The Wine Room by David Nash — Restaurant in Waitematā

I’ve visited this restaurant twice now—once when it first opened, and again recently for my son’s birthday—and I’m happy to say the experience has only gotten better.

The ambiance is still one of the standout features: stylish interiors, a cozy layout with indoor and outdoor seating, and a private dining room for events. It’s a perfect spot whether you’re coming for a casual drink or a special meal.

During our first visit, we tried: • Oyster, Wakame and Finger Lime • Raw Yellowfin Tuna, Apple, Shiso, Quince Vinegar • Lamb Neck glazed in Burnt Honey with Black Garlic and Carrots • Sticky Date Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream

The lamb neck was a highlight—expertly cooked, fall-apart tender with a crispy exterior, paired with a fragrant, sweet pumpkin sauce and what seemed to be nuts for added texture. It was rich, balanced, and absolutely delicious.

While the fresh ingredients in the starters impressed us, I initially found the sauces a bit underwhelming. However, during our second visit in June, we re-ordered the yellowfin tuna dish and were pleasantly surprised by the improvement. The sauce was more flavorful and vibrant, with a stronger contrast that really enhanced the fish and other components. It was clear the kitchen had fine-tuned the dish since our first try.

This time, we also ordered the Wagyu steak—400g of pure tenderness. Perfectly cooked, well-seasoned, and beautifully presented. Truly lived up to the hype!

Service on both occasions was warm, attentive, and thoughtful. The staff were especially kind and welcoming to our family.

And of course, there’s still the charming neighborhood cat that likes to drop by and greet guests—adorable and full of personality (though do keep an eye on your wine glasses!).

All in all, I highly recommend this place. You can tell the team is constantly improving and refining the menu. Looking forward to...

Food was quite good with good quality ingredients and the price point reflects this. Portions are on the smaller side. Service needs to be improved. It is called the wine room but so many of the wines by the glass were not available (as in more than 10 wines) - this wasn’t told to us before we ordered but each time we tried to order a glass, someone would go away and return with a different wine saying the one we ordered wasn’t available (just tell us this at the start so we can make a decision based on what’s available). We then ordered a burger only to be told they were out of burger buns but could give us a burger with bread instead (not really a substitute..) - we expressed our disappointment and were told the chef would “figure something out” which was vague and confusing because the waitress couldnt explain in any further detail. After all that they ended up bringing out a burger as described on the menu for us - so I have no idea what all that was about. I do think the food is good although pricy but the service really needs to be improved if you are charging that much. Recommended dish would be the cheese tart. Burger is worth trying but on the smaller size and the bun disintegrated from the juice of the Pattie. Beef tartare was good but wasn’t outstanding. If you are hungry you will easily spend...

Super underwhelming experience. My colleague waiting 25 mins for me to arrive and no one so much as offered him a glass of water.

We sat in two chairs near to front entrance and had to wave to staff to get service. This began as a trend for the whole evening. There were three staff members milling around but none seemed interested in engaging with us. The food took an age to arrive and when it became obvious that there was not room at the chairs we had sat on for glasses and wine, we asked to be moved to a table. Even that seemed far too difficult for the staff, but eventually they found a small spot on the end of a table.

The food was lovely but the entire experience was ruined but slow and inattentive staff - in fact we chose to cut the night short and went to another establishment nearby because we were fed up waiting.

We won’t be going back...