This past weekend, 4 September 2010, a staff member at that Chateau Marlborough highly recommended for my team of 6 to eat at the Quench Café and Wine Bar. We had bookings at a well known restaurant UNTIL a staff member at the Chateau Marlborough insisted that the Quench Café was far better and highlighted the points of a great new menu, chef and individual service. As our dinner reservations where for a team dinner of 7 and for the highlighted points we reluctantly changed our bookings as we entrusted the high recommendations, from the Chateau Marlborough. Unfortunately Quench Café was a disastrous experience and failed to deliver ANY of the highlighted selling points, that Chateau Marlborough. Please note that a special mention/request had been made to the restaurant that a group of 7 was coming to eat, so that had plenty of warning!

Having traveled to many parts of the world and especially here in New Zealand, we have had many varied experiences when it comes to service or food so are pretty open minded, however this experience must be the worst ever! The waitress was not attentive and could not answer simple questions. It was unfortunate to report that we had to wait over an hour for our food to reach the table, after the staff had been informed about all of us returning from a ½ day winetour! We were all extremely patient and understanding that perhaps the kitchen was busy, however were not the only tables that were waiting, for over an hour! Unfortunately for Quench Café, one of my team members received her lamb meal completely raw! The response we got from the waitress when we asked about this was ‘we serve our lamb rare, in Blenheim’. This was a ridiculous excuse and totally unacceptable. If that was the case wouldn’t it have been professional to ask the customer what she would prefer, when taking the order?

The dessert menu was simple and uninviting and based on the long wait and poor serviMorece, it did not take long to decide to leave Quench Café and try and make up for a unfortunately evening elsewhere!

I would not recommend eating at the Quench Café and Wine Bar, especially if you have a group bigger than one or have the patience of a saint! Nor would I ever take a recommendation from a Chateau Marlborough, especially when they put another restaurant down for the same points that they oversold about their own restaurant!

I can however recommend the ‘Cornerstone Bar’, in Blenheim. If anything Quench Café and Wine Bar has a lot to learn when it comes to customer service!

I experienced breakfast at this modern designed hotel restaurant Monday 10th and indulged in most amazing delectable food. The presentation was terrific and could not fault it, though my coffee was not up to my tastes!