Tides Bar & Eatery

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#8 of 152 Restaurants in NelsonEuropean, New Zealand, $$ - $$$

What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Tides Bar & Eatery

Review

At a glance

Open until 9:30 PM

, 6:30 AM - 9:30 PM

Website

+64 3-548 7049Improve this listing

About

Travellers' Choice

2024

Features

CUISINES

European, New Zealand

Meal types

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

American Express

Cash Only

Free off-street parking

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Highchairs Available

Mastercard

Non-smoking restaurants

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Street Parking

Table Service

Television

Visa

Waterfront

Wheelchair Accessible

Wine and Beer

Location

66 Trafalgar Street The Wood, Nelson, Nelson 7010 New Zealand

Free off-street parking, Parking Available, Street Parking

Is this restaurant on the water, or waterfront?

Yes

Unsure

Reserve a table

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Open until 9:30 PM

Sunday

6:30 am - 9:30 pm

Monday

6:30 am - 9:30 pm

Tuesday

6:30 am - 9:30 pm

Wednesday

6:30 am - 9:30 pm

Thursday

6:30 am - 9:30 pm

Friday

6:30 am - 9:30 pm

Saturday

6:30 am - 9:30 pm

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4.4

642 reviews

Excellent

412

Very good

148

Average

Poor

Terrible

Nick G

Camberley9 contributions

Good meal and service at Tides

Jan 2025 • couples

Popped into Tides for an early evening meal. We ordered two salads (as we didn't need a lot to eat), these were followed by dessert and coffee. The food was good (as expected), and table service from Ruby was very attentive. We ate inside, but it's possible to sit outside on a patio area next to the river. All in all we were happy with the food/service/environment. The team at Tides were very attentive - but they were in danger of becoming too attentive - sometimes diners need to be left on their own to enjoy their meal without being repeated asked if everthing was OK. I know it's a fine tightrope to walk - but please consider how often you engage with your customers.

Written 5 January 2025

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.

Toby Munro

Hi Nick Thank you for your review We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your meal with us and received attentive service I will pass your feedback on to the staff, I definitely know what you mean! We hope to welcome you back soon Kind regards Elesha

Written 17 February 2025

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

pkh213

Fairfax193 contributions

Delicious food and outdoor seating!

Feb 2024 • couples

We stayed at The Tides Hotel for three nights and ate at the restaurant twice during our stay. They have lovely outdoor seating. I enjoyed the New Zealand Green Lipped mussels from Havelock. They were served in a coconut sauce and served with crusty bread. My husband enjoyed the lamb.

Written 8 September 2024

Toby Munro

Good morning Pkh Thank you for your review. We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your meals in or restaurant and enjoyed sitting in our outdoor area. We will be sure to pass your feedback on to our team. We hope to welcome you back in the near future :) Kind regards Elesha

Written 15 September 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mark

34 contributions

Out of all our meals on our Nelson holiday 2024 this was my least favourite

Jan 2024 • family

I ordered the market fish with fries instead of crushed potatoes. The fish was cooked perfectly as were the fries and veggies but overall the meal was bland, it was definitely missing a good tasty sauce to lift it. The temperature in the restaurant was unpleasant, far too hot, no Aircon was active. Kids meals were good value. We ordered them with salad and a side of fries. My mother ordered the lamb which came cooked as requested but the Ratatouille tomato over powdered the rest of it, though still flavoursome in itself. Service was good though they did mess a few things up but these issues were quickly remedied.

Written 17 January 2024

Toby Munro

Hi Mark Thank you for your feedback. We are very sorry to hear you weren't too happy with the fish and the temperature of the restaurant. We are pleased you received good service and the kids enjoyed their meal. We will be sure to pass on your feedback to the food and beverage manager. Kind regards Elesha

Written 5 February 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

asset30

Christchurch3 contributions

Poor wining & dining experience

Jan 2025 • couples

The fillet steak ordered as medium rare came raw, very disappointing. When paying the bill, the 2 first glasses of wine ordered at happy hour prices were charged at full price. No amount of explaining this was listened to, & had to pay full price for them. Very disappointing two fold.

Written 19 January 2025

Toby Munro

Hi Asset Thank you for your review We are sorry to hear you did not enjoy your steak, it would of been good to know so we could have remade the meal or cooked it longer for you, we do apologize. The happy hour house wine automatically changes to the discounted price so I will look into what happened We hope to welcome you back again soon Regards Elesha

Written 17 February 2025

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Helen M

Sheffield208 contributions

Would give this place a miss.

