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Hours
Mon
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Tue
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Wed
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Thu
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Fri
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Sat
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Ratings and reviews
4.5
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
PRICE RANGE
$10.00 – $36.00
CUISINES
European, New Zealand
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Can a vegetarian person get a good meal at this restaurant?
Details
PRICE RANGE
$10.00 – $36.00
CUISINES
European, New Zealand
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
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4.5
481 reviews
Excellent
313
Very good
92
Average
52
Poor
16
Terrible
8
V8688KOmichaelg
20 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
I've eaten twice at this restaurant recently and was impressed both times. On the first occasion I had seared tuna for an entree and snapper for a main, each dish presented nicely and tastily. I bypassed dessert for a 'smidgen' (their word) of brie on crackers that were, disappointingly, too brittle. On the second occasion I had excellent tender calamari to begin with and lamb rack for my main, also very tender. It was a richer meal than the first and the bowl of shoestring fries we ordered to go with our starters was completely unnecessary. The wine list is limited but classy and the still water served in old beer bottles is a bit of fun, referencing the building's origins as the DB brewery many years ago. Service is relaxed but efficient and they will adjust the menu to suit. Highly recommended.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen Johnson
Hamilton1 contribution
May 2020 • couples
I am really impressed with the new menu. The beef tartare entrée was just gorgeous. Lovely combination of flavours and so pretty. The eye fillet main was cooked perfectly, the sides were delicious and the waitress suggested a lovely wine match. Surprisingly, as someone who normally wouldn't order dessert, I was absolutely blown away by how good the avocado tart dessert was. It sounds really unusual but was executed perfectly. All of the dishes looked like artwork. The service was super friendly and waitress took the time to go over the new menu with us. Can't wait to go back and try some of the other new dishes.
Written 26 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cockies2017
Hamilton102 contributions
Sept 2020 • none
The best meal and service I have had in Hamilton. This is the only second place I have rated excellent. Food and service were great, some people have complained about the amount of food, but you can order extras if needed. All of our dishes were served at the same time, a first in Hamilton. The waitress knew whom the servings were for and was attentive but discrete. Yes it is not cheap, but it is worth it on a special event. Highly recommended
Written 3 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Annaliese L
12 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
When I am paying $20+ for an entree and $40+ for a main is it too much to ask to get good service to go along with the meal.
Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious although lacking a little seasoning. It was the service that lets this place down. When we were seated no one came to the table for at least 5 minutes. We 'ended up asking for water and for the waitress to take our drink order. Entrees took at least 30 minutes to arrive. And mains another 30. Waitress's were very inattentive and we were often served by several different staff. This clearly lead to a communication breakdown as we were given main cutlery by another member of staff instead of entree cutlery. We asked a staff member which dessert wines were late harvest and all she said was she didn't know, leaving us to choose a random wine. Which I didn't enjoy.
Dessert on the other hand was delicious.
We left feeling like we had been ripped off and considering that we are paying a premium for the food you would expect top quality service to go along with it.
Written 8 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elaine Yeoh
Auckland594 contributions
Dec 2020 • friends
Apparently this restaurant is named after a bird - the Chim Choo Ree. A cute sounding name for a stylish restaurant located in the brewery building in Hamilton, serving European cuisine NZ style with seasonal local ingredients.
Liked:
1. The overall stylish location and spacious premises that the restaurant is housed in. The brewery building is a standalone space bit strangely the restaurant shares the space within the building with another business. Can’t quite remember which. Love the instant vibe that you walk into as the doors to the restaurant open. Just buzzy and full of the chatter of happy people enjoying drinks and food.
2. Menu was simple, most of these their tried and tested signatures but adequate. Ordered their eye fillet with a small portion of beef short rib - both very good, tender and done medium but beautifully cooked with a lovely sauce to accompany the meat. Our starter was an chargrilled asparagus salad with maple glazed tofu.
3. Love the amuse bouche that came before the starter and the mains.
Definitely will come back next time to sample the other things like their duck which looked promising.
Written 13 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GMJ
2 contributions
Mar 2021 • none
I was very disappointed with the restaurant, they have a very limited menu and to find that two of my top choses were not available, spoiled our dinner out.
To be told it was "bad luck" that they didn't have scallops or eye fillet on a Wednesday evening and the restaurant was not full was very poor.
So much so we left after entree's we left and went to another restaurant where we had a great meal.
Written 21 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jon doe
Hamilton115 contributions
Dec 2022 • couples
Overrated pretentious
All you need to do is get the right staff and the rest will fall into place. We arrived at 7 pm drinks were served within a suitable time frame . Ambiance was ok and the restaurant was reasonably full.
We ordered starters which about 45 minutes to turn up both were tiny. Overpriced for what you get .
Mains didn’t come out till nine o’clock we had complained about 30 minutes prior and was told by our waitress they were going to be 10 minutes away.
Eventually they turned just past nine 2 hours after we had arrived.
