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Ratings and reviews
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
$15.00 – $35.00
CUISINES
Bar, Pub, Gastropub, Beer restaurants
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Does this restaurant have live music
Details
About
A friendly pub for both tourists and locals alike, situated in the heart of Queenstown. Our aim is to have really good simple food and great service, in a welcoming environment
PRICE RANGE
$15.00 – $35.00
CUISINES
Bar, Pub, Gastropub, Beer restaurants
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Waterfront
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4.5
1,174 reviews
Excellent
667
Very good
373
Average
75
Poor
32
Terrible
27
Peta Harwood
Brisbane17 contributions
Jul 2022 • family
My family and I struggled to get a reservation anywhere in peak season so this was not a first choice but would recommend to others as theirs! The rib eye was the best I had had in three NZ cities and $12 espresso martinis sealed the deal. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Great atmosphere. Friendly fast service
Written 7 July 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.
silverthreads101
Palmerston North378 contributions
Nov 2021 • couples
Had a craving for a burger and this place didn’t disappoint. One beef burger and one peri poppins chicken burger later and we were satisfied. Too many salty chips in the add $5 to price of burger. One serving between 2 people would have been plenty. Great service and friendly waiter added to a good meal out.
Written 6 November 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.
Tracy P
Hey silverthreads101 - thanks for leaving a review! Hopefully see you next time in Queenstown. The Ballarat
Written 30 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vicky Power
22 contributions
Oct 2020 • couples
Popped in for a drink and a burger, got a nice table and service pronto. Another waiter checked we were being served too and both checked back if we had everything it needed or any more drinks. BB Kang burger and Chick n Mac burger plus Poutine were quick and very tasty. Reasonably priced for Queenstown too.
Written 7 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.
TracyP998
Hi Vicky, thank you very much for taking the time to write a review. We are happy to hear you were looked after well by our staff as this is something we pride ourselves on. Glad you enjoyed our tasty burgers as well. We hope to see you here again!
Written 16 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sherpa45105426317
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • couples
IGNORED! Waited at bar while barman was making expresso martinis. Which is fine, happy to wait. He walked away & spoke to female also behind bar. Came back, continued to make drinks. We were standing where he was making the drinks. No acknowledgement. A young couple walked in further along bar, barman started speaking to them, asking if they wanted a drink or something to eat? " I then asked him "if we were invisible". My husband & I then walked out. We have frequented this bar often, will not be again and will be telling others of our treatment. Would have thought under current conditions of wanting clientele that would not be treating customers this way.... if ever!
Written 19 June 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.
Katelyn
1 contribution
Jul 2020 • couples
Came here this evening with my partner as we wanted to have a drink somewhere with a fun, loud atmosphere and when we walked passed this placed looked awesome, and we had also been told by friends this place was awesome so we came in and sat in the bar area after ordering a drink. After sitting down for about 2 minutes a member of staff came up to us and said If we weren’t going to order food we had to move over to the table near the door in the cold where there was absolutely no atmosphere. She said they needed to leave the better tables for those who want to eat. So we sat in the corner by ourselves near the door which was bloody freezing with people coming in and out. Drank our drink straight away and left and won’t be back and won’t be recommending to anyone! It’s a shame that a paying customer (whether they are having a few drinks or a meal) is treated like that. Disappointed.
Written 10 July 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.
TracyP998
Hi Katelyn, we are so sorry to hear about your bad experience at The Ballarat. We pride ourselves on giving the best customer experience and we must have missed the mark here. We take on board all feedback and are always working to improve the customer experience. We would love for you to come back and enjoy our well known, great atmosphere again!
Written 24 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alan M
5 contributions
Nov 2022 • couples
All of the tables outside had not been cleared ... birdsoecking at chicken bones and other leftover food. Inside the staff were rude and aggressive, no idea of what customer service means. With so many other nice and welcoming establishments in Queenstown wanting your business give this one a wide berth. Support the others and let this one go out of business. It will not be missed.
Written 6 November 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.
