When we took the ferry over for dinner in the "hell hole of the pacific," we did not know what to…read moreexpect. The Duke has old world meets new world vibes. A beautiful, stately white home -- with the coolest mash up of modern decor inside including a pink dining room. The founders story can be found on the wall (posted below as well). We were lucky enough to sit on the outdoor patio which is both covered and has rain shields, so you don't have to worry about the weather. The views are stunning of the water. We had a candle light dinner than included cocktails, wine flights, fried bread, and sharing platters. The lamb was to die for -- the server slid the large bone right out with less than a tug in front of us. The seafood platter had my friends singing out loud (I don't eat seafood so I'll have to take their word for it that it was incredible!). The cookies and cream dessert was a modern twist -- with a mousse style cream with cookie crumbles and berries. Had we left the experience like this, it would've been five star worthy -- but our adventure did not stop here. We learned shortly after leaving that the ferry was cancelled and the ferry company had left us stranded. The owner of the Duke personally leant out his vehicle to have his staff member take us home -- and did the same for other people whether or not they had eaten at the Duke. They coordinated for around 15 people -- and their kindness/hospitality will not be forgotten. If you have a chance to visit this restaurant, please please please do.

Ambiance was wonderful, on the porch at sunset. Waistaff was pleasant, but didn't go out of their…read moreway. We were disappointed they were out of the two dishes we came to try. We opted to substitute the flounder dinner which was supposed to have a burnt butter sauce with capers. What we got was a burnt fish with burnt capers. Pretty sure someone got confused on the recipe in the kitchen. It was served without apology. We ate it...the fish inside was good, but the rest was inedible. Not sure it was worth the ferry trip from Pahia.

Service 5/5 Food 5/5…read morePrice 4.5/5 Environment 5/5 Beautiful pizza, seafood tagliatelle and dessert. The price was slightly on the high side. But we had a wonderful time. The staff members dressed up for KidsCan. It was very nice of them.

I went in because it looked Mexican. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The restaurant…read moreinterior was nicely decorated and inviting. The food was tasty but corn tortillas and pulled beef would have been even better.

Went here over a holiday weekend for a nice lunch with a view out towards the water. Ambiance was…read morereally lovely with both indoor seating with lots of natural light as well as outdoor seating with picnic tables and umbrellas. Menu was good, covering most food allergens. However, it took forever to get food. We arrived with kids already hungry, and we definitely reached hangery - from when we placed our order until when we got our food was over an hour and 15 minutes!

Been here a few times very sporadically…read more Awesome place. Live music and fairly decent price alcohol, and good food. Really relaxed vibe, and New Years the place goes off. Definitely recommend!!! And Devilskin here on the 21st of January... Yayahhh!!

Cute, cute, cute. This hall is the epitome of the shabby chic wedding trend that's hitting millions…read moreof Pinterest pages. I went to a wedding here and it was the best venue I've ever seen a wedding it. It's not too big and not too small which is great because there's nothing worse than an over or under-crowded wedding! The inside is painted white with awesome wooden floors that make it have a really relaxed vibe. There's a big stage at the front for the bridal party to stand on and the whole hall is fully stocked with spotlights and flashing party lights so if you wanted to you could carry the reception on at the same venue. Puhoi is a really cute village only half an hour from the CBD and would be a great way to get people out of the city and exploring a different part of Auckland. Be sure to check out the Puhoi Pub while you're out there too!

Kokako Lodge is a really fantastic facility. Tidy bunk-style cabins, a large dining hall, spacious…read moreablutions and all in a serene forest setting just by Hunua Falls. It is often booked by organisations running camps which utilise their ropes course and real-rock abseil wall (to be run by trained staff only). There is also an amazing glow worm walk. Really really cool. As a venue they offer plenty of options including catering, cleaning services (because who wants to clean up afterwards, anyway?) and assistance designing your programme or event. Cool! Nothing like making your job easier, right? Would be awesome for a wedding. The staff I have dealt with are friendly and approachable, and happy to answer any questions you have about the place or the surrounding area. If you're here and have the opportunity, Hunua is one of the few places left in New Zealand with a kokako population so you should try and head up into the bush to see if you can hear their dawn call. Words cannot describe this amazingly beautiful sound.

Good food , lovely company, the service was shockingly bad …read more Won't be going again -ever.

II recently went to a wedding reception at The Stables and was completely blown away by the venue…read more For one thing it is in the most amazing location, the beautiful Matakana. For another, everything was done perfectly. As soon as you walk in you feel right at home. It's got lots of wooden beams and a huge fire that has a way of making it feel really cozy. This also meant that the place didn't feel too formal or too casual, the guests instantly relaxed and were all cooing over how brilliant the venue is. The food was tapas and it was all beautiful, fresh and local produce. The staff were so accommodating and were very quick to help us if we needed anything. Outside there was a cute little church, horse jumping fields, and a cute little croquet course. It really was a wedding like none I've ever been to. We, and I know the bride and groom also, had the most amazing time and will be back for sure.

Good food with good ambience. Nice size portions and good selection of beers. Outdoor or indoor…read moredining.

Only game in town on New Year's Day. 15% holiday surcharge. Jam packed for lunch. No wait…read morethough. Lots of seating inside and outdoors. Nice courtyard in back. Kids area next to courtyard -- swings and small boat that kids can climb on. Recommend keeping close eye on younger kids and toddlers due to driveway and random broken glass on ground. SERVICE: friendly, attentive FOOD: 3.5/5 French toast - generous portion. light, thick. good. Fried fish with salad - $30. generous portion. fresh. very good. Corn fritters - only disappointment. way too greasy. salad underneath fritters soggy from oil, making it unappetizing. Fluffy - not fluffy enough, so toddler ended up with warm milk down front of shirt.

It's brilliant having such a wicked music venue right here on the door step. Since it opened a few…read moreyears ago there have been some top quality acts at Matakana Country Park; Highlife, America + Pat Benatar, Six60, Shihad....among many. I went to Shapeshifter and Kora and had a brilliant night. The venue itself is easily accessed; plenty of room for parking and has a good drop off zone. Security was efficient (although we did encounter one 'job smith') and it didn't take us long to get through the gates. The stage was inside a marquee and was a good size; it created a pretty intimate setting for an outdoor concert. I can't even complain about the Portaloos - I don't think we lined up for over 5mins, which is pretty good in concert terms. My only grumble would be the drink prices (but I guess you get that everywhere) we expected this though and stocked up before we came.

Great location! This…read moreis a great downtown hotel, with all the amenities. Restaurant, bar, indoor pool, gym and conference rooms. Although it may be a little dated, it was clean the rooms were large, free wifi and a well stocked mini bar. It is a very easy walk to the town basin where all manner of restaurants and cafes are available.