Ernesto

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Address

132 Cuba St
Wellington
Region: Wellington
Licence: Unknown
Cuisine: Unknown
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Contact

Phone: 04-801 6878

Overall DineOut Score based on 46 reviews

Total		6.8
Food		7.2
Dessert		7.7
Presentation		6.7
Service		5.8
Environment		6.8
Toilets		5.9
Child Friendly	Yes

Review by: Magzstar [DineOut VIP] (155) on 23rd August 2010

Total		7.9
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		8
Service		8
Environment		7
Toilets		N/A

Came here for brunch on Saturday and were promptly seated and given water and menu's. The place was buzzing, as soon as a table left there were people waiting to swoop, but the waitress soon returned to take our orders. I had 2 poached eggs on grain toast with a side of hashbrowns- just love the home made potato cakes as opposed to the usual ubiquitous triangles so often served. My partner had poached eggs on toast with a side of the chipoltle beans. The food was good, the coffee good and the service good- altogether a really nice way not to have to do the brunch dishes!

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Review by: Foodiefoodie [DineOut VIP] (228) on 8th August 2010

Total		8.0
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		8
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A

Haven't managed to make it for dinner at Ernesto and we came back for Sunday brunch. The open omelette was delicious! It had chorizo, mushrooms and caramelised onions served with salad and creme fraiche. The buttermilk pancakes were not that great today but I know from previous visits it can be a winner too. Still one of my favourite cafes.

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Review by: Bob Man (3) on 22nd July 2010

Total		8.4
Food		9
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		8
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		7
Child Friendly	Yes

Came for brunch in the weekend, and probably arrived at the peak of the rush. My partner and I were told to take a seat at the window for a table. In less than 5mins they sat us down and took our order, the waitress had plenty of patience and was very polite also recommending meals for my partner. The coffee was perfect, and the omelette was the best ive ever had, it was huge! The decor was amazing, my parner was very curious about the shrine they had up on the wall. Great experience for a lazy Sunday and will definitely be coming back!

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Review by: poshnosh (24) on 20th July 2010

Total		7.6
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		7
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A

Had brunch here yest and have never been here before, pleasant service and a relaxing chilled out vibe. Generous tasty coffee could have been slightly hotter. Had big breakfast which had homemade hashbrowns,mushrooms, perfectly poached eggs and yummy refried beans and your choice of toast. The slow roasted tomato topped with garlic was truly delish, it was no prob to change the order from bacon and sausage to avo and black pudd. The partner had the breakfast burrito which he enjoyed immensely, will definately return.

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Review by: Foodiefoodie [DineOut VIP] (228) on 4th July 2010

Total		7.9
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A

I decided to try a different item on the menu and I was not disappointed. The home made hash browns were delicious. Crispy on the outside and just the right size. The eggs were poached perfectly and the coffee was great. Once again I am reminded why this cafe is one of my favourites in town. Service was efficient and professional. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. I am now curious about their dinner menu...

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Review by: Vinh [DineOut VIP] (79) on 17th June 2010

Total		6.3
Food		6
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		6
Environment		7
Toilets		N/A

Fast-paced, crowded, nicely located. Quite a vibrant cafe, lots of traffic outside and inside. Food-wise it is fairly good. Last weekend, I had an omelette with chorizo, tasty but slightly oily. My partner had Enesto breakfast (the good old bacon, egg, hashbrown, tomato, mushroom). Bonus points for the home-made hashbrown and big mushroom. Coffee was excellent!! No complaints here. Would come back

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Review by: woodzey (6) on 7th June 2010

Total		5.7
Food		8
Dessert		5
Presentation		6
Service		2
Environment		5
Toilets		5

We decided to try Ernesto as we saw it in the Entertainment book, the menu outside looked good. We got seated straight away and given menus, mmmm then we waited and waited and waited, we noticed that our waitress had grabbed her coat and left we thought maybe for a coffee break or smoko but no for the night leaving two waitresses for a packed restaurant. After waiting for 30 min we asked one of the remaining waitresses if we could place our order, the meals came fairly promptly and were yummy, so no complaints about the food, apart from my dessert, billed as chocolate fondant it was really just a choc pudding as there was no runny centre so technically not a fondant. I wish I had ordered my husband choc cake devine. Coffee was nice tasting but technically not correct. So overall food good but service crap.

