Review El Matador - Wellington

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 you’re in town!

Great and friendly service, sometimes it’s 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 “Argentinian way”. 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 Steak🥩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.

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.

Nice place for brunch!

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!! 😍

1-star rating is too generous for our<br/>experience tonight.<br/><br/>We waited over an hour for our meals. When we asked the waitress, she apologised and said the delay was due to the number of tables at the back.<br/><br/>When our meals arrived, we were surprised at the chips - they looked like crisps out of a bag. The salad also looked like it came from a bag and needed a tangier dressing.<br/><br/>Worse of all both our meat meals were oversalted, with one meal over cooked & tough.<br/><br/>When we went to pay, it turned out that our order had been forgotten & re-entered incorrectly, hence we did not receive the meals that we had ordered.<br/><br/>Appreciate that they apologised for the wait & offered us olives, potatoes and more drinks.<br/><br/>I would have preferred that they were upfront and we would had had an option of leaving rather than discover their error when we paid for a meal that was poor & not what we had ordered.<br/><br/>Exceptionally poor experience & very disappointing given the positive reviews we had read.<br/><br/>

As the owner of El Matador is an ex-flatmate and chef colleague of mine, who I haven’t seen for decades(!), I have long been trying to get in here to try out the food, and hopefully run across Mike. Unfortunately, he wasn’t 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 BBQ’d 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. <br/>

Had our first visit there this past week and unfortunately we were extremely disappointed. We were seated for nearly 20 mins before our drink orders were taken; from the time we sat down until our steaks came, it was an hour and a half, and my rare steak I ordered came out medium. The steak was nice, but was absolutely buried under a mountain of chimichurri and the garlic really overwhelmed the meat. This was a Wednesday early evening, so it wasn’t during a Saturday dinner rush or anything. Extremely disappointing and not feeling very likely that we’ll give it another try.

This place took us right back to the good times and good food we had in Buenos Aires!<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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!<br/><br/>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

The setting for the restaurant was pretty cool, which straight away had us in high hopes. I ordered the Wellington burger and the girlfriend grabbed a succulent looking steak. The burger was a 40cent looking bun, some new world looking coleslaw and a 3 day old tasting piece of rubbery fish, quite awful to be honest. Might sound harsh but just don't want anyone else to have to taste it. The steak was pretty decent, but it is a steakhouse after all. The cap it all off, the service was very unenthusiastic and lacked any urgency. Shan't be returning unfortunately. Cheers.

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.<br/><br/>I uh, I don't know. I'm sticking by my answer.

I had the misfortune of dining here on Saturday May 13. The service was the worst I've ever experienced anywhere in the world. Terrible wait staff, other than the friendly and helpful Asian woman. This poor attitude was a shame as the food itself was quite tasty.

Portuguese are royalty when it comes to fine meat eating, therefore making El Matador a must in wellington.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>all in all, the meal was about $45 split, the food was amazing and the staff were friendly. definitely must try for all.

First time here. Have wanted to try El Matador for a long time. We turned up on a Friday lunchtime. It was Argentine Street Food Friday!<br/><br/>I've always liked the decor of the exterior. The interior is pretty cool too. Didn't realise there was an outdoor area. It was a sunny day so we sat outside.<br/><br/>The menu had some interesting and tasty sounding dishes. Didn't want anything too big or heavy so we opted for a vegetarian Empanada each ($8.00) and shared the Patatas fritas fried potatoes ($9.00).<br/><br/>We also ordered a Sex On The Beach cocktail ($14.00) and a Parrot Dog Clipped Wing APA ($9.00).<br/><br/>The outdoor area is a nice open bright spot. We didn't realise it is also a smoking area. A couple started smoking which luckily didn't bother us as the smoke didn't blow our way; but for future reference I wouldn't sit outside.<br/><br/>Food arrived promptly, and it was a good amount. Not too much for a lunch. Plenty of potatoes to share between two.<br/><br/>In short, the food was nice and we did enjoy the meal. We both felt it could have been a little better though, which would have made it very good. The potatoes would have benefited for a little more seasoning, as could the Empanada. My partners cocktail was nice but she did comment that it tasted a little 'fake juicy' but she did enjoy it.<br/><br/>There was a slight error on the bill, but it was resolved quickly.<br/><br/>Wait staff friendly. I spoke to the chef while I was paying the bill and enquired about the meat they were slow cooking over the fire.<br/><br/>I'm keen to return and try some of their other fare and soak up more of the cool atmosphere.

