Elephant Hill

Incredible wine experience at Elephant Hill ! We had one of our best tasting since we arrived in NZ. My only mistake is that I forgot to ask the name of our fantastic host (from the UK, hopefully he will recognize himself). Thanks again for providing such lovely guided tasting, beautiful wines that are worth the visit. 100% recommended.

Definitely a must do tasting in the Hawkes Bay region. Beautiful establishment with stunning views. The staff were friendly and the wines were great. I especially liked their reds.

My partner and I had an absolutely fabulous lunch at Elephant Hill in Hawke’s Bay. The food was simply outstanding – without question the best we had all weekend. The chef’s creativity and attention to detail really shone through in every dish. A special mention to Rudolph, who looked after our drinks – he was extremely knowledgeable, attentive, and an absolute delight. His recommendations elevated the whole experience. We can’t recommend Elephant Hill highly enough if you are visiting Hawke’s Bay. A truly memorable dining experience!

The restaurant has a beautiful and pleasant atmosphere. The wine selection was noteworthy, and the food was decent. We had an enjoyable time overall and would recommend it as great value for the money.

We thought Elephant Hill is just famous for its view and posts by instagram celebrities, but we were wrong. The whole wine tasting experience was enjoyable. The staff was professional and knowledgeable. We love all their Chardonnay that are so characteristic, complex and layers of notes. The red was nice too but not our favourite. The view was beautiful too. Book ahead. Highly recommended.

We had a great tasting at Elephant Hill. Beautiful location, views, and delicious wines. But the star of the day was Ella who led our tasting. She made it an experience. The staff were all so friendly and welcoming. The food is likely delicious too but we can’t vouch for it. They also have great boxes for your wine to take home. Would highly recommend a stop at this gorgeous winery!

We absolutely loved Elephant Hill. The venue was stunning and very classy! It was my birthday and we did a wine tasting here. We all highly recommend it! Our sommelier was Arnau, he was amazing! He knew so much about the way the vines/grapes were grown, the distances of the vineyards, even right down to the story of the branding. Arnau is a gem and made us feel very special! We highly recommend him ans an sommelier and wish him the absolute best on his travels!

Stunning view, sizable space and modern design make this a great spot to visit for wine and food all year round. There are lots of wines and styles to choose from for any palate and budget, and the service is friendly. They usually have something special open to share and they have lots of great limited edition back vintage options. Calista is the best host!

We made it a point to stop by here when touring the Napier region wine tasting because of all the gorgeous pictures online. The grounds are as beautiful as the yelp photos show, even in winter. The water features are lovely, the large resort style couches relaxing, and the floor to ceiling glass windows gave the tasting room a modern appeal. The scenery is truly incredible with both the view of the vineyards as well as the nearby ocean. Whether you're relaxing on the couches with the ocean view, enjoying the architecture in the tasting room, or marveling at the vineyards from the restaurant, there are no bad views here. We tried the tasting flight and overall enjoyed the wines and the friendly conversation from the American woman who poured for us. We sampled the wines while reclining on one of the couches and nomming a cheese plate. The cheese plate was very tasty. The olives had a delicious and intensely interesting flavor and a good variety of cheeses. Our favorite wines were the Chardonnay and Merlot Cabernet. Overall a very nice vineyard and tasting room. We regret we did not have more time to try the restaurant, but the snack and wines we had were good, the views were even better.

Beautiful tasting rooms with a stellar patio, perfect for a taste and a nibble mid-afternoon. I could sit on this patio for hours. We loved the wine and bought a couple of bottles to take home.

Unreal meal. Positively wonderful. Ambiance - the restaurant is clean and bright, with floor to ceiling windows giving way to their stunning vineyards. We sat by the window and watched bunnies hopping along through the vineyards and the wind blowing through the grapevines and trees. Idyllic, serene and beautiful. Every time I looked outside I felt like I was looking at a painting. The dividing curtains from the lounge to the dining room were a surprisingly nice touch and added a certain light airiness to the space, especially when complimented by the candlelight at night. Service - phenomenal. We were served an amuse bouche once we were settled in, and our server for the evening was attentive without being overbearing, but also incredibly honest. (I.e. She could have up sold us into ordering two sides with dinner but instead corrected us when we did by advising how large of portions each side was. Very sweet.) Food - incredibly creative and unique while remaining perfectly balanced. To start we shared the smoked venison tartare with beetroot meringue and horseradish sorbet. Three of my favourite things so I had to try it. The contrast in textures, in heat, and in flavour was perfection. And wow - that horseradish sorbet was unbelievable. For my main dish I had the beef fillet and shortrib duo with truffled gnocchi and jus. My husband had the soft shell crab with glazed duck in a vanilla lime dressing. We shared the smoked truffle potato purée. We ate everything. Our proteins which were obvious in taste and texture to be the highest quality, were perfectly cooked and not outshone by anything on our plates. The smoked potato purée was unreal - I could eat bowls of that daily and be A happy girl. Wine - we shared a bottle of the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc. We were a bit disappointed as we had requested the 2013 (as noted on the menu) and were advised it was no longer available and instead just brought the 2014. It was still delicious but I know that 2013 was a phenomenal year for the area. Alas. We will be back. It was the perfect romantic end to a lovely weekend away.

