Trivet — Restaurant in Waitematā

Very personalised table service from attentive and knowledgeable staff. A beautiful atmosphere to fit an elegant and distinct NZ spirit. The menu was intentional and inspirational. Chef Wallace and the Trivet team definitely cured every dish with a story to tell.

Selection review:

Coconut butter: creamy with a subtle hint of coconut, which compliments the flatbread (pillowy, warm and with toasted crisp edges)

Hummus was rich and creamy with a hint of virgin olive (green grass, fresh) and muhammara (walnut & roasted bell peppers, garlic, lemon juice, cumin)

NZ octopus carpaccio: The octopus was sliced well and had a perfect texture. The nduja oil came across more like a flavourful chilli oil, but for some reason, it complimented the octopus.

Trevally sashimi was tender, and the soy sauce truffle dressing with fennel made the dish delectable. The truffle oil flavour shines towards the end after the soy sauce tapers off.

Oyster-smoked butter, pancetta, and shiitake are at the forefront of the oil.

Unique creamy oyster contrasts the crunch of the pancetta.

Oyster with exotic fruit tepache nasturtium oil; tastes like the sea

Chatham Island paua sits on top of a delicious Samoan palusami green. The vol-au-vent is light and crispy and holds the feature dish perfectly.

The green-lipped mussels are perfectly cooked, and the piquant chorizo blend gives them a citrusy hit. The coriander, saffron, and hint of anise from the pastis introduce an Asian background to the dish.

Beef tartare is rich. The finely diced beef mixed with the egg yolk melds together the hazelnut and black garlic, giving this dish some yummy goodness. The cassava chips give the dish a crunch, and the finely diced pickle cuts through the richness of the beef. Amazing.

Trevally oka: The coconut cream flavour is tamed by the texture of the trevally. The mango puree accentuates the mix, and the crunch of the taro cracker on which it sits allows for a superb offering. It's a must-have at Trivet.

The fish was done to perfection, and the mildness of the charsiu sauce enhanced the dish. The apple and celeriac puree gave the dish creaminess, and the fresh red onions provided a burst of oniony heat.

Grilled bavette, being a flank steak, I was afraid that it might be challenging under the grill, but this dish was done swiftly in the pan to sear, which allowed it to be chewy but not overly harsh. The jus combined with the egg yolk makes this offering a sophisticated and gorgeous dish.

Beef cheeks were tenderly pulled and enveloped in a lovely crusty encasement. The truffle & carrot puree and fennel-tossed side complimented the richness of the cheeks.

Dessert

The dark choc crostata is Devine; 70% dark choc all enveloped in a cookie dough like pastry is rich and sultry. The orange and choc marble makes the perfect partner.

Cocktail New fashioned cocktail; sweet and orangey - refreshing Pied Piper - organic and fresh tasting. By the Fireplace - very Christmassy with hints of nutmeg. Welcoming and warm. Tears of paradise - if coconut cookies were mashed up with Anzac cookies (molasses), the result...

Finally made it to @trivetdining – and wow, what an experience!

The hotel itself is stunning—luxurious, beautifully designed, and with impeccable service. Honestly, if I could rate it 200/100, I would! From the moment I walked in and told them my name, the host immediately responded in perfect English: “Heidi Ting, right this way.” I was genuinely impressed! The service throughout the night was just as incredible—our server was super attentive, crouching down to patiently explain each dish with such professionalism and passion (not to mention their wine recommendation was spot on—I was so tempted to order a second glass!).

They also recommended their signature house-baked bread, which looked amazing on the table next to me, but I was worried I wouldn’t have room for everything, so I had to skip it this time.

Onto the food!

Rare beef tartare, lavosh, chimichurri, egg yolk, smoked crème fraîche

So good! The beef was finely chopped yet still retained a nice texture. Paired with the crispy lavosh, creamy topping, and vibrant chimichurri, every bite was beautifully balanced with layers of flavor and texture. Highly recommend!

Kaipara trevally sashimi, soy and truffle, hero, chilli

Absolutely delicious and insanely fresh! The sauce was the perfect complement—umami-packed with a touch of truffle and a little heat from the chili, which paired so well with the natural fattiness of the fish. Every bite was pure harmony.

Market fish, coconut chutney, mustard seeds, curry leaves

There were two fish options today, and I went with the kingfish. The portion was generous—thick, perfectly grilled with a beautifully crisp exterior. A great option for those watching their diet! Personally, I tend to prefer pan-seared fish with more oil and richness, so while this was well-executed, it just wasn’t my personal favorite.

Bavette, beetroot, sauce algérienne, smoked marrow, watercress

This one was a showstopper! The sauce was rich and packed with flavor, the beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and when you combine it with the thinly roasted beetroot slices—chef’s kiss! The green sauce on top had a hint of mint, which cut through the richness and added an extra layer of aroma. Absolutely divine.

Final thoughts?

This restaurant is 100% worth a visit! If you get the chance, go try it for yourself—you...

I will start by saying ...Maybe just maybe if there were only two people having the Trivet Taster (4 courses) $95 per person it might have got 3 stars but there are many other places provide much more for your $. First remember it is a tasting but is shared between two people..not per person...and if you have an odd number of guests like us they made us share the two person plates between three and still charged for three!!! so the meal was already small in content and now became even smaller. We were among a large group... portions and tatstes of the food were different between the other 14 couples...the mussel dishes for instance had different soup tastes and it seemed that the mussels were added to the shells after cooking ie small mussel large shell no attachment's on shells(there were some attached). I think everyone liked the House made Flat bread with coconut butter. Now the restaurant was not very busy at 6pm when we sat down, but i still suggest you order drinks 30 minutes in advance so by the time you finish your drink you will not have to wait a long time for your next. Drinks as expected in hotels can cost a bit more. Take the Pinot Gris...2021 Domaines Schlumberger Grand Cru Spiegel, Alsace, ...$57 in shops..$190 here!!... It took 3 hours for the 4 tasting dishes to come out but then 8 or so of our group could not wait and had left before desert... even then they didn't make enough and some people had to wait. I know the organiser was not happy after paying out thousands of dollars for the evening. He was led to believe it was per person and not shared as it does not state this, he had walked over and talked with the restaurant prior to the evening and organised Halal and vegetarian dishes for some of the people which were subpar as well. All in all not a very good experience. We will not...