Feb 2025 • couples

We ate at this restaurant twice. The first time we had booked but had to wait quite a while for our table. However, the food was lovely. My husband had beef fillet and I had fish and chips. Both dishes were cooked really well and the portions were big. We decided to book for the following night, gave our names, contact details etc. When we arrived the following night our booking had been lost but we were shown to a table. I asked if we could have a spare table near the window but I was told that was for a guest who had booked. We had booked!!! On this visit my husband had the fish and chips which were as good as the night before. Unfortunately, I had the chicken. The meal was cooked but was cool when it was served. The menu described the chicken as being stuffed with mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes. Well there must have been a mozzarella and sun dried tomato shortage that we didn’t know about as there was a small piece of mozzarella and one sun dried tomato. The garlic mash had hardly seen a masher as it was lumpy. The portions were very small. When paying I did say to the waitress about my chicken observations and she said she was sorry and I should put it on the Trip Advisor review so I have done. Based on the second night I would not recommend this restaurant unless they have addresses the mozzarella and sun dried tomato shortage, kept a light under the cooker and found the potato masher!

Written 18 February 2025

krisnz

67 contributions

Over priced for small meals

Jul 2023 • couples

Very over rated and over priced and therefore poor value for money. Ordered a pork schnitzel main and was told it had no vege on it despite being $40! I asked for a small coleslaw serve with it and got charged additional $4. Very small serve of 8 chips (likely oven fries) with it. For the price they could be more generous as a serve of vege doesn’t cost much! Friend had a roasted vege salad and while it tasted ok was well overpriced at $35 for a small serve containing just a sprinkle of feta as the protein. Come on Tides. This is a serious decline from our last visit six months ago. Won’t be rushing back.

Written 8 July 2023

Toby Munro

Hi Krisnz, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on TripAdvisor, we really appreciate this. We are working closely with our Head Chef on some of your comments. Thanks again.

Written 12 September 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

gemido

Nelson430 contributions

Good honest food at a price

Apr 2023 • friends

An extensive menu. Plenty of choice. Servings were generous and the service adequate. It was quite busy on a Friday night and the kitchen was busy still not too much of a wait. The steak was cooked to perfection. Seared on the outside and medium rare as requested. The wine list is limited but OK. Quite expensive with mains near around the $40 and snacks $25.

Written 26 May 2023

Toby Munro

Hello Gemido, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on TripAdvisor. We are very pleased you enjoyed your evening with us and we hope to welcome you back very soon.

Written 29 May 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Chris Gray

Timaru25 contributions

Would recommend for a family dining experience

Jan 2023 • family

We had a great experience - staff were attentive and caring, the environment was great on a warm Nelson summers evening sitting outside riverside. Great beverage selection, really good range of small/medium and large meals catering to kids, the light eater and the hungry. Food came in a good timely fashion and was well presented and tasty. Would definitely return.

Written 9 January 2023

Management Munro Hotel Group

Hi Chris G, Thank you for your review, your feedback is much appreciated, and we are so glad that you enjoyed your outdoor dining experience with us. We hope to see you again soon! Kindest regards, The Team @ Tides Bar & Eatery

Written 6 February 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Leigh P

4 contributions

One of the best dinning experiences ever!

Mar 2024 • family

Wow! Our family group of 6 had an exceptional dinner at Tides. The food was impeccable. We had the Sharing plates to start followed by varied red meat dishes. The short rib was the best we’d ever had. Julia made us feel welcomed (even with no reservation) & Marcel took excellent care of us and helped us select great wines with dinner. One of the best restaurant experiences ever.

Written 1 April 2024

Toby Munro

Good afternoon Leouskp Thank you for your review. We are thrilled to hear you received great service from our friendly team and enjoyed your meals with us. We will be sure to pass your feedback on to Julia and Marcel We hope to welcome you back in the near future Kind regards Elesha

Written 13 April 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jim W

4 contributions

A poor meal at the tides restuarant

Sept 2021 • none

Location and service good but the content and quality of the meal was disappointing. The menu is limited and the dishes expensive for what they were. When served the dishes were miserly in content and averagely presented. It became apparent that in order to have sufficient food you would have to order additional vegetables on the side at $15 odd dollars a pop. Whitebait off the menu was served with chips only. Chicken served was so tough it was rejected after a couple of mouthfuls.

Written 18 September 2021

Management Munro Hotel Group

Hello Thank you for your review. We regularly receive comments about our portion sizes being very generous, we are very sorry you feel this way. We will pass this review onto our food and beverage management team for discussion.

