Review The Co-op Kitchen & Bar - Porirua

Devine Food! Excellent and second to none service! Great view! Had a wonderful dinner, and Dad time with my Son

First time here and loved, seated outside area with sun streaming in and beautiful views of the lake and the staff were so friendly and delicious food will be back 😀

First time there....was Beautiful with the lake there. Food was absolutely Amazing!! And helpful friendly staff...would recommend to anyone 😊

Food was definitely improved - taste, display and portion. Enjoyed our night with live DJ playing. Good atmosphere. WOAP burger was never recommended./daily special was never been offered - Service was not what I would expected, however, giving the current tight labour market, we understand getting the right staffs or training is very difficult.

Have dined here a few times and each time the food has been phenomenal and the staff's customer service is outstanding. Tonight we had a family dinner, 24 of us the waitresses and waiters were very pleasant to deal with the chef gave us complimentary entrees. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the outdoor area is breath taking, the view makes it that more special. They also have heaters to keep warm while eating in the outdoor area.

We had a large group last night and we enjoyed it very much. Everyone had a good time, kids especially with the door opening out to the lake. Food and drinks were very good as expected from a Christmas nenu. Nothing was too much of a trouble, well portioned meals and very nicely presented. Thank you all and specially to Caroline who looked after organizing it all, even bringing my cake. All in all it was a very nice celebration for my family and friends. Would do it again :)

Quick, efficient service by friendly staff. Food was well presented, tasted great, with generous portions. It's pleasantly delightful, much better than my last visit late 2022. Definitely recommend this time around 👌

Had a blast trying the WOAP burger. Burger was delicious and staff were delightfully helpful. Great spot for a lunchtime getaway.

Meals were quick to arrive, wait staff did as well as we might expect, seated next to sliding door which hit chairs and was cool on a cold evening outside. Menu missing pizzas and schnitzel.... but was nice. Menu items selectable below did not include items we selected.

The bar is so cozy and fells like a real Kiwi place with random architecture in the coolest of places. Bar safe are friendly and easy to make convo with and then the food was great on top so yep I'll be going back for more .thanks Co-op.

Solid effort from the team at Co-Op all round. I was in there with two other friends tonight and I ordered the BE-EF Burger (with an egg) which came with crinkle cut fries. We ordered the boneless fried chicken with Korean BBQ sauce. 1. The burger was bloody delicious, with a tasty patty that was juicy AF! My go-to of having a fried egg was a bonus for me. The milk buns were soft, yet managed the moisture long enough for me to get through most of the burger before disintegrating. This is common, so didn’t bother me. Yeah pretty stoked with this bad boy!! Crinkle cut fries are the best fries ever (FIGHT ME IF YOU DISAGREE) and these were no exception. 2. The Boneless chicken had crunch, moisture in the meat and strength in the sauce. AH-MAZ-ZING! Service was friendly and good didn’t take too long either. Luckily there was a special on which brought the burger meal to $15 which was about right for me, $20+ would have been a bit steep. This burger meal was great, but with higher quality of ingredients it would be worthy of that $20+ mark. This is why I have it a 4/5, but this place is definitely worth a visit, especially with TG1 now open it’s a breeze getting into Whitby.

I celebrated my birthday here in October, excellent food, service and cocktails were great, I actually wouldn't be able to fault them on anything.

Went there for dinner tonight. A birthday celebration. We are locals and go there on regular basis for a beer and a wine. Tonight was very disappointing. After being seated at the table we waited and waited for someone to come and talk to us about the specials and asking if wanted a drink. We eventually went to the bar where we were told very nicely to go and sit back down because one of the team would come and take our order. We waited and continued to wait for some time before we got any level of service. We did eventually order our meals. They again did take some time to come out. The entree of chicken wings were very well cooked. On the verge of being over cooked/ burnt. We waited again for a lengthy period of time. Then only 4 of the 5 mains turned up. Eventually we approached the staff and asked where the last one was. They hadn't processed the order. So the food hadn't been prepared!! Staff apologised for the error and raced the order through. When it finally turned up it was not edible. The food was average a best and I think I am being generous. The service was poor. It was slow and simply not up to standard. I did talk with the person who was in charge and told them of our experience . They did apologise and took the price of the meal that had been missed off our final bill. We won't go back for a meal. We will go there for a beer or wine but based on tonight's experience I will not recommend it as a place to have a meal.

