Reviews for Reva’s on the Waterfront

by Vicky L.
20th May 2012

The service was average and the food was below average. The presentation of the food was good but the quality was disgusting. The food was very acidic and had very bad choices of ingredients. I was also horrified that they served us burnt food. They did take it back but only because we pointed it out. I was outraged that they even served it. It was so obvious that it was burnt. However the prices seemed mellow compared to other restaurants but for the quality of the food it was definitely overpriced. The only thing good were the drinks and 2 friendly waitresses.

by Lee
30th March 2012

We have heard some very bad feedback about Revas over the years… but lately word has been getting out around town that they have drastically improved. In the last two months I have been there twice for lunch and am pleased that it seems the rumours are true!! First time we went, I had the lamb burrito with salad, and hubby had the lasagne. The service was fast and there was a very short wait for the food – and when it arrived the meals were huge! Loads of fresh green salad, and heaps of flavour. The second time we went I had the chicken/bacon pasta and hubby had the greek salad, and again, fast service and huge meals. I am very glad this place has improved so much because it is in a lovely setting, has a great atmosphere, and now has good food/service to match! Will definitely be returning.

by Dianne M.
27th March 2012

I was visiting Whangarei over the last few days and very luckily I was with a person on my first night who knew of your fantastic restaurant. We dined there on Thursday night and we loved the service, food and overall experience.

I was fortunate to be invited to dinner on Saturday evening and was delighted to know I was being taken to Reva’s. Yet again – another wonderful experience.

Sunday morning arrived and it was my choice so I bought a group of my customers to your restaurant for brunch. I received excellent service right from the time I rang to make the booking. My guests were particularly thrilled with my choice of venue and everyone was impressed!

Thanks for the great experiences. We’ll all be telling others and hope to return one day.

by Barbara
8th March 2012

It is amazing just how varied the reviews are. I am family and friends have been here many times. The last was for my birthday last December. Staff were friendly, service a wee bit slow…but to be fair it was pretty busy. The food was excellent, will definitely go again.

by Sophia
5th March 2012

Having just moved into the area from Auckland, we set out to the Whangarei township on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon for a bit of late lunch and a glass of wine.

We walked around for a bit before deciding on Revas. The deck was mostly empty but I wasn’t sure about the plastic outdoor furniture with it’s even tackier printed plastic table covers..

The service was warm and friendly to start with. The older gentleman (who may have been the owner) was lovely.

We ordered a standard sized pizza (at over $16) and two glasses of wine. The same pizza came in a larger size meant for two people, but at a whopping $34 I did not think it was worth it.

Extremely glad we only chose the smaller pizza. The base tasted like a frozen pre-made pizza you buy in the supermarket, which had then been topped with mince and salad. To the kitchens credit, the toppings were plentiful and fresh. But to charge through the roof for a pizza that was remarkably small, dry and stale tasting was just not on. When asked about the pizza bases being made on the premises, the young waiter was very rude and defensive.

We paid our bill in full as I did not want to insult the young man any further. But we left very unhappy customers and probably will not return.

I have worked in the Hospitality industry for a very long time, including Italian restaurants. I was disappointed that Revas could not even get a pizza base right. They have a wonderful position on the waterfront. Maybe some training in the kitchen would go a long way.

Comment from Reva M. of Reva’s on the Waterfront 9/03/2012    Hide »

I am so sorry about your unhappy experience in my restaurant. We…    More »

I am so sorry about your unhappy experience in my restaurant. We have taken your comment to heart. The situation will be rectified. We do make fresh dough and sauce here daily.
I would truly like to meet you and to apologize in person and to offer you a voucher for another try.
Reva

by Hemitorque B.
26th January 2012

Well, after reading the reviews for this restaurant I’m reluctant to post…. but here goes.

I went to Reva,s for a large group outing, it was the set menu for Christmas 2010, I was happy with the meal as were most of our members and partners.

The entertainer set a lovely mood with his guitar and songs plus the location is to die for.

I take photo’s of food (weird I know) but they show good quality as opposed to what I have read.

Now my work colleague was very impressed with meal as she had been there before and wasn’t pleased we had chosen this venue for our break up due to past experience.

There was one mistake, one of our salads not arriving at all, but Reva took that ,off the final price.

The huge difference in the food Chef’s prep/presentation/cooking I don’t know what to think, maybe the staff member who gives great service isn’t on often, I don’t know but there is something not right.

Not sure that this review will help :!

by mel
22nd October 2011

a bunch of us went for dinner and although the service was good, one waitress in particular, the rest were not very friendly. The food was absolutely terrible for all of us except one who had the fish. Considering the high prices we expected high quality food and received totally the opposite. The pasta was over oily it was a bit sickly. One pizza tasted like it had been topped with cat food. The nachos were terrible! All this and the prices were so high. Would never eat there again. There are some great restaurants in Whangarei with great atmosphere and am sorry to say this isn’t one of them.

by Sue C.
5th August 2011

We had a mixed experience here. Staff very friendly, but somewhat disorganised.
I had a fantastic pork fillet, but, my companions ordered lamb shanks and were not happy.
I would suggest going for the earlybird special (much cheaper before 6 pm) if you want to try it, then you won’t have spent too much if it all goes wrong.

