in nelson for work for about the 4th time in 9 months and each time i seem to be put up in a different hotel, so it was trailways this time around. i was here for a couple of days, so my review actually spans a couple of dinners and also breakfast as well. note that both my dinner's were room service ordered so i can't comment on too much about the restaurant and how busy or not it was in the evening, although i was in the same restaurant for breakfast 2 mornings in a row.
the hotel is located right next to the main city centre so you don't have to eat at the tides restaurant if you don't want to. the restaurant is sparse, but well presented and modern looking - but has a stunning view of the river alongside it.
staff that i dealt with for breakfast and those delivering my meals were friendly and attentive, dressed in uniform black. in fact i thought the breakfast staff were really friendly and quick to clear my table.
the breakfast consists of what you would normally expect; a cooked breakfast selection and a continental buffet with the option of combining and having both or having an express breakfast which just consists of juices, coffee/tea and toast. there is also an a la carte selection on the menu as well featuring the usual breakfast favourites. the cooked breakfast selection is a choice of bacon, hash browns, sausages, eggs (to your liking) and grilled tomato. the breakfast isn't anything to scream about - the hashbrowns are standard store bought hashbrowns etc but it comes out hot and and if your eggs are scrambled, the eggs are nice and creamy. considering the price of around $20 it was a pretty sparse plate of food for the price, but what was there, was nice.
dinner on my first night, i opted for light meals on both nights - i had pork schnitzel, which came with a potato bake ( i added a side of veges), spinach and not quite an apple sauce i don't think. there was a drizzle of balsamic around the plate as well, which actually really added to the flavour of the pork. i wasn't so keen on the sauce itself however. the veges, not a huge amount of them, but what was there was great.
on my second night i had a chicken, bacon and mushroom pasta with a creme fraiche sauce. can't say much about this other than loved it. it was probably one of the better pasta dishes i have had in a while. again, not quite enough of it, but it was a light meal - but a light meal pitched in the mid 20s is a bit rich (excuse the pun).
the prices generally on the menu are high but the quality is also fairly high, however based on the number of hotels and restaurants i have eaten at, this has to rate as one of the more expensive with some mains into the high 30s - but credit where credit is due, it is also one of the better hotel restaurant meals i have eaten as well. whether i dine here again isn't actually up to me but to my workplace, but i would happily recommend it for a special occasion meal - and hope to take my wife to nelson one day and have her dine here as well.