After going to Fidels for a quick coffee, this was the last of three places we went to for eggs Benedict. We walked in and were seated fairly quickly in a cosy corner with a gorgeous waiter girl. We ordered a couple glasses of Marlborough Pinot Gris from Vavasour Vineyards to accompany the eggs Benedict. I was happy with the price, at $16.50. The eggs were on top of hash browns I stead of the usual English muffin, however I believe that they ran out just after we ordered. They also had Estrella beer going for much cheaper for a father's day deal probably. <br/><br/>The interior of this place is lovely, the food is tasty and the price is affordable - simple really.

It is currently the Visa Wellington on a Plate festival, so, being tourists, we grabbed the information guide and found this restaurant amongst the pages. It seemed like an interesting place to have dinner, and the couple of locals that we talked to, liked it enough that we naturally had to give it a go. Upon arrival, everything was great. We were seated and asked about drinks straight away, however, when it came time to order our food, we were informed that they had run out of 3 mains on the menu. We thought this was a little odd, as they weren't specials or anything, just standard menu items, and that it was also 6pm on a Sunday night. We ended up ordering different things than what we had planned on. Having said that, the food was absolutely delicious. It was really just the service that let it down so much for us. We waited a while after finishing our first drinks, during which we repeatedly tried to catch the eye of a waiter, however, didn't manage to get asked if we wanted another. Also, after we had finished our mains, we sat there for a good half an hour, waiting for someone to clear the table and ask us if we wanted dessert, or at least for the bill. In the end, we got sick of waiting and left to find dessert elsewhere.

Great selections of tapas and even more tasty grilled steak! The place was warm and inviting and staff were casual and friendly- what Wellingtonians are well-known for. The steak was really tasty however the salad bed was a bit rustic looking. Yeah don't forget to go through their desert menu.

Attention is good and very tasty meat but ordered black pudding with pork and the dish arrived without black pudding. Ordered salad and a piece of lettuce was tasteless anything. Desapointed really about the restaurant.

great little restaurant. had a drink at the bar while  a table became available, good beer selection. had a combination of tapas dishes, mainly prawns and mussels. very tasty. also the rib eye steak which was amazing. nice and friendly staff would definitely come back here.

Wow. If you love meat, you'll love El Matador, however this isn't a prerequisite. There is a reason for the wait at the bar during peak times. This is a great value for money restaurant with friendly service even when it is obviously chaotic for the staff. The meat is consistently cooked perfectly to order and the decor is great (rustic Argentinian). A little noisy but this isn't fine dining - it's an eat yourself silly experience with great food, great service and a drinks menu to cater for all tastes. No bookings taken but worth the gamble to get a seat. A good location in Cuba St too.

Went there last night on the way back from airport, great service and food was as usual quick in coming out, well presented and very tasty <br/>

Had a massive craving for a good piece of steak, and was brought to this page by wellingtonian friends as their first eatery of choice. <br/><br/>Wasn't disappointed. Argentinian styled dishes . My rib eye steak was cooked to perfection and the accompanying sauce was divine. Desserts did not disappoint either - we had a variety - churros (crumble-in-your-mouth crispy), choc brownie and cheesecake. 0.5 marks shaved for the limp salad (maybe better off served separately ?) and tight seating spaces.<br/><br/>Place looks slightly dated, with an almost rustic feel to it. Deliberate, as part of the decor maybe ? <br/><br/>Overall a fairly good dining experience with friends.

We arrived at around 8.30 on a Sunday night and it wasn't very busy at all in the main inside area. We were greeted by a really cool waiter who sat us down and were given water promptly. <br/>We ordered the dish of the week- asparagus in butter with almonds, squid, corn croquettes and 2 glasses of sangria. <br/>The food was fast, hot and delicious with accompaniments like Chipotle mayo. It was all absolutely delicious especially the asparagus and the sangria that was the perfect mix of alcohol, juice and fruit. The desserts sounded good although we didn't try them. <br/><br/>Decor was really nice but they have 2 blown main light bulbs which should really be looked into.<br/><br/>Overall a really pleasant experience!

Wow, really authentic, tasty and quick Spanish food. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a not so enthusiastic waiter. The menu had a limited selection of food but every day sounded appealing. We decided to go for the patatas bravas, The squid rings, the fugazza, And the mushrooms. I can honestly say I enjoyed every dish, But if I had to choose a favourite it would definitely be the mushrooms. The mushrooms were really nicely sautéed with some beautiful cheese on top and wilted spinach– This dish would be perfect for vegetarians. The whole and Ambiance of the restaurant was very authentic and rustic. If I had to say one thing that I would change it would be a larger selection of dishes on offer. Altogether fairly reasonably priced and a great spot for large groups.

