Jonathan S.

This is the main restaurant you can see off the main road about 2-3 minute drive from the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves. We came here for lunch after our tour of the Glow Worm Caves. We ordered the house special Roasted Cauliflower and Thyme Soup with Rewana Toast with Smoked Butter and the Pasta with Chicken. The soup had a really good flavor and the Rewana (Māori Bread) with the smoked butter was very good. The pasta always a thick fettuccine like noodle with a ring of pesto around it. The pasta also had good flavor, but is slightly more bland (tends to be the norm for food in New Zealand) for American taste, so I did crave a little stronger flavors. A little salt and pepper helped bring out the flavors more. The prices are a little pricy for a casual cafe, but they do get a lot of business from people coming/going to the glow worm caves. There wasn't any other service by the wait staff or there than taking and delivering our order. We had to wave down the waitress (who was very nice) to get more water. Once finished, just go up the cash register to pay. This is not a bad place to grab a bite to eat, but there may be cheaper options in Otorohanga.

Rachel E.

One of our favorite restaurants when we went to NZ! We came for lunch right before going to the Waitamo cave. Pretty pricy though and in a rush so ordered an appetizer and entree and shared. Super fresh crisp and perfect fish and chips! Cider was a great pairing! Also got the chive croquettes which were like fried mash potato balls - surprisingly delicious. Nice patio too and attentive waitstaff. They made sure we got out in time to make it to Waitamo for our time!

Barbie S.

Gourmet all the way! Clean, bright spacious upstairs restaurant with spectacular views. PROS: Kumara fries Smoked Fish & Potato cakes Outside covered seating Views Service CONS: small parking lot

Benjamin S.

Probably the best restaurant I went to in New Zealand though I wasn't in Auckland or Wellington much. Huhu is close to the Waitomo caves and my best friend and I had gone to the caves, checked into our hotel, and then asked the receptionist where to go for dinner and she said this was the best place. She was right! I kind of wanted greasy pizza for some strange reason, but so glad we came here instead! I had heard from several Kiwis that the beef is grass fed in New Zealand and it's true. I had the 7oz New Zealand Sirloin with blue cheese dressing. It took a few bites to get used to the taste of the meat since I'm used to the dreadful practices in the US of raising beef on corn and unnatural substances so I had to adjust my palette. Like I said, after a few bites, I was good to go. The steak was cooked to perfection. It was buttery, crisp on the outside and very easy to chew and swallow. The dressing on the salad that accompanied the steak is by far the best salad dressing I've ever had in my life. I could have just had a big bowl of salad with that dressing and would be writing a 5 star review. For dessert I had the Peanut Butter Parfait which has a really unique presentation and was fantastic! I felt really full after eating this meal. Service was also really great and the atmosphere of the place is not fine dining, more casual kitchen feel. Why go anywhere else if you're in the area for dinner?

Anchisa P.

- Stop-by restaurant on the way to Waitomo cave - Ok to good food but not particularly memorable. - We shared a fish and chips dish and a lamb stew rice with yogurt - The fish and chips was perfectly battered and fried - Lamb stew rice was good but the seasoning was a bit overpowering / yogurt provides a nice contrast

Lorabelle S.

