Just coming back to update that my spouse and I are still thinking about this dinner in NZ! We really enjoyed each dish we had & we enjoyed looking over the menu to reminisce. Our menu: Piccolo- kika fried chicken with gochujang dressing, lime mayo & picked daikon Grande- lumina lamb shoulder, ras el hanout, & date chermoula Contorni- roasted carrots, whipped tahini, puffed grains, lemon dressing read more

One of the best meals I had in my entire trip to New Zealand. Starting with the restaurant itself, the ambiance was beautiful. The staff was incredibly friendly, it was just a very comfortable environment to eat in. And of course, the food. Every single thing was delicious. In particular, this was one of the best tartares I've ever had, but again, there were no misses on this menu. Even the desserts were great, the Pavlova in particular was a standout. Absolutely highly recommended! read more

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Our dinner here was spectacular. Fried chicken, tuna, oysters, heirloom tomatoes. It was just heaven.

Loved this place. Service started slow but picked up. Staff were amazing. Food tasted great and all but one of the wine pairings were on point. read more

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Nothing wrong with the dining experience - it was the typical higher-casual dining experience, with some innovation in the dishes. However, having just dined at Muttonbird the night before, this was not as good as that... and the Feed Me option is more expensive, at $95 vs $80! We decided to go a la carte. Market fish of the day was sole fish, which was cooked nicely and very tasty and fresh. We also had the venison carpaccio - tasty too, definitely can recommend to order. Overall, you get a good meal here. But they do charge a premium here too, so overall, you get what you pay. read more

One of the best meals I had in New Zealand. I loved that they had a "Just Feed Me" option, which was just chef's choice/pre-fix. Absolutely delicious, great flavors, colors, and portions. I would say it's more of a contemporary cuisine with Asian influences combined with Western techniques - like the age dashi tofu with shittake, the duck entree and lamb (that takes 45 min to prep), and dessert that had 2 types of crème friache. It was dishes I knew but done in a new and tasteful way - all with beautiful presentation and plating. I enjoyed the meal very much with my wine pairing, and we left happy. Highly recommended, and I also advise to book reservations if you can since it does get busier during the peak hours. read more

This has been by far the best restaurant we've encountered on our New Zealand trip so far. We were blown away by our dinner here that we had to come back the next night. We arrived at 5:30 on the dot to secure a table in the first seating during our first time here, and the second night we arrived at around 7 and were seated by 7:45. The servers are all extremely friendly and helpful with the menu choices. We got the beef tartare both times since it was so memorable. The salmon of our first night was the best salmon I've ever had, tender and juicy and so flavorful. Some of our other favorites were the lamb shoulder, the kumara, the Kika Fried Chicken, and the salted cod croquette. This restaurant is definitely a must try if you're stopping by Lake Wanaka! read more

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We've been in New Zealand for 8 days and this was our best meal, hands down. We wanted the Just Feed Me option, and even though I'm pescatarian and husband eats meat but no fish, the chef made it work. The main dish (gnocchi) and all the sides (salmon, fried chicken, broccolini, tofu, Brussels sprouts, lettuce wedge) - each one was a star in its own right, flavored perfectly and presented beautifully. It was 2 hours of pampering after a long day of hiking. Would definitely eat here again! read more

My husband and I went to Kika for our post elopement ceremony and couldn't have been happier. We opted for the "just feed me" menu as we were feeling quite adventurous; and the quality of food we received for the price was more than fair. The courses were all delightful and well thought out with great texture; I had no idea vegetables could taste so dang delicious! To our surprise the staff gave us a couple glasses of champagne to celebrate our nuptials, which was a very unexpected and appreciated gesture. The staff were appropriately attentive and we were happy we were able to celebrate with them. read more

Kika - Italian Near Me - Wanaka, OTA

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First of all, I would not describe this as an Italian place. I would describe it as outstanding, fresh, creative tapas cuisine!! So, the titles on the menu are italian...but...don't go here looking for standard Italian comfort food fare. We began with 2 apps or "Piccolos" to share: First was the beets. There were "smoked oranges" in the beets. Yes, they were smoked. Yes, they were oranges. It was a total mind-f$&@ and should've been included as an exhibition in the nearby puzzleworld. But they were good. Also, there were yummy pistachios in this dish. Can't go wrong there. Although some moron at the next table tried to argue they weren't actually pistachios. Next up: fried chicken app called "kika fried chicken". It was solid, good texture, tomato sauce was tasty. Compared to the other dishes, this was probably our least fave, the most "meh," but still good. The main: the market fish for two. Interesting mixture of flavors as the fish was swimming in a bed of olives, lemon, peppers, onion, and some other mysterious tasty items. Pun intended. The bones were picked clean, as pictured. Reports indicate the eyeballs were especially tasty, but I can't speak from personal experience. The side: charred carrots. You can't go wrong! Interesting medley of textures with the yogurt and nuts... Wine pairings: ask your knowledgeable waitress for help! They also have wine tastings here, you don't have to commit to whole glasses, which is awesome. The dessert: carrot cake gelato - apparently this is the chef's deconstructed version of a carrot cake. It was an amazing brain child of the chef! However, were I to come back, I would probably try a different desert next time. Everyone should try this at least once, though! read more

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This restaurant exceeded my expectations, even if they were high. The harmony of the flavors and the originality of the meals made it the best restaurant I've been to in New Zealand. The lamb was a generous portion and simply delicious. The small plates to share were all good, fresh, different. The only thing I liked a little less was the speed of service, as if they wanted us out as quickly as possible to clear out the table. We didn't even get the time to drink a glass a wine after our cocktails. For this type of restaurant I consider this too fast. Otherwise, if you enjoy good food and generous portions you should make a stop at Kika. read more

