Review Nero Restaurant - Palmerston North

Amazing friendly & knowledgable server. Highly recommend the Baileys & Caramel cheesecake which was divine with lots of elements that all tied in well. Passion for food is obvious and the techniques were flawless. Atmosphere was lovely but marked down a little just because our table was directly under the brightest light in the place and some diners near us were quite rude and abrupt to their server which she handled well but it was still somewhat disruptive.

We went here for the first time for our 18th wedding anniversary. It has a cozy, intimate atmosphere and was lovely and warm on a cold evening. Our food was divine and the service was friendly but also highly professional. We loved our evening at Nero.

This restaurant is second to none. Consistently wows us. Why eat anywhere else when divine food and exceptional consistency is always at Nero in Palmerston North. Well worth the drive EVERY time!

Great service and the food was amazing! Pork belly was succulent and delicious. Lamb rack was done to perfection and the desserts were a slice of heaven. Chocolate Crémeux and the special for the night, poached rhubarb with caramel mousse, ginger snap and Gelato. Pure bliss.

Everything from booking to the dining experience was a top notch. We could literally lick the plates and my son was a chef in the past in a French Italian restaurant in Tauranga when we used to live there said he used to have his coffee made by his boss exactly the same as we had in Nero. The combination of flavours and the presentation is worth every sing le penny you spent. And the atmosphere, service beautiful tables, walls seats. Everything you just have to experience for yourself. We lived it and will be there again. Wish I thought about giving a tip. So apologies for that we will be back and I promise to remember this next time.

A truly wonderful meal and dining experience for our first visit here on my Valentine's day birthday. Lovely staff & fantastic chef

One of the best restaurants in town. We hosted a delegation who were very happy with the food. Unfortunately my eye fillet was rather small but I take it was just an unlucky draw. Will be back!

This is fine dinning and recommended for occasions only.. Went with a friend. And had 2 cocktails which were not worth it and avoid. Don’t think this is their speciality. Had their local selection which was very nice. The drinks bill was about 100$. Had entree as cappacio and this was so good tht we ordered another one. 23$ each. Angus beef fillet 45$ . This was very nice and delightfully soft. Also had their seafood special which was gurnard and left a little to be desired. 40$ I think it was. Duck fried potatoes were ok. 8$ I think For desserts had tiramisu and cream brûlée 30$. Approx each. They were very good and certainly recommended. Overal bil wth drinks was 290$ for 2 ppl

Amazing! Haven't been in a while, a few of the favourites still on the menu but have lovely new additions. Decor has changed again and gives it a beautiful ambiance. A group of 4 of us are here for lunch. All have chosen different meals and the discussion at the end was only an argument on who's was best. Would recommend the Chrispy chicken salad and the Blue cod although the blue cod would be an acquired taste with fennel and Caraway salad and the caraway itself is an intense flavour.

We went there for a birthday dinner. The staff were friendly, professional with a great sense of banter. I had the duck pate as an entree and it was full of favour. We had the lamb and chicken for the mains. Beautifully presented and tasted just so good. All in all a great dining experience.

Great variety on the menu and simply devine food. The staff are friendly and accommodating and the restaurant itself has great ambience. I had three courses and all were a very appropriate size, which was a refreshing change from the oversized portions of many other restaurants.

Pork belly and chicken breast are what I ordered. Fluffy and yummy. Each dish has a variet of flovors in one. You should try some of their specialties. They also have a lot of wine selection and beers, too. Craftbeer Hawke's Bay Porter Black Duck - I love it! Don't forget to save room for desserts. Brownie and sundae are recommended! Little sweetness and plate decoration are superb! Spent 2 full happy hours here, period.

We decided to celebrate our 40 years together and chose Neros'. We hadn't been there for years, and were not disappointed. From the lovely greeting from Yvette, and the attentive and delightful Shalin ,we were made to feel very welcome. And the food was superb. Thankyou to all the team .

Amazing food, service, and atmosphere. Would definitely recommend it!! Great wine & whiskey list as well. 🍷🥃

The service is amazing. Food came out fast.The entrees were tasty.

This restaurant is quite consistent. Last time was 2 years ago and i had the same experience. The place is cozy, warm and privet. It is easy to fit decent number of people and still engage with them all. Food is tasty and service is outstanding. It might be strange, but serve a superb coffee! 😍😍

The most divine food and ambience, the wait staff and hostess were lovely and very welcoming. Will definitely be going back there. Another great dining experience. Love it here.

Superb service, amazing food and wine makes for an incredible experience every time. Huge congratulations to Yvette & Scott

Great atmosphere, outstanding service and the food was absolutely amazing.

