Urban Oyster Bar and Eatery

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847 reviews

#5 of 152 Restaurants in Nelson$$ - $$$, Bar, Wine Bar, New Zealand

+64 3-546 7861+ Add website

Hours

Sun

11:30 am - 9:30 pm

Mon

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Tue

11:30 am - 10:30 pm

Wed

11:30 am - 10:30 pm

Thu

11:30 am - 10:30 pm

Fri

11:30 am - 11:00 pm

Sat

11:30 am - 11:00 pm

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Ratings and reviews

4.5

847 reviews

#5 of 152 Restaurants in Nelson

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

$6.00 – $24.00

CUISINES

Bar, Wine Bar, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

278 Hardy St, Nelson 7010 New Zealand

+64 3-546 7861

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Is this location primarily known for Bars & Pubs?

Yes

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About

Urban Oyster Bar & Eatery is Nelson's newest and most innovative dining experience. Don't be afraid to put your elbows on the table and engage us and your fellow diners. Get to know us and what's inspiring us today. We'll be delivering the things we're currently passionate about on each plate we serve. We hope you come with a curious spirit ready for the experience of what an eatery is all about. Our menu changes regularly with respect to what we are into at the moment, whether it's an ingredient, band, chef or current event. Our goal is to make everyone feel like whanau - whether it is your first or fortieth time. We believe that serving up good juju isn't just in the food and drink, but in the attitude and atmosphere which makes Urban the perfect place to stop in and refuel. Our menu is innovative and fresh .. Enjoy a freshly shucked oyster or for the more courageous crispy pigs ears! We have no reservations which applies does not apply to groups of 8 or more. Feel free to share a table with some locals, or visitors for that matter. Eating is a sharing experience!

PRICE RANGE

$6.00 – $24.00

CUISINES

Bar, Wine Bar, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Outdoor Seating, Seating, Street Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

847 reviews

Excellent

668

Very good

131

Average

Poor

Terrible

indulgentexperiences

Sydney246 contributions

Modern Tapas

Oct 2019 • none

We visited on a rainy weeknight when most people in Nelson seemed to be avoiding going out. The fact that Urban Oyster Bar and Eatery was full is a testament to it's popularity. They don't take bookings but tables do tend to turn over fairly quickly and so we didn't have long to wait before being seated. We got a seat at the window bench which on a nicer night would be great for people watching. The food is all designed to share. The menu tends to modern tapas with an Asian influence. The dishes we tried were all great, light and fresh with lots of flavour. Food prices are very reasonable, with the most expensive large dish / main $28. There is a good selection of local wines at very reasonable prices (the majority are $10-11) Staff were very friendly and cheerful. Really enjoyable night.

Written 12 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.

Rich30303

Nelson17 contributions

A different but delightful experience..

Jan 2020 • couples

Our first visit to this highly recommended and fast becoming iconic eatery. Interesting and varied Tapas-style food which we really enjoyed. Very attentive maitre-d who carefully described options. Oysters were delicious but super expensive! Seafood tacos and sliders were suberb. Can't wait to try more options. Criticisms?... service rather slow (they were not busy) and cigarette smoke from tavern next door a definite minus - this is a restaurant precinct and should be TOTALLY non smoking!! Tried for dinner a few nights later but absolutely overflowing... will try again at a quieter time. Overall, a good experience and highly recommended R&R

Written 23 January 2020

Jennie G

Christchurch175 contributions

Great Value

Jan 2020 • none

We enjoyed a $50pp set menu, all the course's were amazing and so much food and wine or a beer included made this meal excellent value. First course was Oysters which I do not like but hubby loves them I was offered a couple of delicous alternatives. Service was excellent, we could not find fault with anything at this restaurant and hope to return again very soon.

Written 11 January 2020

244jacquid

Hamilton8 contributions

Outstanding

Feb 2020 • none

Sensational food and brilliant service. Could not fault it. We sat near the kitchen and was so nice to see all the chefs looking happy and engaged with a great rapport between them and the wait staff

Written 28 February 2020

AndyTheChef2014

Dunedin47 contributions

Urban Myth Solved

Jan 2020 • family

We picked on this restaurant as it had scored highly on Trip Advisor and I was intrigued about the Tapa style menu. 3 of us ordered tempura oysters, wontons, sliders with salt and pepper squid, mini hamburger and a pulled lamb dish (think). Homemade snickers bar with ice cream for dessert. To sum up we liked the way the way the dishes came out as they were ready (we sat at the servery watching the chefs). Everything was as ordered and very tasty. One or two had us hankering for more - the squid was spot on. All in all a great experience with the lively atmosphere and friendly staff adding to the happy vibe we felt. We will be back!

Written 12 January 2020

Greg

San Fernando22 contributions

Great tapas style food

Feb 2020 • solo

I spent a nice evening here. Lots of very tasty small plate meals over the course of an hour and a half...spaced out so you could just keep eating and drinking. Had a great seat - would advise bookingca seat next to the window

Written 7 February 2020

Enrico G

25 contributions

Great place to have dinner In Nelson NZ

Jan 2020 • none

We went there and prior reservation was not possible "we will find a place for you" was the comment on the phone and you know what? They did! So within a minute we got a table and decided to have dinner. Expect that there are a lot of people bustling around you, so it is not a quiet restaurant. However it is fun and the staff members are truly motivated, quick and very professional. The food was excellent, maybe it is salty for New-Zealand taste, but for us Europeans it was exactly how it should be. Try the Fish-Tacos and the Popcorn-chicken, and don’t miss Misty Miyagi Beer. Also the little Burger was one of the best we had the pleasure to taste in NZ. Don’t forget the Espresso at the end. The size of the portions was big enough and we went full and happy out – truly a place to return.

