Soul Bar & Bistro

LANITA WILTSHIRE★★★★★★★★★★5.05 months ago

Waterfront restaurant with great people watching and harbor traffic views. Loved it! Highly recommend. I’m a very picky eater but even foods I wouldn’t normally eat were fantastic. Market fish was similar to grouper they said but really closer to swordfish. Very tasty. Very firm meat. Also ordered pure south scotch which is a thick rib-eye type steak in a tasty sauce. Very tender. Ciabatta Bread was soft inside and crispy on outside. Delicious with truffle butter. Open Table said no reservations. We called and got the reservation we wanted.

Grace W★★★★★★★★★★5.03 months ago

Wow. What a memorable dining experience. The cocktails were both creative & fantastic. The food was remarkable. I got the trevally toast & it was SO good. The caesar salad was unique and really well executed. The beef fillet was cooked perfectly & was so flavorful. The server was knowledgeable & attentive & the whole staff was making sure I had everything I needed. The highlight of the night was the attention from manager Zé however. I worked in the service industry for 15 years and I have never seen a manager so involved with guests at a restaurant like him. Constantly making rounds at the tables to ensure guests satisfaction, make suggestions on the menu, check in on them & have a friendly chat etc. He was so personable and clearly very invested in making sure I had a memorable time at Soul. The restaurant is beautiful and had a lovely view of the Auckland harbor. I cannot recommend this place enough. It’s rare for me to give a place 5 stars but Soul is so very deserving of them. Thank you so much for the delightful & delicious experience!

Chinerchi Chinese Energy Therapy★★★★★★★★★★2.05 months ago

Google Review Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5) I visited Soul Bar & Bistro for lunch on Boxing Day at 12:40 pm with a friend, hoping for a festive experience, but I left feeling very disappointed by the front-of-house service and management. When we arrived, Rebecca at the front desk was quite dismissive. She told us there were no tables and offered no alternatives or waitlist options until I insisted on waiting. She claimed the dining room was "fully booked" despite many tables being empty at the time. She said the waiting time could be half hour or a hour . I really I like to wait. After waiting at the bar for about 25 minutes, we were led to a table by a manager/staff member in a pink shirt (possibly Matt or Mark). He seated us in a dark corner far away from the flowers and the water views. What was shocking was that throughout our meal, we watched many other walk-in customers arrive and be seated immediately at the prime window tables with views. When I questioned the man in the pink shirt as to why we weren't given a better table despite arriving early, he simply replied: "I didn't know you wanted to be there." This is an incredibly poor response for a restaurant of this caliber. As a customer, it should be common sense that guests prefer the iconic views Soul is famous for, rather than a dark corner. The most frustrating part was the lack of transparency in their seating system. Here are three photos as evidence: • At 12:40 PM: I took a photo at the bar showing many empty tables in the dining room, yet Rebecca told us it was "fully booked" and made us wait. • At 1:09 PM: We were finally seated, but in the worst, darkest corner. When I asked why we couldn't have a window seat (since they were still empty), the manager in the pink shirt had the nerve to say, "I didn't know you wanted to be there." • At 2:30 PM (as we were leaving): The restaurant was full, but I noticed many guests who arrived much later than us were given the prime waterfront tables. This is not how a famous restaurant should treat its customers. It felt like we were being sidelined while others were given priority. The Highlights: I do want to mention that the service once we were seated was much better. Andria at the bar (wearing the cheese-cutter hat) was excellent, and our server (tall, possibly Matt or Mark) was friendly and professional. Even though I was unhappy with the front-of-house management, we made sure to leave a tip to show our gratitude for the two people who served us well. I hope this feedback helps management improve their guest placement and communication. I wish your business continues to be a top choice for many people, including myself, provided the service standards improve. Angela

Irina Iris★★★★★★★★★★5.05 months ago

Soul Bar & Bistro pleasantly surprised us. For some reason, we went in with low expectations, as many waterfront restaurants tend to be average, but this was a positive exception. Despite being busy, the service was quick and efficient. I also appreciated that the menu is available all day, with no gap between 3–5pm. The menu offers a solid selection of starters, mains, and sides. We ordered the fish of the day, beef fillet, and lamb, along with three oysters (minimum order at $7 each), a few side salads, fries, and four drinks. The total came to around $350 for the table. All dishes were well presented, properly cooked, and full of flavour, with good balance across each plate. The flower decorations added a thoughtful touch and made the space feel fresh and inviting. The waiter was friendly and attentive, and the rest of the staff were equally pleasant. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner.

Evonne★★★★★★★★★★5.05 months ago

Our first meal in NZ and it was amazing! Everything was on point; no disappointments at all. It was such a joy to recall some favorite Italian memories through these dishes. The quality and service were top-notch, a perfect start to our trip. Highly recommended for a flawless dining experience!