What a great find! Took a wrong term, drove 50 km in the wrong direction - but was grateful to end…read moreup in Whangamata looking for dinner :) We sat outside on the ample deck - while not a great view - the overall atmosphere was lovely as we sat next to the bar and the staff kept popping out and chatting. My friend and I tried the crumbed squid (appie) and the market fish (salmon) and the soft shell crab for the main course. The squid came with a great puree (avocado?) and we loved the pineapple addition to the soft shell crab! We found the salmon to be a bit dry however. I think I'll definitely come back... for the pretty great seafood and....the goat inspired wine!! (check out the Nanny Goat Pinot Noir - worth the price).

Very nice place and the cakes are amazing! Highly recommend!…read more Service is amazing as well

Delightful low-key place. Fabulous baked goods and sandwich bread. Interesting and absolutely fresh…read moreentrees. Attractive beer and wine list. They really care about their ingredients: every piece of my fruit salad with yogurt was perfectly ripe, not 'over' or 'under.' Speedy and attentive service despite a very busy kitchen. Locals know this place;you should too.

This is a neat place to go to for an after-work drink…read more The Oakroom has recently had a facelift and has a cosy feel. Rohini and Corey are great hosts and the small team of staff are always friendly, chatty and sincere. There's a gastropub style menu; food and drinks are good value. It's also a good spot for a private function with good catering options.

My friend held her 21st party here last night and when I arrived I instantly wanted to have mine…read morehere. It's a lovely looking bar I think it must be quite new because all the furniture looked that way. Not the place itself though, it was really classy but rustic with mood lighting and lots of seats which I love, too many places don't offer enough seating and everyone just has to stand around. Their outside deck area was where we spent most of our night, they had outdoor tables and stools as well as a more comfy option...the outdoor sofa. They had two tv screens which she used to display pictures all evening. The bartender was pleasant and friendly and everyone looked like they had the best night.

Tucked in next to the Matakana Cinemas, the Vintry is a lovely little wine bar stocking only wines…read morewithin a 14km radius. This may not seem a big area, but encompasses 25 vineyards! Some of my favourites; Takatu, Matakana estate, OBV, Brick Bay...ah, the list goes on. They are experts on the developing wine region, and a good starting point if you're looking to explore it. You can buy by the bottle or glass; or try a bit of everything with a tasting. These start from $5 (for a trio) to $12.50 for a specialized flight. I love it; it's a great way to sample what the area is producing and try and 'develop' you palate (or just have a bit of fun). If you're just after a casual drink there is a nice verandah to laze on or comfy couch seating inside too. I really like the Vintry, it's cosy and elegant and has a nice little spot in Matakana.

Pinot Plus is a cozy wine bar in Tapauna that seems to understand that "a meal without wine is…read morelike a day without sunshine." The decor is somewhat typical of European wine bars with its softly lit interior and deep red feature wall. I love the large blackboard and the old wine barrels with bar stools in their street-side seating area. A sommelier is always on hand to offer advice and help you find the right wine to compliment your meal so it is pretty standard to start your dinner with a little wine tasting session. Both sommeliers who served me were friendly and helpful and they went out of their way to help us find the wines that best suited our pallet and/or meal. I love that John Ingle has included a wonderful array of good New Zealand wines on his list. The menu isn't extensive but the meals are usually fabulous and the portions are perfect - if you are into sampling good food, rather than eating bellyful! I have eaten from two of their menus so far and I haven't been disappointed. However, as with most dining experiences some dishes are always going to be that much better. I have added a few comments along with some photos. Pinot Plus has had Grabone vouchers on offer lately - perfect reason to check it out! Please note; you can get a sparking water instead of wine but no other type of beverage here - it is after-all, a wine bar!

Love this quiet late night winebar. Cosy, chill and with great friendly staff…read more More late night spots are what Auckland desperately needs to call itself a real city.

I had driven past The Corner Store a tonne of times and always thought it looked cute but tiny. I…read morehad NO idea there was a back bar with a roaring fire and a dimly lit outdoor courtyard. Just the other day, a friend and I were talking about the lack of cosy wine bars in Auckland. You know the kind with big, leather chairs, a roaring fire and a well-thought out wine list. Enter The Corner Store. It's more a cocktail bar than a wine bar but it ticks the roaring fire box. There's also a sneaky internal courtyard that's blissfully quiet mid-week! Hungry? Try their small but delicious tapas menu. Beautifully tender pork belly and damn near perfect fries!

Great place, decent size, not too busy. Friendly staff, very good food. Love the burgerread more

Located on the Mudbrick vineyard this bistro has amazing food…read more The staff is so helpful and kind. Shoutout to KENNY!!!!! Always ask for him! The butter for the bread and the bread itself was divine . The duck meatballs was worth every bite. Cocktails, wine all a delight. Make sure you make a reservation.

Came here with my parents and kids as a special occasion to mark the new year and their visit to…read moreNew Zealand. Came here expecting a lovely lunch a la carte (vs the white table cloth formal pice fixe menu), but left fairly disappointed by the experience. Agree with others, portion sizes are anemic - especially for the prices. They were also out of the duck leg and the oysters, with no replacement. It's $30-40 for starters, and $55-60 for a main (which doesn't include any vegetable or side). While food was good, definitely didn't justify the prices. You also are unable to taste wine while dining, but can go next door to the cellar door for $40 per person. I personally wasn't a fan of the tannin forward reds, but depends on your style. The service wasn't that great either - we had two kids with us and one of their dishes (pasta and red sauce) didn't arrive until everyone else was done eating (~15 min after). No reason other than "the kitchen was busy". The view is lovely but the bistro has the second hand view versus the more formal restaurant. The day we were there they also didn't have any tables set up outside. Next time, I'll probably opt for one of the other wineries with great food as there are many other spots with nice views on the island.

I want to give The Wine Cellar a few props from the perspective of a door bitch at gigs. We are the…read morebitches who take your money - we put silly insignias on your wrist and hand you cheap EPs. Getting a gig together at The Wine Cellar is easy - the bar staff are really friendly people who don't seem to mind when the door bitch once again forgets a pen. Rohan who runs the technical side of the shows clearly loves making people sound good and takes his work seriously enough to do an excellent job of it. It's also massively cheap to rent the place - $100 for a PA and Rohan.

Awesome cosy venue for a gig. I saw Tiny Ruins here and although I wasn't in quick enough to get…read moremyself a seat on one of the couches, I love that they have them and that there's still plenty of standing room as well. Very intimate music venue, cool character and just a neat space. One downside is that if you haven't been before and don't know where you're going, might be a little hard to find. Down some stairs and through a non-descript side door you'll find it. The bar area is separate to the couch-filled room, which is nice in some ways but then of course if you're all comfy in your arm chair and don't want to lose your seat you'd better hope your friend doesn't mind getting your drink for you!