It’s a shame as the have a prime spot and could do so much better.

by Goutam N.
3rd August 2011

s**t food and s**t service…
I bought a voucher of the grab one deal and went there for a nice evening but stake I ordered came out burnt from one side and when i complained about it, they started arguing about it, just had one bite and that was enough to put me off for ever. my partner had the thai chicken pizza but that was full of oil, paid for the whole meal as well just because i dont want them to think i was there for free meal or so. never going there and never recommend that to any one else as well unless you want to waste the money

by Emma S.
22nd June 2011

I went to Reva’s twice last weekend and I have to say I was extremely impressed. We were visiting from Sydney and went on both Friday and Saturday nights. The food was excellent and the service was very friendly and attentive. I had the fish of the day both times (with salad on Friday and paella on Saturday) and my partner had the lamb shanks both nights (they were that good). The mashed potato was to die for.

It was a very special occasion for us and Reva and the team helped to make it a lovely memory. I highly recommend a visit and can’t possibly understand how it doesn’t have a higher rating.

by Jerrie M.
20th June 2011

Wow what a place! Best spot in Whangarei! I bring my family there regularly (kids love it being next to the playground) and the atmosphere is great! We especially love it when the american manager is there because he sure looks after us and makes us laugh. A real treat!

by John S.
12th June 2011

Absolutely the worse service I have ever had… Waitress forgot to bring the entrees out… We had to flag them down to get drinks every time we wanted one, then they would forget to bring them….The restaurant wasn’t even busy! Would Not Recommend to ANYONE!!

by Scott P.
27th April 2011

Just spent another lovely afternoon at Reva’s. Beautifully cooked, fresh fish, wonderful atmosphere and service. We’re always pleased here. Highly recommended. Oh, and don’t miss the New York Cheesecake! Best in New Zealand.

by Bernice C.
4th April 2011

Locals in Whangarei steer clear of this place. The only thing that keeps Revas going is the fact is its on the waterfront and gets the tourist trade. Plenty of other far superior places to eat in and around town – dont settle for the dodgy service and food here.

by A J.
29th March 2011

We sat outside on a beautiful evening. Relaxed casual atmosphere. Food was great – particularly the Thai sauce (Reva’s own recipe I believe) – try the Thai Chicken Salad – different to what you might expect but so tasty. The Thai Mussels are also very good. A good spot for casual dining in a beautiful setting by the water.

by Megan W.
20th January 2011

We went in a few weeks ago with a big group of people for a birthday and it was early in the evening at 6pm ish and after watching other people coming and going and we had been waiting over an hour we asked how long our entrees would be and they said they will start making them after this next table. We were then told that the others had been fed before us because we were a big table. They also told us they had 2 chefs down due to sickness but they should have forewarned us. This was appalling as there were elderly and very young kids who were needing to be fed. The waiters were superb they had excellent service and very pleasant to deal with. The food was ok but not worth the wait and this was the consensus with us all for the amount of money you pay.

by Elle C.
18th January 2011

As a non-cook, I usually enjoy any meal that I haven’t had to cook myself – but not at Revas. The location is the only plus. I sat on a grotty faded, marked, grazed, outside plastic chair – replaceable chairs cost only $10 in the Warehouse. My chicken pasta meal was tasteless and sat in a pool of butter – it looked like it tasted, disgusting. Service was hit or miss. For the first time ever, I have found a resturant I will never return to. Having read bad reviews on this site and another, I fail to understand why the owner hasn’t made drastic changes. Such a waste of a beautiful site.

by Peter M.
16th January 2011

The garlic bread entre was nice and the chocolate macadamia desert was lovely, but the mains were poor. The chicken pasta was floating in grease which made one member of our party feel sick, and the steaks were way over cooked which didn’t impress our overseas visitors. The waiters were pleasant, but some elderly bedraggled woman upset the scene when she struggled to clear the plates away. I’m told she was the owner – Reva! The setting is of course why the restaurant is popular. If it was located elsewhere serving poor quality food, I’m sure it would have been out of business years ago.

by Vicki M.
7th July 2010

My husband and I arrived without a booking on Saturday 4th July.We received great service and the food was wonderful.

by beb h.
27th June 2010

Sunday-lunchtime my 80th birthday party. the tables all set with lit candles and all.
the food was lovely and so was the service. all with a smile! we will be back again. thanks

by George A.
27th June 2010

This restaurant is on the water-front with views of the boat harbour. We had a birthday party of 25 people for lunch on Sunday. The atmosphere was great. There were candles on the tables. Orders were taken quickly and efficiently by courteous and cheerful staff. The food was excellent so we would recommend this restaurant for a lunch function.