Written 5 January 2020

feipo

Tauranga322 contributions

An Overrated Bar

Oct 2020 • none

It's a good place for those who enjoyed eating in a very noisy bar. The menu had good healthy food. The high chair tables were tiny, so when served the Tapas dishes, the table was just too small !!! We ordered 5 dishes to share, they were all ok, nothing to crow about. The crowded table and very noisy music just made the dinner very uncomfortable. However, it's not cheap !! We definitely won't be back.

Written 11 November 2020

Foodforthought87

Nelson1 contribution

Still the best in Nelson

Jun 2020 • couples

I've visited this place many times since moving to Nelson and have always been impressed. I was very to excited to hear that they have a new menu in place since reopening and i was not disappointed. The Oysters and sashimi where as fresh as you will ever find, the Sichuan venison was beautifully presented and so well seasoned and even the panna cotta dessert was a star. The team have obviously worked very hard during lockdown and it really does show. 5 stars as always.

Written 8 June 2020

Food for thought

4 contributions

Great dining experience

Sept 2020 • friends

What can I say other than wow....... server was extremely knowledgeable explaining the menu and answering all of our questions. Cocktails where well presented and the wine list was well put together with lots of local options to try. Now onto the food. The dishes where all super imaginative and you could tell it was all incredibly fresh. We have the fish tacos and sashimi and with one bite you could tell how high quality the seafood was. My friend is vegetarian and had the special tofu bao buns which where so good even us meat eaters ordered another portion. Just go here if you get the chance.there is something for everyone in a great setting. You won't leave disappointed.

Written 14 September 2020

Wanaklions

Wanaka67 contributions

Urban Good Good Good

Nov 2020 • none

So I had read about this place and had been told about the owner (Mat) and his views on food by another top chef based in NZ, so I was keen to see if it stood up to the test. It did in spades! It was a very wet Monday evening so we did not book and we were lucky to get in as it was packed at 6.30pm. Always a good sign. As is becoming the norm the plates are designed to be shared so we started with Oysters from Warkworth and they were very nice this followed by a beef flank dish and vegetables. All were so tasty and presented so well and easily enough for us but the menu is large so all should find something to try. Trust me it is a class act. Good, if selective wine list and what appears to loads of craft beers. The place is very lively and the servers were all happy and helpful. So thanks Urban we will be back next time we are in Nelson.

Written 5 November 2020

P & G

Auckland10 contributions

We tried our luck at the Urban

Nov 2020 • none

We tried our luck at the Urban Oyster Bar without a booking and managed to get a table for 2 with full view of the kitchen. Very busy on a Monday evening when it seems many other Nelson restaurants take a break. We didn’t try the oysters but the sharing plates we did choose were great. Fish cake sliders, Mt Peel lamb, cauliflower & spring vegetables were ample and tasty. The service was friendly & excellent (even had one of the chefs deliver our sliders). The wine selection is undergoing a revamp at the moment but plenty to choose from. Enjoyed the food and the vibe.

Written 16 November 2020

JohnSB3

Wellington745 contributions

First rate place

Dec 2020 • none

This is one of the newer joints in town and oysters are opened to order. Surprisingly (to me anyway) none of the oysters on offer were local, but we forced down a dozen all the same. We had lamb and beef to follow perched up on stools. This is a loud, busy and noisy place with rather too much modern techno for my taste but there is no denying the quality of the food here. We had a lovely evening and enjoyed the experience.

Written 31 December 2020

Colin Nator

Melbourne1 contribution

Six of us rolled up one night

Jan 2020 • friends

Six of us rolled up one night last week and asked for a table for eight (2 were still coming). The owner/manager was very accommodating and asked staff to make room for us. The staff were friendly and attentive. The food options were good, with fresh oysters shucked before your eyes. Craft beer and local wines aplenty. A great night. Thanks.

Written 21 January 2020

KiwiRoadrunner

Havelock North215 contributions

Flavour, fun, and a bit of love

Jan 2022 • none

If you only eat at one restaurant in Nelson, this should be the one. Every single dish is packed with flavour, fun to eat, and (as one of the chefs said) made with a bit of love. We were lucky enough to be seated at a high two-top against the wall overlooking the kitchen. The 3 chefs worked as a seamless unit and clearly cared about making every dish taste amazing. It's hard to pick a favourite dish given that every one was super yummy but it had to be the boneless chicken with a chipotle sauce. The ceviche was beautifully prepared and seasoned. The corn side dish was divine and so much fun to eat. You really can't go wrong. All dishes are meant to be shared and sized accordingly. We had one raw dish (the ceviche), 3 of the "kai" or mains, and one side dish (the corn) - a perfect amount for 2 very hungry adults. Small, but interesting wine list and many cocktail options. Superb service. the prices are incredibly reasonable, especially compared to other local restaurants. A must visit in Nelson!

Written 30 January 2022

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