Written 22 September 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

johnelstonnapier

27 contributions

Excellent hotel and Eatery

Jan 2023 • couples

We spent two nights at The Tides Hotel Eatery and Bar and found it an excellent establishment. Our room was clean, well appointed and comfortable. The view across the river was especially nice. We dined in the restaurant on both evenings and the food was exceptional. My wife has an intolerance to sulphite and the staff were very helpful in ensuring all was well. We both had turbot the first night and was delicious. Also well presented. The second night we had Ribeye steak, again delicious! The starter and sweets were also very good and plenty to choose from. The restaurant itself is very light and nicely decorated with wonderful views over the river. The staff in reception were most helpful when it came retrieving my jacket after leaving it in the back of a taxi!! We would have no hesitation in recommending this hotel and eatery. We would certainly love to return one day. Christine and John Elston. Beverley UK

Written 29 January 2023

Management Munro Hotel Group

Hi Johnelstonnapier, Thank you for your lovely review, it is much appreciated! We are so glad to hear that we were able to accommodate your wife's intolerance and assist with your lost jacket! We hope to welcome you back someday in the future! Kindest regards, The Team @ Tides Bar & Eatery

Written 6 February 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Neale1810

Kingston-upon-Hull3343 contributions

Fish & chips

Nov 2024 • couples

We stopped off in Nelson on our way to the Abel Tasman NP for a late lunch and this was the first place we drove past so after a quick check on TA we decided to give it a try. It was about 2:45 so we weren’t surprised to see few other people there. The staff were very friendly and were soon at our table with menus in hand. We were both attracted to the fish and chips so ordered two of those. The food arrived quickly and looked great. The fish had a lovely crispy batter and the chips were also crispy. Accompanying tartar sauce was good too. Just what we had wanted and set us up for the rest of our journey.

Written 5 November 2024

Toby Munro

Hi Neale Thank you for your review We are pleased to hear you stopped in to dine with us and enjoyed the fish and chips! We look forward to your next visit Regards Elesha

Written 10 November 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Denise Smith

7 contributions

Over priced, unheplful - won’t eat here again.

Feb 2021 • none

Tonight we arrived and ordered meal, asking to have a tortellini starter but main size along with dumpling entree. Food arrived, both plates entree sized - explained to nice waitress the mistake and she removed the plate. I ate my dumplings which were delicious while husband waited for his food - arrived after I finished my meal...... 2nd drink ordered never arrived. Busy night as Saturday we forgave and went to pay bill. Tortellini starter is $22, we then found $42 had been charged for 8 Tortellini. Extra paid for fries and salad. We queried the bill and we’re told it was correct. A rubbish night out, we didn’t order dessert as waited long enough with no service.

Written 26 February 2021

Ellie C

Thank you for your feedback, we are sincerely sorry you felt this way. We will be addressing this with senior management.

Written 30 March 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

m2752

Raumati Beach9 contributions

Tides Bar and Eatery, Nelson

Oct 2024 • couples

My wife and I upon touring around the top of the South Island, New Zealand, spent two nights in lovely Nelson. We were lucky enough to choose to dine out at Tides Bar and Restaurant, on Trafalgar Street. Well this turned out to be a lovely experience. Our waitress Eve was superb and the meal delicious. The Chefs small sampler taster was absolutely “unbelievable” with the infusion of flavours out of this world. We enjoyed the meal so much that we-are going back there tonight. Murray & Lucille

Written 19 October 2024

Toby Munro

Hi Murray & Lucille Thank you so much for the support and glowing review! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your meals so much you came back the next night! We hope it was just as good as the first night! We will be sure to pass your feedback on to our team. We look forward to your next visit Regards Elesha

Written 10 November 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ajwaywar

Auckland40 contributions

Really good food and lovely staff

Dec 2022 • business

I went here for dinner and breakfast because I’m staying at the Rutherford (never again!) and they don’t have any dining options on offer. I had such a lovely dinner at tides, I had the chicken which was beautifully cooked and seasoned. It was a nice balanced meal with seasonal veggies and roast potatoes. They also bought a little taster (croquette) to the table of one of their starters which was such a nice touch! To finish I had the cheesecake which was beautifully presented. I liked Tides so much I came back for breakfast and wasn’t disappointed. The staff are super friendly and welcoming too. Highly recommend, my next work trip I will be staying at tides.

Written 5 December 2022

Management Munro Hotel Group

Hi Ajwaywar, Thank you for your feedback, it is much appreciated! We are so glad that you enjoyed your dining experience with us! We hope to welcome you back soon! Kindest regards, The Team @ Tides Bar and Eatery

Written 6 February 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.