Sails Restaurant

A gorgeous view, knowledgeable and efficient service, and excellent food makes Sails something of an Auckland landmark.
I have dined here a few times, most recently with a group of business colleagues and spouses on 13^th August 2015. The menu was specially made in advance, with choices on all three parts of the meal.
I had the venison carpaccio as my entrée. It was very good, though I think the squid entrée looked better on my wife’s plate.
For the main I had the beef tenderloin (eye fillet) which was superb. Cooked rare to medium rare, the beef was very tender and expertly cooked. A reasonable portion size too.
I had cheese for dessert, and no complaints there, it with the other diners who tended to opt for the brûlée.
The service deserves a mention. The sommelier was knowledgeable, helpful and with a laconic sense of humour that we like in waiting staff. It felt good to know the wine manager cared about how we enjoyed the wine, whether we needed more, or whether it was matched to the food properly. Full marks there.
But the view… Sails is a very good restaurant but would not be as remarkable as it is but for the view of the Auckland harbour bridge and the Westhaven Marina. If you want to show off Auckland’s majesty as a harbour city to your visiting guests from overseas or out of town, then Sails must be a top choice for you.
4 and a quarter stars for the food
4 and a half stars for the able, friendly and efficient service
5 stars for the view.
I loved Sails, and look forward to coming again, particularly during a summer or spring evening so I can enjoy more of the view for longer.

Great food, wine and service and that’s not to mention the view. Good spot to hold an event. Would definitely recommend.

I’ve just read some of the reviews and yes this place is a bit old with old patrons but I loved it! I think we still need restaurants like this to bring variety to what’s out there. There are so many restaurants trying to be cool and hip and if you’re young and like that, then great! but this is like an old gentlemen’s club and it does have that air of prim and proper but I kind of liked it! The food was fine dining to a tee and incredibly delicious and the presentation is very appetising! Yes, quite pricey but nice to go to on a special occasion. I get that the waiter does seem very sombre or stone faced but that doesn’t grate me as much as food that doesn’t taste great on the pallet and this restaurant delivered taste wise. And besides, it’s the company that you take that matters. They make the evening more special for you. The waiter is merely there to make sure your food is delivered well. I wouldn’t go there every week as the price is quite high, but I would definitely go on a special occasion. 5 star for a pleasant experience and for the best crème brûlée I’ve ever tasted!

Sails Restaurant really captures the essence of Auckland is — from the name, to the gorgeous panoramic view of the Auckland Harbour, and it wouldn’t be complete without a nod of approval for the food.
I couldn’t get enough of the cauliflower soup –this photo was taken before I sank my hungry fangs into it so the crumbed scallops was really teaser for everything ahead.
I really would’ve thought the salt and pepper squid dish as a shared platter rather than an elegant entrée dish. Why? There was too much salt! I found myself downing glasses of water half way through the dish — which was a great pity, the coriander and mint worked really well with the calamari. Salt aside, this dish does represent Auckland quite well with the salted calamari, while dusted off with refreshing herbs.
Having seen «rare» on the menu, I was expecting thinly sliced pedantic pieces of venison carpaccio to come. Not to complain though, the two chunky venison pieces were more than enough for a normal entrée. The cherries and cocoa gives the meat a dark touch and intensifies the flavour on the palate.
Entering Sails Restaurant, it makes sense to order something seafood oriented and I chided myself a little for giving into the temptation of a juicy steak. But when I saw that perfection on the plate, that feeling was all gone. And don’t worry, that was not a blood bath on the plate. Even though we also ordered a side of beans, it wasn’t n
ecessary at all. I’m not a complete meat monster so I thoroughly enjoyed the truffle onion flan which was the other highlight on the dish. There’s nothing worse than dining out and thinking «I could have cooked this… better» and with this, there was no way I could have done it at home.
I was actually very happy with the terakihi, the only thing a bit off was that I saw a lot of prawn, but not much king crab. The terakihi wasn’t too oily, skin was crisp — this chef clearly wasn’t sloppy. Risotto wasn’t undercooked, working well with the prawn and crab. Though my biggest impression off this dish was the scent of lemon — instead of smelling something greasy and heavy for a main, the lemon gave the whole dish a sense of refreshment — it really opened up the appetite for the dish itself.
Well somebody had to order the chocolate option on the dessert menu! I’ve recently been in love with Valrohna chocolate, having tasted a spectacular Violet and Valrohna creation from Nick Honeyman at The Commons. This is great for chocoholics like me but I found that it melted so quick in the summer heat that I was sent scooping the chocolate dish up way too quick. And it wasn’t too long before it got too overwhelming and sweet. It would be a great delight if we were able to enjoy it slowly while watching the summer sun disappear on us.
The second dessert dish where you desperately want to see what it’s like but no one has the guts in case it’s something so out of the comfort zone. I’ve been inspired lately by the sudden interest in adding herbs to desserts. This is of no exception. Star anise is used widely in my kitchen for making one of my favourite comfort foods — beef noodles. Seeing it hand in hand with mango and pineapple is something out of the ordinary. This is a beautiful dessert — your tongue is slightly numbed by the mango sorbet but the fragrant rice gently nudges away. The addition of the coconut and star anise is the winning combo in the dish that gives it the stand out flavours.
Sails restaurant is a great overall restaurant. There’s a couch area for drinks after dinner if you like, and the décor was posh enough to make it an occasion. The location is also secluded enough if a quiet evening is on your agenda. As a seafood restaurant, it didn’t disappoint, almost all the dishes were close to perfection. We’ll definitely be back for more.

