Alfresco Historic Villas

The guest book was fascinating, and apparently 18 years old! We spent Sunday in Reefton with a friend, arriving at Alfresco Eatery and Historic Villas around 3pm before heading to the Gin Distillery down the road. Paula was so friendly and hospitable. The accommodation suited us perfectly, with a double bedroom each at a really good price, and we were looking forward to lighting the fire when we got back. Later Paula kindly brought over pizza and chips, which were great. In this post-Covid world, places like this and the quiet town of Reefton deserve support. It’s a lovely experience and great value for a one or two night stopover. I’ll definitely be back.

The beers and pizza were brilliant, and the location worked perfectly. We stayed in the old house behind the cafe. It was very clean and full of character, even the uneven floors added to that. Great value, and I’d stay again.

The owner was friendly and easy to talk with, and the restaurant food was great and came out quickly. The cottage, though, was a huge disappointment for the price. We weren’t in one of the historic villas, but in a dingy, mouldy old house that needs major repairs and upgrades, or a bulldozer through it. The kitchen had good facilities and plenty of room, but there was dust, spiders and a musty smell. I wouldn’t use the pots and pans from those cupboards. In the bathroom the shower door was broken, the lino was peeling, and there were spiders everywhere. Dust got our feet black. The house has three bedrooms. My bed was comfortable, but the sheets and pillows smelled bad, and there was strange fluffy stuff everywhere. The musty smell in the lounge and dining room was so unbearable that we had to sit on the doorstep. There are 1990s TVs in every room, which are extremely outdated and made the place feel creepy. I also found an old pair of glasses on the dining table. It really needs a huge clean out. The cottage sits right by the road, so people kept turning up at the door at all hours to order food, even though the restaurant is next door. That was incredibly frustrating. A sign on the fence directing people to the restaurant would help.

Dinner turned out to be a good experience. I came back to Alfresco Eatery in the evening while staying overnight in Reefton, and a colleague joined me. We had delicious vegetarian pizza and fries, though the fries were perhaps unnecessary. Earlier, I’d driven 30 km from Grey Valley for lunch because Mr Google said it was open, only to be told they don’t serve lunch.