New Zealand Herald

Reviews for Soljans Estate Winery

by Richie P.
26th February 2013

Went for a semi-impromptu lunch. Excellent service and food. Really enjoyed the crispy potato balls – a new favourite. Whilst I was initially disappointed that my first choice main was not available the second choice more than made up for it. Wine was fantastic and desserts that took the little room that was left (and some more). The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. A big change from our last visit a few years back.

by Paul J.
14th January 2013

Terrible. Had a friends 40th Lunch booked for weeks for 12 adults (3 wheelchair users), 3 children and turned up only to meet a flustered Manager who couldn’t seat us as the previous customers hadn’t left. There were 2 huge laid out tables but no we couldn’t sit there either so 3 of us in wheelchairs just sat like cattle near the entrance to the restaurant for about 40 mins. Obviously they were embarrassed that we were kind of blocking the area so made us a table outside under the eves which would of been fine had it not been 27 degrees today. Our booking was at 1pm, seated at 1.45, menus arrived at 2pm, meals arrived at 2.45pm. Due to the uncomfortable heat outside I requested we move inside where there were 4 free tables. After a lot of dilling and dallying and a rude unhelpful manager we did move inside – by ourselves. It would have been nice had they given my friend a complimentary bottle of wine in honour of her special day but mostly for the rubbish service and mucking around making it a bit of a drama. Never again!

Comment from Tony S. of Soljans Estate Winery 24/01/2013    Hide »

Whilst we appreciate feedback it is important that the facts are…    More »

Whilst we appreciate feedback it is important that the facts are stated correctly to be fair and provide accurate information to readers. In this case we happily accommodated the larger group than initially expected under the veranda which was the area the organiser requested to be seated when the original booking was made. We have since talked to the person who made the booking and he was very pleased with how we handled the situation and accommodated the extra numbers and that he and his guests all enjoyed the occasion and the service they received. He also said he shook the managers hand on the day to thank him for the trouble he went to by checking on the group regularly during the time they were there to ensure everything was to their liking. We pride ourselves on providing a pleasant environment for our patrons and doing our very best to make their visit enjoyable and we are therefore disappointed that this one member of the party was unhappy.
- Tony Soljan

by Angela W.
27th November 2012

Had our daughter’s 21st lunch at Soljans last weekend. A party of 60-it was a fantastic experience. From the wonderful organisation by Kylie, to the service staff, to the yummy and plentiful food.Thanks for making it such a memorable occasion to all at Soljans.

by Gaye S.
26th November 2012

Firstly disappointed no booking was listed after ringing twice about it. However food was great party of 14 all enjoyed their meal. The service was pretty good too.
The staff set up quickly for us and everything flowed from there.

by charissa
13th July 2012

This place has really up it’s game in the last year.I live closeby so I come here frequently and really noticed the difference. The service and food is really good and I have taken friends here who had been disappointed in the past and they too agree that it has improved it’s standards and quality.Good on you Soljans for really taking the time to listen to all the reviews.Pls keep it up coz we do not have a huge selection of nice cafes in west auckland sad to say but am glad that you are there and be one of West Aucklands dining attraction.

by Alice
1st July 2012

We came here on a wine tour for group of 11. The tour was $12pp and lasted a total of 10 minutes. We walked out to the closest vines and then back into the winery. They explained some bottling equipment they had and that was the end of that. The least educational and biggest waste of money I’ve ever experienced. To top it off the cheese platter for $40 was rather disappointing too. Now I’m completely put off by going to their restaurant for I fear the service would be just as awful.

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 23/07/2012    Hide »

Hi Alice, I thank you for your comments and apologize to you for…    More »

Hi Alice, I thank you for your comments and apologize to you for not receiving a tour that was up to the high standard I expect. I set very high standards in all areas of our business and it is disappointing to me when this is not upheld. We pride ourselves on the tours we do which are very comprehensive are just the best winery tours around going by all the positive response we get. The tours cover family history, the vineyards, processing of the grapes, fermentation and making of both red and white wine, barrels and barrel aging, the making of Méthode Champenoise as well as Port. There is always a tasting at the end when the wines are explained as well so in total a very full on experience. Once again I apologize and hopefully you will have a far more fulfilling experience should you care to visit us again in the future.
Regards, Tony Soljan

by Jazrod
26th March 2012

Had a booking for 1pm yesterday for a friend’s birthday and the weather was perfect… as was everything else!

