Best Steak sandwich in town well worth a visit The Phoenix…read moreon the Strand Gastropub with an atmosphere!

While road tripping across the north island of NZ we stopped by The Phoenix in Tauranga for lunch…read moreand it didn't disappoint. The Angus burger was terrific and paired well with the golden lager. Nice atmosphere and staff was friendly.

Great quality and wine, beer flights. Great herb bar fries with gravy and cheese. Try their New…read moreZealand steak plate meals. A very relaxing atmosphere and close to the beach.

We had a great lunch time dining experience,as always the food is delicious, good portions and…read moregreat service. I always feel special when greeted by Rochelle and his staff. Thank you for a fabulous experience.

Situated right on the Strand by the water, Macau has a perfect location…read more This Asian fusion restaurant proposes nice delicate dishes in a great atmosphere. We started our lunch outside, enjoying the sun and the view on Macau's nice terrace. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and it started to pour once we had started our mains. The staff was very friendly and moved all our dishes and drinks inside before anything got wet. In the end it wasn't too bad as the restaurant's decor is really cool. I really liked the origami graphic chart used throughout, from the menus to the toilet signs. But most importantly, the food was great! My salt & pepper soft shell crab was served on a nice salad. They were yummy and perfectly cooked. All my friends were also very satisfied with their dishes. If you are in the neighborhood, don't hesitate to stop by, you won't regret it !

My last meal here in Tauranga New Zealand came on a last minute decision while walking around The…read moreStrand. It was nearing 8pm on a Saturday September 2018 evening and needed to decide where to have dinner. Enter Cornerstone Pub. It was your quintessential neighborhood bar and restaurant. I was glad that the restaurant wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be, especially on a Saturday evening. Not knowing what was open on a Saturday evening and without wheels, I opted to stay very local and popped in here for a meal and some beverages to celebrate 21.1 km run #41 lifetime and 4th country (New Zealand) for half marathon. The pub itself was fairly empty, save for a few tables and bar stools being occupied. I opted to sit in a booth and ended up having a nice meal here. It was a last minute decision that turned out to be a good choice and the beer was good. I ended up having a Heineken since I loved that brand but failed to ask if they had local brews on tap to discover and try out. Maybe next time for sure. The ambiance was nice, stereotypical bar for sure, and they had a rugby game on at the time; so I got to see a real rugby game on television. I first thought it was football (soccer), but realized later on it was not. Silly American. It was a nice place to hang out along the water. The overall experience here at the Cornerstone Pub was decently good, friendly, and quite memorable. Actually Sometimes, it takes a nice pub in Tauranga New Zealand to realize how blessed you are when you're a frequent flier and be able to run distance races just for goals and individual experiences and achievements. That's what happened that evening when I was here at the Cornerstone Pub. Only 6 days into year 39 of life and it just dawned on me that life is definitely beautiful. With that said, Cornerstone Pub is located on The Strand and it's address, 55 The Strand in the heart of Tauranga, New Zealand. They accept major credit cards, which is always a plus. Since the evening air was around 15 degrees Celsius, I opted to be inside. The restaurant pub was clean and definitely decorative. Since this pub is located on The Strand, there are a couple of parking areas that you can use. There are other street parking options also, but you would have to walk on over after parking the vehicle. For myself, I walked here from my hotel, which was a couple of blocks away, so there wasn't any need for a car in Tauranga. There is public transportation in Tauranga, but you'll probably would need to get off on Wharf Street and walk a block towards The Strand. Needless to say that my time here at the Cornerstone Pub was nice. Rugby on the television, beers are flowing, and the food was good. I decided on the lamb burger, which was actually very good. Never had New Zealand lamb before coming to New Zealand to experience it. For now, it was a good tasteful bliss that culminated into a feast for the tastebuds. It came with French fries and I ordered an extra order of onion rings to complete the meal. With a Heineken to finish off the meal, it was sure to be a good meal. I loved every bit of it, especially the onion rings. They are way better than that of the American Burger King type of onion rings. So much more better than that! For the most part though, the culinary experience was good and I had a good time. If you are on holiday here in Tauranga, New Zealand, consider hanging out here at the Cornerstone Pub. The lamb burger is delicious and would like to recommend coming here for a good time in Tauranga after a day of sightseeing. Never had New Zealand lamb before this experience. Should also hit up a steakhouse that serves New Zealand lamb next trip to New Zealand. 4.0 stars for the overall experience. 4.0 stars for the ambiance and service. 4.0 stars for the meal and the beer. Too bad it was on Saturday and the beginning of the end of my trip overseas. Support local! B

