HIAKAI

Outstanding! Excellent representation! Fancy cuisine! Food art! Terrific! I eccentric! Sophisticated! It will blow away your mind! Its all about HIAKAI! Have been there 3 times ! Lucky !!!! Its a must experience at least once ! Yes, it is costly, but its worth it ! Love their food and wine pairing! Stuff is on point ! They take a great care of their customers ! Very relaxing atmosphere! Love it ! The selection of dishes on the menu and the way how they come out are following one of traditional Maōri stories. The story itself is incorporated into the ingredients and the name of a dish. Service is excellent ! Once a new dish arrived, a server will tell you a story how a dish is related to the story and why those particular inferior were chosen. Its such a great concept ! They also offer cocktails pairings. We got it every time we went there. Excellent choice ! They also accommodated my food allergies every time I was there ! You must go there once you are in Wellington. A truly unique place! ❤️👍👏

Such an amazing place. The decor and music is just so chilled out. The team running about are super amazing, friendly and knowledgeable. All questions were answered and the passion which they talked about their products and processes was heartening. The food and ethos behind it are incredible, I love the fact that there is an over all story tying the menu together, and each course is a chapter in that story A bit of a long night though, four hours from start to end, so make sure you have good company (or take advantage of their unique takes on classic cocktails 🤣) The husband had a valid criticism, a lot of the flavours seemed to be in the same wheelhouse (bitter, vinegary... shrub like?) For me, they were absolutely amazing, they weren't quite up his alley (even though he still ate it all and didn't give it to me...) All in all, I will definately be going back every season 😍

The best food experience I had in Wellington. The menu is delightfully crafted with meaning and purpose. Visually it's art and not only that, each dish tells a story. We get to plunge into the richness of the Māori culture and folklore, and eat what grows around our unique New Zealand bush. Monique Fiso thank you. Beautiful service with knowledgeable, personal and caring staff.

An amazing night with stunning food all dedicated to showcasing what makes NZ special. The service here is on par with the dishes. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable about the stories and ingredients being used. This absolutely a dining experience rather than just restaurant. Highly recommend.

We went here for an eight course dinner. The story they created around the dishes was so interesting and personalised the experience. It’s fine dining with a friendly vibe as the staff sit down next to you and explain the dishes. The food was very well thought out and left us not being able to pick just one favourite dish.

Simply the best restaurant I have been to, food was beautiful both in taste and visually. The story made it a much fuller experience, with even the music chosen to supplement this. Waiters were also fabulous. Booked to return the same evening, just a shame we have to wait until April, can’t wait for the next tale and food journey!

Wonderful culinary experience! Every dish is subtily prepared with a complex mix of tastes, textures and colours. You can pair with wine according to to each dish or go with your own pick. Perfect service with explainations on Maori traditional use of ingredients. We were delighted from delicate entry to surprising dessert. We would have loved to meet the chef...

It's definitely a unique experience. Loved that the chef came out and walked the floor. I love the decor. Also easy to hear... the ambience works. The food and beverage matching was amazing.