I like the building and I like their beef burger, it’s basic but it is done very well and better than a Big Mac. Their fries are also pretty good.
Reasonable beer selection, good music and friendly staff.
Give it a go.
All the tables inside were busy and this is understandable on the 24th of December, but they were able to offer us two valid alternative: a table outside or on the bean bags on the grass. Staff are young and well-trained. They were able to help me with the choice of the drinks. Great place, wonderful time.
Nice food at a decent price. I was actually surprised how cheap it came out. Nice work and good service. Ambience is good with choice between the pub area and a more family friendly sit down as well as outside options.
Great spot to sit in the sun, chat, graze on delicious bar food (hello chips with gravy!) & drink great local cider. The decor inside was beautiful. Staff were very friendly.
Friendly and helpful staff. Awesome atmosphere outside, could of sat there all day in the sun. Food was yummy. Only had bar snacks but would love to try from the menu
Loved this place, great location and service. Love the outside area and bean bags. Had a lovely Rosè and a nibble with some mates after work. Would def go again.
Been here for drinks. Today was lunch with a colleague. We ordered a beer and a burger. I had the jalapeño kale burger. My colleague the cheese burger. We shared a portion of fries with gravy.
Burgers were smaller than I expected but were actually a good size; not too much.
The burger was interesting, wasn't sure what to expect. The polenta patty was flavoursome; nice. The feta added a great flavour alongside the patty. Brooch bun felt a fraction dry but it was fine. The aioli and crisp kale complimented the burger well.
The fries had a touch of spice and were a good amount to share. The gravy was rich and flavoursome.
Friendly staff and a good selection of craft beer.
Enjoyable.
The dishes are tapas/sharing style, this was perfect for us as we like to share. We were the only customers in the restaurants so we got the full attention and service from the waitress. The service was very good.
One of our favourite dishes was the sour cream and chive kumara rocket leaves. It was good to have something different from the regular potatoes. The other favourite dish was the panseared catch line caught fish fillet. The crispy skin was lovely and fish was cooked perfectly.
Service was very good. I asked for negronis which weren't on the deinks menu and they were happy to make them and they were great. Ended up getting a few of the entrées to share (tapas style). Everything was very good, the duck liver was my favourite. Pear tatin was awesome. The fondant was PERFECT. Considering how touchy they are to make I was very very impressed. All in all, amazing. Great atmosphere, great service, great food.
Dropped in for some coffees to take the chill off. I have to say, it's a fine establishment. Coffee was perfection (and I'm quite fussy when it comes to coffee). I'm also in love with the old building and the way this restaurant blends in and has been set up, so comfy and inviting. The staff here are also very efficient and friendly. I'll defs be back.
Love being at this place in the summer!! Grate outdoor seating. Wine selection is good. And the bar food is good for the price, can't wait to return
Ok I haven't had food there.. but it looked promising. This is definitely one of the spot you want to go in Wellington when it's sunny. The few bean bags and sofas will make your day and the staff is quite chill and friendly. However their soft drinks are cut with water so in a mixed drink like vodka+soft drink it's not the best taste but well. The location compensates for that.
Head's up: busy when sunny !
Went to St John’s Bar for my birthday lunch and really enjoyed the food here. Although, I have been here several times before. Located on Wellington Waterfront St John’s is a fabulous venue. Whether it’s for a drink after work at the bar, a tasty brunch on the weekend, an elegant dinner, or simply a beer in the sun, there’s always a good time to be had at St John’s. I’ve had a great time doing all of the above on various occasions. The service here is always friendly and attentive and the food is suburb. The steak I had on my birthday was cooked to perfection and everyone else said they enjoyed their meals too.
Great place.. Good to come and watch sport with some tasty beers on tap. Came here for the wellington on a plate burger and it rocked my world. Not a great deal of space on a winters Saturday.. Mainly because it can get busy, but one of my go to places in the summertime. Grab yourself a bean bag and watch the world go by.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
We went here for a work team lunch, and we had the whole back room to ourselves.
I got the special, which was an open salmon sandwich, which they were able to make gluten free easily. It was only $15 and the amount of salmon I got was incredible. The favours were nice, but I think the salmon was slightly over-smoked – the smoky flavour did overpower it just a little bit.
One of my workmates got the mussels and it was huge! Though she said it lacked flavour and the chilli flavour wasn't even present, which was a shame. A few got the fish of the day, which was grouper. They said it was perfectly cooked and was really lovely, but it was one of their more expensive lunch options.
Note if your going for lunch, make sure to check out their snack menu as well, with tasting boards, chicken wings, nachos and calamari it's worth a bit of a nose.
Overall the staff were lovely and managed to be helpful and attentive even with 16 of us and the food come up pretty simultaneously!
