Mora Wines & Artisan Kitchen — Restaurant in South Island

The day started with a hearty breakfast provided by our hotel and we made our way to Arrowtown, a former gold mining town that has seen its glory days during the gold rush. This is also the town where many Chinese miners came and settled in the historic small town near Queenstown. We had few hours exploring the town - checking out the Chinese settlements, walking along the one  way street (which was also the main road) of Arrowtown.

When it was about time to leave, we headed to Akarua Wines and Kitchen located along the Arrowtown-Lake Hayes road. It was still early (not yet lunch time) and we were still not feeling hungry but the temptation of wine tasting proved too much to resist. I love wine tasting experience and since there were so many wineries in this area, i chose the one that was the most convenient to us. Who knew that it turned out to be one of the better wine experience for us?

I paid a minimal fee for their wine tasting session which comprises of 2 pinot noir, 1 rose, 1 Chardonnay and 1 sauvignon blanc. To be honest, there was nothing exciting about the wines at all but the service was fantastic and I love talking to the server. They'd waive the fee if you buy a bottle in the end which I didn't.

Then it was time for the food to be served and we took our seats ◾Free range pork belly with chilly caramel, pickled cucumber & red cabbage, coriander, and puff crackling $20.50 - the dish itself was quite good if you love sweet chilly sauce. The pork belly was tender but I think that the chilly sauce didn't match the meat.. perhaps they (westerner) couldn't take too spicy. ◾Cedar wood Mt Cook Alpine salmon with horseradish cream, crackling, lenon, and shoots $38.50 (serves two) - this turned out to be one of the most (if not the most) delicious smoked salmon fillet that I'd ever eaten in my life. The smoke was gentle and the salmon fillet was cooked with the right amount of time and seasoning. The meat was very flaky and the accompanying tartar sauce was a great compliment. For me, I prefer to eat just the way it was because the natural taste of the salmon was oh-so-good. This could be the reason for a revisit in the future!

I swear that I would come back here just for the salmon itself, and of course for other dishes that we didn't order (because we were still quite full from breakfast earlier).. and perhaps with a glass of their Brut or better vintage Pinot Noir. The place itself was bright, with cost atmosphere and friendly service team. If I weren't pressed for time, I could easily spend at least 2-3 hours exploring their...

We booked ahead a week or so prior to our visit and were really looking forward to the food and experience here after reading all of the fantastic reviews. When we travel, we always look for unique dining opportunities.

When we arrived, there were a number of empty tables, and it was not very busy, so I was surprised when we were seated against the building in what felt like a bit of a less desirable location (she had said she needed to ask her manager where we were supposed to be seated). I didn’t say anything at the time, thinking that because the restaurant is so popular, maybe we had booked too late, and this was a result of a late booking. It turned out that a party of four without a booking was first seated behind us but then asked to be moved due to the cold breeze and the overhead music speaker being a little loud. Other diners came in after us without prior bookings, so clearly a lack of other available spaces for seating wasn’t the case.

After bringing us some still water (we hadn’t had a good opportunity to look over the menu and make a decision on drinks), our server said she would return. After about 20 minutes, she had not returned, so I actually had to get up and go find her to tell her that we were ready to order. I found this frustrating, as the restaurant was not very full at this point, and I had noticed that other tables were attended to quite quickly by different wait staff.

Honestly, once we did get to order, the food and wine we had (buttermilk chicken, duck pate, and pork belly) were excellent, however not once did our server check on us during the course of our meal. There was a server who was working with different tables nearby who finally came over to check on us later and ask if we wanted to order dessert. By this time we decided we were finished.

I am sure that this is not the norm, however we were definitely disappointed and the lack of service really did detract from our...

Dearest connoisseurs of the epicurean arts, allow me to regale you with a tale of culinary bliss and oenophilic delight at the esteemed Mora Wines and Artisan Kitchen. A sanctuary where gastronomy and viticulture converge in a symphony of flavors and sensations, this gem bestowed upon us an experience that soared far beyond the zenith of five stars.

Our repast commenced with beef cheeks, a masterpiece of cooking that was both unapologetically rich and elegantly balanced by a delightful acidity that danced gracefully through each bite. The wine, oh the wine! It was nothing short of ambrosial, with the Chardonnay presenting a buttery yet crisp embrace that whispered sweet nothings to the soul. As a companion to our beef cheeks, the charred cos lettuce was nothing less than a revelation. Cooked to perfection, it was the ideal consort, enhancing and being enhanced by the rich tapestry of flavors on our plates. The denouement of our feast was a peach mousse that was the epitome of dessert perfection—lusciously scrumptious without erring on the side of excessive sweetness, allowing the true essence of peach to shine through, untarnished and celebrated.

The service? Impeccable. Our attendants were the epitome of attentiveness and promptitude, navigating our dining experience with a finesse that left nothing to be desired. And in a gesture that warmed not just the body but the heart, they offered us blankets as we dined al fresco, warding off the afternoon chill with a care that felt personal, thoughtful.

In sum, Mora Wines and Artisan Kitchen is a veritable Eden for those who seek not just to dine, but to embark on a culinary voyage of discovery. It is a place where every dish tells a story, every sip of wine sings, and every moment is imbued with a touch of magic. One does not simply eat here; one is transported on a gustatory journey of...