Pinocchio

At the end of our beautiful meal at Pinocchio tonight (chef's choice tapas which were ah-maze-ing), we were treated by Elly to a tasting of their new dessert. It's Paul's take on a deconstructed cheesecake with the creamiest most divine cheesecake mousse, the sharpest smoothest passionfruit curd and the zingiest mango sorbet. It was a smash hit and we had to stop ourselves licking the plate � Best dessert they've ever done, so make sure you try it once it's on the menu!!!

We had two dishes. Ken had the fillet steak and I Had the duck. Both were.divine. The duck was so tasty with delicious mushrooms, a vege square of pumpkin on a potato base, spinach in a delicious sauce . Ken's steak was melt in the mouth and very tasty. Service was friendly and quick. Would definitely recommend.

Peroni on tap and delicious duck on the menu - what more Could you ask of a venue ?? Great service seasonal produce and fairly priced meals ! We had the duck as recommended by the lovely staff and it was delicious. Worth a visit for sure if your in martinborough

Popped on here for a coffee and desert.

Ordered a soy flat white and a green tea. The soy flat white was good. They can be a bit hit and miss but this was very enjoyable.

We also ordered the coconut panacotta with mango sorbet and berry mousse. It also came with some mini meringue. It was $17.00 but expertly constructed and presented. Each element delicate and delicious.

Staff were very friendly.

This meal was a complete performance by Pinocchio. I have not been so happy with all courses by a restaurant in quite some time, so this was quite a feat. In addition to this, on a busy pre-Toast Martinborough evening (which I was told that patrons were double the number that was usually served on a typical night), service was slick and pleasant, and there was absolutely no compromise on food.

For starters and entrees, we got:
- Duck liver parfait with toasts: this was ciabatta served with a generous dollop of duck liver. It was rich and creamy, with a hint of wine. I really enjoyed the saltiness of the liver, and there was a delicious sweet aftertaste. 

- Snapper ceviche, coconut, avocado, freeze dried mandarins, kumara crisps, hazelnut praline: at first I thought this dish was a little lost because I'm used to my ceviche served with more coconut cream. However, as I tucked in, I realised that every element worked extremely well together, with the sweetness of the mandarin contrasting to the tang of the ceviche, paired with the creaminess of the coconut and avocado. The kumara crisps and hazelnuts provided a good texture, which I really liked.

Mains we got:
- Confit duck leg, parsnip purée, kumara gratin, duck liver parfait, orange, spinach: this is their signature dish. While I regretted having chosen this main due to the reappearance of the duck liver parfait which we had tried in the starter, this thought disappeared in an instant because the saltiness of the parfait was a perfect addition to the wilted greens and sweetness of the orange sauce. The duck leg was very well seasoned and cooked to perfection - the skin was crisp and the meat so tender that it simply fell off the bone.

- Roasted beef fillet, bacon croquettes, asparagus, maple pumpkin, black truffle, mushroom, hazelnuts: The beef was done to medium rare perfectly and well rested. The croquettes were crisp and went beautifully with the creamy black truffle and sweet maple pumpkin. The asparagus was also crisp and provided some different textures which I liked. A good menu staple done well. 

Oh dessert. This warranted a picture with my face in it because I needed to be in the photo with the dessert. This was one of the best desserts I have ever tried and it all started with us asking the waitress what a creme fromage was. Upon being told that it was similar to a deconstructed cheesecake, I knew that I had met my perfect match. 

- Crème fromage, strawberries, milk chocolate, meringue, pistachios, biscuit: Be still my beating heart. This was up there in terms of taste, quality and presentation with the chocolate tapas platter from Zibibbo. I'm nibbling away when I think, oh hey! I wish there were more strawberries in this dish so that tartness balances out the creaminess and then voila! There is a pile of strawberries hidden underneath. The meringue, pistachios and biscuit crumbs provided a delightful crunch. There was even a generous serving of vanilla bean ice cream, which probably wasn't necessary, but it didn't subtract anything away from the creme fromage.

- Chocolate terrine, caramel, salted peanuts, vanilla bean ice cream: The chocolate was rich and dark and needed the sweetness and creaminess of the ice cream to balance it out. The peanuts added a bit of crunch and salt to the dish, turning it into some delicious form of Whittaker's Peanut Slab. 

Pinocchio is a gem in the Waiarapa. If you are passing through, this is a must-do for foodies (and dessert fiends).

This place definitely needs more recognition. My family and I went for a drive to the Wairarapa area. Out of the very few places to eat in Martinborough that had a rating in Zomato, we decided to go to Pinocchio as it looked the most family-friendly and it was not as busy and crowded as the others.

There were seven of us, unfortunately, given the limited indoor seating they had in a busy lunch time, there was not a table/area big enough to seat all of us together. The staff were very attentive and tried to accommodate us into one table, in the end we had to split up to two different tables. The outdoor area was unavailable due to the weather. 

The indoor area was quite small, therefore it was quite loud at times. The atmosphere was busy yet inviting. I liked their hanging lanterns from hanging ladders with vine decorations. They have a parents' changing room for babies.
 
Their menu consisted of one-page for meals, and six-pages for wine and beverages; definitely a go-to place for wine lovers. It was interesting how the drinks were served; I ordered their Watermelon and Mint Soda, it came with the bottle and a glass that already had a little bit of the soda poured in. It tasted like slightly-flavoured sparkling water. Their table salt and pepper does not come in a shaker, interestingly enough. 

I ordered their signature dish, Confit Duck Leg. Before I go in to details, I cannot remember the last time I had duck, but if duck always tasted like theirs, duck is my favourite meat.To people who have not tried amazing duck meat, this one had the rich and fatty goodness of pork (especially the crispy skin), and the tender texture of chicken. It came with parsnip puree, orange sauce, kumara gratin, and spinach. Parsnip as a raw vegetable does not look very appetizing to me, but their puree was great as it was creamy and sweet. Their gratin was so soft it almost melts. Their orange sauce had a very sour orange flavour, which was great to waken up your taste buds. Their spinach was bitter but not overpowering and not too soggy. All the flavours combined, create a perfect meal that never goes bland. 

We also ordered their West Coast White Bait Fritter and Smoked Salmon Fillet. My family were satisfied with both meals. Each part were cooked to perfection, from the crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside whitebait fritter, to the salmon fillet which really had a strong smokey flavour. 

Every bite leaves you wanting for more, not because of the gourmet-portions, but because of these well-married flavours. Everyone enjoyed their meals and we had a pleasant dining experience. I cannot wait to try more of their menu. I definitely recommend this place; and I will come back to Martinborough, even just to dine at Pinocchio.