Service was friendly but disappointing. OK for a cafe but not the service expected given the prices. Dined here twice similar service both times, e.g. didn’t get water as requested. Food was good, view was fabulous but overall if you are looking to feel like you had a real treat I can’t suggest Pier 24.

Had a meal on 21/01/12 as a birthday celebration. While the food was superb, the service was appalling! We had to go to the bar for all our drinks as the waiter service was non existent despite the fact there seemed to be plenty of staff on hand. We ordered a bottle of wine only to have the waiter deliver and open completely the wrong one – a Gewurztraminer instead of a Reisling. The location and food are excellent but you really need to work on the service, given that the prices make it a special occasion meal for most. How about a dedicated waiter to each table – one who regularly checks that drinks are refreshed?

We came here on the 1/12. Had a reservation obviously a table wasnt reserved but we chose to sit outside got menus told he was getting some water but no water for about 20minutes then a waitress took our order and i asked for water which eventually came. Meals were great! I tested my luck and asked for more water to have during our meals- ate our meals waited 10minutes then left to get water elsewhere- dissapointed at the service.

a group of friends and i were ignored today, sat for about 10 mins wthout the slightest acknowledgment, no water no menu no nothing, about 4 staff standing around and only about 2 tables of customers who were grumbling as well, come on sharpen up aye!!, mind you they did smile as we walked out

Outstanding food. The ingredients are fresh, the flavours are amazing, and everything is prepared and presented with care and skill.

We had a reservation on a night where there was also a group function for about 60 guests. Meals coming out were understandably slow. The staff were very apologetic and continually updated us on the progress of our order and to check that everything was alright.

Place is expensive, but worth every cent. Most people (including myself) cannot afford to dine here regularly, but for special occasions it’s an experience that cannot be beaten.

Excellent service and delicious food.

Pier 24 produce is fresh, and the menu clearly has more than one star dish.

Breakfast Delicious, Lunch Delicious, Dinner Delicious and Dessert Delicious!

The Cocktails, Mocktails and Coffee are excellent!

You will pay the same price around the corner but not have the quality and skill that Pier 24 has.

ADD ON: 30th Dec 2011
(we visit on a regular basis now, the food is so outstanding. The service can alter depending on waiter but food always wins out). Only advice: I would suggest getting a manager who is polite and is presented with poise. I have found your latest manager a tad relaxed and casual in her manner.

It’s been almost two weeks now, but I’m still aglow with the night we had at Pier 24. The view on a windy night with huge waves crashing into the sea wall was mesmerising. Comfortable seating, appropriately dimmed lighting for an intimate feel (albeit it was a party of 10). Service excellent. Food out of this world. My favourite was the pork belly entree (though the lamb main course was superb as well). Tender, falling off the knife, crackling just right. I asked the waiter how it was done, and Mr Coughlin kindly sent the information back to me. That’s going beyond his duty. Thanks, Mr Coughlin and thanks to our waiter (sorry I’ve forgotten your name) for your excellent and skilled attention, and kindly taking a photo of our table. I’m from Australia, but I’ll be certainly recommending this place to my friends if they’re ever going that way. I feel very privileged.

Excellent. The atmosphere, food and service were superb.We celebrated a birthday there recntely and were highly impressed by the food and service. Time between courses was just right and the food was tasty. Waiters were polite and attentive. Our water glasses never went dry. Kudos to the chef for amazing deserts even though we were bursting after our mains. Entrees were just the right size.
Highly recommend for that special ocasion. Worth every penny.

I went to Pier 24 for my 21st dinner in December last year. On arrival we were asked if we would like to have a seat at the bar and drink or go through to the dining room. We enjoyed a few drinks at the bar and then went through. The waiter we had was fantastic and explained all questions we had about the food on the menu. I ordered the steak for a main and it was potentially the most AMAZING meal I have ever had. I then had the cheesecake for dessert – again it tasted beautiful! Although it is expensive I think the price is worth it – pay an extra $15 for an amazing meal or pay $25-$30 for a meal that’s good – but not bragworthy. I would definitely go back!

I recently had my 21st High Tea function at Pier24 for around 35 people, and it was absolutely outstanding! The service, the views, and the food was incredible, and I have been hearing from my friends for weeks after my function about how delicious the food was and how special the restaurant was with the amazing decor and scenery. Upon discovering that our camera was faulty, and my dad had a wee panic attack, the manager without so much of a hesitation allowed us to use his personal camera to capture the event. I can honestly say we were so touched by his generosity at the last minute, an act truly outside expectations of a venue host! We will be back very soon to this very special place. Thank you so much for such a memorable afternoon!

Last night we went to Pier 24 for the first time. We read the reviews on here before going and still decided to try. All we can say is that if there are any negative reviews that these people obviously don’t know what fine dining is. I have noticed people complaining about splitting bills??? It states it on every page of the menu and most fine dining restaurant’s will do this. The service was impeccable and the food the best I have had in Dunedin. We have eaten in fine restaurant’s all around the world and I would have to say that Pier 24 is one of the top restaurant’s we have been lucky enough to dine at. Ignore the reviews from uneducated people, this restaurant is amazing and the chef deserves recognition for his amazing passion. Well done! we will definitely be back.

We went as a large group for lunch in early January 2011. Our group was from Auckland, London, Melbourne and Paris, as well as Dunedin. We all thought the menu was ok (many of the dishes reappear for dinner at a higher price) – the food that came out was well presented and overall good. However, we think the prices compared to the level of service and environment were very expensive.

Floor staff did not know the menu well, and were poor at explaining food, and did not remember who had ordered what. They also cleared plates before all had finished eating – I hate that.

Perhaps the worst was this though: four of the group paid to shout our Dunedin hosts. We were all chatting when paying the bill and only took sufficient notice to split it four ways. The next day our hosts received a phone call from Pier 24 saying we had underpaid…insisting we come in and fix the bill up.

Despite the mistake being on the side of the restaurant staff when someone went in, there was all kinds of suggestions that we had done this intentionally.

Super bad look.

A lot of our Dunedin friends are raving about the food at Pier 24, and we can understand that. However, if you want to charge those prices you need to match great food with high quality, competent service. From management to waiting staff – this place has poor service – not at all consistent with the quality they seem to be going for.

If you’re looking for a place to tantalize your tastebuds, St Pier is THE place. This restaurant offers extremely attractive wine and gastronomy. I would really like to go “behind-the-scenes” and see how the chef is cooking these gourmet delicacies. Mes compliments au Chef !!

We often go down to Pier 24 and have always had a superb time. The staff are very friendly without being intrusive. Food from Michael Coughlin is always first class. The wine list has a strong focus on Otago which is just as it should be. We have lived in many parts of the world and eaten in some most interesting restaurants. Dunedin is very fortunate to have such a world class eatery. Oh, and the views are to die for as well!

My friend and I came here for lunch and we found the service to be really great from the moment we arrived. The waitress was welcoming and friendly and seemed to be taking great care of not only us but the the diners as well, she even made sure we were comfortable with the doors being open behind us and told us to let her know if we wanted them closed.
It really is a fantastic location with views unattainable from many other eateries around Dunedin, so that itself is a great treat. I enjoyed having such lovely fresh flowers on the table as well. I thought it was a nice touch and not commonly seen in many other places.
Our meals arrived promptly and were well presented. I thought my meal was seasoned superbly and was a perfect amount for lunch- not too heavy.
It is a pricey restaurant but I believe you pay for the quality you get and I personally feel every penny was worth it.
Thanks Pier 24, I will be back again soon!!

Pier 24 – my clients and I rated the quality and choice of food and the service second to none and would compare the total experience to any top restaurant in the World.
Mark Dixon
Awesome Tours NZ

I went to Pier 24 for my graduation dinner and it was the perfect way to end this important day for my family and I. Every course we had was delicious, the service exceptional, which complimented the restaurant’s stunning setting next to St Clair’s beach. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a special occasion or as a nice place to catch up with friends over a coffee and cake as their hot chocolates are divine! Thank you Pier 24

I have been here twice now and have LOVED the food both times. The service is fantastic and views over the beach beautiful.
I would definitely recommend Pier 24 and can’t wait to go back!!

Our work group had a set menue lunch – fabulous food 9thier pork belly is unbeatable), value, atmosphere and service. Duendin’s best without a doubt

Most of our large group enjoyed their meals which were well presented and interesting. The restaurant is in a fabulous location with stunning views from the bar. The initial bar service was very poor (barman didn’t know what a lager was!) and they could have made more money by lowering the exorbitant wine prices and serving a bit faster (but the restaurant was full so some allowance made). Changes to the menu weren’t advised to diners before ordering resulting in disappointment, but overall a very nice meal.

What a great idea it was to book Pier 24 for our birthday dinner. The food was absolutely amazing, it was beautifully presented and tasted incredible! The view of the sea was the nicest I have ever seen, from our table we could see right down St Clair Beach. The table service was first class, we even had a french speaking waitress who took our orders from our french host. Thank you Pier 24 for such a wonderful evening!

Love your restaurant – the pork belly is to die for with the tamerillo. Great.

lover the location, food, service…. well done

Rob f

Absalutly amazing! went there for my works do and was amazed how good the food was! would definitly go back there!

Service definitely have room for improvement for an upmarket restaurant. But we were very satisfied with the food. We will definitely god back there again.

We went to the Pier during the Cadburry week and the food was definitely matching our expectations (having enjoyed several Michelin star restaurants where we lived before). The reason for the ‘very good’ overall rating is simply that one of the wines didn’t come with the course as ordered and the service had room for improvement

Delicious soup! The food was great but lukewarm coffee and asked for Trim milk but didn’t get it.
When it came to paying the account, we were with some other people we didn’t really know, celebrating our daughters’ successes. We were not asked how we wanted to pay and the bill was totalled. We had to split it in half, even though we had not eaten as much as the others. This was so totally inflexible and embarrassing! We were told they could divide the bill by 10 and we could pay 4 times and the others 6. How stupid and inconvenient. This left a sour taste in our mouths and we will not return and would not encourage others to do so, despite the lovely food!

I ate in here with 7 friends to celebrate a friend’s birthday. As some of us arrived first, we were informed to wait for the rest of them before getting into the dining area.

The service was not bad. As I was learnt in the Uni that I could ask for a healthier option in term of cooking method, I requested to have a grilled blue cod main dish instead of fried, while I was refused immediately. The only other fish dish available on the menu was a King fish dish.

The taste of the starter was fine, but the porton were small, espcially for a squid dish which consisted of only 2 small pieces of squid and some salad on top.

For the main (grilled fish mentioned before), it was the worst dish I have ever tried in New Zealand.I can tell from the appearance that the fish was overcooked. It was dry and chewy. Although the portion size was big, I could not finish that because of this rubbery texture.

In total…it costed $50 for this meal! I swear I will never come back for second!

Excellent food and great choices available. We were a party of 5 and everyone enjoyed every course. Service was excellent as well. It was a fairly cool night and only minus was the room temperature was a bit cold. Definitely go back.

I dined @ Pier 24 recently with my girlfriend, very excited to try the cuisine of chef Michael Coughlin, who has been so highly rated; a poppy to pick or love!? So…was very happy to ENJOY this immensely. The venison was one of the most tender cuts I had ever tasted & presented in a manner that suited top class cuisine. My girl friend is french & also a chef & she was the one who wanted to test this place out & after exploring each others meals & enjoying an excellent wine choice of – horrors- an aged Pinot that was actually ready to drink; exquisite…How many times do I go to restaurants who serve astronomically priced too young reds that we should love just because they are a good label; Food AND wine. Thank you!! ..PS don’t be put off by the exterior appearance of this place; once inside the view & decor are fantastic.

We ate here on a Sunday night so the restaurant was quiet. The food was excellent and we found the service was perfectly satisfactory. I wouldn’t hesitate to dine here again. And yes the food is a little pricey but no more than one would pay in Wellington Auckland or Queenstown. We thought we got value for what we spent – under $500 for five people; we all had three courses, wine and a predinner drink but skipped coffee

Came to Dunedin for my nephews graduation and had a set menu dinner at Pier 24 this past weekend. May I just point out that the quality of the food was fantastic! The service was great and friendly! It is very good to see that such a small city like Dunedin has an establishment with an international collection of staff who are very well trained in what they do.

The wine selection was fantastic; sampling an exciting variety of well known yet rare Central Otago brands. Having a wine a waiter who knew what he was talking about helped as well.

Am a little bit disappointed how ever with the amount of negative feed back on this place, I have been to Dunedin on more than one occasion and do consider myself a bit of a “foodie” and I think that instead of bagging this restaurant and it’s team for putting out over priced food ($40 for a venison is acceptable) Dunedin should open its arms to a little bit of class, comfort and change. Simply because having a city full of restaurants with practically the same bar/grill $19.50 menus will eventually get boring.

I would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone and would definitely return upon my visit to Dunedin.

Overpriced food and average service. When will chefs get it through their heads that ‘nouvelle cuisine” is outdated………

Had to buy a burger at McDonalds after I had paid a lot of money to “dine” at pier 24

I would like to share my experiences at Pier 24 with you.
We came for lunch. The first problem we came across was the service. The lunch menu was simple so it took far too long for the food to arrive.
I had the fish and chips. It was priced at $26.50 so I thought it must be spectacular for that price. How wrong I was. I cannot stand frozen chips so I was very disappointed to find that that was what I had to eat.
Surely a chef as ‘experienced’ as Michael Coughlin wouldn’t dream of taking a packet of chips from the frozen counter at New World.
From this experience I am unsure of whether I would ever return to this restaurant, and my husband has also made this clear using my account on a different website, and Pier 24 is being pretentious by thinking that their restaurant is the ‘most sought after’ restaurant in the city.

Went to this establishment around a month ago for a meal with relatives. Good service, but both beverages and food were massively overpriced. I had the venison,(around $40.00 from memory) which would best be described as bland. It tasted very similar to the Silver Fern Farms venison medallions that you can buy from New World. For this price, I expected higher quality, and was disappointed by the meal size. With the bill total at around $400 for 5 people, it was an expensive night.

I have been to Pier 24 for dinner last night and the food was excellent and very well presented. I had the lamb and was cooked perfectly and also entree and desert was outstanding. The staff were very polite and friendly.
I will definitely return for dinner again!

I just wanted to share my experience from the recent evening dinner at that joint.

I ordered lamb which apparently only comes as medium rare there. When I saw blood coming out from the piece of meat I was given I asked to have it redone. After the waitress politely inquired if I was able to read English and with the peer pressure from the rest of the guests she unwillingly took it back to the kitchen. I was given another piece of lamb which turned out to be a twin brother of the first one. At that point I asked her to perhaps consider zipping it in a microwave? I was told that they do not do that. I agreed that if it was against the morals of the cook, I would finish frying it at home. The waitress then noted that I was not allowed to take left overs home as the place did not have a license for it.

The good news are that that Canadian salmon that I got at the “New World” was still fresh in the fridge at home and I did have a dinner after all.

My friendly advice to “Pier 24″ customers: if you do decide to risk having a meal there, make sure you have a “Plan B” set up first!

Igor Melnychuk, MD

Had a meal here 2 weeks ago @ the cost of$170.00 for two people.
I would tend to agree with previous peoples comments. Rabbit way to salty and the service not that great.
No waitress came back @any stage to see if everything was all right.
Had to go to bar to order more drinks.
May go back but would have to hear better comments.
A shame they’re not living up to their intended standards.
Disapointed Dinner.

The food was awesome the service was not one of the wait staff was so rude and when we went to leave we could only have one bill no separate billing which we had spent over $500 and so this was very annoying, instead of being good about the misunderstanding as its in small print on the menu the girl who i think was the head waiter pointed it out in the menu

I was pleased to have the chance to eat at Pier 24 last night after some great dinners at another restaurant.

The food was good, as expected (though the rabbit and risotto were both somewhat oversalted), and the setting is pleasant, but the service was very disappointing. Although only a few tables were occupied, the kitchen and staff seemed unable to cope. Starters were extremely slow to arrive, we had long waits between courses, and the waitstaff were nowhere to be found in the meantime, even to bring more water. One of our side orders never appeared, and since our waitress returned only to clear our plates, we never had a chance to remind her about it.

If the management is committed to improving service (instead of berating customers as in response to an earlier comment on this site), the restaurant is worth a return visit. If not, there are other restaurants in Dunedin with equally good food and reliable service.

Review as written on 1 March 2010 – updated on 8 April 2010


We called into Pier 24 for Dessert and Coffee on Saturday to be told the Kitchen closed at 2pm.

We ordered a coffee and asked to sit in the corner over-looking the beach.

We were told NO that table is in the restaurant and restaurant was closed.

The English waiter was very unpleasant and from this experience I would not recommend anyone go there.

___________________________________
Pier 24 – comments on my original review


Hi LittleOne,

James H. sent you a message on MenuMania:

Subject: Pier 24 Review

“Dear ‘LittleOne’

I am the Manager at St Clair Beach Resort, I am a little bit annoyed about the way you have put a review on to MenuMania regarding our restaurant based on an experience a long time ago; I know this as the English Waiter has not been working here at Pier 24 for over month.

We have had many new staff and have worked extremely hard to gain a good reputation that is tarnished by your out of date review.

I would ask you to consider removing the review and would invite you back to Pier 24 for a drink or coffee with my compliments to try and rectify your opinion.

Please contact me to organise when you would like to come in.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards
___________________________________

I have just recently been to Pier 24 for an evening meal. The food was amazing, the staff were very professional and helpful for choosing courses and the atmosphere was welcoming and unique. The ocean views must be the best in Dunedin but we wished we could dine right in front of the ocean! that right is reserved for the bar, but still did not hinder the meal.

I went to Pier 24 for dinner last night the service and food were exquisite. I ordered the venison which was flavorsome and well presented. The room was full yet the atmosphere was intimate. Would definitely recommend.