Review Cafe Fenice - Auckland

Fenice was beautiful. Recommended by the host on the Explorer bus, we went to what she referred to as her favourite place on the island. We were not disappointed! The coffee was delicious, the olives were divine, and the service was incredible. The staff member with his long hair tied back was hilarious and made our visit even better.

Quaint and quiet. Great spot for a quick coffee and pastry. I visited during the off season and it was raining on the Island. The staff had a fireplace and started a cozy fire for us.

I felt the food was really nice, my wife and I very much enjoyed it a lot. A nice atmosphere with a friendly service

I really enjoyed this restaurant as recommended by a lady I met on the local bus as a lot of other places close so early. The girls working here were so friendly and attentive and great with their recommendations of food and beverage. I loved the ambience, a lovely spot for those chilly evenings :)

Just went here for dessert one evening and we had the most lovely experience! The tiramisu was absolutely divine, everything you’d want in a tiramisu; creamy, sweet, coffee soaked and fluffy. Not to mention the portions were very generous! Also they offer coconut milk for coffees ( feel like not all places do). So that was brilliant. The service was amazing, we felt very looked after. Couldn’t recommend Fenice enough!

Amazing pizza absolutely melted in our mouths, the wine 🍷 was the perfect complement too, highly recommended 5 stars

The pizzas are certainly the best on Waiheke, Malone's pub is the only one that comes close. The bread and sauces are similar to what I've had in Nice, the decor is in keeping with both the cuisine and the island, the staff are top notch, especially Dillan. Bit pricey but the food is excellent.

Lovely Cafe with cool atmosphere and a real "local" vibe. Coffee was very good and food also.

Really nice spot to get some food! Delicious coffees. We had the margarita pizza with the side salad that had pear and walnut, it was the perfect sized lunch for two people and not crazily overpriced like most of the restaurants on Waiheke! Would recommend

It’s a pretty nice bar but an ok restaurant. Staff and owner here are super friendly and nice. Food options are limited and the portions is quite small. Pork belly is the best dish! Crispy from the outside and tinder in the inside! Octopus is real nice too!

This place was open when oyster inn wasn't so that's why we tried this place. But it was fortunate that we ended up here because the food was so nice. The fresh pizza oven baked pizzas were so nice. The drinks were nice. The food and service was really good quality. Very welcoming and we were happy to have ended up here for lunch

I’m still thinking about how wonderful the food is here. Absolutely tantalising Italian food. The award winning mushroom ravioli and also award winning duck risotto are just perfect. Everything you’d hope for in modern Italian cuisine. You must try if you go to Waiheke.

The food was delicious, and the service was great. Really recommend visiting if in Waiheke island.

Came for a light lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Ordered a pizza and fries to share. Good size portions and the food was delicious. Neat decor and easy to spot from the main road. The only downside I would like to point out, is that they only do Smoothies until 2pm. I could not order one at 2.05pm unfortunately.

One of the best breakfasts I've ever had. Pricey but worth it! The ambiance is perfect, the food is very high quality. One of the best almond cappuccinos ever and the waffles are to die for. You cannot go to Waiheke and not have a brunch here, it is a must. We ordered the eggs benedict (hollandaise sauce lacked a bit of acidity), the homemade granola, and the waffles. Absolutely gorgeous food!

Cutest and cosiest place I've been to in a very long time! Highly recommended! Loving the charm!

Gorgeous little restaurant. Excellent location. Love the open fire. Had different place booked for our third night but went back a second time. Loved it!

Attentive, ambient, and delicious. Calamari entree was a generous helping of fried calamari rings so big that everyone thought they were onion rings. The non-marinara sauce pasta had some great, tender duck and this mushroom based sauce wasn't too bad. I do wish the pane (bread) had a little more something to it to make it unique like pieces or cloves of garlic inside bc else it's just basic ciabatta with olive oil. Decent craft beer selection and of courses there's loads of wine (the bottles are like minimum $52 though so don't expect to get away for less). Seating indoors and half outdoors were both nice; inside feeling a little more apt for romantic date nights.