I tried the "gaucho burger", it was ok. The outside area needs some love (ok, we agree about the style of the restaurant but needs some clean).The lead of the water bottle was really dirty, that makes me think mmm... The service was nice n friendly.

We wandered in on a Sunday afternoon and found ourselves extremely happy with the tapas we ordered. They were well presented, had sizeable portions and best of all, amazing flavours. Chatted with the young crew as we paid and told them they were going to see more of us for sure.

It's all about the steak for me with El Matador and they didn't disappoint. None of this "what sauce would you like with that" malarkey. The flavour from the juices of the sealed meat and the seasoning were all that I needed, the patatas bravas were great too. But that's where it ends unfortunately. The ham content of the 'beef' burger was a little too high if you know what I mean and the calamari were greasy and chewy. Having said that, if you're a meat lover looking for a real steak then I recommend it.

Yummy sangria! will have to come back to try the food, but very cool location

My first trip to El Matador was during last year’s Wellington on a Plate. Within an hour I went from excited schoolgirl to disinterested cafe girl (you know the one, we’ve all had her make our hot chocolate). My steak was just ho hum, lacking the smokey grilled flavour I was expecting. I was so underwhelmed and disenchanted by restaurants who are too cool for bookings that it was almost a year later before my second visit. This time, El Matador delivered!

Big fan of this place after a second visit here. This time we sat in the area out the back. Great spot if you like a smoke and a drink before and after your meal. The heaters and enclosing curtains kept it warm on what was a cold welly night.<br/><br/>We ordered calamari, prawns and the beef rib off the tapas menu and a beef burger.<br/>Calamari was up there with the best I've had and came with a generous mayonnaise type sauce. Beef rib was the real winner, a big piece of meat with lots of flavour and a tasty chimichurri. <br/><br/>If you're a fan of big flavours this place shouldn't disappoint.

Craving a steak on a recent visit to Wellington, I found El Matador recommended on Google. The décor is deliberately shabby and interesting, our window seat was comfortable. After drooling over the lovely menu, we all three finally decided to have the ribeye steak ($33) and I joked with the waiter that we surely wouldn't need the steak knives he brought, as the meat should cut like butter. Well, he must have known something, because when it arrived - looking great with its side of crispy potato rounds and salad, and smothered in chimichurri - both the meat and the potato were cold. I like a rare steak, but instead of being soft and moist,  this was firm and cold, almost raw. The sinew and fat was not rendered down at all and had to be hacked off - hence the need for the steak knives. I suspect the steak was taken straight from the fridge, seared for about a minute each side and not rested at all. I was so disappointed , both because I had been looking forward to a nice juicy steak, and because ribeye is an expensive and quality cut and deserves to be cooked with respect. I did say something to the waiter about the huge amount of fat and sinew I had to carve off the meat, but he just shrugged and walked away. I suppose I should have sent it back. We did complain when we went to pay, and we were told "some people like the fat and sinew left on". Well, so do I, but only if it's cooked properly. I did see a notice in the window advertising for a chef, I do hope they get one soon!!

I quite like knowing nothing about a Restaurant before I go & that was the case with El Matador. <br/><br/>My friends chose the place having been many enjoyable times themselves, so happy to go on their recommendation. <br/><br/>At first glance you may think its run down & a bit scraggly looking...but on 2nd look this is all part of the feel of the place & the ambience. <br/>Traditional Argentinian decor & fare are what this place oozes. <br/>I liked how it felt sinking down into the soft booth window seat & I felt like I was in a familiar place even though it was my first time here. <br/><br/>We were met with friendly staff who advised us well with Cocktail recommendations & many good reasons for their food recommendations. <br/><br/>We ended up ordering from the Sharing Platters & Tapas menu. <br/>* Steak Plate: parrilla-grilled Flank, Rump, Sirloin & Ribeye with Chimichurri. <br/>( a giant plate of STEAK in its different forms)<br/>* Grilled Beetroot with Watercress & preserved Lemon & Mint Vinaigrette. <br/>* Baby Potatoes, Olives & baby Spinach with Salsa verde. <br/><br/>I would never have ordered a giant plate of Steak, so this was going to be a bit different. <br/><br/>My friends like it quite rare, so I simply cut my portions off & handed them back to the staff who happily cooked them further (which they had suggested I do when we were tossing up the rare-ness on ordering). <br/><br/>Oh my gosh, so much steak...but it was actually really-very good. <br/>Interesting to eat the different cuts like that as you definitely found your favourite, though I then couldn't remember what it was. <br/><br/>The Beetroot was so tasty as were the potatoes so made a great side to the steak. <br/><br/>How did we go? <br/>Well us 3 chicks made it through nearly every piece of that 2 inch thick steak on the giant plate. <br/><br/>We all felt like we had had our recommended daily Iron intake to last us for a month ;-)<br/><br/>I was so full, I couldn't have fit in a dessert. <br/><br/>Nearly forgot, my Cocktail! <br/>'Pisco Sour'<br/><br/>It was excellent & I would head to El Matador for even just that alone, so our Waiter was right on the mark. <br/><br/>Friendly staff, great relaxed traditional ambience and a very enjoyable night. <br/><br/>The lights also look like Pineapples too ;-)<br/><br/>Would happily eat at El Matador again. <br/><br/>Thanks for a great night. x