Would not reccomend to dine there. Fish smelt off and I don't eat fish. It didnt smell fresh. For the amount you pay there definitely not worth your money. You will end up at the drive thru after leaving there lol. Dessert did not impress me. Felt like they didnt make an effort. The Crumble was pretty much cream with chopped up pears and sour apples. And the Strawberry desert was custard from the carton.

If I could give it a zero I would. Fish batter burnt, pork dish bland, fish dish was bland and dry. The ingredients don't work well together at all. Dessert is over price . Crumble tastes like a krispie biscuit. Been here previously and it was above average . Damn shame

I have always loved coming to Co Op for dinner with the family, I dont know if they have changed their chief but they have definitely changed their menu, I'm a huge steak fan but the sides that came with the steak did not sound very enticing so I got the beef cheek, again the beef cheek was to die for but the sides were not great at all, as we dont have very many places in porirua to go for a good meal i will be searching a little broader being going to the Co Op again.

We arrived at 7pm no booking and they were really busy the young lady who looked after us was awesome she explained 40 minute wait but we didn't wait very long at all drinks came and then our food about 30 minutes later Omg the pork belly is to die for and hubby had the chicken breast yummy Totally recommend the dinner menu is fab

Had my 21st here, absolutely loved it. I was treated incredibly well from day one. Everyone loved the food, the area we had and the staff. 10/10 job from the manager, I definitely felt like as a customer I was well taken care of. Recommend to anyone looking for somewhere to have a function, lunch, dinner or a drink of any kind.

It looks lovely and has lots of space for families and large groups, there’s a beautiful outlook over the lake, and the beers are cold. Service is adequate, although the wait person today was a bit tepid when I mentioned the issues I had with my food, but the food is DEFINITELY below par. We’ve been there three times, giving the place the benefit of the doubt, and each time has had some issue - overdone poached eggs one time, the wrong type of vegetarian patty another time, and just today, BURNT fish and chips. Well, to be fair, the frozen chips were cooked fine, I guess, but the tempura batter on the fish fillets was way too dark, hard, and oily. The fish itself was like tasteless paste inside a brittle, bitter shell. We’ll definitely only come here for a drink next time, if we come back at all!

The whole meal was a bit of a miss. Didn't have the juice for my drink. Salmon cakes that had very little salmon. Steak was meh. No feta on the beetroot and feta side dish. Dessert was the highlight, and it was icecream and a cheese platter. The service was borderline unprofessional, and we were asked to move tables halfway through the meal, which was a new one for me!

Had a really great meal there last night, but mainly wanted to praise the waitress who took care of us - we didn't catch her name - but she has recently moved down from Palmerston North. She took great care of us and had a fantastic sense of humour. I have eaten here many times, and this was the best service we have had. Big thumbs up to her, keep up the great service!

My family and I really enjoy the Coop. The food is great, drinks and atmosphere are great Our family of four is never disappointed and the service matches the food. We are lucky to have Coop as a local food and drink option and will visit soon! Thank you!

Went on ANZAC day. Beautiful food but they were seriously understaffed. Only one waitress and she was running from one end of the packed restaurant to the other. The waitress was polite enough, but was obviously too stretched and it took 20 minutes and a second request for drinks before we had some water, let alone our food order. Several of the dishes on the menu were also off as they ran out of food. Once the food arrived, things were much better - it was lovely. They really do need to think about rostering enough people on though, and to have a plan for when thngs are unexpectedly busy.

The Co-op have been fantastic and will go above and beyond to help. The staff are very friendly and are extremely accommodating. I have found that if you have any specific needs they will go the extra mile to fit you in or manage it so you have a good experience. Food is fantastic and the drinks selection is great. Has been improving every year with the latest crew one of the best.

Came for lunch last Monday, what a fabulous place! The views are amazing, the food was devine (so nice not to have stodgy bar food) the staff were absolutely lovely. Couldn't have been happier, well worth the drive from Upper Hutt. The signs in your ladies loos are hallarious! Love the fact it's family friendly, can't wait to come back!

