Atlas 36 Customhouse Quay, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011

"Thanks Ben Carmine for the recommendation. The food is thoughtfully prepared with flavour combinations that are lovely... definately a hidden gem in wellington... The wine list is vast and with some catchy little numbers..."

"Fine dining requires the complete package: atmosphere, service, food and drinks that matches the price. Quality is measured against expectation and price sets that expectation. Sadly, Atlas has failed the fine dining tick. On entry to a near empty restaurant, we were greeted without a smile and little more than a grunt from the front of house. The menu looked intriguing, with an extensive drinks list of some 54 pages. There were certainly some fine wines and clearly a cellar that has been developed with quality. We selected a wine we knew at a modest $132, certainly on the cheaper side of the list. With such an empty restaurant, its hard to create an atmosphere, but music selection can help. Elton John’s yellow brick road and other early rock failed Atlas on this front as well. The only standout was the sourdough start. Unfortunately, this set another expectation of greatness of what was to follow. The was not to be. One expects smaller portions, but I feel the portions received were smaller than I would have anticipated. The 3rd dish (main) was bigger, but mine was still on the smaller end of the scale. You expect some experimentation from the Chef, and perhaps dishes that have been inspired and created with innovation and care. Presentation was good, but the basics of matching the balance between flavour, texture, acidity, sweetness and seasoning just didn’t hit the mark. The dishes I had were interesting but close to bland. The Wapiti was tougher than I would have expected and lacked seasoning. The Snapper was dry with a strange texture with little to no sauce to counteract. It was not a pleasant dish. The deserts were OK but again the balance and flavour were not quite right. We had a softly spoken waiter, which combined by the music selection, meant many on the table didn’t hear what he was describing. At the end of the night, while presented with a bill close to $700 two things stood out in terms of expectations: 1. A charge of $24 for two bottles of water and 2. a payWave surcharge. With the clearly high margins set, you would think the surcharge was unnecessary. With all combined we left disappointed and largely unsatisfied."

"Top restaurant and dining experience. The food was brilliant and the 7 different courses made it a fun experience in itself waiting to see and then explore what each of the unique foods were. The staff are attentive and gave us a quieter table in an alcove as requested ahead of the booking so my lady and I could have more privacy and less background chatter. We will be back for sure."

"Dined here on recommendation from a friend, and it was really good. The atmosphere was top notch, mostly because we had a great spot at the chefs table. Really impressed by how immaculate, organised and calm the kitchen was. The seasonal three course menu was well presented and tasty (the malt butter should be patented and sold to the highest bidder!) and the FOH staff were attentive and knowledgeable. Mixed feedback on the wine from some of our party but all in all pretty great night."

"We went for a celebratory birthday dinner and had the chef's tasting menu. We were very impressed not only with the food and presentation but also with the flow and balance. All the dishes served were precise and refined. Loved the king fish tartare and the fennel salad. The gurnard also is worth mentioning. My husband and son had the lamb saddle and that also deserves a mention for how perfectly cooked it was. The service was impeccable. Ticked all the boxes for us!"