We walked into the bistro ready to have a terrific dinner experience based on their website photos…read moreand the warm, inviting appearance as we walked up. The ambiance was nice and felt like a cozy ski lodge. However, the hostess wasn't exactly warm or charming. She seemed to have a bit of a control issue. When we moved one of the 2 chairs at the 4-top to another side of the table, she expressed her displeasure and stated that we had to make sure that we gave the table next to us enough space, but there was definitely enough room for a small pony to walk through. The server was pretentious. The vibe we got was that he was busy with something else and could barely be bothered to share the specials and take our order. Because we weren't getting a great vibe, we decided just to order overpriced drinks instead of drinks and overpriced food. Do NOT order the old fashioned unless you like them super sweet. My husband is a fan of old fashioneds and had never had a ridiculously sugary drink as this before. The espresso martini was okay. Definitely not worth $26 though. This place is definitely overrated.

One of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever experienced was eating dinner at Mudbrick. The view is…read moredivine, and the garden feels so quaint and picturesque that I was completely wowed. It's nice coming here for the ambience alone! They have two or three course dining options and I went with the two course plus a bread order which ended up being the perfect amount of food. The dishes were surprisingly innovative for being a winery restaurant, and I really appreciated the pairings they suggested with each dish. I especially liked their Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot options. It's definitely pricey, but I am glad I got to try dinner here. Only catch is that it's quite difficult to get a car back home - we had dinner at 7:30 pm and it was a bit harrowing getting a taxi. The hotel will help call for you but our driver double booked himself for extra business so we stood outside almost half an hour in the dark. Regardless, the restaurant itself was great and worth the trip.

We visited this winery as part of a wine tour. The tasting was 4 wines, a white and 3 reds. My fav…read morewas the Te Monty Kokoro. Our guide was well versed in the history of the winery and the making of the wines. Husband isn't as much of a wine drinker so it was nice that our guide offered him some lighter, more mild wines to taste. The tasting room was smaller and very busy with a casual vibe. Great stop.

This vineyard was a great way to end your day in Waiheke Island. There were 4 vineyards in this…read morearea #7 on your hop on hop off tour. We chose this place even we walked for 15 minutes . The vineyard has a great view of the grapes, the rough road with lustrous trees to take pictures. At the end of the road this very quaint restaurant was so beautiful. Rustic feeling yet serene when you look around. The staff were very nice. The wine was excellent. Agnes was our attendant, she was nice but not too attentive. We have to looked for her to give our orders. Waited for so long. We tasted their Red snapper so divinely tasteful. The fish was cooked to perfection. The sauce was amazing . Mouthwatering. We got their freshly baked focaccia with olive oil roasted garlic and balsamic vinegar so good. The best Their house salad was excellent. I loved the way all the leafy vegetables weren't cut by a knife. It looked like peeled by hands. So fresh and crunchy when you bite. The wine was good. We got 3 different wine my choice the Shiraz. Even the wait was long I still give them 5 for the view and excellent cuisine. Kudos to the chef.

This place is very appealing visually. I did the reserve wine tasting, which should have been the…read morebest of the best, but they were merely okay, unfortunately. Their reserve syrah had a VERY off-flavor to it. We brought this up to the server, and he quickly ran off to check with someone. When he returned, he said something like "oh, that's the typical floral something or other". We've experienced this before, and it turned out then that the cork was bad. This was likely the same situation. At the very least, I would have expected Tantalus to pour another taster for us to make sure there was nothing wrong with the first pour. That didn't happen though. The reserve chardonnay was good.

Tantalus Estate - Waiheke Island…read more Tantalus Winery is located on beautiful Waiheke Island, an easy and very pleasant 40-minute ferry ride from Auckland. Once on the island, you can hop on a hop-on/hop-off bus or take a local bus--both make getting around simple and stress-free. The estate itself is stunning. There's a winery, a restaurant, and a brewery, and we chose to sit outside to fully enjoy the vineyard views. The setting is peaceful, lush, and absolutely gorgeous--one of those places where you instantly want to slow down and take it all in. The food was excellent. I tried green-lipped mussels for the first time--smoked and marinated--and they were delicious. Even better, they were served without shells, which made them incredibly easy to eat. The kingfish appetizer was a standout: fresh, beautifully prepared, with a dollop of avocado and a coconut-style aioli that was truly special. A real "wow" dish. We also did a wine flight, which made the experience fun especially given the range of wines available. The only downside was the music--it was blaring a bit too loud. In such a serene, Zen-like environment, it competed with the natural beauty rather than enhancing it. This is a place where you just want to sit, sip, and absorb the surroundings. That said, Tantalus is absolutely worth the trip. Incredible setting, memorable food, and a wonderful way to experience Waiheke Island.

My friend and I don't drink but we love the winery experience. This was our first trip to NZ,…read moreAuckland & Waiheke. It was a crowded off-season day on the ferry, so we decided to make a reservation at Batch while we were waiting for our Western Explorer bus at the Waiheke Ferry landing. We skipped all the other vineyards & went straight to Batch in hopes of avoiding the crowds. We are so glad we did. The view was amazing & it wasn't crowded when we arrived. The service was excellent and the food was top shelf. We had the herb bread with olives, risotto, and pavlova. Focusing on just one vineyard was a delightful way to spend the afternoon without trying to do all the vineyards.

what a view. the lunch was amazing and they paired the wine perfectly. wish we could have stayed…read morelonger

Day was beautiful. Had a tasting out on their patio…read more This was our 4th wine tasting in the same day, I was feeling pretty spent from the wine tastings from the 3 vineyards before. I did tiny sips and wasn't ingesting anymore liquids down, only tasting them. It's a nice vineyard. Since I had so much to tastes by the last stop. I was feeling pretty mellow and chilled. I just sat under the protection of the shading on the patio and watched everyone else continue their tastings. My friend was still going strong. I was out. I spent the rest of the wine tour hour taking in the vineyard estate.