Nate and his team gave the best customer service ever!! Best night in a long time great food couldn't have it any better

Following a recommendation I travelled to eat here as I was in the area. Well what a waste of time. After waiting at the counter I was eventually told to take a seat anywhere I could find one and given a menu. On asking for a drink to take with me I was told someone would be over shortly to take my order. I waited for 30 minutes watching all the tables around me get drinks and food but not one of the waiting staff was interested in taking my order. So once again I waited at the counter and told the staff member that no one had been to my table for my order, drinks or food. Then given the lack of interest in my dilemma by this person I left. The lack of service coupled with the lack of interest was appalling. Don’t waste your time with this place, plenty of other establishments are happy to provide good service in exchange for your money.

My girl katie has been a fabulous waitress tonight! Stunning service, with superb food advice and a fantastic personality. We are here for a hens night and she’s been so good to the bride, and adds the best atmosphere to the co op Whitby. Amazing service, 10/10, give this girl a raise xox

Great food, excellent service. Dog friendly adds a nice touch too

Absolutely amazing food. However, takes super long for food to be brought out regardless of how busy or quiet it is and very very pricey. Wouldn’t want to be in a rush or on a budget when coming here. Great service, friendly and helpful staff.

Dog friendly restaurant with beautiful food and drink , lovely people with 5 star services , very reasonable price and can accumulate membership points and use them as $$$$

Terrible service. If I could give you no stars, I would. I visited yesterday (17th May) and it was evident that the manager in charge is in the wrong industry. I will not be returning.

I was really excited to come here with my friends and little sister in-law (baby sitting during school holidays) but sadly they didn't let us in because my 12 year old sister inlaw didn't have any ID. We saw so many family's eating their with their children but they told us we couldn't eat there. I'm true upset with the outcome and being told that we couldn't eat here.

Below average. ..went for lunch..3 of us had fish & chips..fish didn't taste fresh..coleslaw was dry and old looking. .the best part of the meal was the chips which I'm guessing were frozen..oh and the Co_Op lager was great..you also need to check utensils as some still hadn't been washed properly. .old egg on them..won't be back for a while sorry .

Coffee was spot on, service was really good and the food was very tasty, especially the creamy mushroom medley (added a side of bacon). It was so good I wanted another dish! The food came out nice and hot which was good. Would definitely come back back for more.

We had the best night I had the steak special so so yum the broccoli and blue cheese was delicious and my partner really enjoyed his lamb rump the staff were lovely.<br/>Was a good night.<br/>

Attention by Staff was extremely good at all levels. The food, some of which was recommended by the Manager, was well presented and delicious. Having been to the Co-op a few months ago, we had decided not ever to return. But, we did, and I am so pleased we made that decision. Will certainly return, and encourage others to do so also. We were told that the aim was to turn the establishment around, and it has definitely been done. Keep it up!!!

Really disappointed with service and the grumphy staff who served me.<br/>Visited this restaurant today since my birthday party. Firstly,staff do not give any sh..t about customer here and they are far away from customer service, eye contact ,smile, acknowledge the customer and bar duties.

Such a cool place! The food options look and taste delicious. Loses points for their obnoxious, ego-maniac chef though unfortunately. <br/><br/>Went here with a large group on Sunday around 11am for a birthday brunch. Ordered a meal and it was brought out within about 5/10 minutes. The meal was ice cold as if it had been sitting there for a while or something - who knows. Anyway, we called our lovely waitress over who apologised and took it back to the kitchen. We were seated very close to the kitchen so heard the whooooole exchange as the sensitive chef threw a major wobbly that it came back and had a huge go at the waitress as if it was somehow her fault that he sent out cold food. He then let the meal sit there for 20 minutes without fixing the problem so our waitress went to see what the hold up was and he angrily grabbed it and covered it in hollandaise - despite the fact the order stated no hollandaise - so THEN when the waitress took it back because of this he LOST IT, starting yelling at her, grabbed the plate and threw it in the bin.... ridiculous really. Maybe make things right the first time and then you wouldn't have to throw a tantrum every time somebody asks for an adjustment you should have made in the first place. Take the arrogance down a few notches too. <br/><br/>We will be back as this is our first poor experience and the manager and waitress were highly apologetic about it all. Not their fault anyway!