My partner and I went here for our anniversary and totally enjoyed it. The atmosphere was amazing. Service was fantastic. And we didn’t feel cramped in like a few restaurants are. The food was divine! The complimentary amuse bouche from the chef was mind blowing! If there is one complaint I do have and it is very small, it is that our mains felt like they were missing a gravy/sauce etc. Both my partner and I just had that need for it about halfway through our main. Taste was still divine though and the next time we go back we will ask for some!! So if you love sauce or gravy make sure you ask!!!

Didn’t look like much from outside but it was warm and cozy inside. Unfortunately I did not enjoy my food, we had the fish, the duck and duck fat potatoes. The prices were high for a very average meal, needed to add quite a bit of salt. The desert was the best part of the meal.

Very expensive, could not hear others talking, charged $10 for a glass of sparkling water but not advised the water was not free. Disappointing but food was nicely cooked

Tried Nero with three colleagues for lunch.<br/><br/>Warm welcome, friendly service but the lunch menu was limited. Two of us went for Wagu steak and fries (excellent), the chicken and pumpkin risotto.<br/><br/>Wine list not spectacular but covers most of the basis - prices slightly on the high side.<br/><br/>Fantastic steak knife <br/><br/>Total cost for 4 with 2 bottles of wine and coffee $280.<br/><br/>Terrible background music!

Always a great pleasure to eat out at Nero's! Recently had our son's graduation dinner for 9 people here, and everyone raved about their meal! Yvette is a wonderful host and the team in the kitchen serve consistently beautiful and delicious food. Forever a Palmerston North favorite!

My wife and I had a kids-free night while staying in Palmerston North and were after a high-end restaurant. Cafe Nero was recommended to us and wow, it didn't disappoint!<br/><br/>The service was excellent and the Scotch Fillet was incredible.<br/><br/>Look forward to going again!

Came last night as I am visiting Palmerston North as family live here. Booked a table for 10 people and was seated in a very cramped area of the restaurant which was quite disappointing. Was greeted which was a good start but then everything turned sour. We all ordered our food and I ordered a duck ravioli and chicken and chips for my son. They told us it would take an hour, it was quite annoying how I always had to squish up to the table so the waitress can get through. After 15 minutes of waiting the waitress came up to me and said "just double checking, did you order the duck and the chicken and chips " I said yes that's right." After 45minutes everyone's meal came out but mine. I sat there a little bit disappointed but excited as other people had duck ravioli and looked delicious. The waitress later asked me "um excuse me are you waiting for anything else " and I said "yes my duck" she rushed off to come back and tell me "sorry we ran out of duck" disappointed I just chose something else. She apologised which was nice but they wasted my time of waiting and also told me it would take another half an hour. I had to sit there and watch everyone eat but me. Hungry, my beef came. It was average the presentation was horrible ! My meat was flipped it looked like mush underneath. Then my family had to wait for me to finish, by the time I got my food they had all finished. <br/><br/>Most restaurants wipe my meal if they waste my time like that or offer extra food to say sorry. All I got was a mushy food that was presented awfully and one sorry. <br/><br/>Ended up going home and grabbing other food as I was not satisfied. <br/><br/>Would not recommended, there are other restaurants worth your money.<br/><br/>

Been here before for a work function, the food was very nice, and the services was absolutely wonderful. Will back again with friends and family.

My partner and I dined at Nero on Valentine's Day. Although it was very busy, the staff were friendly and attentive. We had bread to start which was delicious, well presented and a very generous portion for two. Both of us had steaks for main. I had the best of Argentina, which had the most amazing, melt in the mouth short rib with it. My steak was also cooked perfectly medium rare. The deserts were also just gorgeous. Total works of art on a plate. A very enjoyable evening. Thanks Nero :)

Visited in December and while the food is good, it is overpriced for what they offer as it is not a Michelin 3 star restaurant.<br/><br/>Portions small, service slow and average and food is nice but not spectacular. Decor plain and not intimate and was cold.<br/>Plenty of other Restaurants in Palmy has the same quality fare but at much better prices and portion sizes.<br/><br/>Nothing to write home about so we wont be in a hurry to visit again.

Very lovely restaurant and atmosphere. The staff are friendly and efficient. The meals are amazing - Although I do find the meals quite expensive compared to other top restaurants in Palmerston North.

AllanMcNeill Chartered Accountants extend a huge thank you to Yvette, Scott and their team for hosting their 2013 Christmas party recently. Commencing with pre-dinner hors-d'oeuvres out in the beautifully re designed front garden, to dinner in doors, we could not have wished for a better evening. The food was devine, the service could not be faulted. Thanks again, we had a wonderful time.

Booked in advance based on positive reviews. Even received a confirmation e mail, unfortunately the maître had no record of our reservation upon our arrival. Even more disappointing was being seated in the rather noisy and cramped bar area. We waited what seemed like an eternity to order only to be disappointed with the result. The mash potato under the pork belly was stone cold. The rather chewy steak was only to be up staged by the "forgotten " order of the business client I had taken to dinner to impress. The service was slow the meal, disappointing and at $182.00 ....we sort desert elsewhere.

