Speight's Ale House

Someone from this business manages this listing.

#15 of 152 Restaurants in Nelson$$ - $$$, Bar, Pub, Vegetarian friendly

+64 3-547 7336+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

11:00 AM - 8:30 PM

Mon

12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Tue

12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Wed

12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thu

12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Fri

12:00 PM - 11:30 PM

Sat

11:00 AM - 1:00 AM

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What is Travelers’ Choice?

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

Ratings and reviews

4.0

608 reviews

#15 of 152 Restaurants in Nelson

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

$3.00 – $26.00

CUISINES

Bar, Pub, Gastropub, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

99 Quarantine Road, Annesbrook Next to Wow Museum, Nelson 7011 New Zealand

+64 3-547 7336

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Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?

Yes

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About

Situated on Quarantine Rd opposite Mitre 10 Mega and the WOW Car Museum we are proud to be the 17th Speight's Ale House across the country! Whether its good hearty portions of southern style food or our Speight's exclusive range of award winning tap beer & extensive wine list this is the place to cater for all. With space for over 250 patrons in one of our many areas of the Restaurant, Bar or sun-drenched Garden Bar there is always a spot for everyone. The Speight's Ale House Nelson brings strong traditions of legendary southern hospitality and you'll find our great crew of staff ready to help you. With live music, sport & weekly specials keep your eye on our "What's on" page on our website or our Facebook page for updates to be sure not to miss out! Our popular upstairs area allows us to offer a function area in which we are capable of catering for larger groups, like Birthday's, work or Christmas functions. Come on down & see what we are all about! "Good on Ya Mate"

PRICE RANGE

$3.00 – $26.00

CUISINES

Bar, Pub, Gastropub, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Dog Friendly, Family style, Gift Cards Available

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4.0

608 reviews

Excellent

339

Very good

157

Average

Poor

Terrible

Layne L

Auckland121 contributions

Good service, food variable

Sep 2020 • none

Stopped for lunch after a very long day, the young waitress was very good but the food was variable. The breakfast sliders were excellent but the leek and potato soup was watery and utterly tasteless even after adding heaps of salt and pepper. These places on the whole are good value for money and generally the food is good but the soup was a let down.

Written September 23, 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.

alehousenelson

Hi there, Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! We are really sorry about the soup. I remember this soup and we pulled it from the menu not long after it was put on. We are really sorry and completely agree with you in regards to that soup it was not nice at all. We do hope to see you again soon

Written February 9, 2021

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

Ruth

8 contributions

Good if you're patient and have time.

Apr 2021 • family

After being seated we got our menus quickly, took order within 5-10 mins but then the wait for the food was too long for chicken salads, fries and a kids meal. A good 25-30mins. Restaurant had a few tables, but not that busy for a lunch. Food tasted good, but once finished it took another 15 mins for them to come get our dirty plates and ask my daughter what dessert she'd like (complimentary with kids meal). There were constantly waitresses walking past who could have taken them. Child's sundae (icecream and sauce) took 10-12mins to get out.. it's only icecream. They staff were very friendly though.

Written April 14, 2021

kiwi353

Christchurch167 contributions

First Time

Feb 2020 • none

We were warned by a friend that the restaurant was a venue for the young rather than the older group, but we went anyway! I was impressed with the service and the food. The staff were helpful and the restaurant was virtually nextdoor the WOW so it is a great place to dine before or after a visit. My meal I could not fault, my partners meal look good and tasted great so I was told, but could have been hotter. Our friend who joined us cleared her plate and the rest of the diners were of the older set, it was Wednesday so maybe at the weekend it is different. But the night we were there I could not fault the place! Recommended

Written March 1, 2020

alehousenelson

Thank you so much for the amazing review. We are stoked to hear you enjoyed your time with us and glad the staff we very helpful. We hope to see you again soon. Cheers, Max

Written September 22, 2020

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

Trevor

Christchurch207 contributions

Good food, rubbish service

Aug 2020 • none

I was looking forward to a dinner out with friends with drinks before hand. Although the food and drink was good, the service was terrible. I travel a lot and dine at a lot of establishments, from a service perspective, this was a dismal failure. It started as soon as we walked in the door. The waitress looked up at us without a smile and almost a look of 'you are interrupting me'. We ordered drinks from the bar and made our way to our own table outside. After a while we needed more drinks. Our group of 5 tried to flag down the waitress for some service and the look was a look of death! I don't know her name as she did not introduce herself so I can't report who she was. Long hair with a half hoop through her nose. When she bought the drinks out she placed them on the table without a word and left. Later on with empty glasses we had to flag her down again and we ordered one drink and before we could order more, she left to get the one drink without looking at everyone else's. When she bought out the drink and we asked if we were able to order more drinks, again the look was one of complete disgust as if we should have ordered them before. We gave up and moved to a table inside. Unfortunately we ended up with her serving our table. She came to the table and said 'yip?' Yip what woman? What part of hospitality school did you miss, the whole training? If you don't want to be there, then do everyone a favour and don't show up for work. And then......I ordered a glass of wine, dinner came, no wine. Another waitress asked if I wanted a drink (first time I had been asked all night) and I said that I had already ordered one. She went away and came back with a glass of wine. Then the grumpy waitress showed up with another glass of wine, put it down straight and left without a word. Then had the cheek to charge me for the second glass of wine! Manners and friendly service go a long way to making the dining experience a memorable one or a regretful one. Unfortunately for us, it was latter. This reflects in our desire, or lack of, to return and subsequently promote negatively to other friends.