Went for a impromptu dinner last night. Arrived to find 2 for 1 special night. Sat outside our fault for not booking while the sun was out very hot even at 6 30pm. We had venison wellington and the sirloin steak. Stunning looking wellington.... tasted great generous portion. I had the steak it was cooked perfectly fantastic sauce and enough to mop up with chips with. Will be back again and will book

Found out about Co-Op after going there for a family dinner. Came back for brunch recently. Staff were very friendly and were very flexible when it came to orders (as one of us was gluten free). very accommodating for people who have diet preferences. Food was great the eggs cooked to perfection with homemade hashbrowns were a great addition to the egg's Florentine. For 17 dollars it can be a bit steeper than other places but I feel it was well worth it. Didn't have to weight to long giving the kids pencils and things to colour to help pass the time was a nice touch. Loved the look of the place, with comfy booths and a beautiful lake/lagoon view.

Been here a couple of times and have now tried both the Venison Wellington and a Eye Fillet steak. Both were superb. It is a relaxed 'frivolity is a must' environment, friendly and comfortable. Highly recommend.

Decor of this place is pretty trendy. Unfortunately the service was unfriendly and the food gross. Good place to go and hang with your Mates for a couple of drinks but I would give the food a miss.

I really enjoyed this place. The decor was cool and there were lots of delicious gluten free options. Staff were helpful when they actually got around to noticing we were there. It took 1 hour for the waitress to come and take our order and that was after we flagged her down three times. Regardless the food and drink was delicious and the outdoor space gave a really cool vibe and something for us to do while we waited.

The food we ordered was tasty however I found there very few vegetarian main options to choose from so had to go for pizza. <br/>Staff were very friendly.

The decor is awesome! The staff get a 1.5 for being friendly and attentive, but the food gets a 0.5 because it's only just edible. I had the 'spicy' chicken wings with chipotle dip, and a cherry/pomegranate soda. Hubby had the beef burger. I really enjoyed my soda. The chicken wings were devoid of any spice because they were so dry and over-cooked they were tough as old boots and tasteless - the accompanying dips were bland and watery. I should have ordered the pizza.  Hubby's burger was cold and raw in the middle. Fortunately, the cashier happened to ask how everything was so hubby said exactly as above. We received a 50% (or thereabouts) discount and a 2 for one card should we opt to return, and a humble apology.  So thank you guys for that :-) However, it isn't likely we will go back for a while.

This is a great little local with friendly staff and good food.<br/>What sets the Co-op apart from most locals is the wine and cider that they have on tap plus a good selection of craft beers.<br/>There is something on the menu to please even the fussiest eater and portion sizes are good. Pizzas and burgers are always a favourite here although other items on the menu have always gone down a treat as well.<br/>Service is always with a smile but if you decide to dine at peak times do prepare yourself for a lengthy wait. (This place always seems to be busy).<br/>The Co-op is a bit on the higher side price wise but for the ambiance, food and view that you get it is definitely worth the extra couple of dollars. <br/>Definitely a drastic change from the old dark and uninviting Crows Nest Pub.<br/>

Have always had a good experience here. It's family friendly and good value for money food. A nice atmosphere and great 'go to' local spot.

Great view and service OK, but the food and drink were not that great so cannot recommend this one.  To be honest just get a picnic go and enjoy the view from near this pub and pop in for a beer to go with your food as theirs is best left where it is.

I loved the decor of this place, definately something different. This is such a hidden treasure but i really think that in places the food is missing quality, cheap is not always good no matter how its cooked. And some things are easy and nicer home made. Hubby and i had the Sunday roast lamb, the lamb was tender and veges nice but the roasted potatoes were a let down and ruined the meal, they tasted like they had been roasted hours before serving. It was an average meal, bit of personal touch could have gone a long way with this roast instead of serving up something you could get at your local RSA. Kid had pizza n chips and she loved it - great proportions. Desserts were delicious, it would be nice if the vanilla bean ice cream was home made as it lacked flavour. Overall im looking forward to dinning here again and trying other menu options. Alot of blackboard specials are appealing. Kids dine free on Sundays too.

Five of us there on Friday night. Friendly staff, good music. Meals took a while, but it was busy and we really enjoyed it once it came. Being in the Entertainment Book is also a bonus. A reasonably good experience.

We went to co op last night, nice decor very fresh and bright. That's were it stops for me. Had fish and chip over cooked and fish had a lot of water like it was frozen, chips were just cheap not quality at all. This happens a lot with the local pubs, quality not up to standard.

