Despite receiving confirmation of dinner reservation (via email), the restaurant had no records of the reservation. The experience at the restaurant got worst from then on. Dinning experience was sub-standard i.e. waiter yelling across the room, poor service & terrible food. My previous perception of restaurant’s reputation was shattered. Would definitely not return and recommend this restaurant at all.

I was a relative fan of Buzz restaurant in Lower Hutt, so when we heard that the owners had sold up and started up a new Tapas place in Petone, we felt we had to give it a go (truth is my wife won vouchers from MenuMania – thanks guys!) – but I am a fan of Buzz.

Anyway – the layout is very nice. Quite plush really but it is odd. It’s hard to describe so I wont try to, but will mention the large velvet cushioned wall. For prospective taggers, it’s a good way to write your name on the wall without the implication of a vandalism charge (although the prices on the menu may leave you feeling like you’ve been charged for something offensive).

Service was pretty good, although it was hard to understand a couple of the waiters who are obviously foreign – and the mono-brow on one of them was a bit disturbing. But, that wont cost Speak Easy any stars.

We decided to order a range of tapas, almost all of them and apart from the Baby Calamari, it was all delicious. I personally didn’t enjoy the chorizo & black beans, but everyone else seemed to. The chicken was popular, as were the tiger prawns. The baby calamari was more like a white membrane stuffed with mince. We ordered a tapas dessert platter as well – and again, were impressed. One of the table had the mousse for dessert and it looks rather ominous when you see it.

There was a private function, with music, going on in the bed lounge area while the restaurant speakers above us played different music altogether. This made it hard to have a conversation without shouting, but it was also just wrong having two completely different lots of music as ambient noise.

Other than that, it was a great dining experience with great food and would gladly return – when I have next won lotto – oh by the way, the toilets are very nice too

Last Saturday we had an early booking at Speak Easy – when my friend who made the booking arrived at 6.00pm, she was told that we’d have to vacate the table by 7.30pm. Great start! Surely this could have a) been conveyed when the phone booking was originally made, and b) delivered in a manner that was more polite than “You realise you have to be out by 7.30 right?”

We settled down for our speed-dining event… and all enjoyed our mains that were delicious, beautifully presented and well sized. The wine selection was great too, if slightly over priced. The decor was also really great – fun and vibrant. However we all felt the pressure to scoff down our food in record time so perhaps didn’t enjoy the ambience as much as we might have in less rushed circumstances.

But then 7.30 came and went – and we were asked if we’d like to order dessert. What’s this? Do we not have to vacate after all? Our (new) waiter knew nothing of our enforced dining timetable, and went to check – turns out we were safe after all as they had installed some extra tables. Why wasn’t this development shared with us earlier? And where was our apology?

However, now safe in the knowledge that we still had seats we decided to order dessert and more wine. Around 20 minutes later we had to remind yet another waiter about our drink order – that we could clearly see poured and waiting on a tray in the bar. Having one waiter dedicated to a table or space would surely iron out issues like this – the current approach is a bit chaotic.

Again the dessert was delicious – but $15 for a flan that can be inhaled in three mouthfuls seems fairly steep.

Top marks for food quality and decor, but the service style and structure let them down. Would be interested to return in six months time to see if these are just teething issues that get smoothed over.

Also suggest that if the Hip Hop Chef insists on wearing his Nike cap sideways, maybe he should actually rap while he cooks. Dinner and a show, now that I’d go back for…

We decided to do lunch one Friday afternoon. Having never been to Speak Easy before I was looking forward to it.

On arrival our every need was met. We took a table in the hot sun, and although the service was somewhat slow, they certainly made up for it in all other areas.

4 hours later (yes – the sangria was flowing nicely and the food was great) my friend and I were having such a good time we invited some friends and our partners to come and join us for dinner.

The outside area was still sunny but the wind had picked up a bit so we moved inside. By this time there were 9 of us, and the owner gave us 2 beds to share (sounds kinky I know). They served us more food and more drinks until we finally left at about 9pm. Longest lunch I’ve ever had!!

Although I found my Oxtail main course to be quite oily, and yes, for Petone somewhat pricey – I still highly recommend this place to everyone.

Great ambiance, great set up, lovely staff, and Michael the owner certainly makes this all work.

We are returning again tomorrow night for dinner with a group of 9. Totally looking forward to the Sangria, and of course – those big white beds!

Whow – we had heard about this place with the benches – and lounging couches in nice white. We couldnt believe the young ages (well they looked young) of the chefs
Had tapas 10 in total plus some hot fresh bread and oils – We couldnt fault it – top marks to the little short chap and the bandana tall guy – We will be back soon and with our out of town friends

We had a party of 8 on Friday night. The service was excellent. The decor and lighting was very conducive to a good night out. Tapa plates were delicious as were the jugs of Sangria. Would definately go back – highly recommended!

Two of us went for tapas on a Tuesday night. The service was not super fast, but the staff were friendly and engaging. We shared tapas – highlights were the homemade feta and grissini, black bean and chorizo, and the light pastry on the empanadas. Quince paste icecream is highly recommended. The restaurant was lively and fun to go to. Will go back to sample more tapas, great that the menu changes regularly.

We attended a work dinner for about 20 people in the private dining room last night. The decor and surroundings in each of the different areas create a modern, yet cosy and inviting ambiance and we were greeted warmly. The bed lounge area looked oh so inviting! However, with so many hard surfaces the noise levels here are extremely high; it is quite exhausting to spend an evening having to shout at anyone not sitting immediately next to you and equally difficult to hear. It took a long time to order food; our first course was served 1 1/2 hours after we first arrived and main courses another hour later. The tiger prawns and croquetas were tasty primera choices. The pamplona de pollo (chicken) was very dry and rather bland. My partner’s premium steer fillet was lovely and tender. Dulce were somewhat disappointing; while the chocolate mousse was rich and tasty, the portion size was miniscule for $15. My torta frita was sickeningly sweet and I left most of it on the plate. After hearing so much about Speak Easy, and considering the price range of the menu, we were generally disappointed with our overall dining experience.