My husband and I went here on our honeymoon and we loved our dining experience! 😍 Lovely food, good service and a nice atmosphere.

Wow.... 5 ravioli swam in a pool of oil , enough to fry stuff in. What’s with the mozzarella on the pizza? Consistency of process cheese but only worse, zero flavor and base was so thick half of it was soggy from the “mozzarella “ . Great fries from supermarket, as was the beer. Hats off to the special catch up that came with the fries, home made with real capsicum. Not just a tourist trap, trap for all

We arrived without a booking on a busy night. We weren’t greeted and there was no obvious place to wait to be seated, so we ended up waiting at the counter behind people who were paying. We were then seated in the alleyway. The food was good, but the place was really let down by the service. <br/><br/>Our food was very slow to come out, and above that we barely saw any staff members all night - perhaps because we didn’t seem like big spenders. Unfortunately due to the slowness of staff and their failure to check up on us, we ran out of time to get dessert before we had to catch our bus home. Of note also was that our cutlery from our entree was placed back on our serviettes by the waiter, not replaced for our mains. While I’m understanding of a busy night, it felt as if we were being dismissed or ignored by the staff which doesn’t really lead me to recommend this place. <br/><br/>(Also, we heard a couple discussing how to ask the waiter about their dessert as it had been a long wait for them too - over half an hour for tiramisu seems like a very long time.)

Food was good, service a little slow. Our drinks came out after we had just finished eating our food. Was a little disappointed that the menu said Timmy Smith teas (boutique Waiheke island made teas) and when my tea came out it wasn’t Timmy Smith but a more generic brand. They have some gluten free options.

Second time I've been, food was lovely. Cocktails were on point. Great spot.

Cool rustic authentic Italian cafe / restaurant - right down to the Italian staff! Excellent food and the best coffee I’ve had in years!! A bit on the pricey side overall and excellent eatery with genuine Italian food.

Cute little Italian spot, lovely after dark, a good range of local wines, but have to recommend the delicious Wild Prawn and Goat Cheese Agnolotti, was absolutely superb!

We have been here twice, the first time We really enjoyed the flavours of our meals however the mushroom ravioli I believed was slightly under. I sent it back the waitress was very apologetic and they offered to cook is a new one. It was cooked better the second time however with a 30 minute wait. <br/><br/>We decided it must have been an off night and returned. <br/><br/>Upon our second visit, we again really enjoyed the flavours of the meal but the duck pappardelle was again under and the sauce was very watery. It needed to be reduced longer for depth and consistency. <br/><br/>This place is just to expensive to be making such rookie mistakes. Won’t return.<br/><br/>FYI: We have travelled Italy and dine out regularly and know very well what al dente tastes like - this was UNDER <br/><br/>

My daughter and I came here for lunch. We were looking for a lightish, freshly made tasty meal. I ordered the bruscheta and she ordered the carbanara. We had a lovely little table outside with a great view of the busy little town. Service was good...but the food was devine! Super tasty and definitely freshly made. Happy lunchers 😁

Was looking for coffee during the late evening so points for them being open to be able to make it for us. Unfortunately the staff were very rude in their service and their mocha was basically milk with a dash of chocolate powder sprinkled on top.

A few weeks ago, we were at Waiheke not enjoying very much our lunch. This time we chose a cafe with similar ratings.<br/>My wife had a muffin & a slice of pizza with meat, whereas I had a peppardelle with confit duck which was rich in cheese & nicely cooked. The buttermilk waffles & creamy mushrooms also looked very nice indeed. Coffees were hot & lovely.<br/><br/>(Food - 4.5/5; Service - 4/5; Ambience - 3/5)<br/>Visited 10 December 2018

We went to fenice for brunch on a windy wiaheke day. It's a rustic traditional Italian place in the heart of oneroa with really good service. My partner had the confit duck papperdelle, which was full of flavour and al dente pasta. The only criticism is that it could of had a little more sauce. I had the creamy mushrooms which again was packed with flavour and swimming with yummy sauce. Portion size was decent and cost-wise is about on par for waiheke.

