Starfish Cafe & Bar

Dined in for breakfast on a Thursday as part of FT at 8am. Was excited to see a very comprehensive menu being offered so early in the morning, with a wide range of cabinet food to choose from as well. Between cabinet food and the menu there was a wide range of GF food which is a must for my GF partner. The atmosphere and vibe so early in the morning has to be one of the best in NZ, lots of sun, good hustle and bustle but not overly busy, quiet but comfortable seating upstairs where you can look out over the st Clair waves. Service was at the counter and was excellent, fast, approachable and most importantly friendly, me and my partner ordered the salmon and the pork belly gluten free, the salmon was delicious, balanced perfectly and would give it a 10/10, the pork was marinated in a sticky sweet rich sauce and was sooo tender, balanced perfectly with the salad but was a little overpowering in the end, 9/10. We ordered a lemonade and a minty green juice, partner said it was 10/10 juice and no complaints on the lemonade, good size but a little on the pricey side. Overall a great experience, well run cafe with a great team. Would highly recommend as a top cafe of NZ. P.S you need to tighten the hot tap in the upstairs toilet. Thanks again,
Apr 26th, 2023

Apr 29th, 2023

Had heard a lot about this place, went for frozen margaritas a couple of weeks ago and they were delicious. Went on Friday night for another couple and to our disappointment they were very bland with no love put into them. Huge chunks of ice in the glass and impossible to drink with the straw provided. I had to eat mine with a fork. Will come back once more to try. Consistency is key.
Apr 27th, 2023

Apr 24th, 2023

We booked a table for 5 at 12pm. After ordering our drinks we were told there would be a 40 minute delay. Whilst waiting for our food we could not believe the number of times the waiter and waitress brought up food having no clue as to which table it was for. At 1250pm one of the orders arrived an omelette. A few minutes later 2 more meals arrived. The three who had the meals started eating because the food was getting cold. Twice a waiter asked if we were missing food and we explained we were. Some 15 plus minutes later the final two meals arrived. No apology was given until I said it was pretty slow. When you book a table for 5 you expect to be able to eat at the same time and this really ruined the experience. The food was fine but the two brisket burgers had very little meat in them not even filling a third of the bun. We did when paying explain to the manager who offered two free coffees. Really poor service where the waiters/waitresses seemed to be very poorly organised. Being a local very disappointed.
Apr 28th, 2023