We had a lovely experience for Valentines at the Kitchen Restaurant. My wife and I arrived at 9pm. The place was stunning with dim lighting in the main area and lots of candles everywhere. We were quickly greeted by a kind waitress and taken to our reserved table. Our table was right in front of kitchen not a very comfortable seating for a romantic dining experience as this particular part the restaurant is REALLY bright. There are about 5 tables in a straight line right in front of the Kitchen. We thought, we didn’t have much of a choice since it was reserved for us. Anyway after we were seated, our waiter for night kindly gave us a run down on the menu and fresh bread was then served to our table in no time. My wife asked me to asked our waiter if there was any chance to move to another table, I was a little hesitant at 1st, but then I did asked kindly when our waiter returned back with our wine we had ordered. In no more then 2 minutes he came back to us with a smile and asked us to follow him. We were relocated and seated right in front of the lovely 2 storey fountain with blue lights. Definitely WOW! The best seating location in the restaurant. They moved our wine for us and the table was ready for an awesome Valentine dining experience. For starters we ordered the “marinated pacific ocean kingfish” & my wife order “Cannelloni of waikanae crab” a must try dish, both pouring with lovely NZ flavours. For the mains we ordered “crisp skinned john dory” and “Pan seared Hapuka”, we were advised the Hapuka had run out so it was replaced by Snapper, all the dishes arrived perfectly in a timely manner considering it was Valentines and the restaurant was quite full…Both dishes were absolutely mouth watering and we really enjoyed THE GREAT hospitality from the wait staff. The manager also approached our table and asked if everything was going well. To finish this beautiful night with a desert we ordered white chocolate and pistachio bombe alaska. WOW….loved it, the taste of the roasted white chocolate still remains…All in all a great dining experience with fantastic staff….Pricing! definitely yes did come with a price tag. $194…but there was no compromise for service and quality. Just a suggestion to the restaurant is to control and lower the ambiance of the lighting in front area of the Kitchen.

Walked up the stairs from the advertised address off O’Connell St and managed to walk past the entry doors. There is no sign so better to enter via High St, as it’s easier to find and decorated in beautiful art deco with a modern elegance.

Arrived and was seated near the high water feature toward the back. The restaurant has a high ceiling with windows in the walls high up. Reminds me of an alley way. As a result the acoustics were fantastic for the exceptional live music on the night. Toward the end of the night the audience of 20+ were mesmerised by the talented performing artist, moving and taking seats closer to the stage.

Ordered half dozen Bluff Oysters (natural) and char grilled hawkes bay lamb (medium) and a side of roasted gourmet potatoes.
Bluff oysters were not on the menu, just in season, but on the board as I walked in.

Bread was offered before I ordered and a selection was displayed by the waitress. I chose the wholemeal bread from a choice of three. There was a bottle of olive oil on the table which the waitress poured onto the bread plate. Bread was nice with the olive oil and warm but too salty.

Bluff oysters were shucked perfectly and arrived at an optimum temperature. They were firm, almost to the point of being crunchy, absolutely delicious.

The lamb was cooked perfectly, and the portions were exactly equal and proportional on the plate. The caramelised onions on top one of the lamb pieces was too sweet for my taste and unnecessary. The vegetables were beautifully presented, drenched in the flavoursome sauce, but still remaining crunchy.

The side of baked potatoes didn’t need seasoning being well cooked, firm but fluffy and at the right temperature.

Service was very professional, personal and efficient through the whole experience. Recommend this venue as a superior quality dining experience, in food, surroundings, service and entertainment. Ideal venue for a relaxed, romantic night out for two.

Had late dinner Friday night before RWC semis. No booking but they managed to find table after 15 mins despite being very busy.

Having a number of starters rather than mains was no problem to the staff.

Great food and awesome service equals great night!