FlORI
Wellington2 contributions
Oct 2020 • family
We decided to go here for the $19 burger, fries, and beer deal because that was in our budget and seemed like good value. A mistake!!
The burgers in the deal are not chosen from the menu. Instead it is one of the worst burgers I've ever eaten, not even a small piece of lettuce, just a pattie, 2 bits of pickle and a bit of onion. The drinks were also not good and fries really over salted.
If you're after value, avoid this place!! Instead there is 2for1 burgers a street over at love chicken, or even KFC would be better! At least you know what you're getting and get what you pay for in fast food places. And there are $4 or $5 beers at 1876... Would work out the same price but a much better, healthier, more satisfying meal elsewhere.
Written 10 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.
TracyP998
Hi Dontgoagainsttheflo, thank you for your review. We’re so sorry to hear you were disappointed with our $19 Burger, Fries & Beer deal. It is certainly not our intention to mislead our valued customers! The burger that is included in the deal is one of our most popular burgers, The Classic American Cheese Burger, which is on our menu for $13. The deal comes with fries and a beer valued at a further $13, so this offer is designed to allow our guests enjoy the great food, service and atmosphere that we pride ourselves on, no matter what their budget may be.
It is disappointing to hear that you didn’t enjoy your meal on your visit to The Ballarat. Generally, we’re really proud of the quality of our burgers & beers and strive to keep our high standards consistent. However, it sounds like we missed the mark on this occasion and for that we’d like to sincerely apologise. We would love the opportunity to make this up to you and show you what Ballarat really has to offer so when you’re next in Queenstown please get in touch with us so we can arrange for you to come back in for a burger & beer on us. And I hope we can prove to you why we deserved to be crowned “Queenstown’s Best Burger 2020”!
Written 16 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tess
4 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
I visited Queenstown for the first time whilst in NZ from overseas and whereby my first night dining in an Italian restaurant was a joy this was not. On their website it gives the impression of a restaurant, it was actually a bar selling food. I was prepared to overlook this as I am not picky but when the waiter brought my meal, sent the dish of ketchup flying then proceeded to splash my white shirt with large blobs of ketchup and walk off oblivious, the night went downhill. I went to another waiter and asked for the washroom, showing my shirt, explaining that his colleague did the ketchup staining, he just said something like a grunt and walked off, that was it, no sorry or can we help. Some men arrived and spent their time shouting and roaring, so much so that a female staff member asked them to keep it down, to no avail. For the money paid it was a bad experience and I shall certainly advise my friends never to go there.
Written 13 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.
Irie S
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • couples
My partner and I arrived here on a Thursday around 8 p.m. after dinner to grab a few drinks and listen to the live band. We had ordered 2 beers from the bar while listening to the live band, and were rudely told we weren’t allowed to sit anymore to finish our drinks even though it wasn’t busy and it was only about 9:35 p.m… we felt extremely targeted and as though us being paying customers wasn’t good enough. Don’t recommend. Staff and bouncer are extremely disrespectful, unprofessional, and rude when it comes to friendly and excited tourists in this town. 0/5 stars. Go elsewhere.
Written 16 March 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.
Republic Hospitality
Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to submit your feedback about your recent visit to The Ballarat here in Queenstown.
I'm so sorry to hear that your visit was below par. Sadly, this isn't the ideal experience we want to provide our customers with. However, your feedback is important and we met with the team and told them of your review. Needless to say, they were disappointed to hear they had let you down.
Moving forward, we have retrained the team on how to communicate with our customers especially when they are changing the venue from dining and drinks to live music and dancing.
We don't want to put off anyone visiting our venue, from locals to those here on their holidays. Queenstown is a town to make some awesome memories and it's disappointing to hear that we didn't provide that experience.
We would love an opportunity to make it up to you if ever you visit Queenstown again. If you do visit again, please send me an email at jax@republicqt.co.nz so we can have the chance to redeem ourselves and show you what we truly want to deliver to our customers.
Again, our sincerest apologies and we hope that this didn't tarnish your time in our town.
