Te Awa Winery Cellar Door - Hastings

Not sure where the people giving this low ratings went our experience was first rate. The food is outstanding the best in Hawke's Bay, great ingredients, original concepts and beautifully prepared and presented. As a general rule a booking at a popular place like this is a good idea and if you haven't booked make sure to get someones attention as soon as you arrive not difficult. Also the menu is actually very easy and not that different to when we had lunch here 8 and 12 months ago. If you're a foodie, this is the place to go.

We came here for lunch, rather than specifically stopping for a tasting, after a recommendation. We were not disappointed. We went with the small plates to share between my wife and I. The local produce and tastes, as well as the obvious time, care and skill that went into the preparation was fantastic. There was a kids menu, but even that was taken to the next level. My son's nuggets even looked and tasted incredible. If you are able to make lunch here, and you like the small plates, many tastes mean style, then it is well worth it. We only tried some of the wines, so I can't speak to those with any accuracy.

I had the most amazing lunch here a couple of weeks ago. Not only was the food delicious but the service was excellent and that makes all the difference. I love all the small plates on the menu but on this occasion we had 2 of the large plates, the fish and the chicken and had to have the crunchy potatoes to accompany them. Delicious.

Went here again last weekend. As usual, the food and service was phenomenal. They had a wedding starting later in the afternoon but all was made clear when we booked and when we arrived. The menu follows a constant sharing plates formula but always with a few exciting seasonal twists. It's a joy to eat here and the charcoal ribeye with smoked bone marrow was to die for.

We arrived at Te Awa without a booking today and we were very pleased to be shown a table. We have a limited diet and the restaurant was able to cater to our restrictions without any need of adjustments. The slow cooked lamb with a parsley and cumin salsa was delicious as was the accompanying glass of syrah. The service was friendly and helpful. We will return.