Location: Taupo
Top Restaurants in Taupo
Top 10 New Zealand food in Taupo, North Island, New Zealand
Discover Restaurants offering the best New Zealand food in Taupo, North Island, New Zealand. This adrenaline-pumping city offers an abundance of skydiving, jetboating and bungee jumping. Discover the marvels of Orakei Korako thermal park, featuring caves, hot springs and boiling mud pools. Gaze across Lake Taupo to see the spectacular volcanic mountains of Tongariro National Park, and make sure to visit Huka Falls, one of the great watery wonders of New Zealand.
Things to do in Taupo
10. Mole & Chicken
Overall Ratings
4 based on 283 reviews
Reviewed By GrahamAdelaide
We had a nice meal here. The atmosphere was excellent and cosy. I had the ribs and my wife had the beef and Guinness pie. Both meals were delicious. Our blonde Swedish waitress (sorry can't remember her name) was a delight. She recommended a good Pino and warned us that there could be a wait as a large table had ordered before us. Her customer service and warmth was really appreciated.
9. Piccolo Licensed Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 374 reviews
Reviewed By Vix0001
Popped in just for a hot chocolate as Iâd already decided where to eat lunch. Hot chocolate was delicious, just what I wanted. The staff were kind and helpful, and didnât rush me out after Iâd finished. Excellent free WiFi too. Iâll be back for their sandwiches another day!
8. The Storehouse
Overall Ratings
4 based on 219 reviews
Reviewed By MrFrewster
We stopped here for breakfast, unfortunately itâs school holidays and was rammed with kids. Environment was far too noisy for me, as Iâm deaf & talking to my wife was made very difficult.Had the big breakfast, which was lovely, but could have been hotter. Most items on the plate were warm at best.Still, it was delicious, as was the coffee (flat white with soya milk).
7. The Steak House Taupo
Overall Ratings
4 based on 334 reviews
The Steak House Taupo welcomes tourists, families, couples, corporate groups and local residents alike. We are committed to creating a culinary destination the people of our town can be proud of. One that showcases New Zealand's finest produce, delivers g
Reviewed By Brookeymoo
Worst service we have ever had! We were greeted for our 8pm booking for 4x people. After 15 minutes of waiting we were asked if we wished to order mains, after explaining we would like to order drinks first & a few backwards and forwards between the staff we, we ordered a round of drinks... we then waited another 10 minutes before our wrong drinks were delivered (gin & tonics instead of rum and Cokeâs), then sent back... delivered wrong again, told that the glass of wine was no longer available and they had âforgotten to take it off the menuâ... told that the glass of wine only came in a bottle after confusion on what we had ordered... then 4th time lucky our drinks arrived. Within that time 6 different staff approached asking if we wished to order food. After ordering mains, we were informed that the kitchen had run out of potatoes and our mains would be changed with no offering of a change in menu item. Food then arrived 20 minutes later with an extra un-ordered side of fries that we were then charged for??Food was good, however the transparency on the menu was a let down. 2x mains were not listed as being served with side salad therefore causing us to spend extra money on a side of veges that were not needed and then went to waste.In total we had 7 different staff serving us which meant no consistency. Upon leaving after 2 hours of mostly waiting around we explained to the staff at the counter we were not happy with the service she smiled, laughed and said âaw no, thatâs no goodâ.Service was a real let down & ruined the experience of what could have been a great evening. I have freshly returned to The Steak House and am terribly sorry to hear of your experience.I am majoritively based on the bar in return and believe your drinks shall be correct first time from now. I hope we have the chance to improve your thoughts with us.I would like to break down some of these issues. Firstly we have got a red wine on our menu in which was misprinted (We didn't forget to remove it from the menu). We believe to have found an appropriate replacement for this in which we offer at the same price. I believe this to be the reason behind the first confusion. All of our wines clearly state on the menu if they are available by the glass or only by the bottle to make it easy to decide for all our guests I am not sure how this confusion arose with wine glass/bottle availability.As for 6 people asking if food is ready to be ordered, that consists of our whole team. Along with my other Manager we have re organised the way in which our systems work to ensure this does not happen again, I agree that feels to be pressuring in which I hope none of our guests feel they are pressured into a fast order.When our potato dish runs out (we are a busy restaurant this does happen on our busy nights) When this happens we are rather limited on options this then defaults to chunky cut Steak House fries instead which should have been stated, I am happy to offer a side of garden salad over a potato dish at no charge or mash potato instead with no surcharge if this is the case.As for transparent menus I see no signs of this, the only meals we have that include salads by default are our early bird options, these clearly state that they come with a side of salad. I know it has been a while since you have dined with us, I would love to hear what parts of our menus are confusing so I can rectify them for the future.I would love for us to have another chance to rectify any problems you had on the night as I see us to have a great system now with a great team and think we can exceed expectations.Thank you for taking the time to leave an honest review to help fuel my thoughts on how to improve things here at The Steak House I truly appreciate it.I hope to see you all again,Kind Regards,Alex
6. Plateau
Overall Ratings
4 based on 694 reviews
Located one block from the lake, Plateau Bar + Eatery in Lake Taupo is an award-winning New Zealand meeting place that serves the finest craft beers and kiwi inspired food. Since 2004, it has been nationally recognized by Hanz for its excellence in lamb a
Reviewed By kentoni2018
Our Daughter said to go to the Plateau Restaurant for Lunch and so Mum and I went, The restaurant has a great Vibe and wonderful staff, Great choice of Tap Beers and we sat in a booth which was great.Food was cooked so well, I had shoestring chips to start, they got cold very quickly, which was not the staff or Chef's fault we were to slow.We will definitely go there again and recommend anyone to try.