Written August 22, 2020

alehousenelson

Thank you for taking the time to write a review. I'm sincerely sorry to hear you were let down by our service. We take customer feedback very seriously. I completely understand how frustrated you must've felt repeatedly waiting for service and unhelpful wait staff. Normally our service is much more timely happy and attentive, but it seems this was not your experience. I'll be sure to speak to our staff about your experience so that we can improve going. If you would like to discuss your experience further please contact us via our email admin@alehousenelson.co.nz. We hope you will give us another chance and return for a more pleasurable evening. Regards Andrea

Written August 26, 2020

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

traveller_nz-44

Nelson-Tasman Region10 contributions

Terrible service, average food. Appalled to say the least.

Oct 2021 • friends

When booking for Sunday evening of Labour Weekend the person on the phone said ‘can you come an hour earlier we like to finish early on Sunday’s’ not a good start and we should have known what kind of service was to come from that. The attitudes on the waitresses were disgusting, they didn’t want to be there, they couldn’t crack a smile if they tried and they didn’t act like their job was customer service. One of the waitresses came upstairs and someone at our table asked about a couple of drinks that had been ordered about 20 minutes earlier, her response was ‘I’m busy right now they’re probably coming you’ll have to ask someone else.’ It was still another 20 minutes or so until they arrived. The food came so far spread apart that some people had fully finished their entire meals while others were waiting to get their first plate. Desserts were ordered and when the last one came one of our guests at the table didn’t see them put the cutlery bowl down and asked the waitress if she could have a spoon, the waitress very rudely replied ‘If you open your eyes and look they’re right in front of you.’ This just isn’t the way you talk to your customers, these are just some of the rude remarks that were made through the night. I’m appalled to be a local with waitresses like this showing out of town folk what we’re like. Food was ok but not amazing, desserts were fabulous though. End of night our table bill was over $1000, but for the service we received shouldn’t have been more than $20. Won’t be coming back or recommending to any friends and family to come here, which is quite a shame as I’ve always loved coming to Speights and normally recommend to those travelling.

Written October 26, 2021

hidez_12

Timaru244 contributions

Great selection but 90 minute wait for lunch

Jun 2021 • friends

Great selection on the menu with lots of options. We were part of a large group who visited for Sunday lunch & had to wait for 90 minutes for our meals. We had a young boy with us who was very past it when the food arrived. Meals were good but service could have been a lot better

Written July 29, 2021

ivanovbt

Canberra29 contributions

Expensive, limited range of food. Good for ales, though

Feb 2020 • none

Although recommended To us on arrival in Nelson, we were a little disappointed with the meals on offer. Whilst they sounded appetising, it was hard to categorise the place as anything but a pub that sells food. And not cheap food. Plenty of ales to taste, and the atmosphere was interesting, but overall, more likely that I would drop in for a beer than for food: especially at the prices being asked.

Written February 27, 2020

Foodie

Nelson28 contributions

Unfriendly and average food

Jun 2021 • friends

Lunched here recently and found the experience fairly average. Firstly the guy behind the bar showed no personality in showing us to our table and continued in this vein each time he was anywhere near us.Just a smile occasionally and maybe a few friendly words towards paying customers would be appreciated.He could have learnt friendly service from his waitresses Food was average at best but in keeping with most average pubs these days..😩 Won’t be returning in a hurry…

Written July 30, 2021

Tony P

Leicester396 contributions

Could be better

Mar 2024 • couples

Booked in advance for Easter Friday as travelling to Nelson and expected it to be busy. It wasn’t really busy and most were watching the Rugby on the tv. We ordered chicken with cherry sauce and the chicken filo. Also ordered steamed veg as not a fan of spinach which came with the cherry version. It was a good sized portion for both . The steamed veg was actually 3 thin carrots, more spinach and 4 fried mushrooms. Disappointing. The salad with the filo was awful , just a slop of something. The meat and other parts of the meal were ok, we were asked a few minutes after getting the meal how it was - we just said ok but she had all but disappeared within a second . I doubt she took it onboard . We decided not to have a dessert as the choice was poor and we were paying a premium for Easter which was for average food . Usually a reliable meal at most Speights but will give this one a miss if we visit again .

