Malo — Restaurant in Hawke's Bay

Last night my husband took me out for dinner, we have been waiting for sometime to secure a booking at malo as its always booked out. So we were really looking forward to our experience. First impressions from the moment we entered Malo was fantastic. We were greeted and welcomed by one of the waiters, he was extremely polite. Our second waitress who looked after all our dinning needs was absolutely fantastic!! She was amazing, so friendly and polite and such a lovely hostess!!!. However when we received our starters and tasted them we were very disappointed!! We ordered fried squid and another platter. The squid was all different temperatures from cold to warm it was like rubber and it was horrible! The other platter was some slice of pork and chicken with mustard, pickles and other sauces! Definitely a let down! And set the tone for what to expect from the mains, which was beef cheek and a fish and pasta dish!! Honestly the beef cheek was flavorless accompanied by a unpleasant mash. The meat was tender but was like it had been in a slow cooker with nothing but water. My husband is a farmer and we are no strangers to good quality meat!. The fish was okay, but nothing I would recommend!.So to sum up our experience the service was excellent but the food was a complete let down. I don't think the chef that has his face on this website was on lastnight because the chef we saw was not this guy!!!The food was a real let down...

My husband booked this restaurant for my birthday after a friend of his recommended it. I started with a Cocktail. The Pornstar Martini sounded intriguing so I thought why not! It was delicious and refreshing. I searched for this cocktail and found out that it is served with a small iced glass of Proscecco Wine beside it. It was served to me without the wine so I wondered if it was added in; maybe someone could tell me? No matter, it was beautiful and oh so delicious just the same! I will be making it at home! We ordered a bottle of McLaren Vale's 'molly dooker' Cabernet Savignon which paired deliciously well with my Wagu beef. My compliments to the chef! The other thing I would like to add was the butter that came with the complimentary bread. I fell in love with this butter! I was sure that there was truffle in it so when I asked the waitress if there was truffle, she said no; the butter had been smoked. Well, suffice to say, that Umani taste definitely came through to my tastebuds! We have a smoker at home so we will be doing the same! Oh, I almost forgot; thankyou to everyone at Malo for an incredible and unforgettable night for my birthday. The thought of a card left at our table when we arrived was so lovely and touching; thankyou all! And we will definitely be back, probably for my husband's birthday...

My wife and I enjoyed a remarkable dining experience at this gem of restaurant (10-25-2025). The staff were gracious, kind and helpful. The manager made special efforts to assist us with the menu. The venue is best characterized as understated contemporary, especially appealing to us. We had venison carpaccio and kingfish crudo appetizers that were the best we have had in a very long time. The mains were a heavenly lamb dish (with the fat perfectly rendered through a slow cooking process) and a sausage dish that really defies description, also exquisitely tender and robustly flavorful. We were so impressed with the meal that we requested to meet the chef and share our thoughts. He gladly met with us and shared some of his amazing professional training history. He told us it was his purpose to serve outstanding food that could be enjoyed by a broader swath of the dining public, to which we say, mission accomplished!!! This is an experience that any fan of carefully prepared and creative cuisine would truly revel in. So don’t hesitate to act on the recommendation offered here or by the many others who have had the good fortune of dining at...