We came here for my birthday lunch and it was absolutely amazing. We had a reservation booked for 1pm and got there right about that time, but were interested in doing a tasting first (we had to know which wine to order with lunch ;) !). They happily accommodated this request and we did a great tasting. Side note- their maitre'd is a lively and fun character whom we very much enjoyed. Their range of wines is fantastic, from whites to reds we were not disappointed and our choice on which glass to get during lunch became even more difficult! We then went to our table and the incredible feast began. From the complimentary bread starter (warm with amazing olive oil and butter) to the last crumb, we were in heaven. My husband claims it's the best piece of meat he has ever had (beef filet) and my meal was just as good. I had the tortellini stuffed with corn. We would go back again and again...not to mention friendly service and a perfect setting.

6 wine tastings for $5, which can be covered by purchase of $20 at their restaurant or buying a bottle. The wines are good but the tasters seem like they are reciting a speech, and couldn't answer some specific questions about their wines. This is the second time I have been to this tasting room, and both times I have found them a bit pretentious. You can only sit on the deck with the infinity pool and view of the vineyard if you are ordering a full meal. They do serve dinner unlike most vineyard restaurants that close at 5.

SUCH a beautiful place. We were so silly not to make a booking here before we came... and was told the lunch time slot was all booked out... so we sadly moved outside and tried to call other nearby wineries for a lunch time slot (we were traveling and only driving by this area) anyways the man at the counter saw us outside still trying to call other places and i think he felt sorry for us and gave us a table for the last time slot (i think someone cancelled last minute i dunno but the tables were strangely empty). Anyways so we finally got seats here after a further 30-45min wait. they seated us and we ordered entree and main each. I a glass of rosé; scallop & melon ceviche with citrus jelly, marigold, ginger dressing, crisp shallot; and seared tuna with eggplant and wakame pickle, sesame powder, palm sugar dressing (i literally copied the names from their menu lol). more simply put for him: Glass of Syrah, duck tortellini, Smoked venison? but i didn't try much of his dishes. MY DISHES on the other hand were sooooo good that i felt bad for him because i wouldn't share hahaha. i can't even explain it.. everything was so fresh and flavoured so well.. it was heavenly. Aside from the slightly "pretentious" waiters/waitresses (considering it is a fine dining sort of expensive place that i felt a little out of place...) and the fact that he "heroically " gave me a table but actually there were quite a few lol.. i think they could have gotten a 5 star!

What a great experience ! Our night at Elephant Hill was really great. From the friendly and attentive service, to the wonderful view of the vineyard, and of course the delicate food, the whole experience was fantastic. Our table was situated in the back room surrounded by glass walls so we felt as if we were right in the vines. I started the meal with a scallop & melon ceviche, citrus jelly, marigold, ginger dressing and crisp shallot. The balance of flavors was perfect, with the Marigold adding a citrusy feel. My partner had the tomato jelly with olive oil sorbet and boconcini. That was REALLY interesting ! I've had some molecular cuisine in France and it felt in the same vibe. It was fun to taste a classic caprese salad reinvented this way. We sampled both the wines that were recommended with our dish and were not disappointed. I especially liked the Le Phant Blanc. For the main course we decided to go with a bottle of Syrah, as it's known as a Hawkes bay speciality. It was just what we wanted. Round flavor, with a nice peppery finish but not too fruity. I had the Grilled tuna, dashi marshmallow, salmon roe, tempura cauliflower and confit shallops. My partner had the lamb rump, eggplant purée, pistachio mandarin and crisp cumin carrots. Both dished were delicious! I especially enjoyed the lamb. It just melted in the mouth as it was so tender. To end this great meal, I went for the coconut sago arancini, with lytchee, lime curd, lemongrass & coconut foam as well as young coriander. It was a wonderful way to finish! The mix of textures and the balance of tastes made it very good and interesting. No wonder they won Best Winery Restaurant in NZ good food 2014 awards! The wait staff was very attentive without being to present which can be a little oppressive in some fancy restaurants. They even let us know when we made our reservations that a couple big groups had booked the same night to ensure we would be aware of it and that it wouldn't bother us. To be honest the noise did get a little high but it was not the restaurant's fault and they did everything to make our evening enjoyable. Yes, it is a little pricey, but clearly not overpriced. I feel that for such quality fresh food and a nice atmosphere it's really worth it!

