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    The Bistro

    4.8 (33 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    The Bistro Photos

    THE BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - The Bistro

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    Reviews With Photos

    John H.

    My first sit down meal in NZ and it did not disappoint. The star was the jus balsamic reduction with the lamb sirloin wrapped in bacon with seasonal veggies. I enjoyed swirling each bite with the various plating components. I opened pleasantly with the rabbit chicken liver terrine. It had a unique texture and played off the mushroom and onion pickled accompaniment. Wonderful assortment of NZ wines. The staff was great and gave me wonderful hints for my stay in NZ. The decor is a bit blaise with several tables and a bar area. it was dark on dark with anonymous furniture. The let down was the apple tart. It did not reach the height nor the acumen of the other courses. The scented vanilla ice cream was the only thing I finished. Who serves dessert with a knife? When it's piles of phylo dough with little apple accents.

    Adelie S.

    Amazing food and beautiful decor/ambience. Our local AirBnB hosts highly recommended this place so we decided to check it out. Turned out to be a great decision! We had the scotch filet steak and the freshly-caught fish of the day from Hawkes Bay. Service was also great and the price was reasonable. We'll be back again if we stop by Taupo in future!

    Lamb with greens, potatoes, and couscous
    Alyson J.

    Very delicious food. Staff was great and helpful with suggestions. The portions were good sized and the fish was so fresh! The lamb was also a great option and hokey pokey ice cream for dessert was a great ending.

    Duck- crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. So perfect !
    Kara P.

    It's #1 in trip advisor for a reason. Food and service is amazing. I orders the duck and the sauce and vegetables were prepared so well. The wine selection, cheese, and desserts make this an all around a wonderful place to enjoy a night out. Kids meal included lamb ribs which were crispy and tender. After dinner, we ran into the friendly couple from The Gables Lakefront Hotel as they were enjoying a date night. We were so glad we choose a local favorite as this was our best meal on our trip here.

    Echo R.

    The most amazing bacon wrapped lamb I've ever had. We didn't have a reservation and they allowed us to sit at the bar and even allowed us to eventually move to a table. Would definitely go back!

    Angela K.

    Lovely place. Had the bistro wild rabbit & chicken liver terrine to start, followed by the pork belly and confit of duck! Excellent service!

    Scallop entrée

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    2 months ago

    Food was good but pricey. Service friendly. Dark interior. Best for couples, not families.

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    3 years ago

    Absolutely amazing, without a doubt the best food and service we've had since being in New Zealand. A MUST TRY

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    8 years ago

    Great dinner. Had the fresh snapper w/Brussels sprouts purée & salad. Busy place, come early or make reservations.

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    9 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Great food (with lovely vegetarian options), great service and in an easy to access location.

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    10 years ago

    Food was fantastic. We were walk ins. Service just took a very long time as they were very busy. Would recommend and go back.

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    9 years ago

    Excellent food and lovely staff in this small and unpretentious restaurant. We thought it the best restaurant in Taupo.

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    The Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Bistro

    We arrived on a Thursday evening and our party of 2 was seated immediately despite not having a booking.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Lake House - Stone grill

    Lake House

    3.6(13 reviews)
    0.4 km
    $$

    We walked for a while along the banks of Lake Taupo, before we settled on the Lake House for…read moredinner, located centrally in town, right across the street from the Lake which allowed for beautiful views of the lake. The large terrace wasn't very busy, but there were only 2 or 3 servers, for both inside and outside, so it took an awfully long time for someone to come and take our order. My husband ordered the lamb rump and I went with the roasted lamb salad. My lamb was roasted to perfection, and combined with the feta cheese and a delicious dressing, this salad was absolutely scrumptious. The lamb rump was also cooked to perfection, but it was kind of drowning in sauce. Just too much of it. Water is served free here in New Zealand, but just don't ask for ice in it. Most places don't have it. Also, count on getting just one napkin and make do with it. The wait staff was friendly, but kind of timid and not very attentive to the customers. At the end of our meal, we had to wait again a considerable time for the bill to come. Even trying to get the attention of the wait staff turned out to be a chore. It would have been nice for someone to come by our table to ask how our meal was and if we needed anything else. In short, nice view, tasty food, but mediocre service. I couldn't really give more than 3 stars for that.

    I was looking forward to this place. Bunch of drunk kids where idling there when we got there…read more Service was awkward. The chocolate fondue is not to be taken. Waitress over sold it. It doesnt worth 20$ at all. Get some whitakers and fruits from the grocers and enjoy that one at home. It was suppose to be dark chocolate. It was chocolate syrup with few sad piece of banana and pear, marshmallow and brownies. Everybody I asked afterward for a good place to eat told me they could have warned me about this place.i guess next time I wont trust the other famous website I checked on... Bartender was good though. His service was good and his attitude as well. I enjoyed the beers.

    Photos
    Lake House - Ribs appetizer

    Ribs appetizer

    Lake House - Glass is half empy or half full? How do you judge a less than okay meal for 60$?

    Glass is half empy or half full? How do you judge a less than okay meal for 60$?

    Lake House - The view from the restaurant.

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    The view from the restaurant.

    The Bistro - newzealand - Updated May 2026

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