Fantastic place for lunch. Great outdoor spaces in a garden setting. Lots of character and…read moreshowcased local artists. The food was fantastic. We had the burger of the day (beef burger (2 homemade patties) with blue cheese crumbles and caramelized onions, and the open faced steak sandwich. Amazingly good! Huge portions! The deserts, pastries and ice cream looked amazing as well! Service was friendly and prompt!

Wow. Highly recommended. We each had an amazing breakfast. Nice owners and art to see.read more

Simply superb. This was the finest meal we have shared and I was surprised at the quality for the…read moreaffordability, The Church Bistro clearly displays a refreshing amount of integrity. Aside from the pleasant atmosphere, I was also impressed with the attentiveness of the service; there wasn't any interruptions but continual glances from the staff to see what was needed at the table. By far the best experience we had in New Zealand, so much so that it changed our expectations at highly rated establishments for the rest of our journey. Thank you.

Of the three eateries in Hahei, this is the fanciest of them all. The owners took an old abandoned…read morechurch, and transformed into a restaurant and hotel, which is also probably the nicest place to stay in Hahei. The menu is rather limited with 4 entrees that rotate with whats in season, but there is something for everyone. The staff were all friendly enough, especially our chatty waiter. $36 Beef Wellington...I was a bit disappointed it was a "deconstructed" version, not the traditional version, but it was cooked perfectly medium, tender, and delicious. The porcini mushroom sauce was a nice touch. $34 Snapper...cooked perfectly, and the wife was satisfied enough. $16 Chocolate Lava Cake with Ice Cream...PERFECTION! The indoor ambiance inside the Church itself seems low rent and plain for the price levels, but the outdoor patio with its low ambient lighting is a much more elegant and romantic atmosphere...try to be seated here instead.

A mid morning stroll led us to this neat and natural little restaurant. The menu was not overly…read morecomplicated and meals provided a full range of taste and texture. The friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere only added to the delightful experience. We will be back.

My absolute favorite restaurant in the world! Came here twice when we were living in NZ for a short…read moretime. We had such a great experience I had to come back before we left. The food is outstanding and the atmosphere is relaxed and fun. If I had to recommend one thing from the menu, it's the scallops in the Pernod cream sauce- WOW!!!

Fantastic little winery featuring feijoa liquor and many delicious liquors to choose from! The…read moreowner, Danny, is very knowledgeable and makes it worth visiting the winery even if you don't drink! He had us try a dozen different liquors and several wines while regaling us with the amusing history of the feijoa. My favorites were the limoncello and the ginger liquor. Highly recommend a stop here if you are visiting the Coromandel area.

Best tasting I've ever experienced! Danny let us try all the different fruit liquors from the farm…read moreand told us the history behind the region, all in a very funny and entertaining way. He even ran down the hill to grab us some feijoas to try. It's clear the proprietors care deeply about both their customers and their business. Plus the view was SPECTACULAR. We bought a bunch of bottles to take home and will definitely return next time we're in the area. HIGHLY recommend!

We opted to drop by Hahei in search of food after relaxing at the nearby Hot Water Beach. Some…read morebusiness that advertised gourmet eats was locking up for the night and we were thinking we might be going to bed hungry. A nice chap rolled down the car window and told us to drive down the street in Hahei to the Hahei Holiday Resort (camp ground). We followed his advice and discovered the Serial Griller who was taking orders for delicious burgers. I found the Mickey to my liking while my wife ordered the Mallory (because it contained maple bacon jam). If this business was sitting anywhere on the beach you would have to stand in line for an hour to place your order. I am not sure why they are hidden away in a campground but it is the best kept secret in Hahei.

Fabulous little cafe just off the main road. It's an oasis for the weary traveler looking for the…read moreperfect coffee or tea and scone. The entrance brings you into a cute world with bird houses, weathered wood and chalkboard menus. We had coffee and chai lattes which were fantastic. My zucchini basil muffin was superb, while my husbands scone with jam and cream melted in the mouth. The outdoor courtyard is a place you could spend awhile relaxing in the shade. There's also a kid play space to boot.

The most amazing food on the Coromondel! We had pumpkin coconut ginger soup, garden salad,…read moremushroom and spinach/sundried tomatoe pies snd a magnificent hummingbird cake for dessert. Absolutely delicious! They make everything themselves with fresh ingredients and you can taste it. Don't miss a meal here.

