Great new wine bar in Napier. Great choice of wines, attentive staff, good food, nice ambience,…read moremusic low enough to have a conversation with companions without shouting. Decor funky but seats bit uncomfortable. Highly recommended

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.

The food was excellent here. It is a beautiful restaurant, and the service was outstanding.read more

We landed in Napier from Auckland to visit some friends and stopped here for lunch on the way. The…read morefood was innovative, fresh ingredients and perfectly prepared. The atmosphere was relaxed and the staff was professional. I would definitely go again.

Wasn't a bad place in a pinch. I like that they are upfront with you about the wait for food before…read moreyou even sit down. The drinks are pretty good and so is the service. I like the atmosphere of this place. We only went once it was a nice time.

We tried this place on New Years Day. There were quite a few other diners so we were feeling pretty…read morehopeful about the food. The outside of the building is very dark and not the most clean looking place but inside is bright with loads of sitting room. We ordered the seafood chowder and the Rivers Beef burger. My partner said the burger was just what you would expect, but not anything to write home about. It came with a basket of beer battered fries, which were crisp and nicely salted. The chowder was a major disappointed. It was bland, and heavy and repeated on me for hours afterwards. The portion size was generous, if only the chowder had been good. I didn't find any pieces of fish, instead only finding some chorizo sausage. The garlic bread which came with the chowder was tasty. It was ciabatta bread with just the right amount of butter and garlic. If we returned to Gisborne again we would not return to here to eat. However it was a nice place to enjoy a glass or two of vino.

We never expected to find a restaurant this good in such a small town in New Zealand. The red…read moresnapper here was caught right off their shore, and made some of the best ceviche we've ever had! The food was all incredible, and the people working here were also genuinely nice. Visiting here from Los Angeles was a bit of a culture shock when we realized tipping wasn't expected. We only had a credit card, so we nearly panicked when there was no tip line for us to add gratuity. After staying here for a few days, I feel this restaurant proves to be the best in town for dinner. PS: the place next door has amazing breakfast and some of the same people work their too! :)

A great spot in downtown Gisborne! We didn't have a booking but (unlike the prior reviewer) we did…read moreget a table, though we were relegated to the back patio by ourselves. Food was very tasty and inventive. We shared the pork croquette entree, the had pork belly and the fish special as our mains. Fish was tasty but the pork belly was the winner! We split an interesting take on creme brûlée for dessert. A nice selection of local wines too!

It's not a place to go for a romantic dinner. No privacy, the noise level was very loud as we could…read morehear three different conversations around usThe atmosphere was cold when we sat down. The seats were cold, and the venue was cold. Also, where we were seated next to the window was ok, but it's also next to the walkway where the staff and public walk past Service was OK even though we didn't get everything we asked for. The food was OK .

Family favourite for many many years. Friendly staff and a well designed menu to fit with the theme…read moreof the place. Food is always served hot and to a high standard and the view of the harbour is amazing especially if you manage to catch the sunset whilst eating here.

Beautiful setting. Attentive staff. Great food. We arrived before dinner was being served; so…read moredecided to hang out on the deck with beers. Enjoying ourselves- and much to my surprise- was invited back in as soon as the grill was being fired up

Not being locals I'd say we chanced across the best restaurant of this type in Gizzy…read more What we really appreciated was that the kids meals were of reasonable size and quality, not to mention the very well cooked and put together adults meals. Book ahead and ask for a table by the window to get the best view of the water. In summer I'd guess they have tables outside which would be even better.

Passed here today on our way to the south. It is a really nice place to sit and watch the sea. We…read morehad the duck mushroom soup, which was very delicious. The staff is also quite nice and helpful. If you pass by this place, get in and have a drink or a light lunch, it is the perfect place for a stop for a relaxing moment.

Best bar in Napier. Owned by locals with great selection of local craft beers and whiskeys. Don't…read moremiss this place!