5. The Bistro
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1102 reviews
The Bistro is a small family owned restaurant focused on simple clean flavours and honest tasty food from fresh local produce, all in a relaxed causal setting to provide our guests with moments that last a life time.
Reviewed By VAFamily33
We will add to the many great reviews of Bistro. Dynamite food from the amuse bouchée through dessert, everything was spot on. Kids menu was familiar food, just done better, and my kids gobbled it up. Our appetizers (carrot plate & beet salad), and entrees (fresh catch & scotch fillet) stand up amongst anything we have ever had. All in a very nice but relaxed atmosphere. Service was great too. Cannot recommend highly enough!Thx Bistro for the perfect ending to our holiday weekend!!
4. Spoon and Paddle
Overall Ratings
4 based on 559 reviews
Lonely Planet says: Filling a spacious and airy 1950s house with colourful decor, Spoon & Paddle is more evidence you'll find great cafes pretty well anywhere in NZ. Excellent coffee partners with a concise beer and wine list, and the energetic and youthf
Reviewed By WaggaTraveller
Highly disappointed in this establishment after reading such great reviews. We had a late lunch here and found the food to be incredibly disappointing. Soup was nondescript and the risotto was gluey. Neither dish was served hot. Service was hurried and not friendly. Dear WaggaTraveller,Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Positive reviews make our day! But if we've ever fallen short we need to know so that we can improve. I am very sorry that this was your experience in our cafe. 'Gluey' and 'nondescript' aren't words we want to read anywhere near our dishes. This winter season our soups have been super popular and the risotto always receives praise from diners (even Italians), so I'm confused and concerned as to why they were so poor on your visit. Not to mention lukewarm (completely unacceptable). I wish that customers would inform our staff immediately if the food isn't good enough so that we can remedy the situation there and then. However, if you found your servers unfriendly and occupied elsewhere, maybe this is why you didn't bring it to their attention. I have a great team of hard-working and caring staff, a couple are new though so I'm hoping that it was simply shyness and them getting used to their new job as the reason for the service not being attentive enough. Clearly I need to go over training with them so that they are friendly and approachable servers who will not only be easy to question if something is amiss, but also observant enough to notice if a customer isn't enjoying their meal. Please accept my apologies. I don't want anyone leaving our cafe with anything less than a big smile and happy stomach. I will address every issue you have mentioned including more training with both front of house and kitchen staff, so that no one finds our food ordinary or our service cold. I do hope you will give us another chance in future.
3. The Brantry
Overall Ratings
4 based on 793 reviews
The Brantry is located in a 1950's town house tastefully renovated to create a special ambience for any dining occasion. The low ceilings, large open fire and timeless decor gives a sense of style that owners Prue and Felicity are proud of. The food is de
Reviewed By P5975GYdavidt
Had a tremendous meal tonight at this great restaurant across the road from our hotel. I had the prawns, lamb and chocolate fondant while my wife had the beets, beef and pannacotta. All of our choices were delicious. Brandon was a great host for us. The meals were quite affordable as well.
2. Piccolo Licensed Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 374 reviews
Reviewed By Vix0001
Popped in just for a hot chocolate as Iâd already decided where to eat lunch. Hot chocolate was delicious, just what I wanted. The staff were kind and helpful, and didnât rush me out after Iâd finished. Excellent free WiFi too. Iâll be back for their sandwiches another day!
1. Bistro Lago
Overall Ratings
4 based on 559 reviews
From lake, land and ocean, our seasonal New Zealand a la carte lunch and dinner brings the region's best offerings to your plate. Located at the elegant Hilton Lake Taupo, boasting stunning lake views and guided by the expertise of celebrity Chef Gareth S
Reviewed By Fiona M
We had a family dinner at Bistro Lago. The menu has an excellent selection, they had a great kids menu. Ingredients were fresh and of a high standard. Staff were professional, friendly and attentive. The restaurant is situated in a beautiful old building and has a lovely ambience. This Bistro is suited to a wide range of diners- from couples to families. They also have a nice bar.Thank you for leaving us this amazing review! Our Chef works hard to source local fresh produce and meat to deliver tasty meals. I hope you are able to join us again soon! Sincerely, Carlee IgoniwariRestaurant Manager
