[T2DMan]

Add your review of Ease Bar & Cafe and be part of the fun .

Contact Details:
171 A Ponsonby Road
Ponsonby
Auckland
Ph. 0-9-361 2342

[Michelle Lissan]

How can you call this a cafe / bar? The food, what little was on offer, was appalling enough without the rude service I received. Was hoping something this new would be doing it's best to impress, lets hope its not all downhill from here!

[racheblue]

We decided to forgo the bigger busier places on Ponsonby road last Friday and opted for Ease instead as it looked cosy - nice booth style seating - had very reasonably priced menu and the DJ was playing funky tunes. The decor is very appealing with great lampshades, and cool artwork adorning the walls.
The staff were extremely friendly and attentive and we ordered 2 fish meals and a bottle of red. Despite being very cheap our meals were delicious, nicely presented and not too much; I like to get value for money but sometimes feel put off by the huge plates of food served in some other P-road eateries and then feel guilty for not being able to eat it all, so this was a pleasant change.
The wine was also good and we spent a very pleasant couple hours there before moving on to somewhere a bit busier. It's a shame more people didn't come in as this is a funky little bar/cafe, well worth the visit - we'll be back!

[mrsean]

Previous visits to this small but comfortable cafe had been great, with excellent service & good meals. So good in fact that we'd recommended it to others & had been back a umber of times, bringing friends along with our recommendation.
All of this was completely undone a few Sundays ago by the poor service and rude, contemptuous treatment from the bloke with the goatee.
We waited over half an hour to receive our meals. Not that unusual in a number of Auckland Cafe's, sure, but half an hour for a bagel??

It wasn't just the wait - we observed 3 different sets of people arrive after us, order, eat, and leave, while we sat waiting. The crunch came when we asked why it had taken so long for our meals, and why others had gotten in first?
Rather than the diplomatic, customer-friendly response, the guy became rigidly defensive, insisting that orders went out in the order they were received. (Actually, we were left waiting for our orders to be taken in the first place - let alone the wait for them to be served).

Regardless of why & how & who, the bottom line is the guy was rude & defensive & failed to LISTEN. When I went up to pay, not a word - no goodbye, see you next time - not even an apology, or an offer of perhaps no charge on the coffees, not even a token gesture. (The coffees, by the way were not made well & we received singles despite ordering doubles)

This attitude has ultimately cost this cafe not just our patronage, not just the patronage of those we will now tell not to go here, but, ultimately, it has cost the cafe any more of our hard earned money too! The actions can be summed up in a word: dumb

[T2DMan]

We are all human and do forget, and do make mistakes. But lots can be forgiven when there is politeness and apologies. Problems can be turned around into humour and recommendations to others.

What a sad thing when a service business can't follow the basics.

Thanks for your review MrSean.