A bit pricey pizzas! but def worth to eat.<br/>Best capsicum salsa I’ve ever tasted (with fries).<br/>Nice and cosy place (came here winter time).<br/>Great service!<br/>Surely we’ll be back when we visit Waiheke again.

came for breakfast in a rainy morning. Coffee was good, but bad service. it was not busy when we just sit down, it took a long time to serve our order. When we realised they made a mistake on our order, we called the waitress, but she did not want to come over at all.

Came here twice during our Waiheke weekend. Once for a yummy brunch (I can recommend the mushroom dish), and then again for dinner which was very delicious as well!

Have been fortunate to come here multiple times when visiting Waiheke. The quaint atmosphere with attentive staff and good food lends itself to be one of the best unique pasta places in Auckland, let alone Waiheke. Make sure to try the Ravioli and the pizzas!

We came here six years ago and returned today, I think it has improved on what I already would have rated at least a four. Beautiful food, generous portions. We had grazing plates, and the kids had pizza and chicken - which were adult sized portions! Staff were very professional and helpful and it was just perfect!

Cute italian resturant. Food done well. Vegetarian pizza could have been better. The flavours clashed a little. Overall good experience on the mainstrip of Waiheke

Horrible service, average and overpriced bland food. Waiter took 2 of our drinks orders then walked away when there were 2 of us left waiting for her to take our order. Table was dirty when we sat down, politely asked them to clean it - the lady rolled her eyes and wiped it and walked away quickly without giving us new cutlery or water/glasses. $30 for a handful of venison meatballs and zucchini noodles that were bland. Very disappointed and would not recommend.

These guys have some of the most well trained staff in the Island! Great food! Sometimes gets a bit hot inside so don't dress for the artic. <br/>Best for dinner.

Fabulous food, excellent staff, great ambience what more could you ask ?<br/>:-:-)<br/>Many thanks Fenice you are always on our must dos when visiting.

Great service, food was amazing although would have liked to see a few more "traditional" Italian options i.e. carbonara or something with a white sauce, a lasagna etc

Second night in a row eating here because the food is so good. Lovely service by Italian staff. Superb coffee too. Favourite dish had to be the Smoked Salmon Agnolotti with a prawn bisque.

This is my favourite cafe on waiheke. They are good value and I love their eggs Benedict. The old fashioned plates and cutlery are verry cool and the service is great. Very cosy place too. Can be a bit hard to get a seat on a busy night but well worth the wait!

Food was ok, but service very slow. Charged me wrong amount of money, called them out and they gave the most absurd reasoning when the receipt said differently to what they had said.

We visited for breakfast with friends and were really impressed with the coffee. The service was great and the food (though it did take a while to arrive) was really nice. <br/>Served on cute vintage mis match crockery which really gave it some personality.

We stopped in with our kids for a quick meal on a Sunday of long weekend. Staff were able to find us a table and when they noticed our kids were distracted have them some books to colour in. Food came quickly and was very good. Our kinds loved their Pizza & Pasta and my wife and I really enjoyed our Pasta dishes. All the Pizzas looks great .... would go back and make it a longer stay next time.

We went to Fenice on Saturday night without a booking. They managed to get us a table for 20 minutes later so we were happy with that. We should have looked at the menu on the first run, because once we went back to be seated we were disappointed with the menu. Only 4 pastas to choose from and 4 mains. Lots of pizzas. We ordered 2 pizzas to share between 4, which was enough as they were large pizzas. They were a bit bland though. Our starter was garlic & herb pizza bread to start which was ok, but also a bit bland. We couldn't really taste the garlic.  For $28 for a pizza I'd expect more flavour.<br/><br/>The atmosphere was good, the fires were lit and it was warm and cosy on a miserable cold and wet night.<br/><br/>However, the toilets were an absolute disgrace. I wouldn't expect to see heaps of hand tissues overflowing out on the floor in the cubicle like this at a restaurant at 7:30pm - more likely to see that in a bar/club at 2am. They were grotty and had no toilet paper so all in our group used the hand towels, which isn't great for the sewage system on an island. There is really no excuse for any restaurant to have toilets like that. I wouldn't go back.

