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About
Iconic Wellington restaurant, Boulcott Street Bistro opened its doors in 1991. For the past 29 years, the Bistro has welcomed visitors and locals alike with warm hospitality, fine food cooked with care, and a well chosen wine list, all served in a relaxed atmosphere. The kitchen sources the freshest seasonal produce available, and are always happy to accommodate dietary requirements and requests. The charming inner-city Gothic cottage was originally built as a wedding gift by a local groom for his bride to be in the late 1870s and came into the possession of the Plimmer family in 1911. Bookings can be made for lunch, but no need to book for dinner as it is casual dining. We have set menus for
PRICE RANGE
R 57 - R 448
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours
CUISINES
European, New Zealand
FEATURES
Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Accepts Visa
Reviews (912)
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579
207
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveller rating
579
207
62
19
16
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Reviewed 5 days ago via mobile

No one answers the phone...upon arrival, on a Friday at 2pm, when lunch and dinner are purportedly served, we were told the kitchen was closed. They claimed to be open from 12-9 on Friday. Good luck if you try your plans around this place.

Date of visit: March 2024
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Reviewed 3 weeks ago

Went here for an early dinner - you can only booked up until 1800 and after that is a walk-in. Suggest go for an early dinner as quite a few people waiting when we left , albeit bar is a neat place to hang out...whilst waiting for a table. Staff very good, attentive without being over zealous, let us eat at our own pace; food fabulous - I had French onion soup and pork loin both of which delicious, and my wife had burrata and heritage tomato and rack of lamb, the latter of which was spectacular. Did. It make it to desert. An added plus, Monday night Champagne is half price. Definitely worth a visit.More

Date of visit: February 2024
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Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

Delightful and delectable dinner. We enjoyed the local vibe and wonderful service. Our entree we started with the French onion soup and caprese salad with our main with local grilled lamb chops and the local white fish of the day. Boulcott was recommended by two...local women whom we met at the wharf and told us to make a reservation - glad we did.More

Date of visit: February 2024
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Reviewed 20 January 2024

We had dinner at this lovely bistro on New Year's Eve. Delicious meal, excellent service and great atmosphere. Loved it!

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed 11 December 2023 via mobile

Food was very good. We had the steak. It was cooked perfectly. The service was friendly and efficient. Would recommend eating here.

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed 8 December 2023 via mobile

We had an excellent dinner, probably the best in our month in the Antipodes, at this buzzy, fun, restaurant. We arrived a little before its proper opening but were welcomed in and installed at the bar by Johnnie the manager. The place was quickly full...and our meal was excellent, served by friendly and attentive staff. Highly recommended.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 4 December 2023

Great spot! Food was delicious and staff was fabulous. Atmosphere was great and it was a busy place but they made you feel very welcome.

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 28 October 2023 via mobile

I would say my overall review of the food in New Zealand was just ok overall. That is except for Boulcott. They have a lovely little restaurant specializing in French fare. The service is outstanding and the attention to detail is excellent. The extra touches...go a long way and the overall dining experience was perhaps the best we had in all of New Zealand during our trip. Highly recommended.More

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 20 October 2023 via mobile

My partner loves French cuisine so I have booked this place after reading all the great reviews. We weren’t disappointed. The food were delicious and the service was excellent. I will definitely be back next time we are in Wellington.

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 23 September 2023 via mobile

From the welcome when we stepped through the door to the food, the service and the general ambience couldn’t fault this restaurant

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed 25 August 2023

This place has such a lovely atmosphere and warmth. The welcoming, service and food are all exeptional. Thankyou so much for our making a great birthday

Date of visit: August 2023
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Reviewed 31 July 2023 via mobile

The Buckwheat gnocchi with butternut squash and oyster mushrooms is a perfect dish. The mix of sweet and savory flavors makes it difficult to not inhale it with it two minutes of the plate being set in front of you. It was so delicious, we...ordered a second plate to share. The lamb shank was fall off the bone perfection in tenderness and flavor. The peas and lentils that accompanied the sauce and potato mash were fresh and light. It’s a savory meal and yet didn’t feel heavy. We were big fans of the chocolate cake/saffron ice cream and the butterscotch toffee pudding. The crème brûlée was large in portion but not as flavorful as the other two desserts. Make reservations early - this is a gem of a restaurant. It was our favorite meal in a two week vacation.More

Date of visit: July 2023
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Reviewed 23 July 2023 via mobile

The meal was amazing everyone ordered a different meal. All were delicious. The staff was proficient served us with flair and smiles We had a lovely family fun night out with excellent food