Both meals were cold . The young inexperienced waitress apologised and returned 20 minutes later with the food which was the correct temperature.
Both meals were small for $46 I would expect a lot more.
So all up the whole experience was very poor and disappointing.
You need to get your stuff sorted chimchooree . I shall be warning others not to bother with your restaurant.
Written 17 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin-and-Jo
Hamilton26 contributions
Nov 2021 • none
First dinner out with friends after a long lockdown. Good to spend time with friends and the food was exceptionally good but the service was absolutely woeful. Over an hour before they took our food order (even then only because we prompted them to the our order). Drinks took FOREVER, frequently they got it wrong. Three hours after arriving we had just finished our main course - would have loved dessert but feared pressure sores on our butts waiting so long!! The staff weren't outright rude but disinterested, insightless and just really bad at their job - the chefs did a great job but were totally let down by the waiting staff. No plans to go back there!!!
Written 1 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
968lizg
Tauranga41 contributions
Feb 2020 • couples
Nice setting ,near the Waikato river but no view of it .
We went on friends recommendation
The service was lovely and. Food very nice
But felt for cost there was not enough food
My husband still hungry at the end of it
Written 23 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kiwi traveller
Hamilton16 contributions
Nov 2023 • couples
This restaurant has been open in Hamilton for quite some time, but we have never had the opportunity to dine in here. So, for a recent special occasion, we decided we would treat ourselves. Given the cost of the meals on the menu we anticipated the restaurant would be quite beautiful but were quite unimpressed with the decor. It’s almost though they started decorating and then never finished it. We found it very lacklustre with the dry flower arrangements, and basic wooden tables. It felt very empty of any thought or emotion. The service on the night was very poor as well with none of the staff coming to check if we needed more drinks or how the food was. Service in general is pretty slow and we spent two hours here having just an entree and main (The first taking over an hour to arrive). I cannot fault the food, however this was spectacular. Well presented and everything was delicious.
Written 16 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shayne M
Prebbleton143 contributions
Aug 2020 • family
First went to Chim-Choo-ree when they were an excellent Bohemian style restaurant on Victoria Street. Have been a couple of times since and each subsequent visit leave me slightly underwhelmed.
Hard to put my finger on what it is exactly but when I compare to other top end similarly priced restaurants say in Auckland. The service though was attentive and the presentation was good. Both my son and I ordered beef tartare which we love but the style was very different from a normal beef tartare and the portion was minescule. The mains fared a little better but none of us was raving.
I just think the value for money has gone. Portion sizes seem smaller and for a top end restaurant it was just missing something. I just can’t put my finger on it.
Don’t mind the gold plated price tag but expect to be wowed.
Written 5 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ollington897
Hamilton2 contributions
Aug 2022 • none
Me and my friend ate here a couple months ago and we ate mains and got drinks and were very happy with the dinner and said to ourselves we would return.
Well tonight was the night we returned again and it was improved. The entrees which we havent had before were good not filling but pleasing for the mouth. The mains we ordered the same as last time and they had changed some things on it. And again the Mains here are to die for.
We also ordered desserts which we didn't last time. Firstly I am very much into desserts I am a big desserts guy, I am very picky of the sweetness and the decoration. Personally presentation is one of the key points to desserts, when you see it first and it looks gorgeous when you taste and its delish it makes it even better. SO i very much reccomend the panacotta which I had. Not sure about the bread and butter because I didn't get a taste but it looked amazing too.
We were served by the manager which was very lucky, he was so kind and was very knowledged explained each dish very calmly. I feel like I was delaying service for his other tables because I asked so many questions about drinks. Anyways looking back at this review I have written a lot but that just shows how much you should come and try out this place and I assure you it will be one hell of a night. Forgot to take photos until desserts :(
Also left a nice tip for the staff and it was much deserved.
Written 4 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Queen Rio
Whangarei319 contributions
Apr 2022 • friends
Really nice experience, we booked in for dinner and were served with complimentary tasting spoons before our entrées and mains. All our food was presented beautifully and tasted even better :) our hostess was very attentive and looked after us very well.
We will definitely be back again.
Written 11 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz E
Auckland5 contributions
Apr 2022 • couples
Prior to Covid this was the best restaurant in hamilton and I am happy to report it still is. We had dinner last night, the complimentary tasting spoons for starters were a nice touch, we had the beef tartare and prawn and crab rillette entree, Venison and Duck Mains and blueberry bread and butter pudding. It is rare to enjoy every dish as much as we did. Every bite was perfectly balanced in flavours and mouth feel. The last time I had food this good was at Berowra waters inn!.
Written 28 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anwil51
Queenstown547 contributions
Aug 2021 • none
I recall this being a cheerful restaurant with good food and a decor that inspired the slightly quirky. Something has changed. The food was good - service was okay although they seemed a little rushed - and wine selection was quite good. The decor has gone and lighting was over bright in some spots and dark in others. For a quality food restaurant some work may be needed to get the atmosphere to match.
Written 13 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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