delicious brisket gnocchi (although it was more of a pot roast than brisket), lots of flavor…read morethroughout + also the fish and chips were very flavorful!! quick and kind service with cute assistant who might have been the young daughter of the manager? super sweet good ambiance at lunch overall veryyyyy good

Went here tonight for a date night with my husband. We made reservations a week (which I actually…read morenever imagined might be necessary) and arrived about 30 minutes before our booking time. However, even for a non-specific Wednesday night, the dining area was nearly full at 7:00 pm. We had a drink at The Keg Room (both establishments are connected) before heading over to The Eatery for our dinner. The ambiance is casual, comfortable but nice. The Keg Room has dark walls, metal kegs lining one wall, multiple TV screens showing sports. There are high stool seats, lower leather seating and a couple of booths inside. There is limited outdoor seating as well. When we went, there was a combo of adult groups and also people there with children. The Eatery is slightly fancier, but still appropriate to wear casual attire. There are black beaded chandeliers, a gas fireplace and a couple of iron shelves filled with wood logs. There appeared to be a sectioned of area that could be used for a private party. We had a bottle of wine and I was happy with the wine selections. There were plenty of NZ wines but also a good selections of Italian wines. We had the Quota 29 primitivo. We weren't disappointed. We started with spicy Italian pork sausages. These were very tasty, not *too* spicy and served with cooked onions, tomatoes and kalamata olives. It was really great. We also shared one of the side salads to start - arugula/rocket, pears and candied walnuts. It was nicely dressed, light and delicious. I had the suprema pizza for my main - it had arugula/rocket, pine nuts and prosciutto. What I really loved is that the crust was not too thin/crispy but not so think that it was like a grease sponge. It was very reminiscent of pizzas that I had while traveling in Italy. I wasn't sure what I'd think about the pine nuts, but they ended up being a nice touch. The pizza was fairly sizable, and I ended up eating about half and taking the rest home. My husband had the Maltagliati, all'amatriciana (spicy, hand-pulled pasta with bacon). He asked for it to be "extra spicy," and they did spice it up. I tasted it and it was on the verge of too spicy for me, but that is just how he likes it. We finished with tiramisu, which was very nice, but I'm not sure that it was really stand-out compared to others. All in all, we had a great evening and felt the drive from the CBD was well worth it (all 15 minutes). It is rather unassuming from the outside, nestled inside a strip mall type of setting. There is plenty of parking. We will definitely go back.

My husband absolutely adored or breakfast at Ciabatta Cafe while in Rotorua…read more Service was fast, and friendly with plenty of open seating in the cafe. The food was outstanding, and we were blown away by the focaccia breakfast sandwich. The passion fruit Cronut was delicious as well!

We loved this spot so much we visited twice during our trip. They make the most delicious…read moresandwiches with fresh ciabatta bread. There's also a big selection of pastries and coffee on their menu. The location is in an industrial area but can be easily found with google maps. There's a few spots of parking outside and plenty of seating inside. The food comes out quickly and staff are nice. Very casual spot for top notch sandwiches. Highly recommend visiting if you're from out of town.

Popped in for a late night snack with my daughter. Menu was great with lots of options. Ordered the…read moresalmon pizza and fries to share. Delicious. Our waitress Kate was great too helpful and attentive. Will definitely be back.

From the owner: Casual dining in the heart of Hamilton. Serving up wood-fired pizzas and a delicious selection of…read moreshare-plates using the best local produce the Waikato has to offer. Gluten free and vegan options available.

Not recommended, staff all standing around while the tables need to be wiped down. $18 for a…read moresandwich, $22 for a basic af waffles and $7.50 for a mini milkshake.. there is also bird shit running down the interior walls, so much so that others in our group argued it wasn't bird poo it was a decoration/pattered.. the birds obviously get in and sit up on the ledge watching patrons. Needs to be cleaned up it's fkn disgusting. Have added picture of the colds cabinet, $22 waffles and an example of the birdshit. They were watching me while I was taking it so it's poor quality.

I've been to The Verandah Cafe a number of times, mostly because it is located right on the lake…read moreand I take my son to the playground there frequently. The cafe is quite large, and there appear to be a number of new-parent groups and others there on a regular basis. I've had the flat whites and for me, they are fine, but nothing to write home about. It will get me through another duck-feeding 30 minutes with my son. I've had a couple of the bakery items and they, too, are fine, but nothing special. My new-parent group met here a couple of times, but then we changed location because it was too crowded and noisy to suit our own tastes. I also feel that they are slightly higher priced than most other coffee shops I've been to in town. However, they do have a loyalty card which you can use to earn towards a free coffee drink.

We came to this brewery because we enjoyed the drinks we had at Hobbiton. They make the…read moreHobbiton-exclusive beer, cider, and ginger ale. It wasn't too busy when we came here for lunch so ordering and getting seated was quick. They even had live music which was nice. We had a flight, the sample platter, and the cajun lamb pizza. Out of all the garlic bread and salt and pepper squid we've had in NZ, this was the best. The pizza and the sample platter was a lot of food for two people, so if you're not too hungry or have small appetites, I recommend just ordering one item to share. While we didn't really care for the cider (I didn't find any in NZ that I loved) or their hard pink lemonade which was too sweet, we did love their hard lemonade.

