Zephyr Restaurant, Kaikoura - Open Tuesday to Saturday from 5.30pm — Restaurant in Kaikōura

I would have liked to have awarded Zephyr five stars because when it arrived the food was very good.

There were two waitresses on duty, with about a dozen diners, and we were the last sitting, so not too much pressure.

So it was odd that we waited too long for our menus (why not have them as part of the table setting?), water, and the opportunity to order pre-dinner drinks.

A couple who arrived after us were attended to before we were. Maybe they were locals known to the restaurant, and I understand the importance of repeat customers compared to one-off visitors.

And no problem at all if it doesn’t affect us adversely.

However it took 30 minutes from entering the restaurant at just after 8pm to getting our main courses - the stuffed chicken breast and the confit duck leg.

I know this because the time clock on my photos of these dishes is 20.36.

Both were of top quality, as were the vegetables, and amongst the best food we’ve had during our five week tour of both North and South Islands. Congratulations to the chef.

We then ordered slices of the cheesecake of the day and of the chocolate tart.

We also asked for our tea and coffee to arrive at the same time.

The hot drinks arrived within a few minutes, but not the two puddings.

After about ten minutes I wondered why two cold dishes were taking so long. (Why hadn’t our waitress noticed?)

I had to raise my arm to wave a couple of times to get attention which is embarrassing. (A common fault is a waiter who doesn’t scan the tables constantly to spot a customer needing something.)

Waitress was flagged down, arrived, apologised, checked, and reported back; the chef had turned off the electronic ordering system so hadn’t received our order…

Another five minutes and our delicious desserts arrived.

At NZ$145.50 or GB£74.58 for two (there was no non-alcoholic wine on the list) this was very good value. In Wellington you’d have paid double that.

I appreciate that staffing is a problem being experienced across the industry, but in this case I think it was more a question of vigilance and communication.

Zephyr deserves five stars and I hope they go from strength to strength.

P.S. I’m not the sort of customer who goes looking for discounts or refunds, but it would have been good to have been offered one. In this case I’d have declined because the gesture would have meant acknowledgment of these glitches, and that’s part of a...

A reasonable restaurant with reasonable food set in a clean but bland environment. We arrived on time but unfortunately our table was right next to the entrance to the toilet so seeing a table opposite for two was vacant we asked our waitress who we thought was also the owner if we could be seated there. We were then told to take a seat at the lounge near the entrance while it was organised. The strange thing about this was that the table was already set and only just across the other side of the room. After nearly 15 minutes she came back and you guessed it? It was the same table that was vacant when we first came in and asked if could be reseated there. A word of caution. If you have been used to eating Black Mussels I suggest you don’t order the Green Lipped Mussels for an entree. There were a dozen of them and they were Huge!! and Unfortunately Over Cooked which made them Dry and Chewy!! A main dish just by themselves. Half a dozen would have been adequate for an Entree. Main meal was Fish of the Day which...

Recommanded by locals as the best restaurant in Kaikōura, we ordered the oyster blade of lamb for two with duck fat potatos and side veggies ($90)

Firstly it was a huge and generous serve, the lamb was so tender you could cut it with a spoon. Flavouring was simple with rosemary, duck fat potatos were superby crispy outside and fluffy inside. The "seasonal vegetables" were very simple roasted mixed winter staples with a creamy dressing. I only wish the lamb flavours were bolder and punchier, like maybe with a head roasted garlic or additional oregano for complexity.

Desserts were ok, we had the baklava interpretation which came with walnuts, caramel, banana and ice cream. Well executed but not the most memorable either.

The restaurant itself is very simple, modern yet casual. Service was efficient and attentive but seemed to lack warmth, maybe because we were tourists..

Overall, well executed and solid dishes at an excellent price point....