The best restaurant I've been in New Zealand! Their wood-fire short rib chimichurri is a must have, it was so good that I sadly forgot to take a picture... Awesome prawns and crispy pork belly, if you're looking to have the best meat dishes this is the place. The desert was also delicious, we had a dulce de leche cheesecake.
I had the eggs benedict, LOVE that they come on hash browns!!! with bacon also. it was amazing! the staff were also really lovely. great coffee. definitely would go back!! đ
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As the owner of El Matador is an ex-flatmate and chef colleague of mine, who I havenât seen for decades(!), I have long been trying to get in here to try out the food, and hopefully run across Mike. Unfortunately, he wasnât in over the weekend, so that catch up will have to wait for another time. Bookings are only made for parties of 8 or more. So when we showed up around 7:00pm, on a Saturday night, naturally the place was already pumping. Seats at the bar, or outside, where it was refreshingly cooler, but not chilly, were offered. Within a short time, 2 buddies arrived to join me, my son and his girlfriend at the table. What followed was a few rounds of ciders, some pints of Estrella on tap, and a bottle of Campos de Viento Tempranillo. The Argentinian themed BBQâd meats are what many people rave about here, so we too opted for a Parrillada platter of various meats for 4, plus some non-meat options of patatas fritas, calamari, prawns and fugazza (a divine bread dish, not to be missed!). Everything was super tasty, bursting with juicy flavour, and nothing went back from our plates! The cost for all this was a very reasonable $50 per head ($30 food/$20 drinks). Highly recommended! Will definitely go again.
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This place took us right back to the good times and good food we had in Buenos Aires!
Then place operates on a first in first serve system and it's right across the road from our hotel. We turned up just past 6pm and the place already starting to fill up. We were seated at the courtyard with nice La Boca style deco.
The waiting staffs were friendly and helpful. Wine was served straight away. After a little bit of wait, our food arrived. We ordered the rib eye steak medium rare and the roasted asparagus with almonds. The steak was cooked perfectly, the best medium rare we had in a long time. My husband even said it tasted better than most steak we had in BA. The servings were proper Argentinian sizes , so unless you have a extra large stomach, don't be greedy on your orders.
The highlight though was the Yerba Maté panna cotta, with a dab of dulce de leche and freeze raspberries. The flavour of the maté works perfectly in this dessert. The slightly bitter green tea flavour mix with the creamy smooth panna cotta! I'm in heaven!
We will highly recommend this place to everyone who is looking for a a great night with great food. It's perfect for every occasion!
Stumbled across here for lunch and I can't believe I'd never been - awesome atmosphere and decor and a great array of options to choose from on the menu. We got the breakfast burrito and the pancakes, both were delicious and very generous portion sizes. Definitely recommend!
Very great place to enjoy the meal. Burger is delicious and the flat white is amazing. Service is good as well. Me and my friends love this restaurant and we'll visit again
It was such an amazing place to eat at and I always loved the steak n chips n salad but I recently went back to the place n I had the same meal I always did get the steak n it was pounded out n flat n the cooks were saying or joking around saying idk what I am doing... I think now the beautiful thick steak yummy as it was now is just flat n pounded but the customer service is very good but the food is now ok but don't really wanna pay $25 for a small pounded steak.. n very olily garden salad
La Monte Young Leahy
+4.5
Preeetttyyy, pretty, preeeetty good. Had a good argument about whether a Matador was a Mexican or a Spanish tradition. The ambience really allowed for clarity when articulating my rebuttals.
I uh, I don't know. I'm sticking by my answer.
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Portuguese are royalty when it comes to fine meat eating, therefore making El Matador a must in wellington.
walking in from the cold, wet street we were instantly greeted with a warm smile and the roaring fire of the kitchens wood-fire parrilla. we were quickly served drinks, myself  having a pint of tap beer Estrella damm and Mum having a green tea.
we didnt want to shell out for a sharing platter (the table next to us got the parrillada and it looks f*cking AMAZING) so we got the flank steak (cooked rare), House smoked pork belly with black bean and chipotle puree , mushroom and tarragon salad and the Patatas fritas.
i must applaud the chefs because the steak was cooked perfectly,with enough rest to let the juices evenly spread throughout the meat. The mushroom and tarragon salad was simple and elegant, highlighting the mushrooms flavour however the salad was served cold/room temp which was not off putting but i feel like it could of been done better.