Wanted to try El Matador as soon as I looked inside the place, love the decor and open kitchen. Went with three other and we ordered 3 tapas and then a main each, with two people sharing a paella. Service was awesome, food was awesome and atmosphere was awesome. Everyone was stuffed and it was a pretty amazing dinner with the amount of different flavours we had on display. It's on the more expensive side but a cool place to go for a meal none the less. Will hopefully be back.

I've eaten at El Matador a number of times, the first was when they were still finding their feet right after opening so things weren't great, but over time it's really come into its own. I'm guessing a lot of Wellingtonians feel the same because the wait times can be ridiculous- but at least you can pop across to Havana Bar for a cocktail or two while you wait!<br/><br/>I usually go for a combination of small tapas such as the grilled mushrooms, garlic prawns, pork belly with chorizo and black pudding and the customary patatas bravas, and a couple of large sharing platters such as the steak plate, parrillada, or braised beef shank, depending on the number of diners. Vegetarians needn't bother because the meat is the stand out here, it is an Argentinian grill after all and they do a great job giving the meat a rich, smokey flavour while remaining lovely and tender. If you've still got room, end the meal with some little churros!

Had brunch here recently. I'm vego and was pleased to see that there were a few options even though it's a meaty restaurant. I had the big vege breakfast which was fantastic and reasonably priced

Best steaks in Wellington. Hands down.<br/><br/>We waited probably 40 minutes to get a table here on a busy Saturday night and I'm glad we did. El Matador blew me away. Normally when I order a medium/well steak it is dry and tough but not at El Matador. My sirloin was juicy and tender without being too rare for my liking. The patatas bravas (spicy potatoes) were really good too. Our waitress was attentive without being too in your face. Perfect experience - can't wait to go back.<br/><br/>TLDR: Go there and get meats. Immediately.

Paid $68 per head for barbeque Wellington on a Plate. No barbeque meat in sight and no rectifying error except for piece of steak cooked on pan. Very poor service. Not to be recommended.

I love this place. It's always superb food with great service. <br/><br/>The meat is beautifully cooked, my favourite would have to be the lamb. Of course you can't go past a fabulous dessert and their desserts are simply divine. I loved the caramel crepes (I think that is what the English translation is).<br/><br/>Brilliant place to share platters with friends.

I was very happy with my experience here. The food was very delicious. This place had a great atmosphere. Friendly and helpful staff, very prompt with bringing our meals out. Loved the interior, it felt very authentic. We ordered just a few tapas to share, very bold flavours, and we felt full at the end! Will definitely return to try something else on their menu.

My family and I were searching for a good restaurant to have dinner. It was a Friday night and it was really buzzing along Cuba Street. After seeing that many of the restaurants were quite full, we thought that we had better hurry up and find some place to eat. We looked through the window...walked in and were seated quickly. Love the wood burning smell and the atmosphere was great. The waiting staff were friendly and efficient. We had a long wait so our friendly waiter gave us some delicious olives to eat! We will visit again.

Great atmosphere, have been several times and enjoy it each time :)

Loved the chilled South American vibe! As a meat lover highly rate the experience!