by K H.
21st March 2010

A wonderful location but a rubbish restaurant. Dull food, uninspiring menu, long wait and rude staff. Sell up and go and hopefully someone better will come along who knows how to run a restaurant.

by AJ M.
20th December 2009

Extremely disappointing having eaten here a number of years ago. I had Muscle fritters – if 1 muscle between the 2 fritter’s on my plate, be surprised. Worst muscle fritter’s I’ve ever eaten. Home cooking would beat these any day.
Very small portion for evening meal and very poor service [restaurant not full]. Those at our table who had “rack of lamb” did the best. My advice, learn how to cook fish and shellfish.
Also they’re not interested in listening to complaints. On receiving bill, had audacity to charge our table for drinks we never had.
Note: Had “tip” at top of bill!! Judy

by Haley
17th October 2009

Very disappointing dining experience. I found the staff very unfriendly and almost rude. When we received our starter we were not given any plates and then when our mains came (4x pizzas shared between) we were given the tiniest plates in history – the size of a saucer! We confronted the waitress about the size of the plates and explained they couldn’t even fit our pizza slice on them her explanation was: “Sorry all the dinner plates are in the wash”! Now this was rather slack as besides our group there were only 2x other couples in the whole restaurant that evening. So they either need to invest in more crockery or get the dishes done in time for any patrons (if any) who arrive for a meal. On top of this I did not rate the food or the menu and the prices are much too high for what you get. Despite our unhappy dining experience, when leaving we went to say goodbye and thank the staff for having us – but do you think we could find anyone?! God knows where they were or what they were doing – not looking after their customers anyway. I am very sad this restaurant has gone so down hill as it is in the most beautiful spot and always used to be one of my favourite places to eat. I hope the owners take these reviews into account and do something quickly!

by Stuart
16th September 2009

A BIG THUMBS DOWN. Over rated and over priced. The drinks we had were cocktails and were just froth and too expensive for the small amount in the glass. Since there was a group of us we went with the early bird special. The waitress and the other staff members changed there attitude
toward us from that point. If I had prunes on me I would have offered them to each of them, to help with there problem. They didn’t have available what was on that special menu, so they boiled up something and said it was seafood chowder. The positive point is that we wouldn’t go back, our hard earned money is too good for what they serve up and for the price.

by Caroline
4th June 2009

A shame I had to give Reva’s one star. It can be for the location.
My husband and I have been there several times and it has taken jumps into primitive food preparation! The food was not even close to being acceptable – especially given the price they charge! Drinks – again overpriced and they have trouble getting the orders right.
Save yourself the stress and don’t go there!

by Paul H.
22nd November 2008

Great location. Great disappointment.

Because it has the best location for a restaurant in Whangarei – right on the marina – we still go there from time to time. Unfortunately, the food and service are getting worse and worse.

The owners need to look at the service and the standard of the meals. And I mean urgently.

The food is mediocre to bad and over-priced for the standard and lack of care. As far as the service is concerned, it’s a joke. Most of the staff are unprofessional, not attentive and sloppy. They seem more interested in themselves than their customers.

I read a lot of restaurant reviews and I notice that Revas reviews are pretty bad. She seems a lovely lady and has probably put a lot of effort into her establishment over the years. I hope she can make improvements before the whole thing goes down the gurgler.

My advice, get a decent chef and train your staff.

by oliver
13th July 2008

Nice spot, thought it would be nice to go here on a cold wet nite for a nice dinner, service was o.k, ordered a Greek pizza for starter, 25 minutes wait which was fine , but i defiantly made it clear that i cannot have onions (this is always my first point i make anywhere i eat) on any of my food, so after waiting 35 minutes for our small pizza, we didn’t even have to touch it to see the pizza was full of onions, so i call waiter over to return it, within one minutes she came back to ask if we still want this pizza??? (ah when you return something you don’t want it) so 10 later Reva came over and confronted us why i didn’t want this pizza after i explained what i had ordered she said “well do you no anyone who will eat this pizza”? what sort of question was that? in other words she was still going to charge me for this pizza? and told me to make it clear that when i order to be clear on saying ” no onions” how clear do you have to be?? Reva was very rude and not professional at all and didn’t even apologise, for there mistake, so 15 minutes later our main arrived steak,cubes of pumpkin topped with a onion,PEPPER sauce poured over the steak!!! what could i say!!(you would think she would tell me about this) the sauce was so hot you needed a jug of water to wash down……but at this stage we refused to buy any more drinks from her! so very quick meal tense atmosphere from reva rude mannor, so paid the expensive bill and off we went to killer prawn to finish our dinner (which was beautiful) we will never ever be back there again!! and DO NOT recommend this place at all.

by Sam
24th May 2008

Great spot – but that’s all it has going for it. Staff are unfriendly and bordering rude, food uninspired and lack lustre. Mistakes where made when the bill was added up, and we were charged too much, no apology offered. Probably quite nice on a sunny day to sit on the waterfront with a wine but forget the meals.

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