Sarah Reynolds #challange
I have been here a number of times. Most recently for a dinner on Monday 1 December. The location is excellent. The food is not too bad either. My problem is that overall it seems to lack a definitive character. Is it a bar with food? Is it a party location? Is it a gastro-pub? This is not necessarily helped by the fact that I suspect a number of the wait staff see themselves as hip, and many of their customers as not so. Yet when I was there the service for a group of around 70+ people was good and the staff did not mind topping up water glasses frequently.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
It takes a lot to galvanise me getting my fingers on the keyboard and writing a review - either I'm REALLY peeved with the service I've had, or totally blown away ... fortunately this time, it's very much the latter. I was a little ambivalent about going to St Johns for dinner, as I'd contacted them as a potential venue for a client function in late 2013, and the guy I'd spoken to was rude and arrogant. As a result, I'd made a mental note not to bother going back. St Johns was actually my partner's choice for a quiet dinner together on Saturday night - we had an Entertainment Book voucher to use up before it expired, and neither of us had been here so we thought we'd give it a whirl and duly booked a table. My heart sank when we arrived at the restaurant at 8pm to a HUGE throng of noisy people standing around the restaurant, a flustered receptionist, and news that there was an engagement party in full swing and we "really should have been told we weren't able to book a table that night". Oh noooooo (that's my inner voice) ... this wasn't a great start. Never fear! Along came Super-Becs! We were handed across to our waitress for the evening, Becs (Bex?) and (even as I type this, I want to HUG her), she just completely went OUT of her way, over and above, above and beyond (and every other effusive term you can think of) to make our night perfect. She initially showed us around the bar and suggested where the best table would be, she brought us complimentary glasses of bubbles to apologise for the confusion and unexpected bar seating, and she made various recommendations from the menu. What started out as a potential sense of foreboding and doom turned out to be THE most perfect, Saturday evening romantic dinner together - Becs' recommendations were spot on, so we had the most insanely great food (three courses?!), great wine, and a lovely quiet table in the corner of the most beautiful, dark setting in the St Johns bar (perfect for winter). Becs completely saved the evening and blew us away with her attentiveness, good humour and smile. Super-Becs (give that girl a cape!) has left me with the warm fuzzies about St Johns, and very much looking forward to a repeat visit. I've worked in the hospitality industry myself (many many moons ago, as a student) and I know a gem when I see one. St Johns, if you're reading this - hug that girl (hard!) and give her a pay rise, she is an absolute asset to your business, she was the catalyst for making our evening nigh on perfect, and has ensured we'll be returning again for another big spend up on that fabulous menu of yours!
We hosted our post wedding brunch at St Johns bar restaurant last weekend, and it was a fantastic venue for this event. Our guests reported that food was great, the service was excellent and the space set aside for our group of 40+ worked amazingly well. Thanks Nicola and your team for accommodating our needs (eg child menu, separate bill for hot drinks, etc). The kids loved the packs of stickers and colouring in resources (as did their parents!), and we really appreciated the warm and attentive service the staff provided. We highly recommend St Johns Bar for brunch!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
One of the best experiences I have ever had in a bar/restaurant.
From the moment we arrived we were treated amazingly. We went to 3 previous bars and asked if they could find a cake as it was a friends 40th, they weren't bothered. When we asked John (the manager) he went out of his way to find a cake, then put the candles on it and present it to the table. We then stayed for dinner, even though it was a quiet night and the kitchen was closing early. They asked us to order quickly so we did. Penny was the waitress and she was the most informative and well trained hostess we could ask for, with a really good sense of humour.
The food came out and was spectacular, fresh and tasty. Compliments to the chefs
The bar made us feel like a million dollars, and the service was second to none, I have worked in hospitality for many years and I would employ any of the staff that worked that night in a heart beat, you cannot train the service that we received and I can not praise the staff enough.
When in Wellington St Johns will be my local every night.
Thank you for making my friends 40th a very good night to remember
I have been to St Johns three times now, the first and second was amazing, the Pork belly cooked to perfection and the ravioli amazing.
The last time I went however the pork belly was well overdone to the point of dry and stringy, and the cracking wasn't crispy all over.
The waitstaff are always so friendly and have great knowledge of wine and what pairs well with what.
I would certainly go again, although it may be a 'what chef is on' deal each time.
I had brunch here last Saturday. I ordered the eggs benedict, it was enjoyable but certainly not the best eggs benedict I have eaten. For dessert I had the poached pear with butterscotch sauce and this was absolutely delicious, I would thoroughly recommend this dessert. The place was very empty but our waitress was helpful and friendly and it did not take long to receive our coffee, mains or dessert.
Went to St Johns for a business lunch. This place is the bomb!! We sat outside in the sun (yes, this is Wellington), and had a few wines from the extensive wine list. Lunch was fantastic and super fast coming out. Could have quite happily parked up for the day on one of their bean bags, but alas, had to go back to work!!! Cheers, and we will be back
My husband and I went for dinner on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. Having read the reviews here I wasn't too sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised.
Entrees - garlic ciabatta and buffalo mozarella arancini. The garlic ciabatta was disappointing and in fact wasn't even ciabatta. However, the arancini was delicious.
