Reviews for Scotia Bar & Bistro

by Ore
4th April 2012

Excellent restaurant, very cosy, a HUGE selection of whisky. The food was surprisingly excellent, surprisingly because I did not know anything about Scottish food before. Anyway I had the beef bourguignon (not very Scottish but very different from the french version) and it was very good. I have also tried the rabbit that is my favorite meal, it is served with caramelized vegetables. The wine, desserts are excellent. I also enjoyed the pate (mousse) it was served with a cinnamon relish. The chef is really amazing

by kerryanne
20th March 2012

This is one restaurant that i always go back to. The service is consistent and staff are friendly and always on their game! each time i go the food is amazing. one of the best in dunedin in my opinion

by angela
11th March 2012

After ringing at 7pm on the 10th March to ask if we can make a last minute booking we were able to come in for 7:30pm! It was brilliant. The staff are amazing and they had real knowledge of the food and drinks, the menu was perfect, and the pricing really reflects the good quality food. Everything is spot on here! Fully recommend this place to anyone and will definitely be back soon!

by Sonya B.
24th February 2012

Been here 3 times nows – love it and can’t wait to go back. The service and food has always been great and is consistant time after time unlike a lot of other places I have eaten. Keep up the good work guys. See you soon!

by Malcolm R.
17th July 2011

Shortly before turning up for our booking we received a call to say that Scotia had lost it’s power, and giving us the option to either wait to see whether they could fix it, or book somewhere else. We rang around and found another restaurant, so rang back and cancelled. Subsequently we got another call from Scotia to say that they now had the power restored, so we decided to honour our booking, and cancelled the subsequent one.
Upon arriving I would have thought it would have been appropriate for management (who served us) to acknowledge the hassle they put us to, and I would have also thought a free drink may have been on the cards, but nothing was mentioned from start to finish.
Atmosphere was good and the wait staff were great. However the food was a mixed bag. The whitebait was a disappointment.
I can now tick that restaurant off as visited, but wouldn’t rush back.

by nofam
11th June 2011

Lovely setting and ambiance,with attentive service, and a good range of menu & wine options. My dish of smoked scotch fillet, on mushroom ragout with chipped potatoes was tasty, if a little one-note, and a little stingy on the ragout. But I would certainly go back for another visit.

They have a couple of bottles of Scotch behond the bar too. . . . .

by Duey
2nd April 2011

Happy as.

Good service, table for two was looked after well. Didn’t have to wait long for anything and the size of meals was what i would expect. Good job fellas, ill be back

by Kylee S.
14th January 2011

We went to this restaurant for my birthday and everything about it was amazing, the food was so delicious, the wine amazing and the service was wonderful. I would recommend Scotia to anyone it’s definitely one of our favourites.

by wendy n.
27th September 2010

On Saurday night we went here to enjoy our anniversay dinner.The service by the waitress was great with execellent understanding of the menu.My husband had the Rabbit which was tender and I had the Smoked Manuka Fillet Steak,we also had an entree plus dessert and everything was cooked perfect.As we have eaten meals like this before overseas I would say it was equal to any high class resturant we have been to.Fully recomend it to anyone

by Richard R.
11th May 2010

Went here with a group from round NZ who were on a residential course. The menu stated eye fillet (medium rare). A few of us ordered this and it wasn’t until the meat arrived that one of the guys realised the steak was done medium rare. Now say what you will, steak and most meat for that matter are best done this way but this guy liked well done. Thats his choice and it should be respected. After all he’s paying the bill.
Anyway when the Waiter was asked if he could have the steak cooked to his liking the response was “I don’t think he’ll do it Sir. It says medium rare on the menu”
“I’m sorry, but I am the customer and I’d like it done medium rare please”
“OK, Ill take it back and ask”
Waiter returned from kitchen with steak nd says “sorry sir but the chef will not cook the steak”
The guys quietly got up and left.
The group and other groups will probably never return.
The chef most certainly wasn’t the owner and displayed sheer arrogance. Who the hell does this guy think he is? Gordon Ramsay maybe. Well mate, hear it from me. You aint. I only wish the owner reads this review and responds. To lose that much future custom over your crazy principles is just bad business. Just remember who pays your wages and remember how small Dunedin and NZ really is. I’m only glad it wasn’t my steak or the apron would have been on and Id have cooked the bloody thing myself.
Wake Up!
Other than that my steak was great!

by korora
20th April 2010

Disappointing. Poor food (venison overdone and tough as an old boot, soggy French fries); such things can happen anywhere, and a good restaurant will accept feedback and offer alternatives. In this case, though, the waitress was snippy to the point of rudeness when the problems were gently pointed out. We won’t be going back.

by Nicole
14th May 2009

I took my parents here when they came to visit from England. I was slightly worried it might be a bit too posh, but I needn’t have worried. A wonderful atmosphere in a beautiful building, friendly staff, and amazing food (and I know food, I eat out a lot!) I had the venison which was so delicious with some lovely wine – finished with a whiskey, couldn’t have asked for more. Would highly recommend this restaurant!

by Roge
14th January 2009

I have been to this restaurant twice now and would never hesitate to recommend it to anyone – and have.

The staff are excellent and very attentive without being too visible and the menu provides a great choice of food with ‘a Scottish bent’ as described by the previous reviewer. Good sized portions without trying to beat your stomach’s capacity.

I took a client there for dinner and although he lives in Dunedin he had not been there before. I believe he is now recommending Scotia to locals now.

I won’t mention the whiskeys as I will be here for too long. I dream of bars like that. I can’t wait to get back to Dunedin!

by Emma L.
15th September 2008

I must say right away that my aunt and uncle own Scotia. But my whole family now goes here whenever we dine out, and it’s not out of loyalty…it’s because it really is fantastic.

Scotia’s food has a Scottish bent and some of it is unusual, yet all delicious. The wait staff are exceptional and mostly Scottish, the decor is fabulous (it’s in the historic railway station building), and it’s always warm in there despite the fact it’s a massive space.

The whisky bar is something else though – a wall of 300+ bottles. The bar staff have to climb a ladder to get the top ones down. The most expensive is $64 a dram I think! If you love whisky, you really should go here.

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