Nelson Blue

I wanted to visit a kiwi Restaurant while in NYC & chose Nelson Blue — my daughter & I were very impressed — the décor, atmoshpere, menu & wine list were definitely Kiwi; the staff were very friendly & the service excellent as well. My lamb cutlets were cooked to perfection & my daughter wanted a kiwi pie & wasn’t dispappointed. And I was able to buy an awesome T shirt!
Also the location was handy– just down from Ground Zero & close to the wharf looking out on the historic Brooklyn Bridge.

Really love their food here.
The wings are fantastic as they are grilled and nice and tangy.
The lamb burger is fantastic.
The edaname is fantastic as they are grilled and they use a great spice on it too.

The chicken wings are tangy and sweet. They are amazing. The corn & zucchini fritters with the tartar sauce were good too. The kale salad wasn’t very exciting. The Brussels sprout and sliders were okay. I don’t remember what dessert I had but it was the only option for the evening. It was also very disappointing.
The service was good. The staff refilled our water frequently. They offered fantastic service.
I love the ambience. It’s not pretentious but it’s also modern classy. Large windows with great natural lighting.

Atrocious service. Food was so-​so. Waitress copped an attitude when we asked for separate checks for our party of 9, saying it would take too long and that we had to figure it out. None of us will ever return after such rude and inattentive/​lazy treatment from the waitstaff.

Great location, great ambiance and great food! But their waitstaff never know the specials, has messed up every order when we go and routinely overcharges (minus 2 stars). The specials could be more clearly explained to both restaurant staff and customers and mgmt could better deal with issues relating to waitstaff mistakes.

Great environment and excellent food! I had the curried lamb pot pie with smashed potatoes and it was ahhmazing! I wish they would have had more wine by the glass options but I enjoyed the one I had. Great service too!

Walked in on a Friday afternoon around 1 pm and was seated right away (table for 2). I wanted the dub pie with beef or chicken, but the waiter told us all they had available was vegetarian. My wife got that, and I was perturbed and went back to scouring the menu.
It takes a lot for me to rate something 2 stars. I was on the fence about this but a few subtle things made me lean this way.
Nothing else really stood out to me on the menu, but I had to make a decision, so I went with the Thai chicken soup (because the guy next to me was eating it and seemed to like it). I also ordered the corn and zucchini fritters. The soup had a little bit of tang, which was okay and was some semblance of Thai soup, but the shredded chicken was really stringy and had the texture like eating a corn husk steeped in soup.
The corn zucchini fritters were okay (I’m not sure if they were $ 9 ok), but they were just meatless fillers.
The coffee was actually decent, but I was quickly informed that it was non refillable. And not sure why, but service wasn’t the greatest; just okay. $ 9 soup + $ 9 fritters +$ 3 non-​refillable coffee = $ 21, and I didn’t finish either of my plates.

I went here on New Year’s Eve and had a great time! There was a good crowd and great vibes yet not unbearably packed and super festive! Free champagne toasts and party favors!
The service was superb, even for a holiday! Pauli (the Kiwi behind the bar) was awesome and friendly! Our food came out super quick and was great! And the bus boy filled up my water glass regularly. The mixed drinks were nice and I was a big fan of the Nelson Lager. My bf tried some of the NZ IPAs, which were ok and cool to try NZ beers but I’m not an IPA fan. I had the green mouthed mussels and my bf had the NZ dip. I’ll definitely head back here when in NYC

Here’s why I enjoy being blue at this cozy seaport restaurant:
Good food — NB’s lamb options in particular have always come to me cooked perfectly. I especially enjoyed the fantastic Nelson Dip – an unusual (haven’t seen this gem anywhere else) leg of lamb, fontina and onions sandwich presented as a French dip. The melted fontina cheese was a great compliment to the «pastrami-​style» prepared lamb. Much better than your typical, over-​gamey goat/​feta cheese with lamb combination.
Fantastic service — I couldn’t stop thinking about that amazing sandwich, so the next day I «had to» lunch at NB again. And my PYT server/​bartender actually remembered me and my order. Because of my distinctive look, it’s not that easy for me to hide (not that I want to), but I was still quite impressed with her and the attentive bus staff as well. There wasn’t a huge crowd at lunch but I felt pampered. The lamb lollipops with honey mustard dipping sauce came to me just out of the oven/​microwave, without much of a wait, and with smiles all around. And when I needed the check, water, etc, I got it right away, for the most part, without asking.
Plus this sapphire of a restaurant is family-​friendly. I brought my SO and my toddler here for dinner and we noticed a few other young children were here too. Love it when a pretty place– a casual/​chic vibe, warm colorful décor, and feels spacious and intimate at the same time – also is appropriate for kids. No kids menu, but so much finger food and mac n cheese type items that they’ll definitely find something good on your plate. He always eats from mine.

