27th May 2010 Further to Idaho99's review,below, I, the owner of Te Whau Vineyard Cafe have now had the opportunity to speak with Chef and floor staff about their experience. The person in question was asked about her meal, and yes, indicated that the salmon fillet was, to her taste, undercooked. The dish was removed, and a new dish cooked - well done. Further checking with the customer indicated total satisfaction with the dish and it's flavours. Please read idaho99's "review" in that light.
With breathtaking 360 degree views, stunning architecture, exquisite food, and New Zealand's largest wine list, including its own 5-star wines, Te Whau Vineyard and Cafe is a truly unique wine lover's experience.
11th June 2010 Dear Owner, thank you for responding, however I wish to correct you. I did not wish to make a big deal of the issue at the end of the meal, so of course I responded with a "yes it was fine", not a "totally satisfied" as you have specified. When asked how I would like it cooked (the second time around as I was not asked the first) I said Medium, and it came out Well Done. I did not comment as I felt it would become a bigger issue. I have eaten at many world wide & NZ restaurants so my review is fair and relevant to my own experience. I will keep my review as a 3 based on "my" experience. Another day I may have a different experience. Please understand also that advertising your hours at the gate does not help guests that are not from the area and have not investigated this beforehand. Your staff were very good and professional.
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Ziffle
27th May 2010 Further to Idaho99's review,below, I, the owner of Te Whau Vineyard Cafe have now had the opportunity to speak with Chef and floor staff about their experience. The person in question was asked about her meal, and yes, indicated that the salmon fillet was, to her taste, undercooked. The dish was removed, and a new dish cooked - well done. Further checking with the customer indicated total satisfaction with the dish and it's flavours. Please read idaho99's "review" in that light.
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Ziffle
24th May 2010 The Owner of Te Whau responding to the above. Yes, the restaurant is closed after afternoon service so that we can stack the furniture, vacuum, clean toilets etc and reset the tables for dinner. The restaurant hours are clearly advertised and the reviewer's reservation would have been for 6.30pm not 5.30pm. The "basic" dining area has Italian furniture and original New Zealand art, and is usually described by visitors as "stylish" "amazing" and "stunning". Chef would have happily re-done the Salmon if asked, but most like it the way we do it. I am sure our staff would have asked if their meal was to their satisfaction and given us the chance to remedy any problem there and then rather than read about it later in a review.
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idaho99
24th May 2010 Recently had dinner at Te Whau. Expectations were high because of their award from Metro Mag.
The view is magnificent, we turned up at 5.30pm to enjoy the view and have a drink before dinner. Unfortunately we were turned away because they close before dinner service. Very disappointing and a waste of a sunset??
We came back at 6.30pm to eat. The dining area is very basic, much more like a cafe than a restaurant, so there is not so much to enjoy when it's dark. The bar area is lovely.
Dinner should have been greast but it was a bit disappointing, the salmon fillet was so rare it was almost completely raw.
I would guess that lunch is the best time to come here because you are so focused on the view.
Further to Idaho99's review,below, I, the owner of Te Whau Vineyard Cafe have now had the opportunity to speak with Chef and floor staff about their experience. The person in question was asked about her meal, and yes, indicated that the salmon fillet was, to her taste, undercooked. The dish was removed, and a new dish cooked - well done. Further checking with the customer indicated total satisfaction with the dish and it's flavours. Please read idaho99's "review" in that light.