Ortolana — Restaurant in Waitematā

Review from our visit in June 2024

Ortolana was a total winner. I loved how the complimentary sparkling water set the mood right off the bat, and the ambience and seating just felt spot on. The staff were super friendly and charming, making the whole experience even more personal.

We ended up trying a few dishes, and every one of them was memorable. The plate with potatoes, smoked fish, salsa verde, a fried egg, and ciabatta was comforting and satisfying. The crudo with green kiwifruit, chilli, and citrus labneh was refreshingly exciting, and the market fish dish with seasonal greens, cavolo nero, lentils, and goddess had a great mix of flavours. I even enjoyed the cinnamon brioche – it was like a cozy, sweet finish to the meal.

And those house-made sodas were something else – unique blends like rhubarb, rosemary, and lemon; tamarillo and lemon; and green kiwifruit with lime really added a fun twist to the dining experience. Plus, the bread was perfectly crispy and easy to cut.

Overall, Ortolana nailed it in every way, making for a really personal and enjoyable dining experience. Dining here was one of the biggest highlights in visiting Auckland, and we still talk about it to this day. We wish you were...

My girlfriends and I had a birthday dinner and drinks at Ortolana on the 6th of November, we had a great night and dinner. A couple of girls then ordered a desert, I ordered a coffee. One desert came, followed by another desert plate with a candle, we all sang happy birthday, the birthday girl tried a little fruit pure (she was on sugar diet so didn't order a desert) and put it in the middle of the table. Then a waiter came and told us that this was actually the desert the other girl ordered, they just used it to put a candle on it! We couldn't believe it! What!? Seriously? It was so awkward! We would rather not have that candle at all - we didn't ask for it, we were happy to just be there, but this neucance left a very sour feeling. Our bill for 5 was for $380, you would either not do anything or put a small chocolate or a schoop of icecream and a candle- but to use someone's desert to bring a candle to a birthday girl... that was just weird. We told the waiter, they just apologized, they never replaced that desert for the other girl. Ortolana was my favorite place to dine in CBD, I recommended it and now I feel bitter about it. Seriously guys, just get it right next...

Our recent visit to this restaurant was overshadowed by the disappointing service we encountered. Upon arrival, there was no one to assist us with our coats and no coat racks or hangers or free chairs provided for self-service, which would have been entirely acceptable for us. We’re not pretentious; given the tools, we would have happily managed our outerwear ourselves.

When we eventually had to ask a staff member named Clarissa for assistance, her response was less than accommodating, almost as if our simple request was a major inconvenience.

Our evening ended on a further sour note when we discovered our coats crumpled and nearly on the floor. Even more perplexing was the sight of other guests’ clothes neatly hung on hangers, with plenty of space and hangers still available.

When asked about this, Clarissa replied dismissively that they should have been hanging.

Indeed, they should have.

We hope the restaurant management takes note of this issue to improve the overall guest experience in the future.

Food is okay, nothing special. We ordered Market Fish with clams. But they should have named it 'Market fish with a clam' as there was only one tiny clam on the...