Jan 18-2018 This was a cute place. We parked our car in the parking lot of the Glow Worm Cave. And we walked through a forest trail (waitomo village walk 15 minutes) to get to the main street safely (where all the other stores and lodging is located). There are signs before walking into the forest about poison, so don't go crazy touching things... Also, there are these fan-tailed birds that flew pretty close to us. They are friendly, but mostly just using us! They are flying around us to catch the bugs that were disturbed by us walking by and waking the bugs up. Back to the restaurant... Huhu Cafe is actually on the second floor (first floor is held for events) and their patio has a nice view of the grassy mountains. It was a rainy day today, but still beautiful. The staff was helpful and polite, but not talkative. They do have WiFi, but you gotta ask for it. It doesn't have it posted on their walls that I saw. It was a nice medium sized open concept restaurant. I shared the lunch menu as of 01-18-2018. I got the bacon and mussel fritters with tomato jam, aioli. It was delicious. If you don't like mussels, I wouldn't suggest getting it because it has a strong taste of mussels. I couldn't taste the bacon and the mussel taste even hid the onion. The tomato jam tasted like the sweet chili sauce I use for Filipino lumpia. Yummy!! My husband got the chips and ketchup to share. He got the crispy buttermilk chicken [tenders] with the honey mustard mayo. It was pretty tasty. It looked like it was breaded with cornmeal and it gave it a sweet taste. My husband didn't care for the sauce because he doesn't like mayo at all. But I tasted it and it was sweet because of the honey, barely could taste the mustard. I looked like they used stone ground mustard with honey and mayo. I even say it was good even though I don't like mustard. The prices were a bit much, but it was a cafe located near the the Glow Worm Cave tourist attraction. So it make sense for the prices to be high. I would check it out. :)

Sam E.

Huhu cafe! What can I say? This super cute diner located on the second floor near waitmo caves is one for the few restaurants in the area with the next closest restaurant being a while away. We were greeted but a friendly staff member who seated us and with the diner kitchen seen through the cut out window, the friendly chef waved making this place seem cozy and sweet and like your everyday neighborhood joint. Don't let the diner facade fool you! This place serves up some amazing food that you would not think would be found at a diner. They have vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options from mains to desserts. We ordered the harissa sweet potato pumpkin hash with hummus which was out of this world. Every bite was a punch or flavor and with humongous portions, it's impossible to leave hungry. The dish was filling and rich is bold flavors. I dare to you put the fork down before you finish every last bit of it. My partner ordered the lamb curry with coconut rice. The dish was an extremely large portion with amazing spiciness and a rich brown gravy style sauce which it stewed in. It's placed on top of sweet succulent soft coconut rice and the tastiest garlic roasted crostini ever.

Jae V.

We stopped here to eat after seeing the glow worm caves. The restaurant was empty and our food was served quickly. I had the fish of the day which was pan fried and served with gnocchi. My companions also enjoyed their dishes. Good experience and recommend it!

Yanna I.

Fantastic restaurant in the North Island of New Zealand. My food as well as all of my friends' food was very fresh, tasty & flavorful. After the rocket salad and garlic bread, i had the toffee pudding for dessert. I can honestly say that may have been the best dessert I've ever had, it was so good! Highly recommend, staff was very kind and helpful. Beautiful views of green New Zealand were also a plus!

Emily B.

After a magical tour of the glow worm caves we stopped here for lunch based on the great Yelp reviews! It was so good we got both lunch and dinner for take away to take back to our Eco / villa rental in Cambridge! The Fried chicken and grilled eggplant for lunch and both lamb dishes , curry and chips to take back to dinner with a salad . Sooooo good! The staff was friendly the view lovely on the terrace and food amazing!

Ankan J.

The only nice restaurant in waitomo village, this place is a must. However the high rating is not because this is the "only" show in town unless you want pub food but basically it has all the key ingredients for a successful restaurant. The ambiance of this place is great - full bar, unique menu, great deserts and coffee / expresso selection. The staff is the friendliest but it maybe because i am in a town of 50 people. The food was great and on could be on par with a restaurant in NYC. Tons of vegetarian options even though two of the salad options were not available on the day we went. Overall, highly recommended for dinner after your adventure filled day in Waitomo.

Jonathan S.

Stunning meal at a place that I assumed would be a tourist trap with steep prices and mediocre food (considering the location and it being one of the only places in town to stop for a bite). Was surprised to find quite the opposite! This place is a must-try if you are in the area. Quality produce, beautiful presentation, and delightful flavour abounds. Tried a variety of their dishes and each one was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Especially of note were the rack of lamb and the duck leg. Make sure to save room for dessert as they really do have some wonderful creations. Was quite busy for dinner on a weeknight so making reservations would be a good idea.