Tinakori Bistro - Wellington

Most people may not know that Tinakori Bistro has been under new ownership since April 2016. The new chef owner, Aaron, has worked in top restaurants around the world, including Nobu. We are very lucky to have Aaron in Wellington. Aaron is a master in Asian inspired flavours combined with classical European techniques.  Combined with attentive service and generous portions, it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time.  Highly recommended.

My partner and I went here for dinner with a Groupon voucher which turned out to be amazing value. We had an entree, main and dessert each. I can't fault any of the food, with the beef and Manuka smoked mushrooms being an absolute highlight! Service was friendly and efficient and although plain, the decor suited the relaxed feel to the place. I will definitely be coming back and recommending this place to everyone!

Fabulous date night! Very friendly staff with a stunning atmosphere. Beautifully presented food, the cheese cake is to die for. Would absolutely recommend.

This restaurant is apparently under new management and we had an amazing experience. <br/ <br/ The food was incredible, with surprising taste combinations. <br/ Our waitress was so friendly and helpful, without hanging around too much and the manager was also very accommodating. <br/ <br/ We were impressed with a visit from the chef, who was happy to chat about the food, what was in season, where it was sourced. <br/ <br/ I would definitely say this is my new favourite restaurant.

Had a really nice dinner at Tinakori Bistro the other night, but this place does need to make some improvements here and there. I really liked the complimentary bubbles on arrival, this was a really nice touch. My dining companion and I both enjoyed a entree, main and dessert each. For entree I had the calamari and my companion had the chowder. My calamari were perfectly cooked and were accompanied by a fragrant and tasty pesto. The chowder was excellent, full-bodied and delicious. There was plenty of salmon strewn through the chowder but hardly any other seafood. I wasn’t complaining as salmon is one of my absolute favourite foods. However, I did expect it to have some calamari, mussels and prawns in it. For main I had the seared salmon which came with bok choy and mashed potato. The dish was enjoyable but not perfect. The mash was creamy and flavoursome. I am not really a fan of bok choy and thought green beans would have been more enjoyable, but that’s just my personal preference. Seared, implies rare, but my salmon was cooked well-done which was heart-breaking. Why people cook salmon for more than a couple of minutes on each side is beyond me. The salmon did taste very good though. My pal had the venison for her main and it was absolutely divine. The meat was cooked perfectly and was succulent and juicy. The rosti was fantastic. I’d give the venison dish a 5/5. For dessert I had the passionfruit cheesecake and my friend had the ice-cream selection. The cheesecake was absolutely perfect. I savoured every mouthful. The ice cream was average, nothing special. We ordered some tea and it didn’t arrive until we had nearly finished our desserts. When we were eating our mains, I had to remind our waitress twice about my glass of wine that I had ordered. All the wait staff here, apart from one, are very friendly and attentive. We had about three different people serve us throughout the evening which wasn’t great, consistency is important and it’s evident from things being forgotten, that this system isn’t working. I also noticed that the plates had a lot of fingerprints on them. Perhaps I have rated this place a bit harshly but all the little things start to add up after a while. Overall though, I did enjoy dinning here and my goodness these people know how to make Cheesecake. Alright, you've won me over (changes rating from a 3.5 to a 4 whilst dreaming of that cheesecake.