"Incredibly rude -- crooked -- please don't waste your time or money here!"…read more Pending review After dinner at a restaurant I stopped in for a quiet drink with friends. I was holding my doggy bag from the restaurant to take home. The security guard/bouncer, a completely obtuse and obnoxious man, said he would "kick me in" if he caught me eating it!? From the outset, I clearly explained that I had no intention of doing this. We bought drinks and the bouncer kept trying to take our glasses away after we'd just bought them, like we wouldn't notice and would then have to buy more! It's a racket, corrupt, and he was incredibly rude. Not to mention putting his fingers inside the glass to remove them but not even asking if we were finished! The girl at the bar didn't even care when I talked to her about it. Please, PLEASE, go elsewhere.

Awesome and convenient spot. Never knew what I was missing. Love it and can't wait for a long…read morespell getting thru the menu and beers

Raft has changed a lot since those old reviews - we head in there after training on a Thursday…read morenight, great staff great bear, nice interior, and a good steak deal.

Nice and warm on a rainy day. Good menu selection plus coffees. Menu eclectic and selection of some…read moreold favourites modernized, with the exception of traditional Louise Cake. The beer battered fries (Chips) and the corn fritters were very good. Only complaint was that coffees took way too long to be brought to the table. Only one barista on during the lunch period and obviously overwhelmed. Free WiFi.

Went as a large group in themed costume and was seated at two tables that had been reserved for us…read more One table OK service and timely meals and left after paying as you would expect. The other table I was at had to wait 2 HOURS for food, was given a pitiful excuse by the waitress that 15 other orders got to the kitchen between the two tables, even though orders were taken at the same time and there were other people in the restaurant who came in and ordered after us who got their meal and left before us. They only recognised a problem when we complained about the wait. When the food finally arrived, half of it was cold, the rest over or under cooked, I had salmon that tasted like water - I could've done it better myself (it must've been pre-frozen). When it came to sort the bill they blamed us for not telling them the food was late earlier, would not apologize for the poor service, and only gave us a $60 discount which equated to ~12% only after a lengthy argument with the manager. The worst part was they let us sober up while we waited! We have done this as a group once a year for ten years, and this restaurant is by far THE WORST DINING EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD.

Just popped in for a beer on a hot afternoon.... decided to grab a little something to snack on…read more Just ordered an entree each. Service was quick and friendly. I really enjoyed my s 'n' p squid (tasty n tender). But what surprised me the most was my mate, who usually isnt too fussed over food, raved about his scallops. Served as they should be with roe attached. Days later he was still raving about them. Nice decor. Only thing lacking was the view.

We were looking for a fish and chips place along this stretch of streets with many options. It had…read moresome sign saying was a top choice for locals so decided to try it. We were able to get outside seating and it wasn't too busy around 830pm on a Friday night. We split a seafood bucket since we weren't overly hungry which worked alright but it is more of a single to 1.5 person meal. The food was fair for the price but nothing amazing. And the service was a little lacking (had to go up to staff twice to get ketchup and then for the bill) and didn't get any refills on the water.

Really wanted to try New Zealand steak at a nice restaurant. This place did not disappoint. Great…read moreservice and excellent selection of wines and food options.

We were staying at a BnB nearby and thought the menu looked good…read more The food was okay. Was excited to try the fish tacos but they had run out of fish by 8pm on a Sunday night. I got the mussels and the fried prawns and my buddy got the fried chicken. The food was decent but nothing special. The food was overpriced from other restaurants with similar fare in NZ, like 25% more. There's not a lot of selection in the area though. From a drink perspective they had quite a few beers on tap. So if you're in the area and looking for a decent meal and a couple brews head over here! But expect to pay a little more. The venue and setting itself is huge and has a sizable outdoor area. Do beware sitting outside during dusk/evening hours though, eat INSIDE. If mosquitos like you, get ready to be on the menu yourself. My buddy and I got eaten alive.