Osteria Ohakune — Restaurant in North Island

I had the pleasure of dining at Osteria Ohakune in New Zealand for dinner today, and it was a fantastic experience. Remember to make a reservation in advance, as the place can get quite busy.

To start, we ordered the arancini, and they were surprisingly appetizing. The crispy exterior combined with the creamy and flavorful risotto filling was a delightful treat.

For my main course, I opted for the gnocchi with peas and bacon. It was incredibly savory and flavorful, with the combination of tender gnocchi, sweet peas, and smoky bacon creating a wonderful taste sensation.

My partner decided on the ribeye, and he couldn't stop raving about it. He said it was one of the best steaks he had ever had. The meat was cooked to perfection, tender, and bursting with delicious flavors.

Osteria Ohakune specializes in Italian cuisine, and they truly deliver on that front. Each dish showed great attention to detail and reminded us of the authentic flavors of Italy.

The service was friendly and helpful, and the overall atmosphere was cozy and inviting. I highly recommend Osteria Ohakune for anyone who wants a simple yet delightful dining experience with outstanding...

We were lucky since we came without a booking and they happened to have a table that could fit 4, the last one available. They were full so it wasn't surprising that they were a bit lax in service. We were seated and given menus but it took a while to get someones attention to be able to order. The ordering was also felt a bit rushed with no pleasantries and asking about drinks. We only knew about the specials since it was on the door outside. The food was tasty. We had the calamari and meatballs to share. Both were tasty and flavourful. The restaurant wasn't as busy after the entree and we were able to switch to a nicer table. I had the beef cheeks and it was nice. Quite tender but thought it would've been a lot nicer with a bit more sauce or gravy. A friend had the special with the Italian sausage which was hard as a rock. Portion wise, I thought the food was a bit on the small side. We had the dessert pizza and that was nice, especially the ice cream. Nice food and service was ok. It has really nice decor particularly if you manage to get a seat in the inner dining area.

edit: The pork belly...

Had a lovely meal at Osteria last night, Sunday. We didn’t have a reservation but they were able to seat two of us with no problem at 17:30.

Food was fantastic. We shared the starter bread with garlic and cheese, a small portion but the bread was very light and flavorful. Next up: pork belly risotto and salmon penne, both absolutely delicious! Oh and don’t be fooled by the photo, there was actually a lot of fish hidden underneath the pasta. Be sure to ask for the chili oil if you like a bit of a kick, definitely elevated the dish in my opinion.

Lastly we had tiramisu, coffee flavor was bold and rich. Perfect finish to a great night in Italia 💚🤍❤️

Service was good and restaurant very cozy. Only minor criticism, tell customers what you’re out of before they have time to read the menu and decide they want the two things you’re out of 🤣 We were very happy with what we ended up ordering but it was a...