I think this is one of the most unexpected gems in the neighborhood. All I really need to say about Nelson Blue is that they have very good quality food. But I’ll also add that this is probably the only place where I can actually finish and enjoy a kale salad without making snarky remarks about the kale trend. Because it’s that good. I’ve also had the fish of the day and the thai chicken soup — absolutely fantastic. Clean plate club here every time. Sunday brunch has live jazz — nice touch.

Amazing service! We had so many apps and all were really good. The chicken wings were done perfectly. My fav is the chicken skewers. The lamb meatball, nicely seasoned.
Can’t go wrong with any apps you order. My friend’s drinks, also perfectly done. All in all will definitely come back to this great place.

In less than 2 months, I will delve into the land of Kiwis. Like many people, the thought of New Zealand cuisine never really crossed my mind, much less a wonder of what it is like.
Decided to check this place out over the summer and surprisingly, it is located in a much secluded area by the seaport – either a result of Sandy, or I just never cared to explore out of that realm – it feels like a one of those lively bars in a developing neighborhood. Nelson Blue feels like a pub on a boardwalk, minus an actual boardwalk and beachy vibes.
We started off with the Corn & Zucchini Fritters and these things were delicious with the tartar sauce it came with. Not sure if they’re worth ordering again, but they have some other appetizers that I would order next time, like the lollies (because who doesn’t love ‘em?) and the D.U.B. pies.
I got the New Zealand Style Burger and I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t what I expected. It’s pretty much a regular burger with toppings that mostly resembles a Hawaiian-​style burger and an egg. This is probably great for a hangover but a bit overwhelming (and frustrating) to handle when sober. It wasn’t terrible, but it was indeed super messy.
We waited quite awhile for our food but our waitress was more than amazing. She gave us complimentary drinks to make up for the wait, including a signature coconut-​flavored cocktail and some more drafts of the beers we had. New Zealand fare is definitely a rarity in New York, so if you’re on the hunt to try some, you’re bound to end up here!

New Zealand food. Who knew?! My friend and I stumbled across this place last Friday when the place we wante to go to for drinks and apps was closed for a wedding. What a happy accident it was. The waitress was so friendly and patient with us while we figured it out.
We settled for $ 5 well drinks which were huge and strong, and decided to share a coupe of appetizers. We ordered the Chillit Salt Squid and zucchini and corn fritters – like tiny foodgasms. The flavors were rich and well balanced. The portions were perfect.
And to top it all off, we got free blue moons as a result of some promotion happeneing at the bar. I will definitely be going back!

Decided on this place since it’s near the Brooklyn Bridge. I planned a surprised birthday for a Friend here on Labor Day. I called in advanced to ensure that they were open on that day and also made reservations.
On the day of the surprised we were seated in the back. We were given the option of being seated somewhere else if we wanted to just drink but we were here for the food as well. (surprised party… duh)
Their menu was pretty limited. They had one side for appetizers and one side for the main. Of course, there’s the drink menu as well.
I could only tell you about my food; I got the lamb meatball. When it came out it was HUGEE!!! With some tomato sauce. I was so excited that I dug in right away and didn’t even wait for anyone else (rude…I know) But… it wasn’t that great. It wasn’t tender nor well seasoned. I was disappointed.
I took some fries from a friend and I could tell you that those were pretty good. It was well seasoned.
The bill came out real heavy. It wasn’t really worth it, we did get some drinks but not so much. The prices were all from the food for 8 people plus one appetizers to share.
The place is really nice tho. It’s opened and very bright. And like the pictures you get a great view of the brooklyn bridge if you sit outside.
In the end — I wouldn’t come here again.