We had booked a table and ordered the Pre-Theatre menu (a main course, plus a glass of wine and coffee) and the 2-course Star Grazing menu (including a matching glass of wine with each course). We finished off with desserts to share. The food was wonderful, the desserts divine. Understandibly they are finialist of Cuisine. Great location, beautiful ambience and very friendly and helpful staff, neither pushy nor arrogant. We will certainly come again to enjoy this food experience

To say that I was blown away by my meal at Kitchen would be an understatement. The service was friendly and efficient, the setting in the Hotel Debrett was wonderful.

And the food… wow. My pork belly starter was excellent, and my duck main was incredible. On the recommendation of head chef Mark (who personally visited our table after our mains), I had the white chocolate parfait to finish. I would go back again just for that dessert; it was one of the most unique and interesting desserts I’ve ever had.

All in all, an incredible experience. Highly recommended.

I made a reservation for 4 people at 8.30pm on a Saturday night, my friends and I arrived and had a drink in the bar before hand. At 8.45pm we decided we should get to our table but when we got to the matre’d he informed us that our table wasnt ready, even though there was clearly a table available. When I pressed him about this he told us that the kitchen would be under too much pressure and we wouldnt enjoy the experience!!! So off to the bar we went until our table ‘was ready’. We heard another group complaining that they had been waiting since 8pm and that they would now be ‘going elsewhere’. We were finally called to our table 30 minutes after we had booked it. To be fair the manager was very apologetic and gave us a bottle of wine to compensate but it did leave a sour taste in our mouths and wouldnt dine there again as it is a high end and pricey place you would expect more. Good food all the same!!!!!

The food and service were very good.
Both mains were excellent, I had the hapuka which was delicious; my partner had the lamb which was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth.

The food was very well presented, extremely tasty, and the staff attentive without being in your face. Only comment was that maybe it is a little too hidden away as we were the only people in the restaurant that night.

A great venue with delicious food.

After a recent birthday dinner at kitchen I am already planning my next visit. From beginning to end our experience was superb. The staff were attentive; our lovely waitress Scarlett was helpful with her food and wine suggestions and always one step ahead with topping up our wines and water. The food was brilliant, a great menu with locally sourced produce. The pork belly entree was a real standout, perfectly cooked and served with black pudding and creamy butternut squash. The desserts were truly inventive and included a basil sorbet, peanut butter ice-cream with salted caramels and a melt in the mouth white chocolate parfait. Kitchen offers something unique for central city dining, the fireplace surrounded by sofas, beautiful table settings and unique furniture makes you feel like you could be at a friend’s home, for a long evening with great food and wine I can’t think of a better place!

Beautiful menu that we enjoyed last Friday. A nice environment for a business lunch. Helpful, efficient service.
I chose the rustichella linguini, as I was sold on the “candied jerusalem artichokes, preserved lemon, shitake, percorino” for $22.
It was very yummy. Though if the lemon was mixed throughout the dish to provide a more piquant flavour against the creamy linguini with every mouthful, I believe I would have called it ‘exquisite’. As it was however, I didn’t discover the lemon flavour until three concentrated bursts in my last three mouthfuls!! Still a flavoursome, interesting dish that I really enjoyed.

My husband and I stayed in the Hotel DeBrett in late December and enjoyed a “pre Show” dinner in the Kitchen Restaurant. This is excellent value for money at $35 and included a main from the menu along with a glass of wine and coffee. Both mains we had were excellent with the beef cooked to perfection and the slow cooked lamb melted in the mouth. We enjoyed it so much we returned to the bar area to listen to the live jazz on the Sunday evening and had two of the snack meals (lamb meatballs and haloumi with lemon and capers). Both were the same excellent standard. We will be back.

We had our annual office Xmas dinner for 17 people at the Kitchen last week. The food was very well presented , extremely tasty, and the staff attentive without being in your face. The ambience in the Kitchen gives the place a nice atmosphere and the glass roof where where you start in daylight and finish in the nightime is something a bit different. Consensus in our office next day was that it was a good choice. Kerry P

a wonderful lunch – I wanted to arrange lunch for ten so contacted the hotel. Michelle was extremely helpful, the table was in a separate part of the atrium so it felt like we had a private room.