Fence is a very popular restaurant in Oneroa area. We visited there based on a few recommendations and it certainly didn't disappoint us.<br/><br/>We ordered the Smoked salmon Agnolotti , the salmon pizza and the pepperoni olive pizza. The agnolotti was Amazing! The sauce was so rich yet refreshing. The citrus taste added a lot of flavour to the dish, it's s very creative and smart idea. The pizzas were made perfectly and they're very generous with the toppings. <br/><br/>Nice atmosphere and music. Service wasn't the best, but all staffs were friendly.<br/><br/>

Our lunch was very ordinary - a chicken salad drenched in dressing & low on chicken & an average short rib sandwich.<br/>Very expensive for what it was. It took a long time for our order to be taken but the wait staff were very friendly, however, <br/>the guy at the till needs to learn to engage with customers - very sour & snotty.

Food was delicious, two of our group were vegetarians and the menu caters well. We had an unusually long wait for our mains (40 mins between starter and main) and when we suggested maybe a drink to keep us sweet, we were literally laughed at in the face. A little more decorum would have been appreciated or maybe an alternative suggestion to keep us happy. Atmosphere was lovely and the cocktails are well worth a try.

Lovely wee cafe with a varied breakfast menu.  The french toast was spectacular!<br/><br/>All other meals were well received.  Picky/light eating 10 year old even had another croissant which is really saying something.<br/><br/>The service was spot on too.  Friendly but not overbearing.<br/><br/>Shame we did not have time to return for dinner.

Food her was hit and miss fish was tarakehi which could have Been fresher and green Beans side a little bland, pork belly was also little flavourless however the special grilled spackcock on mash with mushrooms was very juicy and lovely as well as the pizza!! Also tiramisu was Delish and the gelatos

Brunch. - aloof wait staff, 45 mins wait for food, which was small and average for price. Bacon had to be sent back as it was still stuck together and uncooked.restaurant was not busy enough to account for its failings.

Popped in last Sunday night for a pizza and pasta both tasty and also had a lovely bottle if Rose as one does when dining on Waiheke.<br/>Great cafe relaxed and great service we had prosciutto pizza mushroom ravioli yum!

Only having 2 nights on the island and so many appealing restaurants, we chose here. <br/><br/>We had not booked, so when we walked in and saw it was pretty much full it looked doubtful we would get an indoors table, still a bit chilly to sit outside.<br/><br/>The selection of dishes was not vast (excluding the pizza), which is someways made it easier, but me being a fussy eater, it was harder. In the end, I had Mushroom ricotta ravioli, and my wife had the fish of the day. Our meals were not too long in winging they way out to us. We both enjoyed them and thought the pricing was about average for our dishes.<br/><br/>I think in the summer months, booking ahead would be a very wise choice. I did like the small cozy atmosphere, the staff were quite friendly.

My friend and me ce for dinner and ordered the roasted lamp rump. Oh my goodness, definitely a must try!!! The food was amazing. The dessert was so yummy. I had the apple crumble and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The prices for my meals were fair

We had a fantastic expresso Martini in front of the fire. Service was great cocktails were splendid. What a super way to enjoy a lazy winter's afternoon!

Cute little resturant... had lunch with a group of 20. The staff were very accommodating. Fireplace was going and it seems our larger group did not interfere with the rest of the resturant. The Italian wine was superb, gr8 to see a selection to choose from. Garlic bread was served with a mozzarella cheese and garlic chives, although bland and required some salt. However still recommend. I then had a salami, olives, anchovies pizza. Wow, I was impressed, the base was crispy and tasted good, not to doughy. The flavour of the pizza was just right and certainly not bland at all. I would come to waiheke just to get another pizza from this little gem. Complements went all round the table. Service from the staff was great, however nobody asked during our meal whether everything was ok... in saying that we wouldn't have been non the wiser as the good food was distracting. Please note the pizzas are filling. Easily able to share per 2 people. <br/>In short brilliant Italian resturant for a really gr8 price... up there with one of my favorites.<br/>Service 7/10<br/>Food 8.5/10<br/>Pricing 9/10

