Speight's Ale House Palmerston North

Spur of the moment to celebrate our Dad's 90th birthday on Monday 5th January. Coming from Dannevirke We wanted to take our Dad somewhere nice and this was the absolute perfect place. Firstly we need to acknowledge our amazing very friendly incredible waitress "KOBI", what an amazing young lady you are. Even though there was at least 20+ you took all of our orders with such ease and to top that off when all the delicious meals came out you knew exactly who ordered what(sometimes I forget what day it is) I do need to acknowledge the other young lady who ensured our drinks were topped up throughout the few hours of being there but unfortunately I didn't get her name. Speights Ale House Palmerston North you guys are lucky to have wonderful staff like these 2 Ladies. As for the kai well it certainly was funny watching everyone taking samples from each others plates because honestly the kai was on definitely on form and incredibly delicious everything was served still piping hot (don't get that very often) and of course everyone enjoyed themselves. The weather poured it on and was gorgeous the atmosphere on point so on behalf of my Dad and our Aussie Whanau who I'm sure will want to come back again Thank you Thank you Thank you for making our Dad's birthday lunch something we will never forget. A few photos of our time. That's our Dad in the 1st photo with 1 of his sisters from Australia

Had the Cardrona Beef Burger, Crème Brûlée + husband had bangers n’ mash + sticky date pudding. We were a party of 14 so large range of meals and the consensus was the same: food was excellent but not big enough, especially at the price point ($30+ for a main meal, some much higher and smaller). You can see the portion size of the chips provided. Staff had excellent service, and food was provided to the entire party at the same time (all hot) just after an hour of ordering, so timing was very good for a party of that size (entrees were out in about 30mins). Beware the female bathroom sink: tsunami warning required. Overall, would happily return but knocked a star off for potion size and the unexpected tidal wave.

Well what a find!! We pipped in for a beer and decided to stay for lunch- and what an absolutely great move!! I had the salmon which was delicately pan seared with a crunchy , lightly salted skin and a touch of wasabi. The dish was accompanied with baby turnips, baby roast potatoes, wilted Asian greens and a homemade aioli( I could tell chef had made his own and I asked and this was confirmed) . Portion sizes generous and just right. Hubby the chef’s special- the lamb dish. Again, superb- juicy, cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. Staff were friendly, efficient and welcoming. We made sure to tell them we were from Hamilton and how impressed we were with what the chef is doing. Highly recommended!!