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Review by: Areti Metuamate (14) on 2nd May 2010

Total		8.6
Food		10
Dessert		8
Presentation		7
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		7
Child Friendly	Kind of

Best pork belly in town. Lovely staff and a great location. Price is very reasonable for a very enjoyable meal.

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Review by: Foodiefoodie [DineOut VIP] (228) on 17th April 2010

Total		7.6
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		8
Service		7
Environment		7
Toilets		N/A

The french toast was delicious and the pancakes with berry was great too. It pays to come in early as the cafe gets quite busy. The staff were friendly and professional. Highly recommended.

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Review by: Butterball [DineOut VIP] (68) on 31st March 2010

Total		7.4
Food		7
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A

nice slow walk to Ernesto's helped clear the cobwebs from a Friday evening of over indulgence, found a nice table by the window, watiress was quick with the menus and water and the newspaper, hubby had the Ernesto breakfast with blackbeans once again he polished off the plate good portions size bacon was nice and crispy eggs nice and runny, I had the Ernesto eggs on hash browns with Hollandise and egg, eggs nicely poached hash browns are excellent and the Hollandise had a whole grain mustard through it went well with the hash browns Coffees fats whites hot and well made Ernesto is a favourite when we visit Wellignton

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Review by: Twofer Queen (4) on 19th February 2010

Total		5.6
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		5
Service		1
Environment		6
Toilets		3

I'd never been to dinner at Ernesto, and in fact didn't really even know that they served dinner. I wish I'd remained ignorant, because in fact, to say that they "serve" dinner is somewhat hyperbolic.
I was optimistic at first because my friend in from out of town was very keen to go there, and the atmosphere was fun and cool. We were waiting for a table for four, so decided to buy a bottle of wine. The wine didn't appear until we were seated at the table.
It took about 20 minutes and a couple of requests for our young waitress to come and see us. Fortunately we'd already grabbed menus when she wasn't looking and had decided on our orders. When she finally showed up with menus, she seemed surprised and flustered that we had circumvented her process.
My friend ordered the chilli and was asked whether she wanted it chicken or vegetarian. She opted for chicken, and eventually ended up not with the chilli dish, but rather the chicken dish. She said it was tasty and didn't seem to mind.
I ordered the steak and a side of spinach. When our meal finally arrived, oh, an hour later, my steak was really good. I had completely given up hope that it would be even edible, or cooked medium rare, but it was delicious and perfectly cooked. The spinach was weird and kind of gross, but it was fresh spinach. Maybe I just overestimated how much I like spinach.
I can't really over-emphasise how crap the service was. Our waitress, a very sweet young woman, seemed constantly overwhelmed, and quite self-aware as to her own shortcomings in the serving department. A couple of times I actually caught her blushing when things went wrong, which secretly endeared her to me. That said, I was really hungry and maybe not as empathetic as I could have been.
I will never ever go back to Ernesto unless I read on Dineout that their service has dramatically improved. Lots of places have yummy steaks and a much better service.

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Review by: Cafe Hopper [DineOut VIP] (144) on 22nd January 2010

Total		5.0
Food		5
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		3
Environment		5
Toilets		7

Today we decided to dine here for lunch after trying it for dinner the other night only to find the kitchen was closed (at 9:25 on Tues, so understandable). There were originally no tables but we were told to sit at one just vacated and they would come see us in a jiffy. We sat and waited...then we went to get our own menus...then waited in line to order (as opposed to it being taken from the table). He saw us in line and told us to sit and that he would take our orders. 1 minute later, a waitress came over and we ordered and she was very unsure of the counter food and we had to point at what we wanted. I ended up getting the chilli. The meals were bought out after a 10 minute wait so not bad, but they forgot mum's side salad. The chilli was not very tasty and so incredibly overpriced for what it was. The waitress at the counter was not very apologetic and topped an overall unpleasant visit.

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Review by: Foodiefoodie [DineOut VIP] (228) on 10th January 2010

Total		7.1
Food		7
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		7
Environment		8
Toilets		7

I came back again to have the pancakes and still very yummy. Wouldn't hesitate to come back.

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Review by: Mr Shin [DineOut VIP] (228) on 23rd December 2009

Total		6.6
Food		7
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		5
Service		7
Environment		6
Toilets		N/A
Child Friendly	Kind of

I've been here about 10 times for coffee and cake/muffins and last week 3 of us went there for the same. Usually they ask me if i want my muffin heated up but this time they didnt. coffee was nice and the "room temperature" savoury muffin was quite good, not the best in town, but nice all the same.
It's always quite vibrant but not so busy that youcant book a table.