My wife and I have tried the Co-Op on a couple of occasions, and have been left a little underwhelmed. On both occasions, the service was terrible, and the food adequate at best. The first time my burger was undercooked and my wifes croutons in her caesar salad were the size of small potatoes. The second time we ordered the deep fryed medley, of which the chimichongas were cold, squid was way overdone and none of the dish was prepared on site, it was stuff you can buy from the frozen section of any supermarket. We will not be back.

I have visited Whitby Co-Op at least 7 times since it opened, great atmosphere, food is always great, we enjoy it here, nice to have somewhere close that is a decent upmarket place to go in the Porirua area.

We visited Whitby Co-Op when it first opened and were delighted with the meals, even with the 'limited' menu at the time - the potato rostis were memorable and the meals a good size. We visited again with friends a few months ago and we were less than delighted, with the rostis off the menu that day by 12.30, and the meals nothing more than average once they arrived almost an hour later. Today we went for lunch and the size of the meals was a huge disappointment - the rostis, available today but significantly smaller, and the open chicken sandwich had two small morsels of chicken and a slice of ciabatta with a huge void in it once one of the one and a bit leaves of lettuce was moved - half the plate covered in chips doesn't justify this price. To add insult to injury, the underside of my plate was covered in tomato salsa which ended up on my shirt and trousers after I received the plate from the wait-staff and then belatedly realised what had happened. Beer and wine were nice....

Three of us decided to meet up for lunch today at the Whitby Co-Op...we reserved a table but it was not organized for us when we arrived. We placed out order and asked for an entree to start. About 20 mins later the waitress informed us that they did not have what we ordered for our starter so we placed another order( breads and dips). A half an hour later we asked how much longer out food would be as no one had even been to our table. They said it was all ready in about 6 mins. We told them we wanted the breads and dips to start(obviously as it is an entree). Then another 20 mins later the breads and dips arrived...approximately another half an hour later 2 out if 3 meals came( which were cold) and finally the 3rd arrived another 15 mins later!!! The restaurant was not overly busy, but the main issue I have is that no one attempted to address the situation at all. We will not be back for a meal at the co-op again..2hours for a simple lunch is ridiculous!!. Such a shame as we are local Whitby residents and would have frequented here often.

Came here sometime beginning of the year - absolutely loved everything. Service was prompt, everyone around who was serving - really helpful and cheerful - though it was a busy night the professionalism stake was well held and easily seen that they are all used to great service within their areas of the restaurant. Food was just beautiful - and felt very welcomed. I will be back again for sure, and also have been recommending this place to many who are wanting to come. Making Porirua proud!

I attended your establishment on Saturday night with some friends whom had not been there before. It appears that the restaurant is really serving cafe meals at an overcharged price considering that the choice of main meal at 7pm was already limited and when it came to desert the choice was just the same no much and what we had was not made correctly. I think that the chef needs to take note of this and make sure that he has prepared enough food especially when you have full booking for that night. At this stage don't think we will return until we hear better things about your food. The girl who served us was most polite and felt she had to apologize to us for lack of food.

Went for dinner here on a Thursday night a week ago as it looks like a great venue and seems to be very busy, which is always a good sign.The outside area looks nice - it was raining otherwise we might have sat there. Had calamari and scallops for starters which were enjoyable. My husband had the rib eye as a main - it was cooked medium rare as requested but it was inedible - more sinew than meat. Don't know what cut it actually was - it was impossible to tell. The gratin accompanying it wasn't baked through. My duck confit was fine although average.

This is my experience: Visited Co-Op for the first time expecting really good things based on the stylish decor &amp; furnishings, unfortunately one of the coffee's was served in a dirty cup with lips stick &amp; the coffee was average at best... also the chicken wings were actually not chicken wings, they were small drums &amp; cheap nibbles, were over cooked and dry...Co-Op has great decor &amp; furnishings though totally at odds with coffee served in an unwashed cheap looking mug, bad dry over cooked food &amp; average coffee. Co-Op needs to do the basics properly because at the moment this saying applies to Co-Op - 'Good From Far, Far From Good!'.

Just had an evening meal at the Co-Op for the first time. Excellent service, ambience and food. The place was full (a Thursday night) so we ate in the bar area. No problem. The wait staff were great, prompt, professional and friendly. Will certainly return!