These guys are fraud do not visit them not recommended to anyone, my aunt visit them in August she…read morefell ill and currently under treatment due to poor beer and food quality

Visiting Hobbiton was easily one of the highlights of our trip to the north island. The experience…read morebegan with a scenic bus ride across a working sheep farm, during which we learned about how the location was discovered and transformed into the iconic film set that it is today. Once we arrived, we were taken on a guided walking tour through the beautifully preserved set. Along the way, we saw some of the most memorable spots from the films, including the famous hillside where Frodo sets off on his adventure. One of my favorite parts came toward the end of the tour, when we were able to step inside a hobbit hole. The interiors were meticulously decorated, making it easy to imagine what life in the Shire might actually feel like! At the end of the tour, we stopped by Green Dragon Inn, where we enjoyed a complimentary drink (there's both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available). Overall, this was such a magical experience! Be sure to book ahead, as the popular tour times tend to get booked out pretty far in advance during peak season.

Hobbiton is exactly what you think it will be. If you're a fan of the movies and most importantly a…read morefan of Hobbiton, you are stepping into a real life fantasy. I was there for a wedding and we received our own private tour, so I can't say whether it was like the standard tour. You start off from essentially their home base. You get on a bus and drive across to an active live sheep and cattle farm. The sets are built on the farm. The hobbit homes are all exterior and gorgeous. The details are immaculate. They even have real smoke coming from chimneys! There is a built out interior for tourists to traverse and the details are amazing. I found an accordion in one and it worked! There are alcoholic beverages at the Pony, but alcohol content is low. Probably to keep us from acting out scenes from the movies. The tour guides were also awesome, funny, and knowledgeable. Magical place. 10/10

Love this brewery!!! Walk off the street up the stairs to a magically decorated brewery &…read morerestaurant. The bar greets you as you enter followed by an array of seating choices, cozy chairs, dining table, outdoor seats with a beautiful view, it is amazing! Choose from craft beers or wine. The fish and chips were delicious! Service was prompt and friendly. A great stop in the Rotorua area

We dropped into Crafty Trout Brewing Co to check out their beer and cider selection. The bottom…read morefloor has merchandise and bottles for purchase. The bottles are reasonable but the merch is expensive (more than any brewery I've been to). $30.00 NZD for a growler! Insane. They also do beer tours ($30.00 NZD including tasting rack otherwise it's $10.00 NZD). The upstairs is called Bier Kafe. They had a few specials ($14.00 to 25.00 NZD). The regular menu is pretty pricey. Apparently, they are "world famous" for their pretzels and woodfired pizzas. At the bar, there were 14 flavours on tap (except they were sold out of their smokey ginger beer). The pear cider sounded pretty good. Tasting rack (four 200mL glasses) costs $20.00 NZD so we opted for a few bottles to take home instead. Some of their desserts also looked interesting. Dark moist chocolate beer cake ($9.00 NZD) or apple cider strudel ($10.00 NZD) anyone? - Lure cider ($4.50 NZD) - Granny Smith with hints of pineapple. - Smokey ginger beer ($3.00 NZD) - non-alcoholic made with Pohutakawa & Cherrywood smoked ginger, honey, fresh lemons and Lake Taupo glacial mineral water. You can taste the smokiness. Pretty decent!

Ordered a steak and cheese with blue cheese. I got steakum meat. Blue cheese sauce( no real cheese…read moreon sandwich) came in a cup. 18.50 + 2.00 up charge for fries instead of potato chips. Absolutely horrible. I live here and decided to try it again after a horrible meal years ago. I learned my lesson for sure. By the way the soap dispenser in the women's bathroom wasn't working. Mentioned it to a manager. Not sure if it was fixed. 2/28/2026

