Craggy Range 253 Waimarama Road, Havelock North, Hawke's Bay 4230

"We stopped here for lunch during a wine touring event. The wind are (of course) excellent and this rating is for the whole experience, not just the wine. The food itself was well worth the stop. Five stars for the food quality. It had a dazzling array of flavors, tastes, colors and presentations. Certainly Michelin quality. No complaints about the food. I will say it’s odd (to me) but that they offer a la cart, 3 course, and 5 course meal options—- but the whole table has to pick the same option. For our group of five the only choice we could all agree on was a la cart. Maybe there was a staffing issue, but the wait times were surprisingly long. This was a Tuesday 1p lunch. There were 4 tables of 4-6 people elsewhere in the restaurant. The kitchen is open viewing and there were 5 chefs working along with a wait staff of 3. No joke, the wait time between courses wa 30-40 min. Our meal took 2h for an entree and a main course. No apps or dessert. I don’t know if that’s what they’re going for, but on a day where we were touring wineries we had to cancel one stop because the f the delay. Also, again oddly to me, our server disappeared for 20+min and another waiter had to take over our table. Again maybe something was going on… not sure. I don’t think we’ll be back. Food was good tho."

"We had an exceptional dinner at the Craggy Range restaurant last night. My partner and I had the tasting menu and from the moment we walked in we felt very special and looked after. Our glasses never ran out and the food came out frequently. We cannot emphasise enough how good the food is! Interesting and delicious combinations and plenty of it. Sitting at the chefs table, we loved interacting with the kitchen and extra items that weren’t even on the menu came out as a special treat - including one of our favourites the paua, which was a great surprise. We paired with the premium wine tasting and for only an extra $20 would highly recommend. The first was Tattinger which in itself probably paid for the extra price tag. Our waiter looked after us excellently, with great knowledge of the wines that he was serving and a warm and charismatic touch. Nothing was ever too much - eg sensing we were full after the dessert he offered if we would like to share a dessert and they’ll make us some truffles to take away - absolutely just what we felt like. We will definitely be back next time we are in the Hawkes Bay."

"We had a wonderful experience at the cellar door, trying over 9 wines from their family and prestige ranges, paired with a fantastic meat and cheese board, particularly want to thank you for Kevin’s help, he gave us a wonderful time for this tasting session, lots of details of wines and story! Their cellar door is in a spectacularly beautiful building with views of Te Mata peak across the street. We also took dinner here and food was excellent, couldnt be better! Must visit!!"

"We were lucky enough to be able to snag a wine tasting experience without a booking, but book ahead to make sure you don't miss out. The staff were lovely and our wine connoisseur told us about each of the wines we were tasting, the regions and soil profile for each of the wines and how their wines might differ from others from the same region. The wine tasting came in two different classes, with the base 'family' wines costing $35pp, and the prestige tasting $65pp. The prestige tasting includes more wines and also includes side by side tasting of different wines of the same variety or vintage - a real treat for anyone who enjoys wine. Whilst it was a little steep price wise to what we are used to, the whole tasting experience was unique and ultimately we were very happy to pay what we did. The wines themselves were delicious and are to be enjoyed for what they are - don't compare them to what you might be used to from Australia/Europe etc. The Chardonnay was a treat and a real eye opener having never had a drinkable, let alone enjoyable, Chardonnay back home. The Sophia blend was also a real stand out. Food platters were available and ours was delicious, showcasing beautiful local and seasonal produce. The caramelised walnuts were a hit. The grounds and views from the cellar door were also amazing. This winery is a must visit if you are in the Napier/Hawkes Bay region of NZ. Book ahead of time, and allow a good 2 hours at least to make the most of the whole experience if going for the premium tastings."

"Outstanding, absolutely loved our stay here during our honeymoon. The cottages are nicely decorated & very clean and the views are beautiful. Robin was super nice and helpful. Highly recommend!"