But the pork belly.....................the GOD DAMN MOTHERF*CKING PORK BELLY. i could be a more gifted poet than William shakespare and still not be able to find the right words to describe how beautiful and marvelous the pork belly was. this is what pigs dream of being, this is the reason for living. the outside of the meat is smokey and subtle and the meat melds together in perfect harmony. there is truly no more i can say than congratulations to the chefs on making the best pork i have ever had in my life.
to finish we shared some churros($12.50) which were delightfully light and crispy compared to the rubber sticks that dominos or some other such filth may create.
all in all, the meal was about $45 split, the food was amazing and the staff were friendly. definitely must try for all.
Chef Guri recommended Scotch beef with medium-rare cook for the first-time visitor. The warm and sweet juice of the soft and tender meat captured my soul. What a wonderful dinner. Crowded patrons with joyful noises and soft South American and Spanish songs added uniqueness to the atmosphere. The cold golden crystal clear smooth and light sweetness of Spanish Estrella beer gave a great accompaniment. Good salad dressing. Good fast service and caring recommendations have added to a memorable night. Enjoy! (2023-11)
This place was recommended by almost everyone we asked before visiting Wellington and I would 100% recommend after having been. What a feast we had!! Everything was delicious but the ribs were really special. Also loved the gnocchis.
You must go to El Matador if youâre in town!
Great and friendly service, sometimes itâs hard to get a table but worth the wait for the carnivores. Delicious meat. The Chimichurri was on point and the steak is always cooked to perfection. The flan is amazing too for people with a sweet tooth.
We were fully content with the overall dining experience. We popped in on a whim. At first we could not secure a table as it was Friday evening but they took down our contact details and they called us back 10 minutes later. The steak was juicy and soft. The vegetarian meal was also phenomenal. Portions were perfect. The decor was quite authentic and it reminded me of the time when I was in Buenos Aires. We would gladly return here in future again!
Came here for dinner on Friday night. Long queue to get in, so left our number and went for a drink, was called back in 30 minutes.
Great meal, had the back steak and rump steak, the meat was cooked perfectly and had bread and dips to start and a couple of cocktails.
Friendly staff and great atmosphere, definitely worth the wait for the table and recommend.
Absolutely recommend this place. The food was delicious, it was great to find an authentic Argentinian asado in NZ. The dishes are well served, the seasoning is so unique! Good wine selection from South America. Staff is friendly and helpful. I'll definitely be back!
There was a queue when we entered, the staff offered if we would like to be on the courtyard (extended dining) as the main dining is full. Ambiance is great, food is pricey but has big serving, staff were very attentive. We had steaks, burger, and Paella (40mins to serve), and the Churros (must try!)
One thing I like to highlight was (we left when the restaurant was closed) the staff were having their dinner together in a long table, this I think is what makes them an excellent team and maybe what you can call as a work family.
Amazing! It was great to have meat the âArgentinian wayâ. The service was good, big portions and delicious food. It was on the pricey end but worth it. We spent around 90NZD per person but had leftovers.
The best Steakđ„©in New Zealand. Better than each restaurant in Auckland. Recommend wood-fired beef bone and beef marrow.Liked the restaurant environment. Really enjoyed the dinner time there. Must arrive before 5pm. Otherwise needs to wait toooo long.
Best food we have had at a Restaurant this year. We were greeted with great service as soon as we walked in and given the option to sit in bar until a table became available. We had 5 Tapas which were all absolutely devine and could not fault in any way possible. The churros were next level, fresh and warm and sooooo tasty. My Husband and I will back again to try more of the food they offer. Cocktails were also superb.
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