Had the most amazing girls lunch out at Elephant Hill. Some reviews here said that the winery felt 'snooty' and made you feel inferior- but we didn't find this at all! As 2 girls in their very early 20's it would have been very easy to feel looked down on or out of place, but we felt very comfortable and had a great time! First of all, what an absolutely gorgeous restaurant. Modern and open plan with great views of the vineyard and a little pool around the outdoor area. We went on a sunny day and it was just beautiful sitting outside in the sun. They have straw hats and sunscreen for you to use as well. The food was incredible- I had the beef fillet which came with fresh peas, burnt onion, walnut paste, roasted garlic and horseradish with a side of the agria fries and aioli. The beef was tender and cooked to perfection and the garnishes were delicious and paired well. The agria fries were crunchy and the aioli was creamy- exactly how I like it! I had the Elephant Hill Rose which was lovely, a great light wine for a summers day, and for someone who does not usually enjoy wine so much! Overall it was a fantastic lunch, and although it is pricey, the standard of food and wine is high and the views are and atmosphere make it worth treating yourself out. Enjoy!

My friend and I were on holiday in Hawkes Bay and decided to treat ourselves to an afternoon at a winery. Another friend of mine had recommended Elephant Hill so we went straight there! The location is spectacular, opposite the beach, the ocean in view in the distance as you dine. The building is incredible and sitting outside was great, especially in the summertime. The deck is surrounded by an infinity pool and the vineyard, and is covered in gorgeous furniture and big umbrellas. They even have straw hats and sunblock on offer if you needed it! My friend and I felt like we had left New Zealand and were sitting in a luxury restaurant in Bali! The food then out-did the decor. This was by far one of the most incredible meals I had ever eaten. After some bread with olive oil and a glass of Elephant Hill rosé, I indulged in the Market Fish which was indescribably good! Even though this was one of the most amazing things I had ever eaten, it was also one of the most expensive, and would definitely not be a regular outing for a 20year old student like myself! An amazing experience nonetheless, and if you feel like treating yourself, I highly recommend Elephant Hill Winery!

We arrived at Elephant Hill for a wine tasting just before noon and decided to stay on for lunch. Best decision ever! The setting of this vineyard will knock your socks off and we enjoyed several of the wines we tasted but the food was the real treat. We had scallops and lamb with the suggested wine pairings. Both the lamb and the scallops were cooked to perfection and literally melted in your mouth. We have enjoyed meals at wineries across the world and would put this in the top 5%. Truly a magical and memorable experience and one that is s highlight of our two weeks in NZ.

Party of five dined here for Boxing Day lunch. Pleasant service and scenery. Beef and venison dishes were good... but the vegetarian dish was ridiculous for the price. Very little food on the plate. I've eaten in so many NZ wineries of good quality and reputation. I cannot believe the Elephant hill has the cheek to charge the prices they do ... certainly would not recommend it.

Very nice setting (don't be put off by the bold copper green). Beautiful food with excellent presentation. Very knowledgeable waiting staff who are keen to help. We had lunch and I recommend the lamb which was divine. Oysters looked great and the fries were good too. Looks and charges like fine dining and so loses a star for price as it may punching above its weight.

In short, this winery is overpriced and snooty with mediocre wine. A few friends and I sampled their wine and then decided to enjoy a bottle in their front lounge area with some cheese and fries. Upon checking out, we were informed that instead of the $22 bottle price we needed to pay $50 for the luxury of drinking the bottle on their premises. After conversations with several staff members and a manger, he begrudgingly offered to discount us about half of the difference. I am a regular in the Napa and Sonoma wine regions and their service and deceptive pricing was certainly a surprise. Please look elsewhere when visiting wineries here.

A great lunch. Two courses with matched wine in a lovely setting. We were very happy, the consensus was that it was good to finally have a meal in nz that felt as it should be, being that we miss London and Copenhagen so much this had us reminiscing of previous homes.