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A new restaurant set up by the owner of Francesca's Italian Kitchen. Delicious food with an emphasis on shared dishes. Food styles were eclectic. The lamb was superb and big enough for 3 to 4 people. We were there in winter but strongly recommend for a nice day in the outdoor area next to the creek. read more

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Wow. I was impressed. Everything here screams hipster. So i was scared to try. I was dead wrong. This place really takes it over the top. Great food and wonderful menu. Lots to choose from. read more

My husband and I had a fantastic dinner here. All the shared plates that we ordered were nothing short of excellent. They don't take reservations, but we had no problem getting seated right away. read more

Kika - Italian Near Me - Wanaka, OTA

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Wow... truly an experience. First off this did not come off as Italian cuisine, well at least not in the traditional sense. For me it was a fusion of the chefs favorite dishes. I encountered a number of different culinary regions. I'll say this.. you can tell the amount of thought that has gone into each dish. If you are a big foodie like me then I know you'll appreciate the balance of artistic craft and taste they bring to the table. As an added bonus the dishes were very reasonably priced for what you get. For a place that is far from home, New Zealand not only impresses in its adventure lifestyle mentality but presented a base line standard for quality in farm to table ingredients with the unique modern twist. I loved it. Cheers to all the hard work! read more

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Very good food. Everything was delicious except for the sole, which was tasteless. I think it's our own fault for ordering fish instead of mutton in New Zealand! Other than that, we loved the food. BUT the restaurant has forced sharing yet for some reason the plates are not actually made to be shared by more than two. The black pudding and the beet tartine each comes with two pieces that are pretty hard to cut. AND they don't bring share utensils so I guess they assume groups will just all stick their dirty forks into the tapas plates? Because what everyone wants when they're traveling with friends is for the entire group to come down with the cold one person brought with on the trip. So less one star for that. Also the service was extremely unprecedentedly slow. I would take off another star but the food is so good that 3/5 is too low, so 4 it is. read more

Fried chicken (appetizer) and fried potatoes (side dish) were both very good. Market fish (sole) was decent. Slow cooked lamb shoulder was over cooked and a bit dry. read more

Loved this place! First off, this did not feel like an Italian restaurant to me... in case you are letting that sway your decision. (I normally avoid Italian simply because I avoid pasta) There are a TON of non-Italian items on the menu :D This was a recommendation from our hotel (Oasis Yurt & Lodge) and I'm so happy we checked it out. The place itself is medium in size, but filled with tables that make it feel a little smaller than it is. There is a small bar area as well. I had the 2 different shrub cocktails they offered - delicious! We decided to share small plates... a salmon + mussel dish was really tasty although not recommended if mussels aren't your thing. They definitely intend on it being eaten WITH the salmon so, not something to pick off in my opinion. Seared tuna was great! Fried chicken? AMAZING. I wish I could have one right now. This was the best dish of the several we ordered. Broccolini with almond paste was super tasty as well - really nice veg option to go along with our other items. We added the beet dish at the end - it reminded me of a beet version of falafel balls... glad we added these on. Ultimately, I really don't think you will be disappointed with picking Kika for dinner... great drinks and dishes to share - they had bigger entrees as well if you prefer separate dishes. Not formal but had a hipster / trendy vibe to it. Wish we could have done dessert but we were exhausted! read more

Not as good as the hype Ramsey gave this place. Triple A at best. Service do do, good just adequate at best. Good luck with this pricy place mate. . read more

We JUST got back to our room and I had to write a review immediately it was that good. Roast lamb shoulder was the best lamb I've ever had. Perfectly crispy skin, incredible flavor, and juicy on the inside. The fried chicken was also an amazing balance of crispy and delicate. Plum cheesecake dessert made me wish I was eating alone so I could have it all to myself. read more

A dining experience!!! Cocktails are amazing and food flavors and quality are out of this world. Highly recommend this tapas culinary experience!!!! read more

Best meal I've had in the three or so weeks I've been in New Zealand. The small plates are creative and I definitely recommend picking 3-4 of them to try out the different cooking styles (the venison tartare and the fried chicken were particular highlights). The larger entrees seemed more standard fare, but the quality and preparation of every dish is spot on: it's rare I've had a meal with so many elements where each piece was done so well, down to the dessert (get their take on banoffee pie!) really can't say enough positive about this spot. We didn't get the "just feed me" tasting style menu but it's a good value here as well based on what we ate. read more

Great seafood. The best whole fish I have ever had. Comfortable and upscale atmosphere. The service from the host was exceptional. She was all over the place; seating, busing tables, restocking restroom soap, and generally checking on patrons. She made up for the lack of attention from our waiter. read more

Awesome restaurant! Great food, epic wine selection and super knowledgeable staff. Perfect atmosphere. A serious must do on beautiful Wanaka. read more

Four of us had dinner here. Very welcoming staff, good advice on how many small plates might feed a group of four. Everything we ordered was good to great. We knew we had a great chef when the tea smoked duck starter came out... amazing complement of flavors. We got to try a lot of the menu. Our two favorites were the avacado mousse and the lamb.... amazing! Service was impeccable. read more

The food at Kika was delicious. We ordered the gnudi, the potatoes, the green beans, and the half chicken. The gnudi, potatoes, and beans were all utterly delicious. I seriously recommend all of these dishes. The only problem was that the chicken was undercooked. When the restaurant staff saw this they went straight to the manager and he more than made up for it by giving us any dish we choose, a dessert for each of us, and a glass of wine, completely on the house. He also refunded the chicken. This has to be the best service I have seen from a restaurant in a long time. I will definitely be coming to Kika again. read more