The food and service were very good. The snapper was a highlight for many of us – perfectly cooked.

Ten happy people and ten converts to the kitchen, its people, food and wine

Last week I had lunch at the Kitchen and both the food and service were excellent.

I had the Salmon Salad and then the Poached Rhubarb for dessert and they were amazing. The lamb tagine looked great too! Portion sizes were perfect, not overly large but I was completely satisfied.

I was with a group of 10 people and all our meals were delivered promptly with friendly, helpful service.

The venue itself had sunlight pouring in and the tables were well spaced apart so we weren’t on top of anyone which was a nice change for inner city lunching.

I would fully recommend the Kitchen and cannot wait to try out the dinner menu myself!

Table for four, our first time dining at Kitchen. Loved the $15 glass of Moet. The atmosphere and decor are great in the bar, lounge and restaurant.

The duck and beef were both excellent, beautifully cooked and with great flavours.

Good service, attentive without being intrusive, great food and to top it off such a beautiful room if you want to treat yourself to a night in a fabulous boutique hotel.

Sarah

This was the second time my husband and I have had dinner at Kitchen. It was great when we went about a year ago and we wanted to go back.

Once again we very much enjoyed our experience. The dinner was delicious. My husband opted for an entree of seafood risotto. Very tasty. I had the roast hapuka which was melt in your mouth and my husband the duck which was very tender and aromatic. I was glad I’d left room for a dessert and found the rhubarb crumble to be great. We had a charming waiter and couldn’t fault the service.

I love the decor, and the spacious, yet intimate area the restaurant is set in. It has a laid back ambiance. It is so cozy and feels like such a haven, especially as it was a cold and rainy winters night out.

A minor gripe for me was my flat white was a little too milky for my liking.

We ended up staying the night at Hotel DeBrett as we were having such a good time over dinner and wanted to sample some cocktails in the bar.

A friend and I enjoyed the $25 lunch incl a glass of wine so much this week, we went back again within a few days>

Pumpkin and chorizo risotto was deliciously moist, perfectly cooked and rather enjayable with a glass of pinot gris.

Service was friendly, relaxed and professional and you get to sit in one of the coolest places in the city.

Go with friends because price is important and luxury at these price is incredibly good value.

Saturday night and a table for five – we were dubious as had heard mixed reviews but had heard the decor impressive and it was. The service was great while they took our drinks orders and until our two bottles of wine were empty – then, it was hard to attract any attention at all. The food was fine although three of us ordered lamb so checked and were reassured it was not rare but medium rare. When it arrived, it was rare so one decide to make do and two to return it. When it finally arrived back, it was good but our friends had finished their mains and the sides we had ordered were cold and nothing warm offered. $80 pp for a main course and drink is top end so disappointing. We won’t be back

I popped into Kitchen de Brett for a quick coffee and catch up with a couple of friends during lunchtime on a Wednesday because I was so wowed by the decor.

However, the maitre d’ shocked us with his very snobby attitude.

“Reservations?” he sniffed, looking down his nose at us. The place was less than half full.

When we told him we just wanted a coffee – “Oh. JUST a coffee.” he said, with another disdainful look at us.

WOW! What a rude, arrogant man! I will never go back (which is a shame, considering the beautiful design) and I hope this review will give everyone else fair warning.

Service was impeccable but the food is terribly disappointing. I could make better myself.

Vegetarians will suffer horribly – I suspect the vege food is kept under lights to fry itself to bits while the meat dishes are cooked.

No taste to speak of, the potato puree is just basic tasteless mashed potato. The green beans as a side dish were about the best thing we had.

Terribly overpriced, too.

The funky new interior and high atrium make this a gorgeous place to eat out. The food was excellent and service very friendly. Their current lunch special is great value as an introduction to this new restaurant.