Soul Bar & Bistro

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.

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!

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.

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

Had a great experience at Soul Restaurant. The food was very good, especially the risotto, which was full of flavor and perfectly cooked. The cocktails were excellent, and the vibe was lively yet relaxed. Service was friendly and attentive, making the whole experience even better. Definitely worth a visit

It’s the time of the year .. busy places and restaurants and we do get that! Made a booking at this restaurant as it’s a special birthday of my husband - 12/12 ! Booked it and we got a table for 2 next to the kitchen and the floor is moving every minute! I personally been to big corporate dinner here before COVID - and it’s always great , service and food - that’s why I booked it again after couple of times been here and obviously after thinking of all fine dining in Auckland that we’ve been I give this a go last Friday! We loved fine dining , overseas we been to Hells Kitchen in Vegas so many times, (Gordon Ramsay) been to LA best fine dining and SF where we are originally from! So we expect Soul can be bit better in Auckland. In Auckland so many fine dining we been as we go mostly weekly for this. But last Friday big big disappointment on my husband’s special birthday ! I was very disappointed bring him here because I thought I made a booking earlier and get a nice table and I’m ready to spend money as always! Wow takes us so long to be served- drinks and good was ordered hours ago and guess what it arrives 2 hours! Until I called one of the manager why the hell food takes 2 hours.. and he said very busy ! Thinking as I’m a luxury retailer, we know it would be busy , why not make a plan so service can be better isn’t it? Long two hours for the good and the waiter - Slade his name was , lack of customer service! Gave us ne u and never came back! I have to call someone to get us a drink! Staff should be trained especially on places like yours wherein it’s not cheap and we have money to spend ! Slade is everywhere and looks like serving big table so he can get a tip !!’that’s how it looks like! I know because I work in retail management! Moving forward after I called one of the manager forget his name, all he wants is to resolved the issue by offering us free drinks, desserts.. or whatever! Told him we are not here for discount, giveaways and free drinks or anything, we have lots of money to spend- but why in the hell takes 2 hours for our good- even drinks? We ordered hours ago! He said he will check kitchen and he will see what’s going on! He is nice but seriously very very disappointing! I know Soul is a must visit with people who don’t care about service! Yes food is great ! Service is sucks! Slade should go for more training because he looks foreign and he has to remember he is here in NZ! We actually feel we are at Denny’s! NZ always disappointing when it comes to service! Every 6 months we travelled I overseas and fine dining is always good and great - we give tips and we don’t mind! Hawaii, Vegas,SF, Australia, Mexico and even Thailand the best fine rooftop dining they have best service! But Soul can do better! NZ has lots of fine dining but most of the times we are quite disappointed! More training for your Slade the one who serves us probably is best for him. He should not be working there if he doesn’t know what customer service is all about! Really sorry to write this review because it was very disappointing! Again , we don’t need anything free- all we want is expect what to be expected - great service no matter how busy you guys are. And it would come down to management!!! It’s not all about getting tips and commission and bonus.. that’s a plus but be sure your staff is trained!

We had a great time at SOUL. Served by the fabulous Matin who hail from Argentina and what an impressive record for clearing glasses from tables, Zee! My steak was great and the Crème brûlée was fab. Thank you for a great night!

I love Soul Bar, and this time it was a tuesday lunch with the girls. The food is consistently delicious and full of flavor. This time we enjoyed: Scampi cocktail, jalapeño & lime, Ricotta filled tortelli, sunday sauce, calabrian chilli Tuna tartare, calabrian chilli, oyster mayo, potato galette West coast whitebait fritters, lemon butter. We will be back!