The staff were amazing, the food was absolutely delicious and the wine top notch!

Cannot recommend highly enough, thank you Soljans for helping make it a great celebration!

by Dan
28th February 2012

We have been to Soljans twice last year for lunch, the food is fantastic, the venue equally as great. Our daughter loves it there as it is very child friendly. The staff tended not just to our needs but engaged our daughter also. We have since gone on to book Soljans as our wedding venue and we are thoroughly looking forward to it.

by Bruce D.
16th February 2012

Before writing this I read many of the other reviews and I started to wonder if we all visited the same café!
We’ve been there once or twice a year since it opened, mainly to take overseas guests or visitors for a drive in the country and then for a pleasant lunch.
We usually book and ask at that stage when the best time to come would be so that we avoid any rush time. The wait staff have always been cheerful and helpful, the meals consistently very good and varied, supplemented of course by a quality wine list. The surroundings are also most attractive. Highly recommended.

by Emilie S.
15th February 2012

Been reading a lot of your reviews will we came there twice first time was ok and the second was bad, we sat for over 30 minutes and no one came to serve.. Guess because we are Asian tourist. Thanks anyway wont recommend it again.

by c-force
24th January 2012

we had a special birthday lunch at Solijans lately, 13 people all together. the food was ok but we were very disappointed in the way they organised our plates, cups and forks…. at first, some plates were not cleaned properly still some leftover from previous food, a raisin was sticking to the back of one plate, the cup was still dirty and i could see the tea stain, very light brown inside. when the birthday cake was ready, we found some forks were missing and had to ask some more etc. this kept happening too often. while looking at the sign on the table saying ‘this restaurant made into the top 20 in the world by a canadian magazine’, we were experiencing this kind of low level service. there were so many staff working but they did not seem to notice those things or did not behave like they were sorry. they looked busy themselves standing all together and chatted around the counter without knowing what to do next. maybe they need to organise their work stations as well as getting a better dish washing machine. this experience was no the way we expected from this restaurant/cafe we love to visit.

by Junarta S.
10th July 2011

It’s been a long time since our last visit to this nice winery cafe and finally we went there again last June, still great foods, in particular i ordered roasted pork belly, crispy on the outside (skin) yet juicy on the inside.

by Mike
20th June 2011

We encountered rudeness in terms of our being ignored when we had decided to place an order. The more I sat back and looked at the waitresses who were engaged in a conversation with each other rather than serving, the farther they moved away. We got up with disgust and left the restaurant vowing never to return.
This was, we reasoned, because we took about 10 minutes to decide on what we wanted…a reasonable time I should think to decide?
This was meant to be a special occasion and we had been looking forward to the experience but I shall never consider this place again.

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 8/07/2011    Hide »

Hi Mike, Thanks for the feedback and for your comments. …    More »

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the feedback and for your comments. Following our e-mail discussion I note your decision not to accept our offer of a voucher to return to Soljans, and thank you for your feedback,
Regards,
Claire

by Dianne P.
10th May 2011

Our work Social club had a very enjoyable time at Soljans. The venue was well set out and the food was excellent. The staff were very helpful and nothing was a problem. The food was very nice and enough to go back for more. The salads were extra tasty . The desserts very different but still very nice.
We would go back there again in the future.

by tracy w.
24th March 2011

Came to your restaurant on Sun 20th March for my parents 40th wedding anniversary and must say we were a bit disappointed. We were asked if we wanted the kids food first and we said no, however the kids food arrived about 20 mins before the adults, so by the time our’s arrived they had finished theirs and were ready to go. One of the kids ordered the sandwich platter with a slice of cheese which had obviously been put under the heat lamps and the cheese had melted and had to be returned. The food took an hour from when we ordered to arrive which was a long time and when it did arrive we weren’t that impressed with the food quality either. Obviously most people make a booking so you should know that your going to be busy and plan for that.

