner birthday, food was blend...ordered for my my main a steak....it was blend, not seasoned at all, no taste! dip it into the sauce provided amd still was sooo blend....paid $48!!! for this tasteless steak....partner ordered the catch of the day.....wasnt like a catch of the day esp u paid top $$$ ($44)....this is not a fine dining restaurant...the only thing we enjoyed was the harbour view......would not recommend this restaurany to anyone

from the moment we arrived at sails, it was a very pleasant experience. we have been meaning to come here since forever and so glad we made it! ambiance was warm and inviting. the customer service was fantastic! all 3 attendees were friendly and attentative. we had the venison starter that was beautifully balanced and melt in your mouth! the fish mains were so delicious - my husband rarely eats fish and he thoroughly enjoyed his dish! the caramelised apple dessert was tasty - the ice cream was velvety without being too sweet. very extensive drinks list too! fabulous overall experience. look forward to coming back again very soon!

sails is one of the more 'mature' fine dining restaurants in auckland. i've eaten there a few times now - dining a la carte, degustation and as part of a corporate function. the service is always superb, as you would expect, and the classic interiors and full panoramic window really takes advantage of the brilliant location that it is in.

i love coming here, parking is always a breeze and you can even go for a romantic stroll along the water as you are practically underneath the harbour bridge.

alright, back to the food. when it comes to seafood, sails restaurant will always deliver the goods - you just can't go wrong. however, those non-seafood lovers out there, i really enjoyed the duck when i had it last time. it was tender and well complimented with the popular citrus tones with a slight asian twist. out of all the amazing dishes i've had at sails, the desserts platter made up of churros, macarons and brownies trumped (sorry, no pics as i was at a function) i'm sure these items can be ordered on their standard menus. you never know, they might be able to whip up something if you ask nicely...

kudos to bart and his team for their consistency. sails restaurant is a reliable and safe choice for a pleasant night out, it won't blow you out of this world with unusual flavours and culinary art but you will be pampered and well looked after.

i have yet to return for lunch or as part of their crayfish/oyster specials they have once in a while - that is on the wish list.

** what an awesome experience, great company helps too ** first time here, staff were brilliant, food was superb. after dinner mint cocktails were so moresome... great job 👍 sails restaurant. will definitely be back . would give more than 5 stars 🌟 if i could.