Takapuna residents have been screaming for a beachside bistro and I thought Regatta might just be the answer to our prayers.
First things first, they've absolutely nailed the décor. It's beachside chic at it's best. Outside, there's big comfy booths with navy cushions, perfect for lounging cocktail in hand. The entire front of the restaurant opens up to spectacular beachside views, which I'm sure the chefs appreciate in this scorching AKL summer. They've thought about the details too; the fish and oyster of the day hang on wooden signs about the pass.
It was windy when we went so we nabbed a seat inside, close to the glass doors where the sun was streaming in. Shortly after being seated a waiter opened the door directly behind me, causing gusts of wind to funnel in. I asked it we could shut it and she said that there was too much smoke in the kitchen (isn't that what extraction fans are for?) and that it was the only door you could open without having to open the entire front of the restaurant - slight design flaw. To her credit, she did offer to move us but fortunately the wind petered off.
Onto the food, we started with 1/2 doz Clevedon Coast oysters that were beautifully fresh but perhaps a little small, but to be fair, this is to be expected in Summer. For my main I choose Hapuka, p/f with courgette, broccoli, salted lemon, crab and pinenuts ($32.50). The fish was well cooked but was very salty, whilst the rest of the dish had virtually no seasoning. The courgette came in the form of a smooth, but flavourless puree smeared across the plate. The broccoli was steamed in florets and served cold along with three roasted, also cold, cherry tomatoes. A few pinenuts, crab and a slice of preserved lemon were scattered throughout. There was nothing to tie the dish together, not even a touch of olive oil.
My dining partner faired better. He went for the roasted swordfish w grilled yeasted cauliflower, burnt butter, capers & watercress. There were also currants in there and it was a devine combination. The only problem was it was a rather thick piece of fish and it was completely raw in the middle, which personally, I think is strange for roasted fish. We called the waiter over and asked it this was how it was intended to be served. She didn't know and offered to go ask, walking away without the dish. We quickly suggested she take the dish with her to show the chef. Now here's the problem with open kitchens, you can see how people react. The waiter takes the dish over to the chef and you can see he is visibly angry, having stern words with the waiter. She soon returns and says yes, this is how it supposed to be cooked but they'll pan fry the raw piece.
My issue here is 1) if you're going to have an open kitchen, keep in mind that customers can see your reactions and temper your response. 2) Restaurants should have a procedure in place when a customer complains about a dish. Personally, I think the dish should be removed immediately and a manager should be notified so that they can smooth things over. More often than not, it's not the issue that people remember but instead, how it was deal with and unfortunately Regatta did little to remedy the situation. They did return the raw fish, well-cooked on a side plate, so that's something.
Regatta is still very new and hopefully these issues will be ironed out over time. I have heard rave reviews from others so I am hoping we went on an off day! read more