Delicious high end meal in the quiet town if Napier. Got to say that I want impressed by the lack…read moreof service or freindliness I received once I arrived (alone). I standed at the front for about five minutes before I asked where to be sat. Once they learned I was a food writer the vibes changed a bit. I tried the appetizer sampler. The tomato sorbet was truly a unique tasting experience I quite enjoyed the savory approach. I think the marrangue texture was a little stale but overall great tasting experience and beautiful plating. For my main I got the fish, in which I found a bone but otherwise delicious flavor contrasts and preparation though it was served pretty luke warm. I loved the take on crunchy fish tails (something from my childhood) that the female head chef had. My favorite of the night was the dessert. It was fantastic and had plenty of fun textures at play. Of all, small tweaks and they could be on the Michelin Guide

A true work of art! We had the six course meal and each item…read moreWas cooked to perfection. Sabrina was very knowledgeable about the wines. We had man o war wine and it was fantastic. Highly recommend this place!

It's always a bit of a crap shoot when vacationing and trying to find a good spot for dinner…read more Emporium was a winner for us today. We made a reservation online although when we arrived it wasn't too busy and we were able to get a seat outside on the sidewalk. As most places do not have A/C in town, this was preferable to the somewhat warm restaurant. Our nice server Michaela took good care of us and made some good food recommendations. We started with the prawn toasts (indescribable but REALLY good), then followed with Fish and chips (light and good) and the coconut chicken salad which was shaved cucumber, poached chicken, coconut, and peanuts with a light refreshing dressing-quite good (according to my spouse). A bottle of Rose topped things off. The menu has quite a lot of choices so it should be easy for most people to find something that interests them. Nice food, nice service, nice meal.

Location is great, in the heart of the Art Deco city center, a half block from the tourist…read moreinformation office. Service was fine. A little inattentive, but we got everything we asked for, we just had to ask for everything. We had fish and chips. There was a lot of fish, flaky and perfectly cooked. The chips (fries for us Americans) were really really good, seasoned and crispy outside, potato-y inside. All-in-all, a welcoming a reasonable lunch.

The fact that we had to make a reservation to eat at 5.30 tells you everything you needed to know…read moreabout this place. Every table but one has reserved signs on when we arrived We first visited in 2019, and in 6 years it's only improved. We both had the Hawaiian fish burger, which sounds simple enough, but it's the freshness of the fish that makes it special. Definitely give that a try. Great selection of other fishy goodies too.

This was our first dinner in New Zealand, and we got off to a great start. We had reservations,…read morewhich was good because the restaurant was full. The atmosphere was nice, service excellent and the food was delicious!

Love this trendy watering hole hidden down an alleyway in Napier. There's friendly service, a Dj on…read moreFridays and a delicious fried chicken on the bar menu that I will go back for!

It was a Friday night. Napier was still in full 'winter' mode as I wandered the empty streets,…read morelooking for something fun to do on a one night stay over. I was about to get Indian take away and go back to the hotel when I heard music and conversion down an alley. It turned out to be Monica Loves. A cute little tapas/hangout bar, it is definitely the middle class hipster bar of the area. It was virtually the only place with more than 3 people inside. They had a DJ spinning at 7:30, but I didn't wait around for that. There was a good selection of beers. Some wines. I had an excellent IPA (sometimes hard to find in NZ), although it wasn't on tap. The food menu consisted of fine meats by the 50g, and a dish called BREAD for $9. I almost got the nut plate, but the bar tender never asked me if I wanted anything from the food menu, so I drank my beer and headed out. Despite the minor complaints, this is what I was looking for. I have know doubt that small groups looking for a place to chill would not be disappointed here.

I'm going to start this review with saying we had really high expectations, and they were…read moredefinitely not met. We have eaten at quite a few high end restaurants and have come to expect smaller portions, big and unique flavours, a certain level of service and a pricier cost. We got all of this except the flavours. Dishes just didn't meet how the menu reads or the flavours you'd expect out of a $40 dish. With that said, still had lovely service and great drinks. Stunning property and view. The Gruyere cheese soufflé was the absolute highlight of the night. I wish I ordered 4 of these instead of a main and an $18 cheese board that had one cheese on it. Wouldn't return, I would spend time and money at other local restaurants.