We arrived in Tauranga late so we were searching for a late night place to eat. Johney's Dumpling…read moreHouse popped up (which is located right inside The Rising Tide) so we decided to check them out. We dropped in on a Thursday evening (around 8:00pm) and it was busy. The music is super chill (indie pop). Great playlist! They've decorated the place with hipster lighting, hanging plants and wicker chairs. Made for a laid back and chill atmosphere. There's 39 flavours on tap. Huge selection to please everyone (including milkshakes, juices, hard liquor and wine). The menu is split into starters, burgers, vegetarian & vegan, shish kebab and sweet. There's also a separate menu for Johney's Dumpling House; dumplings, siu mai, buns and Asian greens. Short and simple. - Paddle #1 ($12.25 NZD) - we tried all their sours and a cider. Mount Brewing Co. strawberry lime & cider (#9), Deep Creek - boys in blue (#10), Funk Estate - cosmic hustle sour ale (#14), Deep Creek - steam funk strawberry (#21) and Hot Water Brewing - peaches and cream (#27). The sours lacked any flavour or sourness. Tasted more like water juice. The strawberry yoghurt sour ale smelled like jello. All pretty disappointing. The strawberry & lime cider was decent but very light in flavour. - Paddle #2 ($12.25 NZD) - these were all ciders. We tried Zeffer - apple crumble cider (#34), Harringtons Brotherhood - three berry cider (#35), Mount Brewing Co - pear & feijoa cider (#37), Three Wise Birds Summer Fling - apple cider (#38) and Hawkes Bay - ginger fusion (#39). The pear & feijoa cider had a terrible aftertaste and the apple cider wasn't anything special. Our three favourites was the ginger beer (infused with mandarin), three berry cider and apple crumble (tasted like dessert). - Chili oil sauce - this deserves an honourable mention. I think the waitress called this a sweet chili sauce but it was a roasted garlic chili oil flake sauce. Really good and a surprising underlying heat to it. Make sure you get a dipping sauce. - Pork & prawn (steamed) ($12.00 NZD for 10) - NZ pork shoulder and Whiteleg prawn. These were the better of the two dumplings we tried. Thicker wrapping than normal but a generous filling. - Siu mai ($12.00 NZD for 10) - pork, mushroom and corn. Never had siu mai with corn before but these were decent. Definitely filling. - Steamed BBQ pork bun ($3.00 NZD) - this was my least favourite of our dishes. The bun wasn't fluffy and the filling was dinky. - Beer battered fries ($6.00 NZD) - these were light, crispy and perfectly battered. Excellent. - Sweet sesame lamb shish kebab ($12.00 NZD for 3) - served on a bed of 'slaw and garnished with roasted garlic and parsley. The lamb skewers were incredibly tender and well seasoned. The slaw was healthy and roasted garlic chips was a nice addition. The food was good for a brewpub. Stick with the ciders for drinks and you'll be happy.

This place belongs on the island of misfit toys, a craft beer pub that doesn't have any craft beer…read more I come in and almost all of the taps are empty. Why did they even bother opening?

We were exploring Rotorua on a cold NZ winter night and discovered this insanely cool downtown…read morearea. We were hungry and walking through the dark streets looking for anything that might be open and also have gluten free options for me. A few streets down from us we heard music and saw neon lights flickering in the distance. Like unsuspecting deep sea fish we felt magnetized to the sparkly lights in the dark of night, luckily for us that once we reached them we were the ones doing the eating! This restaurant is located on a really cool street partially covered by a neon light canopy, sort of like going into a spaceship. We saw the menu of Brew Craft and were sold. The inside has a nice intimate atmosphere with low lighting with a casual gastropub design. In addition to a large selection of brews, they also have an upscale dining menu with tons of options to choose from. Our server was very friendly and helpful and pointed out their many gf options designated on the menu including unconventional items like chicken wings, chicken tenders, and pizzas. We decided to share the gf chicken wing appetizer and the slow roasted lamb shank main. Both were incredible. The chicken wings were crispy and saucy and kept me going back for more. The lamb shank was fall off the bone tender with a delicious mashed potato. We wanted to order so much more, but as we were staying in a hotel and couldn't take leftovers home with us, we settled with just being full instead of indulging to the state of miserable. It was absolutely delicious though and definitely recommended for anyone who's celiac and looking for a safe gf place to grab some not so casual eats in a relaxed chill environment.

This place is so good! I love a good beer and I found a few of them here. I went in on Boxing Day…read moreand it was pretty busy, but the server let us know before ordering that there would be a 30-60 min wait on the food. We were okay with that as we were waiting out the rain, so we ordered some beers at the bar and settled in to a comfy table. I ordered the Bitter Bitch and my boyfriend got the Perriss IPA - they were both so delicious! I love a hoppy IPA and both of these were super hop-forward, so I was in happy land drinking mine and part of my boyfriends (hey, he was our driver, I was doing him a service). I also ordered the shroom tacos (yay for vegan options on the menu that aren't salad!) and my boyfriend got the chicken burger, which came with chips. My tacos were on the "small bites" menu, so I ordered a side of avo to bulk it up. Anyway, also before ordering, the server told us that there was a 15% surcharge on everything since it was boxing day. Um, that's annoying and frustrating when companies push the employees inflated holiday pay charge on to the customer, but it was raining and we just wanted to chill so we agreed to the charge. All together for two beers, a chicken burger and mushroom tacos with avo, our bill came to $68. That seemed completely absurd to me, I'm guessing the beers were more expensive than we had planned. Oh well, life goes on. The food was super good and so was the beer, and the lighting in here is great for photos as well. I would recommend this place 100%, just know that you will come out with a significantly smaller bank account.

If you are crew on the cruise ships, just beware of this brewery. They will not accept our crew ID…read moreor a photo of your passport, which the ship holds from us. One star for good atmosphere, but the rest was disappointing. My friends and I walked directly to find this brewery only to be turned away because of our IDs. You'd think a bar in a cruise terminal would learn that crew cards are issued in color coded and printed horizontally for the seldom few crew under 21 and are white and vertical for those over 21. Isn't the drinking age here 18 anyway?! Highly disappointing... Food is typical overpriced bar fare. A disappointing way to end an otherwise adventure filled day.