I went with my partner and two friends to El Matador last Saturday night. We ordered four tapas to share (the beef rib, the prawns, the fugazza and the manuka sweetbreads) which were all delicious and generous sizes. My friend and I also had sangria's which were amazing, sweet and fruity with a kick, but not sickly.<br/>Our waiter was very friendly and attentive, and helped us to pronounce some of the trickier names. He was very patient, as we took a long time to determine our orders. The kitchen staff were accommodating of my partner's allergies and left chili out of all the dishes.<br/>We ordered a parrillada platter to share between each couple. It says it serves 2 people, however one plate could have easily fed the four of us! <br/>The meat was delicious, smoky and tender and served with chimmichurri, flaky salt and fresh lemons. We had a taste of each item, declared ourselves very full and asked for two doggy bags! <br/>The leftovers have lasted me through two dinners and I have enough left for lunch tomorrow.<br/>Over all we had a wonderful time, loved the food and the atmosphere and felt very welcome and relaxed.<br/>Would recommend to all, especially meat lovers.<br/>I will be going back as soon as the chance arises.

Myself and two friends dined here last night. The place was packed when I arrived just before 7pm. As you can't book tables, we did have an hour wait before we were seated (I was told it would be 45 mins to an hour when I arrived). <br/>As we had a bit of a wait we checked to see if we could sit anywhere and have drinks/nibbles to while the time away, and yes we were told we could go down the back near the bar. However, the bar area was packed, with some hardy souls sitting outside in the courtyard. We stood for approximately 20 mins before some stools were freed up. However, the service at the bar was poor, with no recognition from the bar staff until another 20 mins had passed (my cocktail was delicious though). No-one offered to take our order for tapas while we waited. We finally got our table and ordered quickly, as we were hungry by this point. We had the Fugazza first up, which was delicious and eaten quickly! We then ordered the steak plate, along with 3 tapas as sides - patatas bravas, grilled mushrooms, and the beetroot. Everything was delicious. Three girls ate all the steak that was put in front of us!<br/>Two of us then had the pancakes for dessert, which were smaller than anticipated but a good size for us - having just eaten all that steak... The ice-cream was a nice accompaniment. <br/>The wait staff were attentive once we had sat at our table, and one waiter in particular was happy and friendly.<br/>I will be back, but will arrive a little earlier next time.

Anytime my mother comes to visit she wants to go somewhere new and trendy so I took her to El Matador, along with my sister and my father on Saturday night.<br/><br/>El Matador did not disappoint. Everything was amazing. We are country people who know a lot about what to do with unusual cuts of meat, so we were very impressed with the beef shin. The mixed platter for two, along with plenty of sides, fed all four of us handsomely. The broad beans and the patatas bravas were especially good. I would also recommend the flan and the churros for dessert. Our waiters were knowledgeable and charming.<br/><br/>El Matador was also good value for money. Our meal and drinks for four cost around $200.

I actually really enjoyed this experience. The staff was great. The atmosphere was great. The food was average. Loved the beef but the chicken and Lamb were tough. Had the best dessert ever with the caramel filled pancakes. Yum. So a lot of good a bit of bad.

We visited El Matador for the first time on 20/04/13. We will return. 8pm Saturday night and the place was packed. A civilised drink at the well stocked bar, good service and great filling food. Reasonably priced. Not cheap. But great fresh tasty quality. Thoroughly recommend this venue. Retro feel-almost like you were a back street tapas bar in Sth American. hard to believe only opened this year. We will return.

Very yummy pancakes with fruit and dulche de leche! <br/><br/>Both of our meals were nicely presented. I liked my hot chocolate as well.<br/><br/>The decor was pretty neat, would recommend and go back there myself :)

Dined here twice this week. Had tapas for dinner and thought the food was great and the service excellent, very helpful staff. As it was a lovely evening in Wellington sat in the outside area, although the decor isn't pretty it, it proved an excellent talking point. Went back for Saturday lunch, once again chose to sit outside and it was very sheltered and warm. This time had main courses, once again tasty dishes and service was again perfect, both the young lady and the gentleman very friendly. Would definitely return again.

After two previous and unhappy attempts at eating here (firstly when we had a booking during Wellington on a Plate, and arrived to find the cafe closed, secondly when we phoned and were told that they didn't take bookings then arrived to be told that they were "fully booked"), we did persevere - and are glad we did. This time we arrived as the doors opened at 9am for breakfast. Our waitress was especially friendly and helpful, the coffee good (they use Havana beans), food nice, prices okay, and the overall experience relaxing.

Went there one night with my husband mainly because of the reputation. <br/>We were sitting outside, my husband had a really nice view of the rubbish bins ... ! The steak was great but nothing amazing. And asking you credit card to open a table is weird. Arrived early, didn't have my credit card so couldn't get a glass of wine while waiting for my husband. Really inappropriate. <br/>Disappointing experience.