I really enjoyed the food, the wine and the setting and the service. Yes it's expensive and the…read moreserves are on the smaller side however the setting is just beautiful. We had the rack of lamb with ratatouille which was perfect and a good size and the duck with cigar and potato galette. The lamb was a stand out and the duck was lovely however not a full serve of duck breast it was rather small and it was sliced, it would of been better served whole. They have lots of good wine options with Syra a special grape variety that grows in the area of Hawkes bay. Desserts are also a standout and worth saving some room for. I will return and recommend.

Dinner for four, a 'going away' party with special wine…read more All MAINS well executed, particularly the red meat choices. Grilled to perfection was my 400g rib eye, and accompanied by a tasty mixed greens dressed salad, chips not wanted but no substitutions. Starter platter was okay, a tippy platter, some cheeses and 'bits' could have used some 'imagination', maybe crudite and dips would have been nice..... For me....the wine list was local and VERY good, albeit no 'aged' wines. Solution: We got permission to BUY their YOUNG wine and sub in OUR AGED to perfection version from the same vintner, Peter Robertson, and his BROOKFIELDs HILLSIDE syrah = marvelous. (2016 bought from 'Off the Track' removed and cellared, the 2013 we brought from our cellar to consume in the restaurant.) Lovely stemware, my suggestion to decant fell on deaf ears sadly. Staff is pleasant in the family themed restaurant. Kiddies playing: Young ones leaving doors open to the outside play area constantly had us up and out of our seats to close doors on the cool evening last week = mildly amusing. Tasty food. Quality good. priced on the high side. 3.7 stars rounded up 4 stars on the yelp meter pics to follow

In the small fruit bowl region of hawkes bay New Zealand you can find a great lifestyle restaurant…read morebetween Hastings and havelock north called "Off the track" that has great views of te Mata peak and the orchid/vineyard country. Food was great, tasteful and fresh. Recommend the white bait fritter special with fresh veggies or the big breakfast which had decent portions and fresh produce sourced locally. Not too packed but able to cater for a decent crowd.

A must when in Hawkes Bay!!! If you want to experience the…read morebest of food, wine and great views of Te Mata Peak then come here. The menu reflects the bounty of the on-site organic kitchen garden, plus ingredients sourced from local farmers and fishers. And the wine... they're divine! Service is impeccable! Love, love it here. This is our favorite place in the whole wide world!

Came here for wine tasting and lunch to celebrate my birthday. The sommelier was very informative…read moreand made sure we're were taken care of and gave us a mini tour of the only wine they bottle there. Went to lunch afterwards. It was nice change from sitting at the chefs table. Fascinating to watch the works of a kitchen as food is order, being prepared, and served. The chef also checked in on us. It was a wonderful birthday experience.

Brookfields Vineyards…read more Several wineries near Napier and in Hawks Bay area We opted for Brookfields Vineyards and enjoyed tasting and tour We noticed several folks had engaged a private driver for Hawks Bay tastings, and if we had more time, we recommend Nice winery tour with great host We purchased several bottles for our journey south Highly recommend a visit to Brookfields Vineyards

Cellar Door. Tasting…read more Sales. Not a stand alone restaurant, does catering prearranged only. Highest quality wines in the region. Honest pricing. Best cellar door staff: Knowledgeable. Personable. Experienced. Old school, REAL handcrafted wines open for tasting most days, please call ahead to book your spot. Located in Napier city's Meannee district in quiet rural setting. Catering for events onsite on beautiful mature treed property near vines. Venerable producer of FINE Hawkes Bay wines is one the original 7 in the province. Earns 5 full stars in all categories. Highly recommended when y'all wish to get BEST IN CLASS quality and value. Understated and often overlooked by visitors. Oozes CLASS & QUALITY. Go !