Super cute cafe with traditional kiwi breakie. You order at the counter and staff brings the food…read moreto you. The food is fresh and delicious, staff are kind. Loved the designs on top of the coffee. You can eat inside or out, and when you're outside it's next to a playground for children to enjoy, while parents can relax at the cafe and enjoy too. Loved seeing all the well-behaved dogs sitting outside with their owners too. Only thing I thought that was odd, as an American, is the staff picks up your dirty dishes. We were dining with Kiwis who told us to leave the dirty dishes. In America, if we order at the counter we are expected to return our dirty dishes ourselves, similar to Hahei Beach Cafe offering the drinking water bar for patrons to fill up glasses of water or pitchers of water. Loved this place and will be returning!

Liked this place so much we had breakfast two days in a row…read more There was a lot of seating available, with nice open air tables, perfect for a sunny morning. I had the Smashed Avo both days. It is delicious! Light, refreshing, piled with plenty of avocado! I also enjoyed the iced mocha. There is a lunch menu that also sounds great, but we never made it back to try lunch. If you're staying in Hahei or just passing through, don't hesitate to stop at this cafe!

This is an enthusiastic 5-star rating…read more I called around 10 or 11 this morning (Monday) and was pleasantly surprised that someone answered my call. Since they don't open until 5, I was already preparing my message to plead for a table. Luckily, I spoke to a real person and got the reservation set for 7. My husband and I actually arrived about 30 minutes early and so as to not be rude, we decided to sit out in the car and read reviews of the restaurant-- both on Yelp and Trip Advisor. Not only to get a better sense of what to order, but perhaps to adjust expectations should any need adjusting. One person (on Yelp and Trip Advisor) left a pretty scathing review of the service as well as the restaurant's response to their review. I went over to TA to see if this was the kind of restaurant I DON'T want to support due to poor customer treatment. (I've been really treated badly at one or two restaurants in my life and will actively boycott any restaurant that I feel has multiple, legitimate complaints against it.) The restaurant's reply was actually quite cheeky (and seemed logical and fair) and I immediately knew I'd enjoy my visit. And thus, I did. Lo and behold, it was the owner (i believe) who waited on our table and gave an incredible overview of wines, beer, the menu, the evolution of his menus, etc. He was charming, knowledgeable, and provided excellent service. We felt welcome and in-tune with what the restaurant was all about and what we were ordering. The food was the best we had during our entire two-week stay all across New Zealand. My favorite was the ostrich and my husband's was the carpaccio with tripe. There wasn't a single misstep from the first plate (we ordered 5 total for dinner) to the two we ordered for dessert. I wish with my whole heart that he would just move to Colorado and open up the restaurant next to our home so we could eat there every day! I highly recommend. 5 plates was the perfect number for my husband and me to split-- we probably should have split dessert as well, but couldn't help ordering one each. We had the tuna, scotch egg, beef carpaccio, duck, and ostrich. The wild mushrooms cooked with the duck were to die for. The polenta with the ostrich was mind blowing. All the components--sauces, veg, flavors were on point. For dessert we ordered the chocolate thingy and the lemon thingy. Both incredible. It was actually quite impressive for dessert to be as good as dinner. Often even the 5-star restaurants don't quite make desserts as well as their entrees. These desserts were just as imaginative, complex, tasty and beautiful as the mains. And everything really was beautiful. Plating is an art form they have absolutely perfected. I'm quite impressed with this restaurant. We drove all the way down from Matarangi to eat there on our last night in NZ and I couldn't have asked for a better send-off !

Coffee is not good. Owner does not know the difference between a flat white and a latte. Having a…read morebrief conversation about how a flat white has far less froth and that's how I like my one cup a day. Only to be served a weak tasting coffee with a third froth. Having tipped the froth away outside I was left with half a cup. He came across a bit uppity and know it all and clearly doesn't listen to what a customer wants. He does his morning paperwork while serving coffee so you feel like you're interrupting as well. Not a good experience. From previous reviews I see the microwave pizza is popular so probably won't try out the evening now either.

American BBQ in Cooks Beach?!? Oh yeah, and it's really good…read more Cooks beach has a micro downtown - there's a bait shop, fish&chips, and only one other restaurant. The Vessel is a welcome addition to the area. They are also open for breakfast & coffee. Staff is really nice and the beer list is even pretty solid. The food spoke for itself. The sides (slaw, mac&cheese, beans, pickles) were a hit from the beginning and started things off right. The meat came around and stole the show. Barbacoa was served in a succulent sauce, falling apart, perhaps the best beef barbacoa I've ever had. Pork ribs were also good and smoky - I would be pleased getting this BBQ in America. Great work and keep going Vessel!

Very enjoyable lunch there, Tuna Tataki was delish, all our food was and the wait staff where…read morefriendly and attentive. Will definitely be back.