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Review by: totooty (1) on 23rd November 2009

Total		3.8
Food		4
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		1
Environment		4
Toilets		4
Child Friendly	Yes

An awful experience. Usually the food at Ernesto is so good it makes up for the touch and go service and the bad coffees. The last time I was there I had a delicious apple and berry pie, but got into an argument with the barista over what a macchiato was. The time before that, it was an argument over what a latte was (after they forgot my latte to start with). However this time, the undercooked pancakes that were completely doughy in the middle were the final nail in the coffin. Not only did they forget my coffee, when I asked for it they said, ok but its going to the bottom of the queue. I did get an apology for the coffee, but nothing for the undercooked pancakes. My husband's open omelette, however, was delicious. I think from now on I will avoid this beautifully decorated and perfectly located cafe like the plague, its not worth the drama.

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Review by: creatureofhabit (54) on 29th September 2009

Total		5.9
Food		6
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		5
Service		6
Environment		6
Toilets		N/A

I usually only come here for coffee as the coffee is good. But yesterday was wet and miserable so I had mushroom soup for a quick lunch. It took quite a long time to get to the front of the queue at the counter. I always think it's a bit strange when there is counter service and the person at the till asks you "where are you sitting?" I have no idea, I've been waiting in a queue... anyway I managed to spot an empty table and pointed to it. Once ordered the service was quick. The soup was reasonable, nothing too special, and even though it was certainly full of blended mushroom bits it wasn't particularly mushroomy in flavour. The rest of the counter food looked appetising; I will be back for another quick lunch, and definitely the coffee.

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Review by: Sejie (59) on 22nd July 2009

Total		7.9
Food		8
Dessert		8
Presentation		8
Service		8
Environment		7
Toilets		7

Four of us went to Ernesto last week for dinner. Yum yum yum! The food was delicious! Bonus for dessert was that they had some cakes and slices for $4 each which was a great bargain. Only problem we encountered was that the table we were initially sat at was far too small for 4 people - not sure where we would have put our food once the wine was there! We asked to be moved to a bigger table which was not a problem. Great night,

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Review by: Foodiefoodie [DineOut VIP] (228) on 12th July 2009

Total		7.7
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		8
Environment		7
Toilets		N/A

We arrived on a relatively early Sunday morning for brunch so was able to get a table straight away. The staff were friendly and welcoming. The homemade hasbrowns were deliciously served with perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. The buttermilk pancakes were also delicious with the berries. The first coffee was perfect and served at a good temperature but they got quite busy so the second cup was not hot enough. Overall, we have a lovely dining experience and Ernesto is now a favourite!

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Review by: M&K (18) on 31st May 2009

Total		6.8
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		8
Service		3
Environment		7
Toilets		N/A
Child Friendly	Kind of

Ernesto is where the Krazy Lounge used to be (I think!?) on Cuba mall and is named after Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Was there for brunch on a weekend. I was issappointed with slow & bumbling service. Order was forgotten twice, probably because the waitress didn't write down the order. Coffees arrived after the meal and only after 3 reminders. Food was excellent, very flavourful and good quantities when they did eventually arrive. Lots of interesting stuff behind the counter and reasonably priced too.

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Review by: Sturm (10) on 31st May 2009

Total		5.1
Food		4
Dessert		7
Presentation		7
Service		3
Environment		7
Toilets		2

It's a pity that such a good looking cafe in such a great location suffers from some bad service and hit and miss food. The serving staff are mainly young and just toooo cool to take an order or clear a table. They don't appear to like being in the service industry and some of the staff/management behind the counter seem to suffer from the same problem. The coffee/tea maker was very slow and spent too much time telling the wait staff how to go about putting food onto a plate, how to heat it and how not to forget about it once the microwave bell dings. We were not allowed to order off the menu because the cooks had gone and we had to make do with the counter food. We began with the salads that were not worth the money being made of cheap and poorly cooked ingredients - roasted vegetable salad was just shrivelled and burnt black carrots, pumpkin and kumera in too much sweet chili sauce and vinegar. The noodle salad was just that, noodle with a few flecks of coriander, chopped carrot and a peanut - and again, sweet chili sauce and vinegar. The panini have very little inside so was really just flavoured barely toasted bread. The cake was very nice but small for the price. We had one good coffee, but the second one was awful being weak and bitter and obviously the run on from the previous coffee.