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 17/05/2011    Hide »

Hi Tracey W, thank you for your feedback as clearly this is an…    More »

Hi Tracey W,
thank you for your feedback as clearly this is an opportunity for improvement.
At our weekly cafe meeting we discussed your concerns with Tony Soljan the owner, Head Chef Paul Reid, Cafe Manager Chris Tucker and Functions Coordinator Kylie Dalton in attendance. We take your feedback seriously and view it as an opportunity for improvement and would welcome you back to judge for yourself.
Thank you for choosing Soljans for your celebration and we hope to see you again.

by Rebekah G.
28th February 2011

After attending an enjoyable and declicious lunch at Soljan’s in November 2010 for a friend’s hen party – As a bridesmaid for another friend’s wedding, I organised a hen’s party lunch at Soljans on the 12th Feb 2011 for 13 people. Although they had a wedding on that day they were happy to accommodate us – although, the service was surprisingly slow considering we were limited in the time we could stay because of the wedding.
The food was fantastic – the majority of guests at our table ordered the salmon and potato hash cake and none were disappointed. Others ordered the open steak sandwich and chicken salad – all were enjoyed.
I am looking forward to coming to the restaurant again – next time with my husband!

by Mark_P
10th January 2011

We had the misfortune to have lunch recently at Soljans

The service was abysmal and the delivery of the food was exceptionally slow. Despite frequent reminders, our set lunches consisting of salad and an over dry, day old cake for dessert took over 2 hours to be delivered.

Considering that there were 7 chefs in the kitchen and 8 wait staff on duty this was ridiculous.

There are many better options available in the area and Soljans should be your last choice

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 10/01/2011    Hide »

From Soljans Management – Hi Mark – I am sorry to hear your recent…    More »

From Soljans Management – Hi Mark – I am sorry to hear your recent visit to Soljans did not meet your expectations. Thank you for your review, and we would like to offer you a gift voucher to return to Soljans to experience the excellent hospitality we are renowned for.

Regards,
Tony Soljan

by Barry C.
6th January 2011

Four of us had lunch at Soljans.
The food was excellent, we had lamb, chicken, squid and pork based dishes, they had very good flavour and the portions were a medium size (not too small, but not too large either).
We had a bottle of pinot gris for our wine which was very good. The place was fairly busy but our food did not take long at all to be served. I also found the service very good.

by Lisa
18th December 2010

Took a large group. Needs improvement (particularly around organised service). Service was attempted, but not good – I had to keep going up to the bar (of which there were plenty of staff hanging around)to order more wine and clearing the empty bottles off our table. The main was really good, the dessert was pre-made, dried out and stuffed on a plate with yellowing on the top cream. I ordered a double shot latte, but still it tasted like flavoured hot milk. The toilets need a really good spring clean they were pretty dank and dusty. Come on guys, its not hard to get it right you just need to relook at focussing on each table of customers and you will get heaps more business. It’s really that simple.

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 10/01/2011    Hide »

Hi Lisa – thanks for your Review & for taking the time to post…    More »

Hi Lisa – thanks for your Review & for taking the time to post your opinion of Soljans.

I am very sorry to hear that your visit to Soljans did not meet your expectations.

I would like to offer you a gift voucher as a token of my appreciation for taking the time to point out your concerns, so you can experience the top-notch food and service that we’re renowned for!

If you would like to phone Kylie on 09 412 2824, we will arrange for a gift voucher top be sent to you.

Kind Regards,
Tony Soljan,
Soljans Management

by Jolyon M.
2nd January 2010

Fairly abysmal. Service was mixed – polite at best but frequently grudging. Food both expensive (for what it was) and contemptuously poor. Dining room very out of date and not at all clean. Try the vastly superior beesonline just up the road instead.

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 10/01/2011    Hide »

From Soljans management – Hi Jolyon – thanks for your Review &…    More »

From Soljans management – Hi Jolyon – thanks for your Review & for taking the time to post your opinion of Soljans.

I am very sorry to hear that your visit to Soljans did not meet your expectations.

I would like to offer you a gift voucher as a token of my appreciation for taking the time to point out your concerns, so you can experience the top-notch food and service that we’re renowned for!

If you would like to phone Kylie on 09 412 2824 or kylie@soljans.co.nz we will arrange for a gift voucher to be sent to you.

Kind Regards,
Tony Soljan

by Lynley
1st September 2009

We are a young family and don’t often manage to get out for a meal so it was with great disappointment that when we did go out for a special weekend brunch the whole experience turned out to be very stressful. Once seated we explained that we were going to order immediately for our 2 year old so he could eat while we had our drinks and breads and then we would have our mains. It took over to 20 mins to have our ordered to be taken after one of us calling the waitress over and then we watched horror as tables that arrived after us were served long before us. By the time our food arrived our 2 year old had had a meltdown, had to eat a bag of chips from my handbag and then started to fall asleep so didn’t eat any of the food we had ordered.

