Paper Road Bistro - Masterton

The menu was disappointingly limited; there were only a few dishes available (aside from an excessive number of pizzas), and the bistro menu, which featured some of the more appealing options, was unavailable. To make matters worse, one of the remaining dishes wasn’t available at all. Given the three-week notice we provided, the restaurant should have either removed it from the menu or ensured they had the ingredients on hand. We waited up to 45 minutes for our meals to be served, and the staff was slow to refill our water — more often than not, we had to request it ourselves. When some of the meals finally arrived (it took an additional 20 minutes for the last orders to come out, meaning those diners were still eating while others had finished), the food quality was mediocre at best. This is certainly not what you expect for a celebratory occasion. The lamb dishes were overcooked, and the steaks that were ordered rare were more like medium–well done. Regrettably, the open steak sandwich was mostly made up of potato chips, bread, and a scant salad—hardly any steak at all. In fact, some of the last meals served didn’t even have any salad because they had run out of lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. When a guest remarked on how some of the pasta dishes looked different, one of the waitresses casually admitted that they were just from a packet. This was such a disappointing experience for what should have been a special day. Clearly, this establishment lacks the resources and management skills needed to effectively serve large groups, and I would advise against visiting with more than a small party. If you can't accommodate a larger group, you should simply decline the booking rather than offer a subpar experience. Avoid this place at all costs.

I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant! The venue is charming, and the food was delicious. I really enjoyed my meal, and I believe the Paper Rd Rosé is the best rosé out there. I will definitely be returning!