Food was good but not amazing. The service was horribly slow tho. We had the Thai soup (tastes like watery curry), the pork belly sliders (dry), lamb meatball and the squid (might’ve been octopus). I think the meatball was the best part. This place is good for drinks after work. Came here twice and the first time it was deadly empty and the second time it was super crowded. The outdoor seating is very nice since south seaport view is beautiful.

The food was so good, lots of flavor for the palette. Nice ambiance! Lamb chop lollipops & the grilled chicken wings are a must!

Came here late on a Friday night after deciding to explore the restaurants in the south street seaport area. We got here around 11:45pm — the kitchen closes at 12am so just made it! :)
The bartender was a very friendly old man who got us set up right away with the menu and drinks. We ordered the grilled chicken wings and the lamb lollipop. Both were delicious. The lamb lollipop did have quite a lot of fat on it though so there was very little meat to be eaten after all said and done, and rather pricey because the dish was $ 12 for two small pieces of lamb meat. The chicken wings were flavorful and not the slightest bit greasy. The sauce had a hint of thai chili hotness to it. Great experience overall but not quite so filling. Although, that may have been due to our food choices.
Beware — multiple person restroom for the mens but single person restroom for the women’s which really doesn’t make any sense to me. I kept pushing the door trying to get into the women’s restroom as I saw 2 – 3 men leaving the men’s room.

My two favorite aspects are the location and the atmosphere. It’s on a quiet side-​street with stunning views of the Brooklyn Bridge, and it’s a very large open space with lots of separate areas that are conducive to privacy and/​or intimacy. It is very possible to be very
comfortable here, to just enjoy oneself and relax. The prices are decent, the service is okay, the selection is fine, but the food really isn’t anything worth mentioning. Again, I like it here, and I will gladly return many times in the future, and I am glad to have it close to my apartment, but the food is just run of the mill; at least there’s no reason to complain!

I hate going to the same place a million times. I’m a creature that revels in change. But I will make an exception for Nelson Blue. I cannot count the amount of times I’ve come here whether for lunch, dinner or drinks. If I’m in the financial district /​seaport /​Tribeca, I will ⁹⁄₁₀ suggest Nelson Blue.
Why do I love this place? Because I’m a huge fan of great tasting food that is also affordable. Ohhh and their lamb dishes are the bomb! Try the Nelson Dip (and if they are out, cry yourself to sleep!) The lamb burger is pretty banging too and the Lamb Curry Pot Pie dish isn’t too shabby. And their drinks help keep you cool on a hot summer day.

Un sitio estupendo y tranquilo para cenar en una noche de verano. Si vas justo antes de anochecer y te sientas en la terraza puedes disfrutar de las vistas del puente de Brooklyn.

I normally do not seek places near tourist attractions, but since I had several very important events going on in one location on a short schedule, I put Unilocal search to work. Those events were: watching futbol semi-​finals, drinking beer, eating good food, drinking more when game goes sour, and cruise departing from South Street Seaport.
See, it was all extremely important — so you understand my excitement when I found Nelson Blue. This New Zealand bar was absolutely what I was looking for — spacious, sleek, friendly, not too crowded, and out of the way a little bit — but still close enough to Seaport.
4pm, game was starting, two big screens on either side of the bar and sparse amount if patrons was pure joy. Good AC on hot summer day was a huge plus too.
Good cold beer on tap, as well as bottled varieties, wine and full bar.
Small bites were very good — I did not try large plates, have to come back for those.
Corn and zucchini fritters were mouth-​watering. Here is the deal — my mom makes those allll the time, and since I live far away from her, this was like a bite that brought me home for a little bit. Not greasy, golden, with a bite of corn and refreshing taste of zucchini, scallions on top, and spicy tartar sauce on the side — heavenly.
I also had Chili Salt Squid — OK, that stuff is seriously spicy (for me at least). I liked it. Probably not on my list to reorder — but fritters definitely are!
Our bartender was awesome, quick, chatty and friendly — thanks for helping with my phone! And of course, for letting all of us watching the game.
Nice views of the Brooklyn Bridge if you decide to sit outside — or just walk around for a bit after having food and drinks.
I’ll be back for sure.