Absolutely the most dreadful dining experience during our stay so far on the South Island . Upon…read moredelivering our meals the host was so pleased with the presentation she thought we might want to take a photo before eating which we politely declined. As far as the food I can only say don't bother the lamb rump was ordered & corrected twice with the waitress to be cooked medium well it literally was not even cooked barely raw. They offered to cook to medium well but was told it would take longer which we said yes. As for my partners mystery fish of the day (we were never told species) a complete disaster under cooked & clearly not fresh as advertised with a combination of sauces which even individually were of poor quality let alone combined. It gets better while waiting for my lamb my partner waited for my dish to arrive but we decided instead to start eating OMG . During this time I observed my lamb going into the microwave at this point we decided enough of this nonsense & asked for our bill for our drinks & to forget about dinner they actually waffled at first about paying for our dinner. They were actually asking us what was wrong with their food in detail how about everything they really could use chefs Gordon Ramsey or Bob Irvine from kitchen nightmares or restaurant impossible to solve their issues. Hanmer Springs locals recommend the place but warned of new owners. As it was later by then out of desperation we had pizza down the street @ Irish bar as most everywhere was closed.

Came here for dinner with my wife and we were definitely not disappointed. It's a nice little fancy…read moreplace with a fairly simple menu and a friendly staff. I ordered the angus beef steak and it was very delicious (one of the best I've tried). If you're in a mood for a good steak, I'd order this. I don't drink alcohol but there's a wide variety of alcoholic drinks including wine. I ordered the lemonade raspberry and it was good. The portion size they serve here calls for a dessert afterwards and we got the rich double chocolate fondant. We strongly recommend it if you like the mixture of a nice cold ice cream with steaming hot fudge fresh out of the oven. We loved it.

The food was absolutely delicious! One of the best steaks I have ever had! It was wonderful being…read moreable to cook the steak on the hot stone! The service was amazing everyone there was so nice! Fun ambiance! I just wished I could have gotten one of their Saint shirts!!! Oh and the drinks were tasty!

The stonegrill venison wound up being a pleasant choice, as the cut was both tender and flavorful…read more Being able to cook it myself was a positive; I'd done this with beef before but never with game meat. Friday evening is an ideal time to drop in here since draft pints are offered at a discount, and I happily took advantage of that offer. The server assigned to my table was kind but admitted she had only recently started work there, and her inexperience showed a few times.

We stopped in here for a light dinner after visiting the thermal pools. We ordered the soup of the…read moreday, which was a pumpkin with Thai curry. It was quite yummy and the bread that accompanied it was crunchy and tasty. The soup was so filling, we passed on ordering more. I would go back just for the pumpkin soup. The service was fairly good, and they had a decent selection of wines, which were cheaper by the glass than other places in town.

Tried "the Scotsman". Pretty good taste, but the meat wasn't the best Imo…read more Had a good experience there though. Helpful staff, and fairly quiet (first day open after the earthquake).

What a delight to find in this gorgeous small town!…read more We had read the write up of malabar in a local tourism brochure and it really did under sell this gem in Hanmer Springs. We chose the scallop & pork belly and pork & prawn spring rolls for an entrée. They were just delicious. For the main we enjoyed beef fillet with ginger and Balinese confit of duck along with rice and nan bread. This was hearty and delicious. Light fresh and full of flavour. This was washed down with cocktails, marble point Pinot noir and crater rim late harvest Pinot Gris. The only thing you could say that is average about this place are the cocktails. Wine list is extensive and supports the local wineries well. A great spot for amazing tasty food in this alpine town.

Food come out raw. Over 40min waiting for the food when…read morethere was only two other tables . Staff was useless. Very over priced for what it is. Need to make up mind on what kind off food it is doing instead off lots off different kinds.

Surprisingly an exceptional gem in Hanmer Springs. Great food service and ambiance. The Barry Crump…read moresignature dish was a taste treat as well as the lamb. Andddd best onion rings we've tasted in 25 years living in NZ. We highly recommend this dinning experience to all locals and visitors. To Hanmer Springs.