For the mains my husband had steak and I had pork belly. Both were lovely and my husband's steak so tender that it just melted in your mouth.
On the waitresses recommendation we both had the chocolate fondant for dessert. While delicious it wasn't a fondant - a fondant should ooze liquid chocolate from the centre and this had the consistency of a chocolate mud cake. So while it was tasty, I'd recommend the chef head to the Tasting Room to see what the real thing should be like.
The service was pretty much faultless. All in all a lovely evening.
A great afternoon with friends was had at St Johns - as they weren't busy we received table service. I found staff were knowledgeable and friendly - would recommend based on my experience.
This place has surprisingly good food for such a busy bar, good menu, pretty good service, and would definitely go again.
An awesome little bar with a great atmosphere. Food and beer were top-notch, and our server was really friendly.
![4]( "Recensione")
I’m confused.
I don’t really know what to make of my St Johns experience.
I’ve been visiting Wellington on a frequent basis for the last 7 years or so. St Johns always looks like a fun time and I wanted in on it. It was one of those primo days in Wellington, barely a breeze with a bright wintery sun. A couple of the coveted outside tables were available but there was no table service and I was alone, my friend having been delayed. I ventured to the bar and ordered a whiskey and dry and a Bloody Mary. I was given the whiskey and dry and a table number and told the Bloody Mary would come out. The table was filthy and having seen customers told to fetch their own cutlery etc I was too intimidated to ask for it to be wiped. So I sat at my filthy table waiting for my drink. And waiting. I killed some time by fetching some napkins and trying to wipe the table. In the end I got up and asked if my drink was coming and was assured it was. And it did. Eventually. After my friend arrived a table in the sun became available so we moved to that. Complete with the previous people’s plates and glasses that weren’t cleared until we asked. It occurred to me then that the staff are perhaps ornamental. Although in fairness one English guy seemed pretty friendly and on to it, he was the exception.
The food was ok. The fries were cold. The chicken was a bit dry, but I quite like that because I’m weird. The burger was small but juicy. The charcuterie board was big, good value, but clearly there were olives that needed eating up and we got them all.
I had high hopes for St John’s, but I think it’s just a little sad, in need of some tender loving care. Maybe the staff too. We all need a bit of love bombing once in a while, St John’s is no exception.
Great restaurant in Wellington. Visited here end of September with my Mum while in the city for World of wearable arts. Loved the Scapegrace cocktail menu that was available. I got the Avant Garde and it was yummy 💜 also loved the bruschetta!
Had a great meal here, was very busy and loud. But service was really good and food was tasty.
This was totally an unplanned stop as I was walking from Te Papa to the cable car and thought it was time for lunch. Whipped out the phone and saw this just a few steps away (literally) and did a quick check on their menu and before I knew it, I was inside making an order.
The Salt and Pepper Calamari was cooked to perfection and I liked that it came with 2 drinks, an alcoholic one and a non alcoholic one. There's even an option to hold the alcoholic drink till after work!
So happy i found this place. Looked it up online and made a reservation. Glad i did. Was packed when i arrived (on a Monday evening). Totally worth the visit - super awesome friendly staff, excellent food, great drink menu. Perfect ending to my first night in Wellington. Love the atmosphere and art deco architecture and design.
Great food, great atmosphere, the wine service at the table was a very nice touch. Natalia and the gentleman in the black shirt (didn't catch his name) were super friendly. Will definitely be back!
Great location, great service. Good food — we got the bruschetta, tenders, and chorizo to share plus drinks. It was fast, easy, tasty. Relatively good price considering downtown Wellington. Brut from Marlborough and Optical Hazy IPA 🤤 Book ahead if it’s a busy weekend. They have a fun outdoor space on the long weekend (plus 15% surcharge for everything).
I had the roast root salad last night! It was pretty good, I just think Israeli couscous would work a lot better in this salad - just some feedback 👍
Food was absolutely amazing. It was a very very busy night but all our dishes came out fast and were given the care/attention as if we were the only ones in the restaurant.
An under rated restaurant/bar for drinks🍸or a nice dinner. The restaurant and separate eating areas are excellent with good harbour views. Highly recommended.
Good food, tasty rump steak cooked well but would have liked a side of chips as an option (served with purple kumara) like market fish. Note: if you wish to split the bill, dont order via qr code in table. Not much of a wait for service. Great location
The food was really good!!
Fantastic experience! Thank you to Finn & Jasper for letting us in late and for the delicious dessert and cocktails. Great atmosphere and a bar that shouldn’t be missed when in Wellington. We will be back :)
Myself and my Friend celebrated our joint 21st Birthday here on the 11th of June. From day one of planning for this Event, the St Johns crew have been friendly, helpful, patient and overall amazing. On the night the servers endured 4 straight hours of country music and still served drinks with a smile. The platters of food were delicious and the Venue itself is beautiful.
Thank you St Johns Crew for making our night very memorable, will definitely be coming back for dinner. (Next time not dressed up as cowboys!)
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes