A sad experience at the Public Bar. We went there Sat 27th April 2013 and although the staff were friendly and the Singers were great the food was really disappointing. We all ordered the larger plates (all 7 of us) and the meals were average. We had over cooked steak and one even burnt and the meals were tiny. Crispy chicken was a thigh fillet cut into 3 strips and it was on a slice of kumara and a teaspoon of coleslaw. McDonald’s on the way home , never again!

Good food and great atmosphere. Happily dine there again. Staff attentive and food was delivered quickly to our table. Large portion sizes – so big I couldn’t eat it all. Great for Brunch on the weekends. Quiet enough so have a long chat and catch up with friends.

An unfaultable experience for my birthday dinner at Public.

We were greeted and seated by friendly staff.. Had all our questions from the menu answered. The music was pleasant enough.
Being a busy Saturday night, and during the Wellington on a Plate festival, I thought we might have a long wait but we didn’t at all. Food was outstanding. Each of the four of us were very pleased.

I’ve found Public a great place to dine – attentive staff, well priced food and drinks, great atmosphere and delicious meals. I had an amazing Angus Beef Pie, served with a glass of New Zealand Pinot Noir for the bargain price of $15! Definitely one of my favourite under-rated restaurants in Wellington.

Great place for Sunday brunch, consistently have kept me fed when all other kitchens are closed. The service is professional, coffee making could do with a bit of work but food makes up for it.
Portions are decent sized, one thing is environment could be improved sometimes Sundays floors still sticky from the night before. nonetheless I will keep public as a resource for my late brunches.

AMAZING dessert: The cinnamon ice cream that came with my baked apple tartlet & ginger crumble was Soooo divine. This place has a great ambience. I like its low lighting and darkly furnished interior.

I popped in late on a Monday night with friends, just for dessert/drinks. I would definitely come back to try more on the menu. The haloumi dish particularly caught my eye ‘Grilled Zany Zeus halloumi with semi dried tomatoes, bruschetta, rocket & pomegranate molasses’. Mmmm. It’s calling my name right now, but I’d have to catch a plane to get there – See you next time Public

My wife and I went out for dinner on a weekday. The place felt very new and had a modern style with high ceiling and square features. It’s semi-dark, which gives it a somewhat cosy feeling. The music and sound quality were impressive, being clear and pleasant on the ears without being too loud or too quiet. The service was nice. We got seated at the table straight away and were offered the tonight’s specials. We ordered a side of curly fries, a lamb main and a vegetable soup. The fries was one of the best I’ve tried and it arrived in 10 minutes. The rest of the meal arrived 30 minutes after ordering, which is perfectly acceptable for a restaurant. The food costs, looks and tastes more like restaurant food, being higher quality than an average pub. Overall, I’m impressed with the establishment and would consider going back there again.

My partner and I went here with a deal voucher. Initially we were impressed, menu looked good, service was good and the floor manager was keeping a watchful eye on the place. We ordered our meals and around 30 minutes later were told that as it was busy there would be a bit of a wait ( it wasn’t that busy). 50 minutes after ordering our meals they came out. My partner ordered fish of the day – monkfish. The fish was dry and tasteless. I ordered the eye fillet steak. I ordered it rare, It came out more med-rare. The accompanying potatoes looked and tasted like they had been cooked, cooked again and then microwaved before coming out.
For an establishment that charges $25-$30 a main this place is really not hitting the mark. Would probably head back for a beer or two as the decor and service is good but we were Thoroughly disappointed and won’t be heading back to eat here in a hurry!

Friendly, prompt service. Average food. The restaurant/bar’s atmosphere needs to find it’s feet.

My wife and I went in there with some deal vouchers worth a decent amount of money ($50 each). I can’t remember exactly what was ordered, but remember the steak was burnt and the bread almost called for the dentist as it was that solid.

Service was great. They made a good effort with the best of intentions even when busy.

In terms of atmosphere, this appeared to be a ‘well dressed students pub’. You couldn’t figure out weather it was a sport’s bar, nightclub or just a pub with fancy cosmetics! In saying this, the place itself was nice, but I think they should pay attention to the type of clientele they let in.. Especially during dining hours!

The place has great potential but needs to focus on great food and supporting tidier drinking habits before it takes a turn!

On a busy Saturday night, we were really impressed by the service at Public. Although the restaurant was full when we arrived, we didn’t have to wait long for a table to become free and enjoyed a drink in the stylishly decorated bar while we waited. The short menu contained some exquisite choices. The ‘assorted butters and dipping sauces’ accompanying the cobb loaf consisted of just two small knobs of herb butter. For the main course, I had bronzed local fish (bluenose), which simply melted in my mouth. My partner’s fillet of beef was perfectly cooked at medium rare – a real taste sensation. An absolutely delicious meal.