We have just paid over $80 for a very bad meal. Where to start? First, the drinks took over 15 minutes to arrive. Second, the waitress neglected to convey our orders to the kitchen, which resulted in a 45 - 50 minute delay in us receiving our meals, while we watched other people (who had arrived after us) being served. Our main entertainment during this time consisted of swatting the flies away (unfortunately we had not read the earlier review on this site, and made the mistake of sitting near the kitchen). Third, we had to cancel our entrée order as it would have arrived only a few minutes (at the most) before the mains. Fourth, the chef does not know how to cook steak - my steak (which was supposed to be medium) was black on the outside and raw in the middle. Fifth, the steak knife was the size of a hunting knife... was I expected to kill the animal before eating it? Sixth, my friend ordered the mushroom fettucine in white wine sauce. He doubted that any white wine had been used, as it tasted vinegar based. Seventh, my other friend ordered chicken wrapped in bacon - this was dry and wrapped in the tiniest piece of bacon, with a small, mean dollop of sauce. Eighth, when we pointed these concerns out to the manager, our impression was that she really didn't care and that we were just another difficult group. While we were each offered a free drink to compensate for the "loss" of our orders, this did not make up for a substandard dining experience all around, together with dirty seats and strange décor. We will not be back to the Co-op and we will be suggesting that our friends give it a miss.

Dined here two times in last 3 weeks. 1st time was with a large work group, food came out quickly and was fine, only thing that spoilt it was the odd fly hanging around the tables (Don't sit near the kitchen) 2nd time was with family - I thought I'd give the place another go, again food was fine, I could forgive the medium steak being overcooked but more flies again!!! We spent the whole lunch swatting them away while trying to eat it wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience hence the 2 star rating. Get some fly spray!!!!

I've been to the co-op on several occasions now. Both for dinner with work colleagues, dinner with family and also brunch. Each time I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Just one comment on brunch - most people expect to have eggs bene on a piece of toasted bread or the like. Coop serves theirs on a delicious home made hash-brown - yummy. However, might be a good idea to note that on the menu. The service is always great and the atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable with a wonderful Kiwiana feel to the decor. Well done to everyone at Co-op (owners and staff). I only see things getting better and it's great to have a restaurant/bar close by instead of having to travel into Wellington City or head out to Mana and beyond.<br/><br/>Previous reviewer (Pensive P) - what a shame about your comments relating to bored housewives and children. Housewives/Mothers have one of the hardest and in-arguably most underpaid jobs. They too deserve to be able to go somewhere to get away from the daily grind. Oh and in case you're wondering, I'm not a housewife, I work full-time.

We dined here recently as a group of 7. I have to say the venue is really good and the wait staff are very friendly and helpful. Out of the 7 of us 6 ordered the Angus Burger, it arrived in front of us and looked amazing. Once we cut into it, it was a different story. One was so rare it had to be sent back, it looked like fresh mince from the super market formed into a Pattie and slapped between the buns. The rest of us had varying degrees of rareness. <br/><br/>Moving onto dessert. There were 4 pavlovas ordered, it stated these came with vanilla bean ice cream, once delivered it had what appeared to be regular Tip Top vanilla ice cream. One of the group queried this and was told yes it was down as Vanilla Bean... and that was it, we again queried this and the waitress went to the kitchen to find out and we were told that there was a mistake and the Kapiti and Tip Top ice creams were mixed up. We accepted this. The table next to us then ordered Pavlova with Vanilla Bean ice cream, we watched the kitchen (as we could see in) and again Tip Top vanilla ice cream was served. I believe if the menu states Vanilla Bean ice cream then that is what you should receive, or an apology from the kitchen letting you know they have ran out. <br/><br/>I think this could be a really great restaurant, they just need to work on the Kitchen to make this happen.

We've been to the Co-Op a few times and understand that when a restaurant opens there are always teething problems. However, we arrived, ordered drinks and food, were brought out a carafe of water - all of which was fine. Upon drinking all the water we noticed little dots of something around the bottom inside the carafe. Upon a closer inspection it appeared to be mould on the inside which we relayed back to the staff. I ordered the fish of the day which was lovely - my husband ordered a pizza which he found the base to be a bit like cardboard in consistency. Second glass of wine came out right towards the end of our meal which shouldn't have happened as the restaurant appeared to be not that busy. Being ex restaurateurs we feel that being served water in a carafe with mould dots at the bottom didn't leave a comfortable feel - check the carafes before filling them. By the way the waitress was really good but we noticed didn't really know how to handle the situation. Come on you guys - little things like this shouldn't happen and we need you in this area. Just a little bit hit and miss I have to say.

