Spruce Goose — Restaurant in North Island

Nestled along Moa Point Road, the Spruce Goose cafe offers a scenic retreat overlooking the waters of Lyall Bay in Wellington, New Zealand. The cafe's prime location allows patrons to relish in the breathtaking views of Lyall Beach and the Wellington airport, where the bustling activity of planes taking off and landing adds a unique touch to the dining experience.

For those seeking a delightful morning or an afternoon escape, Spruce Goose is a prime destination. However, it's advisable to arrive early, especially on weekends, as the cabinet food tends to deplete rapidly by midday. The popularity of this cafe is evident in its constant hustle and bustle, creating a vibrant but occasionally noisy atmosphere due to the peculiar acoustics.

The interior of Spruce Goose, while adequate, doesn't quite match the charm of its picturesque surroundings. The decor and overall ambiance seem to lack a distinctive character, giving off a sense that the cafe might be trying to emerge from the shadow cast by its more renowned neighbor, the Maranui Cafe.

The food at Spruce Goose is described as acceptable but doesn't quite reach the level of being noteworthy. The menu offers a selection of fare that, while satisfying, doesn't stand out as exceptional. It might be considered as a reliable choice for a quick bite or casual meal.

The cafe, in its self-description, promises a combination of top-class fare, a fine selection of beverages, and impeccable service to create a special experience. While the service is generally good, the overall impression suggests that the Spruce Goose might be working towards fully realizing this vision.

In conclusion, Spruce Goose provides a decent dining option with a stunning view of Lyall Bay, making it a suitable stop for those looking to enjoy a meal while watching planes soar over the bay. However, it falls slightly short in terms of culinary excellence and distinctive ambiance when compared to its more renowned counterpart nearby. If you're in the area and seeking a casual dining experience with a captivating view, Spruce Goose is worth a visit, especially during the quieter...

Ordered an open steak sandwich and shrimp tacos (for my partner). Each meal was $28 each.

The steak sandwich: The flavours were about right (though nothing unique to write home about). The meat was overcooked and tough, coupled with the fact that i was given a dinner knife (not a steak knife) made eating a chore. The fries were definitely the best part of this meal, and at least in this respect - were better than the majority of other cafes.

The tacos: tasted nice. The yoghurt sauce and daikon are a great combo, and the popcorn shrimp tasted good - but unfortunately the portion sizes definitely left a sour taste in the mouth. $28 netted us three tacos (slightly larger than the size of your palm), which each contained about 3 pieces of popcorn shrimp, the rest filled out with sliced red onions and lettuce. Considering this equates to over $9 per taco, this stings.

Service: Nothing to complain about here (though the waitress got a drink order wrong - no big deal, but worth noting!). We were greeted at the door and shown to our tables. Table service was otherwise prompt and polite.

Atmosphere: This is truly the biggest selling point - the views (providing you can get a seat with a view - people can be quite greedy about seating!) are amazing. You get a lovely view of the ocean and all the planes touching down in the nearby wellington airport. This would have earned full marks, however there are broken LED lights in the main restaurant area that were strobing. Im sure this is likely a temporary issue, but does make dining a bit disorientating.

Great staff and great location, though I feel the food could either be...

Came here for lunch with a close friend. We were interested in trying to sit outside but after two minutes decided it was far too windy on the deck, but the tables inside to the left of the door were so close together one could hear your neighbours chewing. Thankfully there was a large long table free in the central area. Both my friend and I cant have dairy and there were no indicators on the menu about what was and could be made dairy free - and despite employing the best baker in Wellington there were no vegan options in the sweet counter food. Our first waitress didn’t know the difference between gluten and dairy free and had trouble remembering our order, she also didn’t understand how my iced coffee could be made with out ice cream - it did come but came after the food and my friends “too spicy but no chai flavour” chai. No smiles or apologies or any good service from any of the wait staff - the only person having a good time was the barista. The food was average - over cooked mushrooms and wilted basil on stale toast for me, my friend said her meal was good but the smashed avocado was only half ripe. We also had to ask for cutlery after sitting with our food for a good 5 minutes. When I went to season mine the sea salt in salt shaker wouldn’t come out because the holes were too small - designed for table salt. Didn’t feel like paying for this experience at all to be honest. Wouldn’t recommend for anyone let alone vegans as you get treated like a nuisance once you ask (which you have to as the menu doesn’t indicate any...