Well the night started off good nice breeze and the weather was good for dinner time. ordered lamb roast and pork belly + martini and a passion fruit 42 below. They said lamb would take 30 minutes to make which was ok. we ordered duck fat chips which was awesome! After 30 minutes I get served with pork belly and fish (which wasn't my order) they said their sorry and they will start to make it straight away which would take another 30 minutes. ate the fish instead because I didn't want to wait. for 34 bux a plate the portions were horrible didn't fill me up at all and the fish was gone really fast lol but over all only thing I liked about the place was the breeze outside and the duck fat chips. service well wasn't the best but hey no biggy huh Oh and the Tiramisu was horrible. it was heavily coffeed up to the point u start to gag but we ate it non the less -_-

We've eaten here once and really enjoyed it. The food was lovely, albeit a bit oily. We had fish of the day, mushroom ravioli and eggplant for starters. Great wine list and atmosphere was cosy and warm. Staff seemed very busy but got around to everybody. Will visit again.

I returned to the Fenice as I was invited by Locals , the rat pack of boring males weren't there this time . So that was good . But unfortuantely the place did not come up to the standard of what one would expect in such a location . The prices were high and the staff did not do enough for customers I always felt that people were being moved unneccesarily . If it is wet and windy why should others have to move to accomodate more customers . The locals I suppose are just used to it . The problem with Fenice it is just not right could be a great breakfast place when the sunrises over the bay .

I have read the reviews on here with disbelief... can only think that Fenice went through a bad patch last year? <br/><br/>We were here on Sunday following some pretty average cocktails at top dollar at the Oyster Bar a few doors down - by the way I think the boorish business men have taken to drinking there now... but back to Fenice, it was a cool spring evening and it was quite early as we had to catch the 8.15pm ferry, so we had a good choice of seating options, choosing to cosy up by the real log fire - nice. The lighting was soft with pretty chandeliers over head and candles on the tables. A gorgeous rose adorned our table putting the perfect touch on an already very romantic setting. We had very friendly service - we alerted our waitress to our time constraints and nothing was a problem. Our coats were taken and hung up, the wine came quickly and the two pizzas we ordered were excellent - I am very much of the Less is More school of thought where it comes to Pizza and all the options sounded well balanced and tempting. I had the Fenice which is prosciutto, parmesan &amp; rocket, and my husband chose the Diavola - red onion, salami, chilli &amp; basil. Big tick. While we were there about another 5 groups of two and three came in and settled in - it is a good space with plenty of nooks and crannies meaning you don't have to have someone at your elbow. All I can say is that currently it is a charming and well priced venue, providing an intimate, yet casual night out - perfect for romance! We would return in a moment!

Average at best.<br/><br/>Ok, so this is one of those places that thinks it's the bees knees, charges full whack but underperforms. Its target market are clearly the Remuera style day trippers.<br/><br/>Has potential but currently doesn't warrant returning.<br/><br/>The restaurant was full when we were there. The welcome was a bit luke warm despite reservations. <br/><br/>After being seated a jug of water arrived instantly, but then 15 minutes passed before I had to grab the waitress to place a drinks order. <br/><br/>The attention to guests by the 3 staff was minimal. What makes me nervous is when waiting staff don't use a notepad or anything to take down the orders. <br/><br/>Halfway through the meal the bar tender girls secret Italian admirer stood at the bar staring over the diners for the first beer, then for the second beer sat on the outside balcony area playing stupid games on his phone. Does anyone find it relaxing to have those squeaky beeping noises in the background in a restaurant?<br/><br/>Focaccia is not the same as a big wad of pizza dough sprinkled with half the worlds supply of fancy salt. Greasy stodgy pizza dough is not good enough!<br/><br/>One huge c.ock up in the restaurant business... and here comes my free advice... when a customer is still chewing their entrees how dare you slap the mains on the table and walk away!! I wasnt in the mood for an argument so I didnt tell the waitress to take the mains back in to the kitchen... for fear it would sit around and go cold in this place. <br/><br/>Risotto was creamy but lacked any flavour. Reminded me of baby food.<br/><br/>Pizza was bland. I was crying out for tomato ketchup to pimp it up but decided it would be rude to cover their pizzas in the red sauce.<br/><br/>Couldn't be bothered with desserts. <br/><br/>If youre going to hire seasonal Italian backpackers as staff at least ensure their english is understandable. We had no idea what was on the "specials".<br/><br/>Summary... there are better places for Italian style food on the island... steffanos would be the direct and better competition here...<br/><br/>When on Waiheke give your customers a warm Waiheke welcome and service, not the pretentious disinterested Remuera style of service.<br/><br/>Invest in a chef that has more finesse, and if your chef has this ability already then get management to let the chef cook to their potential.<br/><br/>Average imitation Italian style food may be adequate for day trippers but guess who pays the wages in the off season... yip, those of us that either live on Waiheke or spend a lot of time here.