I take my clients to Nero Restaurant often. Recently took my CEO and his wife to Nero because I could rely on great service, great food and not worry that the evening would be a flop. The night was brilliant. The steak was first class, the choice of wine was outstanding. The boss was very complimentary so that topped it all off well. I love the smile when we are welcomed in to the restaurant and feel that we are part of the ambience. Definitely coming back and recommend to those looking for something special.

My family and I dined here last night and were absolutely blown away by both the service and the food. The menu is outstanding and the Chef was flexible enough to cater for Miss 7 who opted for the most sublime short rib I have ever tasted (she is still talking about it today) and added for her some beautiful fresh veges etc. My husband and I both ordered the lamb, a French/Indian fusion dish that is impossible to describe except to say it is hands down the best dish I have eaten bar none in a very long time! Well done Nero's for exceeding my expectations 10 fold! Can't wait to come back again.

If anyone needs to look for a benchmark in quality then they need visit Nero Restaurant. I dined here last night with my wife and we both walked away both content and amazed. I had the taste of Argentina main and the star of this dish was the Wagyu/Angus blend steak. Hands down I have never eaten a steak as good as this. The chef prepared the entire dish to perfection. To highlight to my wife how well the steak had been cooked I started to cut a piece using the steak knife but not using any pressure. The knife just cut using its own weight and sliced it as if it was not there. The braised short rib literally dissolved in my mouth as it was that tender and well cooked. So I thank you Nero Restaurant for one very memorable evening with amazing service from the staff and a mouthwatering meal which I am happily telling all I know to come experience. If I could 6 stars I would.

I went to Nero’s for the first time to celebrate my birthday. I made the booking for 7pm, but we were not served our mains until 8:45. We received no apologies for the lateness of our meals, but instead were asked if we wanted to purchase more drinks while we wait. Although it was very busy at the time we were there I feel there was no excuse as a couple that were seated at the same time as us were finishing their desert when we were served our main.<br/>I knew Nero’s was pricey when I made the booking, but I thought I would be paying for the atmosphere and amazing food. Unfortunately it was lacking in both for me. The atmosphere was crowded and nosey and my food was dry. However I feel I should mention the others I was with did enjoy their meals.<br/>On a positive note the waiter we had was lovely. Always coming to the table with a smile.

I really like Nero's and visit it frequently. I enjoy the ambiance, the food and the service. I'm always greeted like a special guest - well, perhaps I am because of my regular custom. I'm not much of a cook myself and I prefer to take my guests to Nero's instead of entertaining at home because Nero's does fine dining that doesn't cost a fortune.

We had a foodie visitor from Australia visiting and came to Neros where we had an amazing night out. The food and the service were exceptional. Our foodie visitor believed it was one of the best food experiences he had ever had. Palmerston North can be very proud to have such a top class restaurant here and one that we can be very proud of showing off to visitors.<br/>Each element of the food that we had was superb, from entree to desert.<br/>We will be back. Thank you Neros for leaving us with the memories of such a great night out.

Nice place top service but felt like the food wasn't really up there, as I have dinned here before but tonight just didn't do it for me. My steak was over cooked and wasn't seasoned! The wine we had was to die for but the young lady didn't know much about the wine when we asked. Overall not bad but not great.

The meals were quite expensive so we expected enough on our plates to fill us up. The food was high quality and super delicious- the menu offers lots of different things. Sadly the sizes of our mains were tiny and didn't fill us up at all. We didn't have time for dessert because it took too long for the mains to come out. <br/>Over all I was disappointed with the place: the service was average, I didn't like the atmosphere (or cow hide couches), and the meals were tiny and expensive. <br/>I won't dine here again.

This is a top quality restaurant, excellent food, service and atmosphere. I ordered the chicken main which was awesome, but I suffered food envy when I saw the beef brought out to another person at our table! I'll definitely be ordering that next time. The desserts were delicious, we got four different ones at our table and I tried them all, yum! Will certainly be back.

This is easily the best restaurant in town. Not overly priced for a fine dining experience so really recommend it.<br/>The food is divine and the service is very good. The atmosphere is also great in a big old house.<br/>Not huge portions but this is what you expect at a place with fine dining.

Came here with family. Between us we had the lamb rack, the scotch fillet, the pork, and the salmon. All meals very enjoyable.<br/>Disappointed that the chicken was not free-range. The couches are also covered in cow-hide which might be alarming for some.<br/>Service could have been a little bit more friendly, but overall, a great meal.<br/>Nero has an award for beef and lamb, which is not at all surprising. Recommend these dishes!

Really good restaurant &amp; yummy meal from starter to main it make me want more and more. worth for money

Love this place!! Consistently great service and food.

Have never been disappointed when dining here, suits groups of all sizes