Karahui Wine Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Martinborough Community

New wine bar and stylish eatery in the town square. There are plenty of tables, inside and out and the place was virtually empty on our walk-in arrival at 6pm on the Monday after Toast Martinborough. This was surprising as the website said no reservations available until 8:30 pm - a point to note for the management and potential customers! The food was of a very high standard and the wine list superb. We had 2 starters: burrata and salmon pastrami. Both were immaculately presented and very flavoursome. We shared mains of venison and roasted aubergine salad. Both excellent (see photos). Dessert was “Erin Mess” and manuka and pear sticky pudding. Both very tasty and quite individual in their design. Wines were Stad-ko Rosé - an individual and interestingly characterful accompaniment to them starters; then a superb Gamay, produced in the traditional way by a family producer in Maraetotara in Hawkes Bay (Easthope) and an Alexander Pinot Noir, which matched the venison well and proved a finely characterised Pinot Noir that would easily challenge those from Central Otago. This new kid on the Martinborough block raises the bar for local cuisine and deserves a...

A wonderful little gem in the heart of Martinborough! Fantastic service with very knowledgeable staff who were attentive without being overbearing.

We started with the Makikihi Fries with confit garlic aioli - perfectly cooked; crispy outside & fluffy in the middle - and the truffle brie, fruit & walnut 'salami' and quince paste with home-made crackers - delicious! Paired with a Muddy Waters & a Stad_ko 'Orange' wine just topped off our starters.

We then moved onto some gorgeous reds with our mains - lamb shoulder (scrumptious!!) & grilled Aubergine (so yum!!!) Then couldn't resist trying the dark chocolate tart & the pear and Manuka sticky pudding to finish.

Set in the lovely old Bank of New Zealand building, it is beautifully renovated with a lovely outdoor space for warmer weather.

We look forward to returning to try more dishes & more wines 🍷 😁

Thank you for a lovely afternoon...

We were attended to immediately upon entering, and swiftly upon leaving - good time management.

Lovely atmosphere and ambience. Servers were pleasant. There is a possibility our designated server may've been inexperienced due to their trouble taking our order and being overall slightly unprofessional.

Food came out fast and was presented well. However, the food itself was underwhelming. We had the venison - unfortunately, it was dreadfully under-seasoned and the puree, although pleasant, wasn't enough to overcome the lack of flavour. Additionally, the potatoes from one of the menu's sides were undercooked, which was disappointing considering both the...