NEST — Restaurant in South Island

A Sunset Spectacle with Some Culinary Quirks. The Nest kitchen and bar certainly lives up to its name, offering breathtaking panoramic views that truly steal the show. Our decision to dine as the sun dipped below the horizon was absolutely the right one – the sky ablaze with colour provided an unforgettable backdrop to our evening. The service we received was impeccable from start to finish. Our waiter, Mark, was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable, making us feel incredibly welcome. All the staff we encountered were equally efficient and courteous, contributing to a genuinely pleasant atmosphere. The drinks menu deserves a special mention, boasting a unique and enticing selection of cocktails that were expertly crafted and thoroughly enjoyed. When it came to the food, there were definite highs and lows. While not every dish reached the same level of excellence, there were certainly some standouts. My companion found the lamb to be a bit tough and tasted like beef, which was a slight disappointment. However, the Lamb Shank Ragu accompaniment was a triumph – rich, flavourful, and the Smokey veg was also flavorful. The Waygu Donut was another interesting and delicious creation, packed with flavor and offering a unique twist. The fish of the day was good, fresh and well-prepared. Unfortunately, the mussels served with the fish proved to be a bit of a letdown, being quite tough. Moving onto dessert, the Dulce de Leche was a definite highlight, a sweet and satisfying end to the meal. In contrast, the Chocolate Mousse, while perfectly acceptable, didn't quite reach the same heights. Overall, The Nest offers a memorable dining flavour experience primarily driven by its stunning views and exceptional service. While the food had some inconsistencies, the standout dishes and excellent drinks certainly made up for it. I would wholeheartedly recommend The Nest, particularly if you time your reservation to coincide with sunset. Just be mindful that some dishes may be more consistently executed...

We had a wonderful fine dining experience at Nest Kitchen and Bar. We were looked after by the lovely Sarah who made our whole night thoroughly enjoyable. Sarah was friendly and very knowledgeable with the menu, offering her recommendations that were on point and every dish was wonderful. The venue was classy with an intimate, fine dining atmosphere with a spectacular view over the water with the Queenstown lights twinking in the distance. The ambience was calm and relaxing where you could easily enjoy a conversation.

For entrees we started with the Wagyu Doughnut and Citrus Cured Big Glory Bay Salmon.

The Wagyu Doughnut was beautifully presented and the light, delicately crispy outer layer unveiling the wonderful, tender, flavoursome wagyu inside. It was a wonderful way to commence our dining experience.

The Glory Bay Salmon was also a delight with the strong, smoky salmon flavour flowing through the velvet mousse texture, nicely balanced by the refreshing Elderflower and Grapefruit Dressing.

For mains, we had the Royalburn Station Lamb Loin and the Market Fish which was Snapper.

The Lamb Loin was perfectly cooked medium rare and was juicy, full of flavour and melted in the mouth. The Kumara crisps, Date glazed Kumara, and herb crumb provided a nice variety of additional flavours and textures. A nicely executed dish.

The Snapper was also well presented and delicious with the tender fish, mussels and saffron potatoes being served up in a heavenly tomato butter sauce.

For dessert we had the Rhubarb Choux and Hazelnut Pannacotta. Both were wonderful ways to conclude the evening. The Choux pastry was delicate and flaky and the refreshing rhubarb sorbet nicely balanced out the sweetness of the rhubarb and ginger syrup. The Hazelnut Pannacotta was nice and jiggly but that apple granita was wow!

This was a very enjoyable meal and I would absolutely recommend Nest for a seamless blend of good food, service...

I was looking forward to celebrating my partner & I's engagement dinner for months. I made a booking on the 1st of Sept (almost 2 months ago) for an October reservation as I was beyond excited to dine over the spectacular views. I had requested that "we will be celebrating our engagement and if possible could we organise for a table with view and champagne on arrival?", in which JONATHAN (F&B TEAM LEADER) said "That is absolutely possible" and kindly assisted me in selecting which drinks I'd like.

I then popped in for a visit the morning of our reservation to confirm this was all good to go ahead, in which the kind lady at reception confirmed we would get a table by the window and that they look forward to having us.

Upon arrival for our booking as we were waiting to be seated, the girl who greeted us could clearly be seen panicking as there wasn't a reservation or even a table set up. After a few minutes of stalling, we were taken to a normal table away from the window as she set up our table as we were being seated. There was also no Champagne.

I spoke to the Restaurant Manager, telling him that I had this special booking planned for a long time and was told we'd have a window seat & drinks on arrival. In which he had the audacity to tell me "we can't promise any tables with a view and it depends on how busy they get". WHAT IS A BOOKING EVEN FOR THEN!? After a few minutes we were moved to a table along the side by the window, where I was sat facing with a view of the hotel and my chair was basically touching another ladies chair behind me in the corner. We ended up leaving as we were far too uncomfortable and frustrated.

Such a miserable experience for such a special day. We were highly let down by Nest Kitchen + Bar and would recommend supporting other restaurants who will give you a much more pleasant dining experience. Not worth spending $250-$350 over...