smugglers pub & cafe

referred to me by the visitor book kept at the place i was staying at. about 12 different reviews each suggested a must visit to smugglers inn.

its a rustic place. relates more to pirates than smugglers. the usp is a big 8 - 10 seater table with a fire hole in the centre of the table.

the staff is so ever amazing. just lovely to interact with. the menu is quite extensive. one can find seafood veg chicken and meat options. so this place wont let you leave hungry.

the evening started with guinness from tap and gin and tonic. following it was prawns in garlic. 6 good sized prawns with salad and aioli sauce. well cooked and well seasoned. the mains werefishand chips and chicken breast stuffed with ricotta cheese and sun dried tomatoes with a side of steamed vegetables and a stack of baked potatoes.
thefishwas well cooked. the star of this dish was the tartare sauce that came along. it went so well along with the fish.
although i am not a fan of chicken breast, i loved this one. perfectly cooked, tender and still juicy.
it did not have an overpowering sauce. a very well balanced dish. i swear i dint even touch the vegetables.
the end was with a semi-froddo. so this stud was blended vanilla ice creme mixed with nuts and praline and whipped creme on side. it was melt in the mouth bomb. there was much of toffee left even after i finished the desert. so maybe they can put a little less toffee. but other than that no complaints.

so the catch here; its the cost of dining. $110 for 2. huge portions for the mains. but at this price this comes under the hood of fine dining and not casual culture. i hope if they work on the portion size they can decrease the cost of dining.

price wise: $110 for 2
will i return: check that.

dalam perjalanan liburan di new zealand akhir tahun 2018, saya dan 5 teman bermalam di nelson yang merupakan kota singgah terdekat dari pelabuhan picton di pulau selatan, setelah perjalanan panjang dari wellington di pulau utara.

atas rekomendasi receptionist hotel maka kami menuju ke resto ini yang memang letaknya bersebelahan halaman belakang.

resto dengan dekorasi ala bajak laut langsung mengingatkan saya akan film pirates of caribbean. sempat menunggu sesaat untuk dicarikan tempat duduk karena saat kami datang memang resto dalam keadaan penuh.

makanan yang kami pesan adalah :

the kraken calamari salad merupakan mixed vegetables salad yang terdiri dari salada air (watercress), aragula (rocket leaves), tomat, bawang merah dan lobak (radish) dengan thai dressing yang spicy dan toppingnya adalah daging cumi empuk berbumbu. sangat enak !

black marketfishand chips yang aroma amis ikannya tidak terasa karena sebelum digoreng, daging ikannya direndam dulu dalam tepung yang dicampur bir, umumnya dikenal sebagai beer batteredfishsehingga menghasilkan daging ikan yang berbalut kulit yang renyah dan gurih. disajikan dengan kentang goreng super karena potongannya besar dan padat dan salad.

pork ribs yang tampil menggugah selera karena lumuran saos bbq yang harum disajikan lengkap dengan salad kubis kaya mayonaise (coleslaw) dan juga kentang goreng.

porsi makanan yang disajikan sangat besar dan kami beruntung sebelumnya mendapat advis yang benar dari receptionist hotel. ngga kebayang kalo berenam dari kami masing-masing memesan satu porsi makanan.

harga makanan yang nikmat dan bikin perut kekenyangan ini per porsinya berkisar antara nzd 28 - 30. bila suatu saat kamu terdampar di nelson, nz, resto ini bisa jadi pilihan😁

service was very good, i had thefishof the dayfishand risotto, it was fresh fish, large quantities but lacked a bit of love and flavor.

from our first entering this place my wife and i experienced very good service. that included knowledgeable assistance with our orders. the meals were good pub fare, without being outstanding. we ordered afishwith which we were unfamiliar, but it did work and was an interesting contrast to what we were used to. would return if or when we return to nelson

my wife and myself recently chose to have lunch at smugglers. we were extremely dissappointed..my wife had the seafood pie which was so hot she could not attempt to eat it for some time, when she managed to all the seafood in it was tough, stingy and unedible. i chose thefishof the day and found it to be very overcooked. we left with out trying and more of the menu, very let down... the only bright spot in the time we were there was the friendly staff.

this was our 4th time at the smugglers and reinforced our impressions.

the menu is extensive enough for most people to find something special. the food is what i would describe as high class pub food but done well. there is a reasonable mix of meat andfishdishes and a specials card at the table describing a couple of extra dishes (thefishin filo for the spca fund raiser was very nice.
the wine list and beer selection have a good selection of local beverages as well as many others.

the wait staff were very friendly and quite attentive even though it was quite busy. i have found the staff here have always been very good.

both the kids love going to the smugglers (10yrs and 14yrs) and it is always first option if ever asked where they want to go for an evening meal - which is good as we adults enjoy it as well.

the big table in the middle with the gas fire is an excellent place for large groups.