Came over to Waiheke on the weekend, saw the $15 lunch ad outside, the waitress had to check with the kitchen, and then told us they don't do it on the weekend, after we had ordered drinks, not good. The staff were friendly, and apologetic.<br/>But false advertising is not acceptable.

My partner and I visited Waiheke last weekend and decided to have dinner at Fenice. We arrived and were told that although a table wasn't available, we could have a drink and some snacks at the bar while we waited for a table to free up. The woman at the bar was friendly and looked after us until we were given a table. We had the polenta chips while we waited, which were okay, but a little mushy. Once we were given a table, we ordered the rice balls and the bean and peach salad to start, which were both fantastic. We then ordered the risotto and the fish of the day which were equally as good. We were too full to try their desserts, but they looked lovely. The place was very busy, so understandably, the staff were a little overwhelmed, but made an effort regardless to make us feel very welcome. The setting is lovely (if a little dark), the service is really good, but the food was the highlight. Next time we visit Waiheke, we'll definitely give Fenice another go.

I do not accept free meals as compensation........<br/>Lovely location wonderful service but during the meal a group of men arrived and stood at the bar service area . Loud shouting and boorish behaviour was all I could describe it as . No one could compete customers endured the noise. After a wonderful holiday on the island [wet most of the time] I wished to shout my partner and her friend to a no price limit evening out .$1.00 or $......00 .These men I have been told do it often come and rave up . They are known and I know who they are . Privileged positions and indiscretion is all I can describe it as . I do not recommend this place except to the deaf and battle hardened . I did not enjoy the mans back side moving closer and closer towards the table till it protruded almost across the table , what sods . I have been going to the island since 1956 , the locals identified these men and I was horrified as to who they were . I did not complain because I did not wish to loose my temper . BB money is not a problem .......[Oh the food was wonderful the service was great .....but what a boorish loud group of men who do it often after work according to the locals I must repeat again and again ].I would recommend trying else where .

A few weeks ago my friends and I came into Fenice on a beautiful sunny Thursday afternoon for a couple of wines and a light meal. The staff seemed very per-occupied even though there was only one other group of guests in the restaurant. We waited a long time before being served whilst the staff chatted amongst them selves.<br/><br/>The only gluten free options was some fries or polenta chips. When we tried to ask the staff member serving us some questions about the food, she walked off, not sure if english was her first language, that's ok, she just lacked politeness.<br/>My friends pizza's were nice and my chips were ok. However, we were eagerly waiting to order some more wine and food as we had finished everything else a least 10 mins prior. With empty glasses and empty plates in front of us we then decided to leave. <br/>It's a shame because the space is lovely and the food is nice, but the service was terrible. Hopefully some more gluten free options become available in the future too.

My partner and I dined here about two weeks ago, and will definitely will be coming back. The Maitre d' was extremely friendly and made us feel very welcome. We shared the calamari which wasn't over cooked which I come across at some restaurants. My partner got the rabbit which he said was amazing! I got the pizza with artichoke, mushroom, olives and ham which I enjoyed but found it a little strange that all the topping were on separate parts of the pizza, rather than mixed. Personally I would have preferred them to be altogether. other than that we our experience was very pleasant.