Obsidian was our first stop in New Zealand off the plane from the US…read more We landed in Auckland at dawn, dropped our bags at our hotel, boarded the Waiheke ferry, took the bus to Onetangi, walked the length of the beach, hiked up the hill, and found our way to the cellar door. All you need to know about the wine is that it was worth that effort. The winery is situated in a hollow (American for small valley) and housed in a Quonset hut. We enjoyed our tasting on a shaded outdoor patio. Our hosts were friendly, which in New Zealand is basically assumed. Obsidian is perhaps the most remote of the Onetangi wineries, which made it the perfect place to start our day. We spent the rest of the day working our way back toward the main road - stopping at Casita Miro and Te Motu - before catching the bus back on Onetangi Rd. back to Oneroa and the ferry.

Cable Bay exceeded our expectations! We loved the gorgeous view and had a wonderful tasting with…read moreMJ. Afterwards, we enjoyed pizza at the restaurant. I was able to get mine vegan and gluten free, and they have celiac safe preparations which was so nice. Whatever vegan cheese they used was the best Ive had on pizza!

We came to waiheke island to check out the vineyards but couldn't make it to any more. Cable bay…read morevineyard was a beautiful experience. we did a wine tasting and after grabbed a bite from the restaurant as we soaked in the calm and relaxing scenery. our servers were great with recommendation . Definitely a must try amongst all of the vineyards.

One of my absolute favorite wineries to visit in New Zealand-it never disappoints! They are…read morecurrently expanding, and I can't wait to see the finished look once construction is complete. The service is always immaculate, and the views are simply breathtaking no matter where you sit. It's the perfect place to relax, sip, and take in the beauty of Waiheke Island. A must-visit spot when you're on the island!

So Sad Steve White doesn't own this place anymore... We arrived with a party of 8. Automatically…read moresat us on the patio with a patio menu... We wanted Lunch. So, we followed the sign to the restaurant which leads us back around to the host stand. We asked to order stuff from the restaurant and we couldn't. We HAD to sit inside the hot-box restaurant. I'll give it to the host who warned us that it was hot... Why not leave us on the patio and give us the restaurant menu which was 10 feet away.... I Don't Get It... I hope they fix that Greenhouse restaurant. That Window Roof will cook you during the summer months. This table was in the middle where we sat... The tables by the railing had breeze. we could see people's hair blowing around while we baked in the sun in the middle. The tables in the back were in the shade, (which were open. A Chinese family were sat by the railing and they ask to move to those tables and did move to the tables in the back shaded tables).. I really feel like that french guy, (host), sabotaged us with that horrible table. this place is losing its touch... im sad... I really like this place...

Diabolical food ordering system with a staff in chaos mode meant 45 minutes for a drink to be…read moredelivered and the food order lost three times. Good food, serene setting and lousy muddled service.

Aiya was absolutely incredible--truly an exceptional host. As someone in the service industry, I…read moredeeply appreciate thoughtful, knowledgeable, and genuinely outstanding hospitality, and Aiya delivered all of that and more. This winery has been the best experience we've had on Waiheke Island. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with a free day to spend. The views are unmatched anywhere on the island, and the wines are simply top-notch. Cheers to Aiya for her impeccable service--she truly made our day unforgettable!

Not my first visit, and definitely not my last! This is one of my favorite wineries on the island…read more The ambiance is always wonderful, whether you're sitting indoors or outdoors. The staff are super friendly, and the food is fresh and very good. And of course--the wine! Any bottle you choose, or any recommendation from the staff, is always spot on and absolutely delicious. See you again next time I'm in New Zealand!

Our first stop on Waiheke Island was Wild Estate for a wine tasting. As we were going to have…read morelunch later, we didn't order any food aside from some olives to tide us over until lunch, although the charcuterie boards looked amazing. A sample of three wines was $20NZ, and on offer was a rose and two reds, "Wilding" and "The W", all of which I enjoyed. It's unfortunate that our stop at Wild was such a short visit, as the grounds were lovely (there were neat sculptures and activities offered such as archery), the restaurant decor was warm and inviting, and the menu had a good selection. [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023; Wine Time!]

Love nature? Love olive oil? Me too. Visiting Rangihoua Estate was one of the coolest things I've…read moreever done, and the beauty here was breathtaking. I cook with olive oil almost every day, so I was most excited about learning how it's made and watching it happen right in front of me. Everyone here was so knowledgable and helpful, and I learned lots of great tips for what to look for in a good olive oil. After watching the production process, we were able to try several varieties of Rangihoua olive oil with bread, and it was interesting to make tasting notes (similar to how you make them for wine.) We ended up taking a few bottles back to the US, as well as this amazing herb spread they created. We found out after we purchased that they ship to the US for free, which would have been a lot easier than trying to get it back ourselves, but it was worth it. After we spent time inside learning about the oils, we were able to wander the grounds which was an absolutely beautiful experience. We saw olives growing everywhere, and the nature was jaw-dropping (though we were in New Zealand, so...) We saw ponds, ducks, and hundreds of flowers. I truly could have spent the day there! Thanks to everyone at Rangihoua Estate for a perfect New Zealand afternoon.

Got the opportunity to visit this estate while on a tour. This was our first stop for the day. We…read morestarted the tour with an informational video, showing the work that goes into harvesting the olives. It was also cool to find out that the oils we got to sample were award winning. My favorite extra virgin olive oil was Picaul.