For a restaurant in such a beautiful location, Sails could do much better. I’ve only been here twice: once with a large group and recently with some expat friends visiting from Sydney and this last visit will be just that.
Sails is, as a couple of reviewers have stated, getting a bit tired. It’s a very big restaurant and on the rainy week night we went it felt a bit cold and cavernous.
We were shown to our table by the window by a waiter so stone-​faced I wondered if he was an import from Easter Island. Seriously, if you want to make people feel unwelcome just don’t smile — and we got that message loud and clear! Anyway, we know how to deal with pouting toddlers so we coped.
Our drinks orders were taken by another waiter, a slightly warmer version of aforementioned stone face. I was happy to celebrate a reunion with old friends with a delicious Kumeu River pInot gris. The guys tried a craft beer and one of our party ordered a cocktail, only to be surprised that it came in an ordinary short tumbler glass with a straw! Obviously we weren’t in a pool bar in Fiji — but anyone who knows cocktails knows they don’t come presented like that.
Yet another Easter Islander took our meal orders. We decided to eschew entrees, three of us deciding on seafood dishes and one lamb. Our meals were nothing to write home about; we all agreed they were all unremarkable and our friends were surprised that Sails’ beautiful location was not matched by amazing food.
We had initially thought we’d have desserts but instead headed in to the Viaduct to another venue for those.
If you are looking for somewhere to go to showcase Auckland, NZ seafood, or experience the best in culinary offerings, give Sails a wide berth.
Sadly, Sails is let down by its ordinary food and ornery waitstaff. Whether they are unhappy in their jobs or grumpy on a full-​time basis, they are letting the side down big time. They are the first and last face people see in any restaurant and are responsible for making the punters feel welcome and their visit memorable. We didn’t leave a tip.

Although a tad old fashioned and slightly overpriced, there still seems to be a place for Sails in Auckland’s constantly expanding restaurant scene. We went on a Wednesday night and their large dining room was packed!
Nestled amongst the masts in Westhaven, Sails is a popular haunt for both Yachtie’s and tourists (wealthy ones) alike — probably in part due to the spectacular view from their dining room.
The vibe in Sails is very traditional and to be honest, a bit stiff. The tables are covered in white linen tablecloths and the waiters don black ties. Don’t get me wrong it’s pleasant, it’s just not my buzz. The chandeliers, however, are amazing!
The menu at Sails has a strong focus on seafood, with Kingfish, John Dory, Snapper and Crayfish all on offer when we went. I went for the Kingfish which was served with spanner crab, bulghur wheat, basil, golden raisin and a sweet corn panna cotta. The fish was cooked beautifully and the bulghur wheat, snapper crab and golden raisin salad although a strange combination was surprisingly delicious. However, I think they completely missed the boat with the sweet corn panna cotta. It tasted like a smooth, gelatinous polenta and was served as a skinny rectangle and placed awkwardly on the side of the plate.
Overall Sails was enjoyable but the atmosphere is just not for me.

Sails is Auckland’s original waterfront restaurant and sadly is showing its age. It has the overly-​formal feel of an aged gentlemen’s club; probably due to its Westhaven Marina location. There’s a lot of money floating on the water around here and Sails patrons are representative of this fact, even if the restaurant itself is not so much.
It’s not bad, it’s just seriously overrated. I guess we now have so much really good inner-​city dining that offers seaviews, we expect the best when paying top dollar. And this is not the best; not the food, not the surroundings and not the service. Like I said, most of the clientele are older and they probably like the fact that Sails hasn’t really changed for years. Me though, I reckon it needs to lose the fuddy-​duddy vibe and up its game.