The Ocean View Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Waiheke

The Ocean View: Absolutely not recommended, not even worth one star!

This was by far the worst dining experience I have ever had. First of all, I overheard all the restaurant staff communicating in Chinese. As an overseas Chinese, I initially thought it would be a warm and pleasant surprise to meet compatriots in a foreign country. However, when I tried speaking Chinese during payment, they clearly understood me but pretended not to, looking at me with a confused expression and coldly insisting on completing the transaction in English. Such an attitude was baffling.

What made the situation even more infuriating was that after I paid, the staff immediately started complaining and mocking me in Chinese for speaking to them in Chinese. This behavior was utterly ridiculous—do they also insist on not speaking Chinese when their own parents dine here? If they are so determined, then why not avoid speaking Chinese among themselves entirely? Why not commit to never speaking Chinese for life? They’ve clearly forgotten their Chinese heritage, their identity as service staff, and the very essence of what it means to serve customers!

On top of this, the food was of poor quality and completely uninspiring. Pairing such terrible service with disappointing dishes was a double blow to the customer’s patience. Instead of wasting time and money here, I strongly recommend visiting Nomads next door. They have better ocean views, more professional service, and food that is actually worth trying.

In conclusion, this is a restaurant that is absolutely not worth visiting. The service is atrocious, the staff lack basic professionalism, and the food is subpar. I strongly urge everyone to steer clear of this place and save their time and money for...

We had a wonderful first experience at Zayn's The Coffee Man's new coffee/icecream/waffle shop here in our tourist village on the west coast of Waiheke Island. Zayn brings heart to everything that he does. We are feeling so spoiled by his $1 coffee 'new business promotion'. A highlight for me is the brightly coloured powders that can be used to make each drink memorable and rather delightful! I recommend the charcoal and honey : D. Notice Zayn's personal branding which features him being adorbs with his hefty dog (37kg!) Braulio (Spanish for 'shining'). Looking forward to visiting Zayne time and time again (I cannot resist his 'deep shade' classy black umbrellas over his outside seating) to enjoy the vintage jazz tunes while sipping coffee made with heart. Dogs (and kids) are welcome and can be tied up to the sturdy umbrella stand poles. I am hunting out a really cool tips jar plus dog bowl combination for this coffee...

I asked if they had any vegan options and I was told by two staff (one I assume was the owner or manager) they could make a vegan burger but the chips were not vegan as cooked in beef tallow. We said no to chips but yes to burger. When I went to pay I politely asked if the bun was actually vegan as it tasted like the bun was brioche, the manager then told me the burger was not vegan as they could not make anything completely vegan. I asked why he didn't tell me this at the same time he told me the chips weren't vegan and the response was an insincere "sorry".

The toilets were filthy and the table we sat at had two ashtrays which both looked and smelled like they hadn't been emptied in days.

0/10 - do...