What a cute little place. We really enjoyed our meal here. The staff were amazingly friendly and fun. We were served by a very bubbly Italian girl. The wine list was small, but had a good selection of NZ and European wines (by the glass too, which i love!) My partner and I shared some very tasty Calamari and Arancini to start, then I had a beautiful rabbit pasta, (they make all their own pasta there fresh) and my partner had a very traditional looking seafood pizza. Yum, I'm getting hungry again thinking about it. Looking forward to our next visit.

Firstly let me tell you if I had wrote this review in the first 6 weeks of this restaurant opening it's doors then I would have awarded it 5 stars. We have dined here frequently since it opened and only had high praise for it in the beginning. <br/><br/>Fantastic produce, beautiful salads and cup cakes, sublime stuffed crusty baguettes with Proscuitto etc, gorgeous pizzas with authentic imported mozzerella cheese, and small attentions to details like flakes sea salt served in tiny square ramekins with mother of pearl serving spoons.<br/><br/>These are the beginnings of a restaurant that is serious about customer satisfaction. Unfortunately 3 months down the line all this has degenerated. The last time I went to purchase one of there beautiful sandwiches to take away I was offered a cut tiny square of foccacia filled with pallid cold bacon instead of my much dreamt about Proscuitto,,,,nightmare!!!!<br/><br/>The restaurant has been sub zero in temperature on an evening with clients sitting in coats and scarves INSIDE THE RESTAURANT. Also the wine glasses used to have pour marks on them and now they don't so upon ordering 3 separate glasses of wine in one evening, the first pour was generous with the 2nd and 3rd being decidedly ungenerous, not good enough at $12 a glass<br/><br/>We ate there for the final time this week, a new menu which for us was uninspiring, and the pizzas when arrived were bland and generic, no sign of their lovely signature fresh mozzarella melted over them anymore.<br/><br/>Big shame, seems greed and profit over what they first opened with has taken over. We won't be back

Quite a let down. Four of us dined and we all agreed the food was nothing more than very average. A huge shame as the place had the makings of an icon. We wont be going back.

My wife and I happened upon Fenice on what was a getaway weekend we had long looked forward to for some time. Having recently been bought by the Mudbrick, Fenice came highly recommended, and on this basis we felt it was worth a try.<br/> <br/>At the outset Fenice provided exactly what we were after. The maître d' is lovely, and certainly does her best in what seems to be a very popular establishment. The bar staff are also equally keen to please and personable.<br/><br/>Unfortunately our night was sullied by pure bad luck. The pure bad luck that was being placed in the one section of the restaurant which was, evidently, serviced by a tantruming toddler, who quite obviously would rather be anywhere other than at Fenice that night. Perhaps her rostered shift clashed with a friends 21st, or perhaps she has more personal issues that we weren’t aware of. I guess we’ll never know.<br/><br/>Regardless, the resulting attitude from our waitress and inherent lack of service ruined what may have been a lovely night. Both my wife and I have worked in hospo for many years, both in the Ponsonby Road caffeine front line, and my wife in one of the best and most awarded fine dining establishments, and we know what a busy (and chaotic) night can be like, and I would like to think we are very understanding. And yet, it was not the delays or cock ups we were miffed by, (for as we know these can be smoothed over) but more the appalling lack of service, compounded by out and out rudeness. Basic manners fell to the way side, and frankly this is not good enough. You’d find better at your local chipper. Which was sad given our initial experience. We were left to request the entire evenings proceedings, including cutlery, water and order, which isn't great is it.<br/><br/>Our personal experience aside, it must also be said that all other staff were professional, personable, and certainly making the whole place hum. And hey, the food was OK. Not great, but OK, and certainly this was all that the lady and I were looking for on a night away from the kids. Their basic fare plus some reasonable hospitality would have more than sufficed.<br/><br/>Would we try Fenice again? Quite possibly, Yes. No doubt the joint is the better for ambience in Oneroa, and most there are doing their very best. Which is important. And as we know, one sub-standard waitress doth not maketh the place. But please, send the tantruming toddler back to playschool. She still has some basic learning to do!