We choose Soljans as we had read it had a nice kids area outside and children were welcome however from our experience it’s far from child friendly!

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 18/12/2009    Hide »

From Soljans management – Hi Lynley – thanks for your Review…    More »

From Soljans management – Hi Lynley – thanks for your Review in Sept & for taking the time to post your opinion of Soljans.

I am very sorry to hear of your long wait for your meals and that your visit to Soljans did not meet your expectations.

I would like to offer you a gift voucher as a token of my appreciation for taking the time to point out your concerns.

If you would like to phone me, Kylie, on 09 412 2824, we will arrange for a gift voucher so you can experience the top-notch food and service that we’re renowned for!

Thanks, the team at Soljans

by Ranfurly Eden Ladies Probus Club
12th August 2009

Our group of 39 women all voted this restaurant and service as excellent. We were served graciously and with respect shown to our elderly group. We will return and encourage other groups to do so also. Thanks especially to Tony and Kylie.

by Jane
27th July 2009

I had a lovely lunch at this restaurant a few weekends ago. The food was delicious and the setting was relaxing.

by Jim Cameron
9th July 2009

I visited with my wife and daughter. We had a really good lunch, very well presented and served by efficient waitress. The restaurant has a vibrant feeling and we were made very welcome. The restuarant was busy and we were in a bit of a rush so appreciated the fast and friendly service.

by Kylie
10th March 2009

Went there for lunch, had to ask 3 times for water for the table. Waitress came to take our orders and they hadnt given us menus yet! Waited 1 1/2 hours for food it still hadnt come – we ended up walking out as it took way too long and the service was bad!

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 20/03/2009    Hide »

From Soljans management – Hi Kylie – thanks for your Review in…    More »

From Soljans management – Hi Kylie – thanks for your Review in March & for taking the time to post your opinion of Soljans.

I am very sorry to hear of your long wait for your meals and that your visit to Soljans did not meet your expectations.

I would like to offer you a gift voucher as a token of my appreciation for taking the time to point out your concerns.

If you would like to phone me, Kylie, on 09 412 2824, we will arrange for a gift voucher so you can experience the top-notch food and service that we’re renowned for!

Thanks, the team at Soljans

by J. Cochran
2nd February 2009

My partner and & arrived for brunch before 11am. There was only one other couple seated who were finishing their meal. The service was welcoming and friendly, however other customers were seated later and their meals arrived before ours. Upon enquiry we were advised our order had been lost and would be coming soon. It arrived an hour after we were seated and although there were plenty of apologies, no attempt was made to offer free coffee or discount for our inconvenience.
The meal was delicious but had to be hurredly eaten as we had an appointment in the city.
Customer service needs attention, but the food was great. Hope we have better luck next time.

by S Brandon
27th December 2008

We visited here as part of a day out with friends to Kumeu Wine Country. The place looked lovely from the outside, but that’s the only positive thing I can say… They asked us if we’d booked (we hadn’t) and the SIX of us were shown to a table for FIVE. They gave us one wine list between us – we had to ask for a menu – and we had to pull over an extra chair as no attempt was made by the staff to provide the extra setting. We ordered some coffees whilst we figured out what we wanted to eat, but they took so long to come (more than 15 mins) and were served with such a bad grace that we didn’t bother to order any food. We noticed that other walk-ins were treated with the same contempt, especially people who dared to bring children with them – they were seated on the far edge of the outside dining area. Disgraceful.

Comment from Claire C. of Soljans Estate Winery 20/03/2009    Hide »

From Soljans management – Thank you S Brandon for your Review in…    More »

From Soljans management – Thank you S Brandon for your Review in Dec, for taking the time to post your opinion of Soljans.

Owner Tony Soljan sets very high standards in all sectors of his business and there are no excuses for them not being maintained. I can assure you that we will be following up with all the staff to ensure a return to that high standard.

I am an optimistic thinker, and would like to offer you a gift voucher as a token of my appreciation for taking the time to point out your concerns.

Thanks, the team at Soljans

by Tracy
9th August 2008

Fantastic food, fantastic wine, fantastic friendly service, lovely environment! I will definitely be going back here. Highly recommend to all.

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