Tucked in next to the Matakana Cinemas, the Vintry is a lovely little wine bar stocking only wines…read morewithin a 14km radius. This may not seem a big area, but encompasses 25 vineyards! Some of my favourites; Takatu, Matakana estate, OBV, Brick Bay...ah, the list goes on. They are experts on the developing wine region, and a good starting point if you're looking to explore it. You can buy by the bottle or glass; or try a bit of everything with a tasting. These start from $5 (for a trio) to $12.50 for a specialized flight. I love it; it's a great way to sample what the area is producing and try and 'develop' you palate (or just have a bit of fun). If you're just after a casual drink there is a nice verandah to laze on or comfy couch seating inside too. I really like the Vintry, it's cosy and elegant and has a nice little spot in Matakana.

Very nice place and the cakes are amazing! Highly recommend!…read more Service is amazing as well

What a great find! Took a wrong term, drove 50 km in the wrong direction - but was grateful to end…read moreup in Whangamata looking for dinner :) We sat outside on the ample deck - while not a great view - the overall atmosphere was lovely as we sat next to the bar and the staff kept popping out and chatting. My friend and I tried the crumbed squid (appie) and the market fish (salmon) and the soft shell crab for the main course. The squid came with a great puree (avocado?) and we loved the pineapple addition to the soft shell crab! We found the salmon to be a bit dry however. I think I'll definitely come back... for the pretty great seafood and....the goat inspired wine!! (check out the Nanny Goat Pinot Noir - worth the price).

This is a neat place to go to for an after-work drink…read more The Oakroom has recently had a facelift and has a cosy feel. Rohini and Corey are great hosts and the small team of staff are always friendly, chatty and sincere. There's a gastropub style menu; food and drinks are good value. It's also a good spot for a private function with good catering options.

My friend held her 21st party here last night and when I arrived I instantly wanted to have mine…read morehere. It's a lovely looking bar I think it must be quite new because all the furniture looked that way. Not the place itself though, it was really classy but rustic with mood lighting and lots of seats which I love, too many places don't offer enough seating and everyone just has to stand around. Their outside deck area was where we spent most of our night, they had outdoor tables and stools as well as a more comfy option...the outdoor sofa. They had two tv screens which she used to display pictures all evening. The bartender was pleasant and friendly and everyone looked like they had the best night.

Pinot Plus is a cozy wine bar in Tapauna that seems to understand that "a meal without wine is…read morelike a day without sunshine." The decor is somewhat typical of European wine bars with its softly lit interior and deep red feature wall. I love the large blackboard and the old wine barrels with bar stools in their street-side seating area. A sommelier is always on hand to offer advice and help you find the right wine to compliment your meal so it is pretty standard to start your dinner with a little wine tasting session. Both sommeliers who served me were friendly and helpful and they went out of their way to help us find the wines that best suited our pallet and/or meal. I love that John Ingle has included a wonderful array of good New Zealand wines on his list. The menu isn't extensive but the meals are usually fabulous and the portions are perfect - if you are into sampling good food, rather than eating bellyful! I have eaten from two of their menus so far and I haven't been disappointed. However, as with most dining experiences some dishes are always going to be that much better. I have added a few comments along with some photos. Pinot Plus has had Grabone vouchers on offer lately - perfect reason to check it out! Please note; you can get a sparking water instead of wine but no other type of beverage here - it is after-all, a wine bar!

Fantastic happy hour for Bonvoy members (which is free to join). I was able to score $10 glass of…read morewine and $10 bar bites! We had the pork belly sliders and the chicken bites. Both were delicious and great for the price. After HH, I stayed for a Margherita pizza and more wine. The pizza was thin crust and tasted fresh. Only thing that was interesting to me was the inability to order the same HH wines after HH. The selection switches out. Service was really great and friendly. It started off rather quiet for HH but began to fill as time went on. Plenty of seating options and trendy decor.