The best thing to happen to Whitby in a long time! Keep up the good work guys, you are brilliant! Always welcoming, with great food and helpful cheerful staff. I highly recommend the Whitby Co Op to one and all!

I took a large group for a work meal on a busy Friday night. We had booked in advance and were expected and welcomed on our arrival. The set menu had a wide range of options and the portions were very generous. Everyone was thoroughly impressed with the service, food and atmosphere! It was definitely one of the better work-do's we have had. Everyone commented they would return.<br/>Congrats Whitby Co-op on a great job! It is fantastic to have a good quality "local".

Went to Co-Op Kitchen on a Tuesday and evening taking into consideration it is relatively new and is December was surprised at how busy it was. To me this is a good sign of things to come and was not disappointed. <br/><br/>Value for Money - excellent<br/>Service - very efficient and friendly<br/>Atmosphere - decor a bit out there but not off putting and really enjoyed it<br/>Quality of food - top notch! I had Scallops/Roasted Chicken breast and Caramel Pot.<br/><br/>My only negative would be that 1 main and 2 deserts choices had run out - I saw some of them come out from other guests faster than me and I got order envy - but it happens and they were apologetic - <br/><br/>Co-op Whitby!! Long may it live I will be back - a great night out in Whitby who would have thought!

I visited Co-Op a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night with some girlfriends. I had read the reviews and came prepared for things to be a little chaotic and to have a bit of a wait. I was very pleasantly surprised. <br/><br/>When I arrived the place was comfortably full with a warm and friendly atmosphere. The service was very quick for drinks and we were advised on ordering roughly how long the wait would be. The food arrived pretty promptly, ahead of the estimated time. I had the Angus Burger with fries which was tasty, hot and a generous portion. <br/><br/>One of the things I really liked about Co-Op was the gradual way the live music was bought in over the night. The group started around 8/8:30pm when most people had finished eating. Their first set was on the quiet side, just a bit louder than background music. Their second set was a bit louder and by their third set around 9:30/10pm it was a dance party atmosphere. <br/><br/>All up I had a great night with my friends the food, service and atmosphere all exceeded my expectations and I will definitely be back.<br/><br/>Finally a note to Pensive P (previous reviewer). Housewives bored or otherwise have as much right to be in a suburban cafe in the middle of the day as you do. I also doubt that their children were roaming freely...by roaming free do you mean not in cages? <br/>If you want to visit a cafe that is non-child friendly you have a choice of almost anywhere in Wellington people with little ones have far less choice. <br/><br/>Parents of Whitby and surrounds. I’m glad there is a great cafe available for you to enjoy a rare morning off. Go Co-Op!

We LOVE this place - we don't have kids, and steer clear of 'Denys on steroids' type cafe/pubs but have to say the kids here generally aren't a problem - kept entertained and seated with their parents YAY! Great atmosphere, service is wonderful and the food is great. Also a fantastic spot for cake/brunch and coffee in the mornings after 1100 ... this place is an absolute jewel in Whitby's crown. =)

My wife and I visited the restaurant for a family lunch last Sunday. The decor is quirky and the staff very pleasant and friendly. However, the service was atrocious. The waitress had to be told after half an hour that we were ready to order and then it took a further 45 minutes before the food started to arrive. Even then they had missed my order and I had to wait while they cooked it. While they were very apologetic and did not charge me for the meal, this is not acceptable. I had the Angus burger which was average quality but satisfactory. My wife has the fish of the day that was very watery and hardly eatable. While this meal was at a table with a large number (13) there is no excuse for the delays observed (it appeared that orders were taken and consumed by small parties while we were left waiting). <br/>This is a new restaurant that obviously has a few teething problems but they have a long way to go before I would consider going again.

Popped in for dinner with my husband mid-week, it was busy but pleasant. I had the vegetarian dish of the day, cous cous salad which was delicious, husband said his Angus burger was excellent too. Will definitely go back.