We have just had a great meal at the five stags hotel. The buffalo children was fantastic. The slow…read morecooked steak was unbelievable. I recommend the five stag when visiting New Zealand

Food/Pizza REVIEW:…read more Okay so here's the deal. Unfortunately relying on good reviews doesn't always turn out to be good. Hence I was completely disappointed by the food, and am a bit shocked by the good pizza review. This has got to be one of the worst and most overpriced pizza I've ever eaten. Burned crust, moisty dough and no fresh toppings. It tasted like a frozen supermarket pizza -- and even for that it was bad. Maybe the other food's better, but as a cook I would've never even send these pizzas out. Beer is great, and we were friendly treated. But for a 25$ pizza this was an absolute disaster. Salad was okay! Local Beer on tap was great. So maybe pop in for a snack and a beer, but please no pizza.

The pizza was super good and the place was super nice inside. I got a Hawaiian pizza with chicken,…read moredefinitely would recommend that.

We had dinner here in March 2002 on a previous visit to NZ. It was so refreshing that the quality…read moreand service have not changed over the intervening years. Located across from the water, each of the window tables has incredible views of both the bay and the Kaikoura Mountain range. The evening we were there, they were receiving the first snowfall of the season on the upper peaks, which was awesome to watch. We had tried to book online, but somehow our reservations got mixed up. Elly (I think that's her name - or Ivy?), was wonderful to accommodate us at the time we wanted, and at a table with a view anyway. But reservations are definitely necessary, and if you want a table by the windows, book well in advance. Hubby and I each started with the fish chowder, then had the fresh catch gurnard, which were both amazing! My taste buds were definitely happy here. The fresh bread was hot and also tasty. Joanne, our server was very attentive, making the experience truly special. I just hope the quality remains the same for our next visit to Kaikoura, whenever that may be!

I'm pretty sure green dolphins don't exist, so you're not going to find any of those here. What the…read morerestaurant does have is fresh, delicious fare and a partial view of the water. I stopped by last night and tried a variety of dishes. The white bait, fish chowder, crayfish (I chose grilled) and chocolate cake were all excellent. Even the roasted vegetables that accompanied the crayfish tasted amazing. In addition to attentive service from the staff, I found the restrooms to be very clean. If you are planning to visit the seals after your meal (~15 minute walk), then I'd recommend tinkling here before setting off on your journey.

We were bummed to learn that nearby Emporium Brewing, along with many other businesses, close on…read moreTuesdays, therefore Strawberry Tree was a welcomed pivot. Well mostly, because they certainly did have Emporium freshies on tap -- 3 tap handles to be precise -- which were kept ultra cold, ultra fresh. We were also interested in ordering local specialty fresh Kaikoura crayfish (basically lobster -- said no one ever!). They did charge up the wazoo for a whole one, about two-thirds more than at the kiosk or stands. It was rather fleshy, seasoned and buttered tastefully, and biggish. Overall atmosphere was warm and friendly, though a bit dark with the Irish pub vibes.

Kia Ora!!! A great pub with a great local and Irish charm. Went in for lunch and ordered the…read morescallops and corn ribs for pupu's followed by the fish and chips and BBQ Jackfruit sandwich. Ordered a some pints of Guinness and Kilkenny to was it' all down. Everything came out HOT, aromatic and looking very tasty! Highly recommend stopping in for a pint or a tasty meal!

This place is so good. It is organic and everything is fresh. They have pressed juice which I…read morehighly recommend. I have met Paul Hislop through CCSP NZ and got to tour his farm and learn more about his family's restaurant. Their customer service is always great. The breakfast is delicious. I recommend the hot cakes and eggs Benedict. This place is also great for when you need to get work done or have a work meeting at. The wifi is good.

Quick service but the food was just average. Beautiful presentation but nothing special from a…read moreflavor standpoint. We had the pancakes which didn't have a ton of flavor and lacked syrup, although the fruit presentation on the plate was lovely. The butcher bowl was unique but I was expecting a little more flavor from the chia, but otherwise good. An easy breakfast and lunch spot in Kaikoura, just don't expect anything to blow you away