The restaurant overlooks a marina. The food and service were good. We had the dinner mussels made…read morewith a broth of turmeric, coconut, coriander and served with garlic toast ($20), the pan fried fish ($30), Spanish salad ($12), cauliflower and pumpkin salad ($12) and for dessert the flourless chocolate cake served which is served with ice cream. All were good. Reservations are a good idea, as they do get booked up.

We went here on our motels host recommendation. The food was quite tasty and the portions were…read moregood. The staff also very helpful and took good care on us. For the 5th star I would have liked to have the outside location (where we were seated) a little nicer and with a better view to the harbour.

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!

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.

To give some perspective on the portion size mentioned in another review - only the most gluttonous…read moreof humans would be disappointed with their size. I paid $6 for a "side" of what must have been a pound of cooked bacon that was good, but mostly superfluous. I ordered the potato jamble or scramble that was essentially a fresh edible garden with a pair of farm fresh poached eggs cooked to perfection on a sizzling cast iron skillet. I imagine most people would be satisfied by that or the delicious cornmeal pancakes and fresh fruit my wife ordered. The coffee was strong, the service and staff pleasant and attentive, and the location was incredibly accessible in a charming converted house.

A fantastic brunch. One of the best Eggs Benedict's I've ever had. Great coffee and surroundings…read more Highly recommend!

Local boy now living in the states, back for vacation. Took my family here for dinner - reservation…read morefor a table for 10. Restaurant was about half full. We were seated and felt like we were forgotten - this huge table in the middle of the dining area. We had to get up to refill our own water. Waiter finally walked her dumpy self over and took our orders after about 30 mins. Here's where it went from there: -No drink orders, just straight into the food orders. -Low quality booze options. -Half the main dishes were not available (including fish). -nobody cleared out the empty appetizer plates. -plates came out staggered depending on selection. Only reason I'm not giving this place 1 star is the mains that did come out were excellent, so I don't want to ding the kitchen staff. Something tells me they're busting their asses back there. The only thing hurting this place is the terrible service. $450 tab I would have left a $100 tip (hard habit to break). First time I haven't left a tip. They're lucky we didn't leave after the appetizers.

The food is always beautiful. The staff are lovely and attentive. Great location right on the…read morebeach. Easily my favourite restaurant in Gisborne

This place was good but I can't say that it was amazing. We split the calamari, which was a bit…read morechewy. The ravioli were unexpectedly deconstructed, though the fish special was delicious. Nice local wine list at good prices. Glad we went, but we'll explore the other eateries next time we're in town.

This small town cafe is surprisingly busy, when we were for a Saturday lunch a steady stream of…read morelocals and tourists alike (cyclists, surfers, beachlovers and bikers) stopped in for a cuppa or some kai. It serves up good meals from a spectacular, must-try seafood chowder to toasted sandwiches, burgers and pasta of the day. The double chocolate brownie was rich and velvety and a steal at $3.50 (served with your choice of yoghurt or cream, just like in the big city). The coffee was very good. Lots of seating inside, with photographs of the local views (gorgeous as they are!) displayed on the walls (and for sale). There are also a number of street-side tables perfect for people watching and traffic spotting on a nice day! There is plenty of parking immediately outside on Cook Street, or around the corner on Solander Street.

Quirky cafe in a stunning grand old building. Boutique cinema and interiors shop in same building…read more Large menu options and also delicious looking counter food. We just had coffee and muffin. Banana & berry muffin tasty but dry. My coffee was good but partner's decaf was very weak. We sent it back and they replaced with a smile.