Written March 29, 2024

Joanna Laing

Auckland49 contributions

Make sure to triple check your bill!

Jan 2023 • couples

Had such high expectations after a truly wonderful experience at the Speights Alehouse in Wanaka. OK we only booked on the day, so we were only able to book a late sitting. Thought that was a good sign as it meant that they were popular. When we arrived the earlier crowd was leaving and we ended up with only 4 or 5 tables of guests. First sign that things weren’t going well was that they were missing THE key ingredient of the cocktail that we wanted to drink. Staff, while reasonably friendly and attentive, were very young and not very knowledgeable. The second reason for this review was the beef Wellington. Far from medium rare, there was barely a hint of pink. The pastry was inedible and was left on the plate. Very quickly, it seems as if the staff wanted us out. So home we went. My partner paid the bill. It wasn’t until we got home that I realised that someone else’s drink had been out on our bill. I rang straight away to see what could be done about it. The person on the other end of the phone just kept repeating that she would have read out each item when he paid the bill. Endless repetition of that ‘fact’ does NOT absolve your establishment from fixing YOUR problem. Was told that she did not have authority to help me and that her manager would call back the next day. That did not happen. And we left Nelson 2 days later. So very disappointed with what I had such high hopes for. Could have forgiven any one of those things, perhaps not the well done steak, but all of them together left a bad taste in my mouth in more ways than one. The amount of the incorrect charge was not huge but it really was how it was, NOT, dealt with that smart.

Written January 9, 2023

Ashley S

2 contributions

Awful

Feb 2020 • couples

We came in around 7:30 for dinner. The waitress told us that we had to sit in the bar area even though the restaurant area had tons of tables available. Our table and chairs were wobbly and sticky. We waited over half an hour for the waitress to come over (we were assured that their was table service in the bar area) and no one came over. Meanwhile there were 5-6 bartenders sitting around talking. We ended up walking out. Avoid this place

Written February 7, 2020

17 contributions

Waited over an hour for our food

Jan 2021 • none

Booked a table and we were told they were fully booked so they only had a low bar table available. When we got there and left over two hours later it didn’t look fully booked and there were heaps of tables free. I think it was more that they didn’t have enough staff on. We ordered before a few tables who were then served well before us 20 minutes or so more. We waited 25minutes for a drink and 45 minutes to get our main course. The table beside us had to send there food back a few times due to wrong order. We wouldn’t go here again. We had three children with us who were starving and it wasn’t enjoyable for any of us. When we told the waitress how long we had been waiting she gave a quick sorry and that was it. Would not recommend if you’re hungry!

Written January 18, 2021

christine r

Christchurch1 contribution

dissapointing

Oct 2021 • none

Friendly enough staff but very untidy and did not give us a full break down of the menu but they did to other people. Unclean and needs a make over upstairs! Food was below average as i had the pasta and it was shop bought penne cheap pasta and chicken cubes that were re heated. YUK! Partner had the small portion but very greasy fish and chips, clearly the oil was old and the fish was slightly burnt making it an awful dining experience. Was lovely a few years ago when opened but sadly standards have dropped. Train your staff to a profesional standard and change the chef, then i may come back.

Written October 11, 2021

alehousenelson

Hi Christine, Wow! I am so sorry to here of your recent experience. To say we are disappointed is an understatement. We have definitely expressed your concerns onto the staff as this is 100% not how they are trained. If you didn't mind I would love to know when you did dine with us. Just so we can speak directly to the staff who was involved. I hope to hear from you. Kind regards, Max

Written October 18, 2021

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

trevor m

Auckland141 contributions

Great gourmet burgers

Dec 2023 • couples

After reading the reviews, we decided to try the burgers here. We were not disappointed. Staff were very attentive and when the burgers arrived, one beef and one chicken, they were as listed on the menu. Very tasty, cooked well and and the chips were hot and also tasty. Would recommend for a great gourmet burger.

Written December 29, 2023

Maree M

5 contributions

Disappointing

Apr 2024 • family

Although the staff were friendly, the service was very poor. The restaurant was very quiet and so our experience was not a result of the staff being overworked. 1 meal was forgotten, 1 meal was wrong and 1 meal was incomplete plus there were inconsistencies with the same ordered meals. We were only offered 1 round of drinks when we arrived and nobody returned to ask for if we wanted anything else. Our plates remained on the table without being cleared until we were leaving. The coffee machine was also down. Hmmm, I like to support local businesses but won't be returning or recommending this one to anyone in a hurry.

Written April 15, 2024

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