Went here last night to use the entertainment voucher and also because my partner could not resist a place that boasted a "mixed meat platter for two". We were certainly not disappointed - the tapas plates were fantastic (my favourite was the chipotle octopus dish!) and the meat platter was excellent. Really good value and the chef clearly knows a thing or two about meat. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted delicious! We will definitely be back. :)

Really enjoyable lunch meal - friendly staff.<br/>The tapas was served nice and promptly and the mains came after we'd had a good chance to chat and digest and not too quickly. The charcoal taste of the chorizo and beef was superb. While they preferred to serve the beef rare they were happy to cook it a bit more for one of the party who's pregnant. <br/>Will definitely come back here.

Wow this experience was horrible and the reason I visited was because of the reputation that proceeded Ernesto - a joint I frequented as often as my wallet would allow.<br/><br/>Firstly, we were greeted by a very rude waitress, even trying to get her attention while she was punching numbers into the till seemed a mission. That was OK, they were pretty busy and had a group of 20 or so down the back.<br/><br/>When it came to ordering, most of the table ordered the Eggs Benedict, a favourite amongst my family. I ordered the vege breakfast with a side of smoked salmon (wanting a slightly bigger meal). The waitress who took our order was quite hostile, there may have been a language barrier or something of the like, but we seemed to be causing her great inconvenience by our menu inquiries, she made us feel very uncomfortable. My family ordered some coffees, I ordered an OJ. <br/><br/>My mothers flat white was appalling - terrible art on top, no care taken, it was a cappuccino, not a flat white and I'm afraid the coffee, when I tasted it, was over roasted/burnt/carbony... And I don't think this was all the baristas fault, I've never actually had a good Havana coffee.<br/><br/>Our meals took some time to arrive, this was OK though, we're reasonable folk and appreciated that they were busy and happily accepted the apologies from the wait staff when they did arrive, however, our meals were very disappointing.<br/><br/>Of all the 4 Benedict's that were consumed, the eggs on all were over cooked, hard inside. My additional side of salmon, of which I paid $6 for, was a slither no bigger than my thumb and my sister, who had ordered the Benedict, didn't get the smoked salmon, but was instead salmon gravlax, which frankly has no place on an eggs benedict plate IMO. When my sister asked the waitress about the salmon, she was greeted, not with an apology rather an excuse as to how they'd run out. This may seem trivial, but my sister went here because of the benedict.<br/><br/>$135 for 5 people - fairly reasonable price I thought, but not when the food and service were so bad. I wouldn't say I wouldn't ever go back, bad experiences happen sure, but it's all about the recovery, which other than a gradual apology, lacked somewhat.

Excited for a new restaurant on the scene, we went to El Matador for Saturday brunch. Seated quickly and the sweet waitress gave us menus.. but that's the best I can say about it. Around 20 minutes after ordering the eggs benedict with salmon I was told the salmon was all out and they could offer bacon instead (the morcilla and ham options were also out). I asked to change to the pancakes with dulce de leche and after around 30 mins it was brought out. The pancakes were tough and stodgy, the bacon way way overcooked that it was hard to chew and, unbelievably, it came with a side of hollandaise on the side! My partner also asked for no black pudding and of course black pudding was on the plate. Asked for a pot of tea and when asked for an extra cup to share it, it came filled with boiling water. Food and service both average, such a shame as with the beautiful interior it could be great! We won't be back.

Tapas were delicious, and meat platter was enormous!<br/><br/>Meat was extremely tender and while it was seasoned very well; though due to the large portion size, it did get a bit bland after a few bites. (I think our order was missing chimichurri?) <br/><br/>We were looking forward more Argentinean music to match the setting, rather than a top-40 play-list, and it was a bit of a cringe having to Anglicize the Spanish on the menu so the kiwi wait staff could understand<br/><br/>But these are minor points for what I hope will be a great additional to the Wellington restaurant scene!<br/><br/>would love for them to offer choripan!!

Parilla meat platter was amazing.<br/><br/>Defs worth your 45bucks for two people!<br/>The chicken, oh the chicken was so tender and the lamb was pretty amazing, melt in your mouth kinda amazing.<br/><br/>They kinda need to work on the steak pieces but other than that, it was pretty good. <br/><br/>:)

Came here when it first opened as I love parrilla.<br/><br/>Ordered some delicious items of the menu (both tapas and mains). Must admit the serving sizes were way to small for the price we paid. (it was a couple of mouthfuls) - unsure whethere the serving sizes have changed or not.<br/><br/>Must say its not the same as the parrilla that you get in south america, but close to it.<br/><br/>you can easily spend a lot of $$ without knowing.. :)<br/><br/>I did feel that I was being pushed out the resturant after we had our mains....

