The Brook is located at the Ripple Rotarua Hotel. We were initially turned away until the next…read moreseating time since we had no reservation, but then a woman came out from the kitchen and had the server put a table out for us, which we only waited 20 minutes for. The seating area is small which is why it's a good idea to make reservations. There were only 4 or 5 tables inside and a couple outside. We took the server's recommendation for the wine, which was very good, Le Phant. Food was delicious, one of the best meals we had while on vacation. We started with Garlic Butter bread, which was soft and buttery. I had the Butternut Squash Lasagna, and it was perfect. Finished off with Affogato for dessert, not to be missed! It was a wonderful ending to the meal.

What can I say?!? This place was phenomenal. We were not sure when we pulled up. It is located…read moreinside the Best Western and from the outside looks uninviting. There were no patrons which made us even more skeptical. I am so glad we stayed!!!! We decided on the mushroom lasagna and the steak. Both dishes were phenomenal. The wine paired beautifully. The gentleman who is the host was simply amazing. Very knowledgeable and extremely personable. Knew the food, wine and area very well. The chef...simply superb. We went with her choice for dessert. Turns out she was a trained French Pastry Chef. The raspberry tart was delicious. Do not let the initial impression sway you, this is the place to eat at!!

I got the breakfast crepe which was MASSIVE. Much bigger and more food than I was expecting but it…read morewas good. My friend ordered the salted caramel crepe which he only waited a few minutes for, and I waited about 10+ minutes for mine. Good vibes, cute little place with both indoor and outdoor seating.

Great coffee, crepes and cosy ambience - can get busy but buzzing. A local meetup spotread more

Lakefront cafe, lots of seating…read more Coffee, brunch, lunch items. Coffee and food were delicious! Try the spinach and mushroom fricasse! You order at the counter and they bring your food to you. Service, so friendly! Parking is easy and right out front.

The food was quite tasty. I love scones so of course I had to get a date scone, which ive never had…read moreso I had to try it! It was quite tasty as well. And the Chi Tea was delicious. The view was amazing which added to the wonderful experience. The service was delightful they were very nice!

We had a very reasonable lunch here yesterday on our way to Waitomo., It was pretty different…read morefrom what the Lonely Planet described, but that is on the guidebook, not the restaurant. (weak beer list, for example) I had a plate of ribs with barbecue sauce, while my wife ordered sticky chicken. She was, I am sorry to say, a bit mean to the restaurant -- she has asked whether the sticky chicken was spicy, and was told that it wasn't. Then when it arrived, she expressed her discontent but repeatedly refused their offers to bring her something else. What really impressed me was how persistent but the waiter and the manager were in trying to make things right with her, despite her refusal to accept that. New Zealand nice meets midwestern stubborn.

The best meal I had in New Zealand! The pork belly bowl was absolutely delicious. It was so fresh…read moretasting and the pork belly was perfect. It wasn't greasy--it was airy and the perfect consistency. I keep saying perfect because it was just perfect! The toastie was also so good and the fries were tasty! The service was warm with plenty of drink refills. It's the perfect stop after a long day at the glow worm caves!

After nearly a year of living in Hamilton, I finally came to eat here for lunch the other day. I…read morewas home sick from work and I just wanted some pho to soothe my aching throat. I have never been to Vietnam, so cannot comment about the authenticity of this food. I can only compare it to the many Vietnamese restaurants I patronized while living in California. To start with, service was a bit slow. Just one server for the whole place during a weekday at lunch. No worries. Started with the summer rolls. They were fine. Nothing special, but not bad. The dipping sauce was standard, decent, but nothing to write home over. Next, the pho. It looked beautiful and my hopes were high. Maybe too high. It fell far short of what I was hoping. If I'd never had pho before, it might have been fine. But I found the broth flavor to be lacking. There were WAY too many onions (raw yellow, red and spring onions) and it was topped with crispy fried onions. There were also far too many bean sprouts. I'm used to it being served with jalapenos and lime - they had red chilis and lemon. No problem. There was not enough basil. The noodles were in one big glob on the bottom of the bowl, as if they couldn't have taken just a few moments to separate them and swirl them around a bit. My husband had the beef bun. It also looked nice, but left him unsatisfied as far as flavors go. He said, "I'd give it 4 stars for Hamilton and maybe 2 or 3 if we were eating it in the US." So, there you go. I will go back to try to bahn mi sandwiches. They looked good and I hope that they are. This trip was disappointing, but I do think they deserve another shot with the sandwiches. Will update review once I try them.

Cute spot for a funky Vietnamese feast. My lychee soda was refreshing and tasty. My bun (vermicelli…read morenoodle, Viet salad, spring roll and lemongrass beef) bowl was generous and delicious. $23 all up

Good fun and a very nice place to eat. Service is quick best…read morefor a nice meal during a mall visit

Spent a lovely lunch with mum at foundation and shared food off the bar menu. The onion rings were…read moreso crispy they melted in your mouth, the Mac and cheese was to die for and the pork belly bites were AMAZING. A must try for even just the bar menu.

I came here for breakfast two days in a row and would have kept coming if the timing had worked…read moreout. Very pleasant cafe with good food, great coffee drinks, and great pastries. If I ever come through here again I'll try a smoothie. It's right by the tourist-heavy Eat Streat area but it manages to feel like a true neighborhood joint. There were always locals hanging out when I was there. No wifi, unfortunately. Very tasty Eggs Benedict. If you're at one of the nearby hotels and want a more down-to-earth spot for cafe fare, you'll probably be as grateful as I was for this cafe

Great little cafe next to hotels and the park. Excellent service and delicious coffee! If we had…read moremore time, I would have ordered food as we saw it coming out and delivered to tables and it looked delicious! Noticed this cafe from the window of our hotel room and saw cute tables outside with patrons looking relaxed and welcoming.

We stopped in for breakfast and loved it…read more The special was waffles so I gave it a try. It was beautiful and oh so delicious. Two waffles were accompanied with crispy bacon and fried bananas, lightly sprinkled in powdered sugar with some lovely thick maple syrup as well. I'm sure there were no calories in this dish. I ate every morsel. It was so good. With my waffles, I had a creamy, hot latte topped with beautiful latte art. I also had a few slurps of Husband's berry smoothie. Oh was that good too. Everything was so yummy. Service was good. You review the menu and order at the counter. They bring your food and drinks to you. Lots of seating. Street parking was easy and they open a bit earlier than most other breakfast places. Great experience.

Great spot centrally located in downtown Rotorua for a quick eat in or take away. coffee,…read morepastries & , small bites, simple breakfasts & all delicious. Friendly staff to top it off.

Yummy breakfast and lunch choices with eggs Benedict being a big deal. Flat white is beautiful and…read moreexcellent as well. Service is a plus and ambiance is wonderfully mid century modern. Open from 7:00 am for a proper tea or cafe mocha.

Food was good, but they forgot to add on one thing and instead swapped it. They weren't very happy…read morewhen i asked for it to be brought ~ i just asked for them to bring it not remake the order. It was quiet and clean, but there are other cafes with better service and choices.