The Canopy Restaurant — Restaurant in South Island

I dined here as part of a dinner package while staying at Te Waonui – the hotel itself was superb, but the restaurant was a glaring contrast. Canopy markets itself as a fine dining venue, but the experience fell well short on every front: food quality, service, and presentation.

Ambience and service: Despite dining solo, my table was cluttered with excess cutlery and glassware that was never cleared. Throughout the meal, used cutlery wasn’t replaced unless I specifically asked – twice. Staff were mostly absent, and only checked on me twice the entire evening. I ran out of water with no refill offered. It felt like I was forgotten, and the entire table remained cluttered from start to finish.

Food experience: • First course – Soup of the Day: Looked like pumpkin, but it was thin, watery, and lacked flavour. It came with a doughy mini bun that was overly soft and chewy – a crisp slice of sourdough would have made more sense. No butter was offered. • Second course – Silver Fern Beef Tartare: An absolute disaster. The meat had grey patches and visible sinew and connective tissue, giving it a chewy, unpleasant texture. It didn’t taste fresh, and it certainly wasn’t finely chopped. I had to send it back. The shift manager apologised and offered a replacement. • Replacement – Kaikoura Crayfish Ravioli: A big improvement in flavour, but it was served in broth with no spoon, making it awkward to eat. A simple attention to detail that was again missed. • Main – Canterbury Confit Duck Leg: Being from the Czech Republic, I know duck. This wasn’t it. The portion was small, the skin was soft and unrendered (clearly pre-cooked but not crisped). The accompaniments were baffling: undercooked barley, overly sweet sour cherry jus, a tiny blob of carrot purée, and the oddest part – a nearly raw wedge of zucchini with microgreens on top. It didn’t taste cohesive, let alone refined. • Fourth – Wild Berry Sorbet: Pleasant, but again, no spoon provided. • Fifth – Otago Bush Honey Panna Cotta: Looked pretty on the menu, but the execution was poor. The honeycomb was so sticky I genuinely worried I’d lose a filling. The blue macaron was dry and hard throughout – even the filling – more like a cracker than a proper macaron. The decorative raspberry smear was aggressively sweet and didn’t balance the dish.

Breakfast (served in same restaurant): The breakfast was standard and uninspired. Scrambled and boiled eggs, bacon, one sausage, and the usual spread you’d expect from any 3-star motel, not a luxury eco-resort. Functional, but nothing memorable or elevated.

Final verdict: Canopy is trying to wear the clothes of fine dining, but the service, execution, and culinary standards just aren’t there. Sloppy attention to detail, inattentive service, and inconsistent food made this a disappointing experience. If you’re staying at Te Waonui, I’d recommend the hotel wholeheartedly — but consider...

Had two breakfasts and a dinner here. Breakfasts were fine - nothing stood out as special, but nothing to complain about. Bacon was a bit limp (was it fried, or boiled?!!) but that is perhaps a matter of personal preference. We opted for the a la carte dinner. The entrees we had (venison carpaccio, and crayfish ravioli) were quite nice, but almost laughably small for the price - we would have gone without had we known. Mains were good (especially the beef fillet). Service was excellent across the board. Staff were very friendly and very attentive at all times. The restaurant's decor was certainly suitable for the breakfast buffet, but not as a fine dining venue. It's nice overall, and might be the top option in the area (we didn't try all the others, so couldn't judge for sure), but I don't think it really lives up to their claim of being the "pinnacle of...

This is one of the more memorable restaurant experiences for me because it WAS SO HORRIBLE. The food is unremarkable, I forgot what exactly I ate 20mins ago. The best thing about the meal was me paying for it because of how strong the US Dollar is vs the NZ Dollar.

I wasn't staying at the property and emailed to get a reservation 5 months prior because it was summer. I was told that there is only the tasting menu for 150pp and no a la carte option. I was okay with that. Today, I was offered a vegan menu with items nobody else ordered. Oh, the others got both a la carte options and a different tasting menu that had meat and vegetarian options.

If you're going to treat people who don't stay with you this way, as walking money bags vs people, the better option is to not take reservations from the general public.

One star because the staff and service...