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Review by: salope (47) on 27th May 2009

Total		6.8
Food		7
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		6
Service		6
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A

It's interesting how quickly you judge something on what otherss say. My friend and I were looking for a place on Cuba for brunch, when we walked past Ernesto my friend said he's only heard bad things but then we were drawn to the awesome looking dishes the diners were eating and the menu looked good so in we went. They were super busy and when my friend went up to order our coffees they warned him the wait was 30 minutes. We were okay with this. The wait was a little longer than that, and the restaurant did that annoying thing of serving some other customers before us even though we had been waiting far longer. Anyway, my friend said his pancakes were lovely but a little small. My Chorizo and potato omeltte was very tasting but had little chorizo. The thing that really got me though was that it was technically a frittata as it had been left to cook in the pan as is (not folded over as you would expect). It seems like the smallest detail but it really threw me. Anyway, we had a cupcake for dessert which was very nice and our coffee's were good so all in all not a bad dining experience. Not a fantastic one either but maybe make up your own mind on this one.

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Review by: tiger (9) on 24th April 2009

Total		6.5
Food		7
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		6
Service		6
Environment		6
Toilets		N/A

After reading some of the reviews on Dine Out, we weren't too sure what we were in for. We were expecting alright food, poor service, and grubby toilets. This would also be compounded by the fact that we had a fairly large party of people of 10 or so.
I selected the vegetarian tagliatelle that was fresh, colourful, tasty, seasoned well, but a little bit heavy on the oil.
My wife had the Black bean and chipotle chilli with grilled chicken and chorizo. This was piping hot, had good spiciness and a great fluffy and light wedge of corn bread.
In regards to the service, it was not fast and strikingly attentive by any measure, but then it was not as offensive as we expected. I agree with the previous reviews who stated that if you are not in a hurry that night, Ernesto is worth considering.
Through the night our table companions were comparing Ernesto to its former life as the Krazy Lounge. One things remained constant in this regard, which is people have different expectations and basis for comparisons. Some loved the Krazy Lounge, some hated it. I expected the worst from Ernesto, but came out pleasantly surprised with an average opinion of the experience.

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Review by: sarah_74 (5) on 22nd April 2009

Total		7.1
Food		8
Dessert		8
Presentation		7
Service		4
Environment		8
Toilets		3

I had delicious dinner with my family on friday night last week. The service was ok but the food was really nice! One person had fish of the day which was good and three people had pork belly and we all agreed it was the one of the best pork dishes in wellington. I am definitely going back for that pork! yum!!!!

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Review by: janicemcd (2) on 13th April 2009

Total		8.1
Food		9
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		8
Service		8
Environment		7
Toilets		5

We went to Ernesto for tapas and drinks before dinner planned for somewhere else - but had such a great time we stayed the rest of the evening. The dill and lime chicken was fantastic, as was the lamb fillet served with chorizo and chick peas. Service was fab - the only downside was the state of the loos....no paper and not toally clean - but not too much of an issue on the busy Thursday before Easter. Would certainly go back.

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Review by: Stanley88 (7) on 3rd March 2009

Total		2.8
Food		4
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		3
Service		1
Environment		1
Toilets		N/A
Child Friendly	Not at all

Had an absolutely shocking experience here on Sunday 1 March 2009. Arrived with a group of 4, sat down at a table which had not been cleared, and proceeded to wait for approximately 20 minutes before the waitress dained to come over to partially clear away the table and to take our orders. In hindsight should have walked away, but it was a Sunday, and the place was reasonably busy (though not full). Another half hour we sit at the table, before flagging down the waitress and enquiring as to where our drinks were (let alone food), i was yet another 20 minutes before, after actually getting up from the table to get the attention of the waitress they finally arrived (How long does it take to pour a coke, coffee and tea???). Furthermore adding to our rapidly growing resentment when the beverages were delivered to the table, it was not without a serious dose of attitude from another waitress (or maybe it was the manager?). While they offered (quite rightly) to take the drinks off the bill, this was done so with a sarcastic muttering of "sorry for your troubles". Hardly a pleasant way to spend a sunday afternoon.
When the food finally did arrive, it was of reasonable quality, though it was absolutely tainted by the pathetic service, the incompetence and arrogance of the wait staff. We were not the only dissatisfied customers that day, another group we knew at the restaurant had similar service issues.
It is quite sad that such a great location, and what could be a great cafe is ruined by an indifferent, slow and rude service.

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