Meal and service was great, couldn’t fault it and what a view!! I had the beef fillet wich was superb, my wife enjoyed the rack of lamb. Entree and desert was also delicious, every dish was very well presented.

Wow, boy has Paul He done some work around this place in the least 12 months! What was once a chalet style regional restaurant that somehow got lucky and was dropped on top of a hill with the most magnificent views has now been landscaped and is truly worthy of wedding venue status with a gorgeous gazebo and a perfect 270 degree backdrop.

This is our second visit to the Peak, and our second dinner here and this one was better than our last.

The complementary Amuse-bouche – a new offering of palate amusements prior to our starters were an admirable attempt – the home baked bread rolls were a little yeasty and flavourless (and would have been better accompanied by a cold falvour-infused butter, rather than warm unsalted); the cold broccoli soup was over seasoned and a bit too adventurous for most; the prawn stuffed with mushroom was a good attempt but completely overpowered by the black truffle stuffing (a citrus or ginger stuffing would have been better). With some small corrections here these offerings could well make a magnificent start to what is sure to be a delightful culinary excursion.

We shared a starter of the Skipper lobster (as did many other diners) and it did not disappoint. Beautifully warmed the soft moist flesh was served in the shell and covered in a delightful pesto, on top of a capsicum puree and accompanied by a cous cous stuffed tomato. This went perfectly with our wines by the glass from an exceptional wine menu that Paul really must be congratulated for – it’s such a delight as a couple to journey through exceptional and different wines by the glass rather than having to order whole bottles.

My main was venison, and despite feeling just a little guilty about eating this meat when the deer roam freely around in the paddock next door, their antlers majestic in the evening light, the dish was a triumph – the perfectly cooked melt in your mouth venison sat on top of a rich velvety savoury chocolate jus aside a vegetable puree which was dotted with delectable onion and mushroom morsels. My partner’s dish of duck two ways was also exceptional – the filo parcel of bananas, raisins and grapes an unusually well matched accompaniment to the perfectly cooked duck. The unexpected platter of mixed vegetable was welcomed. And did I mention the wines by the glass were exceptional? Gosh your NZ Pinots are getting good.

Watching the array of fine looking desserts wafting past us it was hard to make a choice – the Tiramisu looked divine, as did the chocolate fondant cake. Feeling like something a little lighter we chose the Pina Colada dessert and I fear we chose the poorest selection on the menu. It was not very Pina or Colada-ish and was nice, but somewhat bland and very small to share.

Aorangi Peak really is one of Rotorua’s top restaurants. I suspect a better approach for this restaurant is to adopt the ‘2 or 3 course fixed price’ policy rather than a la carte, where a palate cleansing sorbet could also be added between courses and the Amuse-bouche could be refined.

Overall service was a little slow, I suspect due to slowing patronage due to the current economic times making additional staffing difficult whilst keeping the prices in a reasonable affordable range. But Paul was careful to spend time with each diner and give them a personal touch, adding to their experience. But at Aorangi Peak, apart from the incredible food and wine, you come here for the incredible view – and there aren’t enough stars to rate that.

This is a highly recommended restaurant, in fact you must go – it’s imperative.
Restaurants in Rotorua come and go, but this one is a true treasure that needs to be supported, and enjoyed to the full.