Kind regards,
Jax Smith
Head of Sales
Republic Hospitality
Written 18 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bob D
Dunedin2 contributions
Oct 2020 • couples
4 of us walked in and we were immediately seated and asked if we required drinks, menu's provided and 10 minutes later asked if ready to order. The food duly arrived and was simply superb, cooked to perfection by the Chef's. The live music started around 8pm and was non stop until 10:30pm (well done Caleb) Coffees arrived and after dinner drinks, all of this was served with a professionalism by the lovely young lady, Charlotte, she did not miss a beat. We all will definitely be back next time we are in Queenstown, 10 out of 10... Cheers.
Written 7 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.
TracyP998
Hi Bob! Thank you so much for the great review. We are so happy you had such a great evening dining, drinking and enjoying the live music. Charlotte is one of our front of house superstars and her mention by you will not go un noticed. We look forward to welcoming you back when you are next in Queenstown.
Written 16 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bruce
Reading5 contributions
Dec 2019 • couples
We had a meal and a beer, I had a veggie burger which has to date been the best non meat burger... the staff were really attentive and friendly, our host Lewis was chatty and easy to talk with and gave us some great ideas for how to spend our time locally which was super helpful. Highly recommend for a quick beer or sit down meal.
Written 4 January 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.
Tracy P
Thank you for taking the time to review us. We especially love good feedback about our staff!
Written 2 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael P
Stratford24 contributions
Feb 2023 • couples
Decided to come here for dinner. You order at the bar but the service was slack. It wasn’t that busy but there were 4 guys behind the bar disinterested in taking orders , they’d rather talk to their mates and look pretty. The food was ok. Go somewhere we’re you’re treated as a customer should, there’s plenty of choices. Avoid!
Written 10 February 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.
Kate
Tauranga56 contributions
Jun 2021 • none
The Ballarat is a cheap and cheerful pub that is good value with friendly staff. The chunky fries were not so chunky, but the burger was tasty. It was concerning that there was no COVID-19 QR code to scan - not on the door or inside, particularly given this is a government requirement for hospitality venues in New Zealand.
Written 25 June 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.
Tracy P
Hey Kateyandco, we do have 2 QR codes for the venue, one just by the front till and another on the brown trolley that sits outside. We will definitely look into making these more prominent though as we don't want our customers to worry we are not aligning with the government COVID-19 requirements. We hope to see you again soon next time you visit Queenstown!
Written 27 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephy55
Napier50 contributions
Nov 2020 • couples
Dined here twice during our 4 day stay due to the exceptional food! Got the pork belly and house salad the first time - absolutely Devine. The salad was the best salad I have ever eaten at a restaurant and the pork was juicy and tender. The second time I got the southern style chicken with salad and beer batter fries - what can I say except yum! Another stunning salad and juicy yummy chicken ( big portion too). The fries with aoili were to die for. Could not fault the food at all - wish we had this restaurant in Napier as I would go often! Staff very friendly and prices very reasonable.
Written 13 November 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.
TracyP998
Hey Stephy55,
Thank you so much for your lovely review of your visits to The Ballarat! Great to hear you enjoyed our salad, it's just new on the menu so this feedback is much appreciated :) We'll be sure to pass your comments onto our chefs. Thanks again, looking forward to welcoming you back next time you're down from Napier.
Written 1 December 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alysha
1 contribution
Sept 2021 • friends
Some friends and I came from Wellington and went to this bar and had to wait in line due to level 2 restrictions. A guy at the door named Will was super chatty and handled these difficult situations like a breeze! This was obviously one of the busier bars so we had to wait awhile, but if it wasn’t for the good yarns, we would’ve left and went somewhere else. Good to have some friendly staff on board especially in times like these!
Staff inside were super cool! Everyone was so happy and friendly. Will definitely recommend to others!
Written 21 September 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.
Tracy P
Hey Alysha562 - thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. I've passed this on to Will, we are very lucky to have him and he always makes a shift easier! Looking forward to seeing you on your next visit,
Written 15 October 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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