Great evening here last night. Nice atmosphere, great staff. The smell of the Parilla (grill) is great, although being wood-fired you do end up smelling like you have been standing over the BBQ at the end of the night :)<br/><br/>We didn't have a booking, but were told it would be about 45 minutes. Left our name, went for a drink , and 45 minutes later we actually had a table - great when what they tell you is actually correct.<br/><br/>Good wine list being an Argentinian place you have to go for the Malbec.<br/><br/>The Paridilla (meat platter) was pretty good. A mix of flank steak, beef short-rib, sweetbreads, Lamb, sausage, lamb, black pudding and chicken for 2 (with a very mild chimchurri). The meat could have done with some more seasoning/salt, and the chimcurri was not as flavoursome as some I have had. The main took quite a while to come out - almost an hour I think, but the atmosphere was so nice that this was fine.<br/><br/> We are carnivorous in the extreme, but could not finish it.<br/><br/>Nice tapas, grilled provolone, and some great broad beans with bacon and cream, and lovely grilled asparagus (something so simple can be great). <br/><br/>Overall a great night if you like meat (and who doesn't?). Great wine and beer list, good menu, great atmosphere. Recommended.

I went there tonight with my partner and the service was fantastic the food was devine, left saying lets come back with some friends. I had the sirloin steak with a spinach salad and my partner had four different Tapas which were all great. Well recommend.

No No No on SO many levels they got it wrong !! Went there with husband for dinner and wont be returning. We ordered a large meat platter with two salads. Thinking that it would be slow cooked and falling off the bone was a mistake. In my opinion if something is slow cooked it is hard to get it wrong, however, WRONG it was!!. It was tough and so hard to chew. I was absolutely gobsmacked to see the chicken on the plate and thoroughly insulted that any cook, let alone a chef would actually "plate it up". I wanted to say something but my husband said that we will just vote with our feet and not come back. The service was lacking in professionalism. Once we were seated and our order was taken we got no further attention....no one came back to our table within a few minutes of receiving our meals to ask how they were ?. When they finally came to clear plates I mentioned that the chicken...which was still sitting on the plate, was extremely dry...it was not only obviously visually massacred but surpassed the visual exponentially in dryness. He did not apologise nor comment and cleared our plates and left. 10 minutes later when he returned to clear the rest, he said absolutely nothing, just took what was left on the table and left. The cold air coming in every time the door opened was most unpleasant but understandable. The decor was interesting and amusing but a bit overly contrived to appear battered and beaten up. The food was expensive and I could not help wondering how many customers will walk and talk and never return. Now for the positive...the overhead lighting was amazing, I loved it, but you cant eat it.

I am rating El Matador 5 stars because the tapas were absolutely delicious! I am salivating just thinking about it. We ordered about 3 tapas per person but all shared, and there was plenty for everyone. They had run out of the leg of lamb and the single portion of lamb, but it didn't matter as there was so many delicious things to choose from, and it is good to know they are getting their meat so fresh that they run out. Will be going back as much as possible!! Yum!

We went here last night, had to wait over an hour for a table but the wait staff could not be more helpful, cheerful and fun. They were approachable and kept us informed about the status of our table requirements. Our waiter was fantastic, very funny and good to have a laugh with. Pleased he enjoyed his job. Food was great, service fantastic and a bonus was I was given a cup of the caramel to take away with a promise of the recipe. It was great well worth it. Thanks for a great evening.

We liked this place - great atmosphere and interesting food. Went early on a Saturday (6pm) as we had a table of five and it's always a bit tricky if you can't book. Proved to be a good idea as it filled up fast.

We have just enjoyed a fantastic meal at el matador.the service was excellent,we were waited on immediately by a lovely waitress,our food arrived in a timely manner and was delicious.we took our Colombian exchange student there for his birthday and he was impressed with the food,the atmosphere and the service.el matador also went over and above to ensure that we had a great evening.i recommend the empanadas both vegetarian and meat and also the chimichurri.

We came here for the burger for Wellington on a Plate. Really enjoyed it, tasty, and decided to order more food, and enjoyed the wine we order. Lovely feel to the place, and it was full up. Thinking of going back.

