Well shiver me timbers, Sailor has berthed.
And every other sailing euphemism you can think of.
We had a friend (we still do, just the one) who highly recommended Sailor and rum in general to us. Our daughter and her partner had also been and kept telling us we’d love it. So finally here we were. The perfect late Summer Saturday evening down the Mount. Sailor is lucky it’s on the sunny side of the street or I’d have potentially discounted it! I’m so glad I didn’t. No rum for us, but definitely here for the food.
The. Food.
Wow!
Out of this world and enough on the menu to keep me coming back. Always a bit disappointing when multiple items are off the menu. No venison, no crab, no asparagus. But what we did get, I’ll forgive them this time.
We started with pork cracking and chilli salt. A lovely snack to wake up your tastebuds. The Favourite Husband and I then shared the tuna carpaccio and the lamb short ribs. I thought the tuna was missing the requisite burst of citrus. I was wrong. Once I’d got some of the horseradish crème fraiche with it I was in heaven. The char on the bbq lamb was genius and the meat fell off the bone. I was seriously impressed. I had the charred Brocollini which was replacing the missing asparagus. The hollandaise was rich and zingy but I found the char a little overpowering. The Favourite Husband had the bbq fish which was simply perfectly cooked. All rounded off with a cheese board we went home happy, full and feeling like it was good value for money.
Service was friendly and unobtrusive. We’ll absolutely be back.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$80–90
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Fabulous! What a great find to come across this relative newbie in the main street while walking around the area.
The bistro had an excellent appearance is clearly been given a great revamp since its former incarnation. The atmosphere is enticing, relaxing and inviting.
The service was totally appropriate, in the ball without being over bearing .
The menu was what inticed us in. Clever, fresh, stylish with a difference and not and the over the top price tag.
Couldn't fault a thing. Get along ! I hope this great venue has the success it week deserves.
Thanks for the lovely lunch. Your fish and chips with beer and vodka batter and the best potato chips were exquisite!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$80–90
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Potential for Improvement - Sailors has potential, but could benefit from addressing these points of constructive criticism to aid in their recent launch. With a few adjustments and enhancements, I believe the establishment could truly shine and offer an even more enjoyable experience for its patrons. I personally won't be returning very soon, as for the pricepoint, Solera outshines this place (for now!)
The bartender's demeanour was not as welcoming as I had hoped, which affected the overall atmosphere. Additionally, the service from the waiter was minimal, as they only checked in once during the visit. We ended up ordering with the bartender, as we didn't see our waiter.
The lighting arrangement in the establishment left much to be desired. The brightness was a bit overwhelming, and the lights themselves seemed to flicker intermittently, which was distracting.
The decorations were quite minimal, giving the place an almost bare ambiance. The use of Kmart plates for serving was unexpected and somewhat mismatched with the upscale vibe the place seems to aim for.
Although the food had potential, it was subpar for the price point. The same garnishes were used for every plate - pickled shallots and parsley. The presentation fell short and lacked the initial wow factor. It felt as though more attention could be given to making the dishes visually appealing, and enticing from the get-go. Portion sizes were good though!
Another point to note is that if you're a party of 2 the only seating is at the bar. This restriction might not be ideal for smaller groups or those who prefer a different seating arrangement.
I also noticed a missed opportunity in the lack of creative rum cocktails on the menu. It would be wonderful to see more diverse and unique options, perhaps even rum flights or pairings with food to elevate the overall dining experience- given this is a rum bar.
Despite aiming for an upscale atmosphere, Sailors didn't quite hit the mark. The plastic laminate menu design felt a bit out of place, and it would be more appealing to have the cocktail offerings prominently featured at the beginning of the drink menu, rather than near the end.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$100+
Food: 3
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 4
Absolutely stunning new establishment in the Heart or Mount Maunganui main strip.
I was blown away with the amount of care and detail put into every inch of this beautiful new restaurant.
The food was magnificent.
From the fresh oysters to the delicious blue swimmer crab spaghettini. We loved it so much, we came back the following day for lunch!
I had the best Dirty Martini that I’ve had in Tauranga so far and man, I have I tried my fair share.
The staff were attentive and knowledgeable of their food and drinks menu with great suggestions.
The rum selection was extensive, highly recommended for a rum lover. I enjoyed every sample I tried.
My friends and I had a magnificent time and I have not been able to stop referring people to this amazing spot.
The garden bar is definitely going to be our summer afternoon hot-spot.
A Mount MUST-TRY!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$100+
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Great place for lunch on a lovely summer day. The courtyard out the back is a gem - sunfilled and quiet - away from the hustle and bustle of the main street.
Food was excellent, especially the chips. Good value.
There is an extensive drinks menu with some hard-to-find choices. Enjoyed trying some new whisky and rum.
Highly recommended and will be back.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Great cocktails, delicious food. Classy atmosphere without being pretentious. Stand out was the Parmesan churros and the spaghettini, but to be honest it was all really delicious. Will be back!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$70–80
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Average food at over inflated prices. Reuben was effectively a cheese and pickle panini with salt and vinegar crisps out of a packet for $25. Beetroot salad more of a side dish and nothing much on the plate apart from beetroot and a few leaves was $28 and crayfish roll was two tiny pieces of crayfish with the crisps again at $36. Service was average. Don’t waste your money there are better options at the mount for the price.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Food: 1
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 2
I have been in several times to sailor since it’s opened and it always delivers! Their margaritas are amazing, the staff are awesome and I love the new fit out and décor! Service is always on point and we love the atmosphere. It’s already my one of my favourite spots in town …. Next to Hide (bar and restaurant)!
Service
Dine in
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
We were a group of 7 on a Saturday night. No one on the front till upon arrival. The first to arrive asked the passing waiter whether there was a table of girls already there, he just grunted and said "I don't know, look out the back".
He turned out to be our waiter for the night. He went from formal to very informal, quite rude at some points during the evening. Our drinks orders were forgotten and we ended up waiting for over half an hour for a round of cocktails. They weren't that busy. When the cocktails arrived they were good.
The food ended up being ok. We ordered mainly the small plates to share and two mains.
Finally, when we went to pay.... What a shambles.
One of the girls had left early and already paid a portion of the bill.
The first waiter tried to charge each of us $180. This would have taken the total table bill to just under $1200 (we ordered only two mains). At this point we questioned the bill and the other waiter came over and adjusted it to $140 each. By this stage 2 of the girls paid because they were over it. One of the girls was not happy with the total, it still seemed too much. She asked for the print out, got out her calculator and long story short it was only $83 each. The waiter took $120 cash out and refunded the two who had already paid.
If we hadn't questioned it we would have been massively overcharged for a mediocre experience.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$80–90
Food: 3
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 2
Average food for the price tag. Been to high end restaurants all around world and for the price tag sailor doesn't meet up to expectations. Lame drinks and average service. Food isn't worth the price tag unfortunately. Small portions and food is just ok. Supposed to be a rum bar. Mediocre drinks. Spent over $250 for 4 people. Expect more for that money
Food: 2
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 1