VISIT: end of February 2020…read more This was a pleasant surprise as we ate here probably every day of the 3 that we were in town. I typically shy away from restaurants that are in the hotel because they tend to be pricey. We felt, for Americans, that this was decently priced and that each time we ate here, we got a different meal FOOD WE TRIED: - Chicken and vegetable dumplings - Prawn and chive Gyoza - Arancini - 55 day aged beef brisket sliders - Seafood Risotto - Spaghetti with mussels, snapper and prawns The sliders, gyoza and spaghetti with seafood was VERY good. I wouldn't order the dumplings again, but I always forget that chicken dumplings just aren't the same as pork and/or shrimp. The Arancini was a bit disappointing in flavor, maybe just a touch more salt would have been helpful and same thing with the flavor of the Risotto. The seafood was cooked perfectly, but the sauce on it just wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked, for a risotto. Service was always great with the staff always helpful with recommendations. We were very happy to have access to this restaurant during our stay the Four Points

This was a delicious breakfast. The whipped yoghurt was amazing. The fluffy, airy sweetness was so…read moregood and the granola was also great. Fresh and crunchy with sweet stone fruits on top. The sourdough and eggs were great as well. I personally don't like parsley garnish so I didn't enjoy that on the egg as much but everything else was fantastic. Tomatoes were really juicy. Everything just tasted super fresh and of great quality.

we loved everything about this restaurant when we had dinner there. so much so that we went back…read morefor breakfast a day later! All the people there are friendly and efficient. The seating is comfortable. Go here.

Intimate setting that also serves well towards larger groups…read more There's a list of proposed wine tastings - upwards of $12 for three wines from NZ or around the world. You can choose your own tasting (or full glass or bottle) from the menu which gives you the chance to try a nice range. We selected food from the small plates menu but were unimpressed. You'd probably do better were you to order a cheese platter or to come here for after dinner drinks.

From the owner: Wine, well that's what really matters isn't it? Bored with…read morethe usual generic wine lists popping up all over town? At Wine Loft we have a vast array of wines available by the taste, glass or bottle. Many of which you will not find anywhere else. Also available is tap & bottle beer, spirits and other drinks. We pride ourselves in our platters and pizzas which are all designed for sharing. There is also a good selection of hot and cold small plates to choose from.

If you love wine, please come here! This place is not only adorable, but the wines and appetizers…read moreare amazing!!! I decided to come here for wine and a cheese platter before going elsewhere to dinner. The best decision I made throughout my trip! I decided to try local NZ wines but they have an impressive French wine selection. Let me save you some time.... JUST COME AND ENJOY YOURSELF! The cutest staff, great location and amazing food and wine. Definitely gonna try and squeeze another visit in before going :)

We got a Grab One voucher for a three course meal for two and decided to try Touquet on a quiet…read moreweekday. Really liked the clean and casual decor. There was only one other party there and we got some little quinoa salad appetizers care of the chef which were fresh and light. The pulled oxtail was big and impressive for a starter, and quite tender and juicy. The ricotta and spinach ravioli was much smaller and the purees were light and dampened the strongish ricotta flavor to make the whole dish more subtle. I personally would've preferred something a bit tangy to counter the ricotta, rather just make it less ricotta-y. For mains, the Akaroa king salmon was seasoned and cooked PERFECTLY (crispy skin but still deep pink and juicy on the inside and the whole thing flaked apart)... I love the taste and texture of salmon and the chef really brought out the best of the fish. The large amount of lemon potato that came with it looked like a sauce or soup, but had the texture of thick potato puree and tasted pretty creamy. I liked it, but it was heavy because of the cream and felt like a lot more than an equivalent amount of mashed potatoes (good if you're hungry, but didn't make the dish feel very balanced). The Hawkes Bay lamb scotch fillet was cooked not quite consistently, as a few pieces were medium and some were medium-well. We prefer medium-rare. The stack of cooked veggies that came with it was juicy and flavorful, though. For desserts, the crème brulee was PERFECT and using manuka honey instead of sugar meant it was less sweet, which we preferred. The jasmine infused pineapple with coconut three ways was really nice to eat slowly and enjoy all the different flavors and textures... I quite liked the chewy coconut biscuits, especially when soaked in the juice at the bottom. Overall, really enjoyed our dining experience there. The waitress and chef were really nice to have a chat with on the quiet evening. The dishes were really well priced for the quality, even without a voucher. We'll definitely head back at some point. I want to give them a 4.5, but will round up in this case.

Exactly what it should be. Superb pizza great drinks list. Friendly realized to the point of…read morechilled staff, but in the good way. Find a seat, order at the bar. Enjoy.

Found this little gem while staying in Whitianga and so glad we did! Great casual atmosphere,…read morefriendly staff, beautiful views from the outdoor tables and delicious food. Tried the Black Jack and Little Hippie pizzas + fish and chips + olives. Everything was great, no complaints with any of the food. Check this place out and note their summer hours may be later than listed on Yelp. Happy dining!