It’s not often you go out for dinner and have such a bad experience you swear you’ll never go back. Then go back, to use the ‘sorry’ voucher they gave you because you can’t bear to waste it.

We recently had this experience at one of Takapuna’s newest restaurants on The Strand, Regatta.

Across from the beach, it couldn’t be in a more idyllic setting.

We arrived at the restaurant on a barmy summers evening as cyclists competing in a triathlon sped past the bar and restaurant with well-wishers yelling out to spur them on.

We were relieved we had booked a table and were seated within 5 minutes, but then the problems began.

A timid teenager took our drinks order, possibly her first waiting job. They arrived some 15 minutes later. The bottle of chardonnay was easy but the beer was spilt down our friends back, so much so, the glass had to be refilled.

This was the start of our night – table 27 was doomed.

We shared a seafood platter but some of the char-grilled prawns had been incinerated.

Our meals arrived some time later (about an hour) but the steak had to be sent back as it was cold but the fish and chips were OK. The salads arrived after we had eaten and the fries came as we were leaving.

We explained our ‘Faulty Towers’ experience to the manager who was well aware of the mishaps. She generously gave us the food and a bottle of wine on the house as well as $100 voucher to ensure we returned.

Three weeks on…..

Another stunning evening and we were seated at the same table, the only resemblance to our previous experience.

A delicious pork belly entrée was followed by the calamari steak, grilled tuna steaks and a fennel salad and fries, arriving within seconds of each other.

Regatta has redeemed itself and proved it is a restaurant worthy of eating at.