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 12 July 2023 via mobile

Just simply ... WOW! What a great evening from start to finish. I'll start by mentioning I'm Coeliac so was very happy to see options that aren't often available gluten free in restaurants (eg gnocchi), in fact ¾ or more of the menu was available...GF. We both had the French onion soup, which was just perfect. For mains, the duck breast accompanied by sides of Brussel sprouts & portobello Mushrooms. Lastly, the piece de resistance, the BSB Creme Brulee, this was divine, perfect set, light texture & balanced perfectly by the caramelised top being slightly bitter. The staff were sufficiently attentive & not at all bothersome, they were friendly & knowledgeable. Such a wonderful evening, thank you team BSB.More

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 27 June 2023

This is a meat and three veg review, but this wasn't just any meat and three veg. This was outstanding, and coupled with perfect service, it made for a memorable night out. I had steak (with chips), my wife had lamb (with peas), and Brussels...sprouts and cauliflower as sides. Meat and three veg, but read on dear reader. Brussels sprouts are the vege people love to hate. But what is to hate about pan fried sprouts with sliced almonds and some buffalo feta. Feta is salty, and someone in the kitchen clearly knows how to balance the amount of salt in a dish like this. Likewise with cauliflower - which can be boring, and easy to under or overcook. Quite a clever move to make this a gratin. Even cleverer to have the perfect balance of cauli and cheese. Easy to just flood the thing with cheese. Much harder to make a dish where you can taste both elements. Each side-dish was perfectly prepared and seasoned. Some restaurants over-season sides to make them 'more tasty'. This has the effect of unbalancing things when combined with the main on the plate. The taste profile and seasoning of these side was perfect for the mains. For the aged fillet of beef, these were flying out of the kitchen to other tables, clearly a favourite with regulars. Medium-rare in my case, cooked perfectly, and also correctly rested. It comes with sauce Béarnaise and a red wine jus, both perfectly executed and the right amount of both. The small side of fries in a seperate small dish was the right portion size to go with the fillet, and unsalted. Thank you Chef. So often you get a mass of over-salted shoe-string fries. In this case, eating a piece of the steak, with a bit of chip and the sauces (or some veg) was sublime. You know you are in the presence of a master when you can taste every element as in blends in your mouth. The lamb was also perfectly cooked. It is so sad that you cannot buy lamb of this quality in the supermarket, but I suppose few home chefs could execute it this well. The lentil & soffritto sauce and the minted peas balanced it perfectly. On to the deserts, which were Rhum Baba, and Mont Blanc. As with the mains, the balance of flavours was perfect. It's very easy to overpower a Baba with rum. This was spot on. Likewise, with the almond frangipane that was base of the Mont Blanc, it was spot on. There is a temptation to add too much sugar to these bases. Not here! The textures and flavours in the deserts were well thought out and balanced. It is so nice to have deserts where you can taste each ingredient, and nothing is overpowering or over-sweetened. On the service front, we had a relaxed waiter who was friendly but also let us get down to business. He was happy to chat near the end of our meal (with an interesting tattoo story, after I asked). One of the most difficult things wait staff have to do is check in on you once you have started. This has to be done at the right time - not too soon, and not too late - and not interrupt the flow of any conversations that are happening. I noticed our waiter watching other tables quite carefully, and needless to say he got the timing and tone right with ours. We hardly noticed. Artful. We spent $202 on the two mains, two sides, two deserts and one coffee, and for the experience, quality of food and service, this is excellent value. To be able to cook everything without fault, and to have flavour profiles and seasoning so well sorted is proof of mastery in the kitchen. With excellence in table service as well, their ability to do both consistently night after night has clearly contributed to Boulcott Bistro's formidable reputation for quality. This was actually the first time we've been to the Boulcott Bistro, and it certainly will not be the last. Oh, and they get extra points for a typo free menu. :-)More

Date of visit: May 2023
Helpful?2  
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Questions & Answers
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tasha1522
11 September 2020|
AnswerShow all 6 answers
Response from DBIT | Reviewed this property |
Business casual to smart casual
1
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ruchikarnk
22 December 2019|
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Response from Bowering | Reviewed this property |
Hi. The restaurant is closed on Dec 24. You can find opening hours and book online from their website.
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Debbie B
26 January 2019|
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Response from Colleen1610 | Reviewed this property |
Yes their website says until 9pm Sundays
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Boulcott Street Bistro, Wellington - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Boulcott Street Bistro

Boulcott Street Bistro is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5