I have just returned from a meal at El Matador and unfortunately was very disappointed. We arrived at 6pm and were shown to a table straight away and the waitress came over pretty quickly which was good. However whether she was new or just new to the technology being used for orders I don’t know but seemed to take a while to take the actual order, so much so that I joked with my friend whether we’d actually get what we ordered! <br/>Our drinks and entrees came quickly and although the food wasn’t that great it was agreeable. The main was a different story; we waited nearly an hour and had to ask more than once if it was coming soon. Mine arrived and was not what I ordered so I went to check and the waitress had taken it down wrong. The chef did offer to change to what I’d asked for but after the already long wait I chose to stick with what I’d got. Unfortunately this was not to my taste, although my friend really enjoyed her dish. My friend then chose to order a desert and ordered churros and hot chocolate which she thought would come together but had to wait at least 20 minutes between the drink and the churros coming out. She did thoroughly enjoy it though when it finally did arrive – again after asking for it!<br/> I had heard mixed reviews from this restaurant and was very much looking forward to trying it but unfortunately I do not think I will be returning and would probably not recommend it.<br/>They also need to do something about that door.....

Great decor but unfortunately the service was lacking.<br/><br/>We arrived about 6pm on a Friday night to have a drink and tapas. We took a table in the window but when we told the waitress there was just two of us we were told quite abruptly that we couldn't sit there, we asked to sit at another table across the room (which was set for two) and were told we couldn't sit there either (in case a group of 4 came in and they needed to push the tables together). So were seated at a table in the draught of the door which was really cold. The door doesn't shut properly so I had to keep getting up to shut it.<br/><br/>Had a nice glass of red and then went to order some empanadas but were told we couldn't order them because they were reserved for Wellington on a Plate customers...I know restaurants reserve tables but reserved food is a new one!<br/><br/>A couple were seated at the table for two that we wanted which didn't impress me. But the nice table for four in the window remained empty for a time even though the restaurant filled up...until David Burton (Dom Post food reviewer) was seated there with his companion...yes a table for two!<br/>By this stage I was cold (from the draught), hungry (from lack of empanadas) and fuming (from the double standards). We had a word to the manager who offered some waffly story about a table for 4 changing their reservation just after we came in which is why we couldn't sit there....uh huh...<br/><br/>You get one chance at a good impression. We won't be going back.

I've been twice for the scrambled eggs on toast and once for wine, and enjoyed all three visits. The location is great and so is the interior, friendly efficient service. They do need to fix their front door though as it can be quite drafty if you sit in the front part. I do not recommend their evening tapas meal though. :/

Hey it looked great and the staff were really friendly but it took almost an hour for our Tapas to come and yes, slow cooked lamb should fall off the bone. It didn't. No empanadas, they'd run out. We suspected the kitchen was understaffed. Promising, but definitely room for improvement.

I still think this is the coolest little place in Cuba St! My second visit was with some friends last Saturday. We came in for Tapas and Drinks. The manager recommended us a really good Argentinean wine and we had a great time. The place was buzzing and the vibe is so relaxed and fun. Thank you Matador...Ole!

We visited El Matador on Sunday 5 August on the recommendation of recent publicity. Unfortunately the hype did not match the service and food quality we were expecting. We waited 1 hour to receive our main course. Three of us had the slow cooked lamb. While it was tasty the lamb was tough and there could have been more of it. It was obvious the lamb had not been slow cooked as it did not have any of the qualities of slow cooking. The price at $29 was also too expensive for the size and quality of the dish. The fourth member of the group had steak. While it was better value for money and tasty, the steak was not as hot as it should have been. We won't be returning.

I have come here because I've heard the place is fantastic. I understand this is the second day they have been open, I was greeted by a lovely lady and the place is so friendly with decor that suits the atmosphere. I have just devoured the Spanish omlette most pleasing and very reasonably priced. I will definetly be back again and letting everyone I know how awesome this place is. Top marks all round.

Saturday and you’re hanging out with friends. You meet at the cutest little argentine cafe in the Cuba St zone of wonders. Graze on some tapas, tells stories about your week. It’s all feeling so mellow you carry on through the afternoon with a glass of wine or two, another plate of patatas bravas to keep the hunger pangs at bay. Oh my god is it 5 o’clock already? Time to say a lingering adios to El Matador...<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Ambience: 4.5/5<br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Value for Money: 4/5

Too smokey. The wine I received had turned and the beef was undercooked for my taste. My partner liked the shrimp.