Review Matakana Market Kitchen - Matakana

Amazing food, great vibes and good location. We got the Sicilian chicken, eggs Benedict, steak and eggs, and chorizo with salad. All the dishes tasted amazing, and were cooked well and fresh. The cocktail selections were good too. And really good service. Can’t say enough about this place. Thank you!

Delicious food, and a nice atmosphere. It was a bit cold the night we visited, so we asked to be seated at a different table. The staff were helpful and accommodating. The food was very well presented, and tasted wonderful, with decent portion sizes. A couple of spelling mistakes in the menu, which gave us all a good laugh.

Three of us turned up for lunch and what a great experience we had. Our server, a wonderful lady who had wit and charm, settled us at our table and looked after us wonderfully. We enjoyed duck tacos, the seafood chowder and the baked brie. And we shared a punnet of chips. The food was really top knotch. Even the chips that are such a mainstay of dining out in New Zealand can often be very poor. These were crisp, non oily and flavoured so wonderfully with garlic that really elevated the humble chip to hero. The outlook was nice, looking out over a small inlet with ducks playing on the water. Parking was easy. Very highly recommended.

One of the best restaurants in Matakana New Zealand. You can find Sri Lankan prawn curry with rice and sambol. The selection is massive and delicious. Have separate menu's for brunches, breakfast, lunch and dinners. Hope to go back there again someday.

Fabulous place. We booked the day earlier and lucky to get a place. We had some drinks and shared a starter, main and dessert. The quality of the food and the service was fantastic. We had a nice walk up and down the street post our dinner. The place is a little tricky to find but nothing major. Highly recommended

A quiet little corner of a quiet little place, eating on the terrace by the river or inside with the modern decor makes it a great atmosphere. We arrived mid afternoon and they had space but it had previously been full as it's so popular. The food and drinks were fresh, tasty and really well presented. Portions too left us all feeling satisfied.

Fantastic fresh food and service. Scallops in half shell was prefect, rib stack and prawn cesar salad where all faultless and super yummy. The service was warm quick and efficient. Thank you for a great lunch. Easy parking out the front through the week. Easy access.

We came here twice on consecutive days. The food was amazing, the menu huge, the brownie was stunning. The service was second to none. Great place and fully worth multiple visits

Visit here at least once every time I go to Matakana. Relaxing vibe and consistently great food. Must try? The Snapper and Scallop Risotto is out of this world 👌

A great range of beautiful, homemade food. Reasonably priced. So fresh and tasty. The setting is incredible too. The only disappointing is that even though we bought quite a bit of food they charged us a dollar each for a cup of hot water. I've never, ever been charged for hot water before when eating in and buying food. Even if I get one takeaway I've never paid more than 50 cents and that's for the cup. I think charging that showed bad faith and was just greedy. It was a shame to end an otherwise perfect experience with such a bad taste in your mouth.

Beautiful setting and beautiful food! It was so good we dined in here for Breakfast and Lunch. Tucked behind the Matakana Markets along the riverside, the outdoor setting is tucked under a shelter and surrounded by plants. Very relaxing! The food was divine! Can highly recommend the Avocado on Toast and Seafood Chowder. Very accommodating staff who gave great advice for visiting the area.

Year upon year these guys sustain impeccable service in a great location. This time we had the ceviche, chicken salad and chowder along w coffees and a brilliant kids menu - everything is spot on!

Absolutely superb food at sensible prices, very friendly staff, great vibe and beautiful views - loved it!

We dropped in during the day to enquire if we needed a reservation and found there were very few remaining. Being so popular, we expected great things. The service was the highlight of our visit. Staff were friendly, helpful and when the dessert wine we chose was unavailable, they opened a bottle that isn’t usually served by the glass. The food was good, but could be better. The hapuka was lovely but let down by some strange melon balls and other accompaniments that were fashionable 10 years ago. Same with the lamb, which came with a roast tomato and chewy potato rosti. My only other quibble is that the lighting was much too bright.

What a near place we found on our way up north. The food was delicious, good coffee and excellent service. Their kids menu is good value. My son enjoyed his 3 course meal.

Beautiful view of the river. Great place to have brunch after a walk in the market. Delicious macaroni. Wagyu rib with purple rice is very average. The purple rice is also hard as raw. The kids 3 courses meal is very good value for money.

First time there, and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere very pleasant, very friendly staff. A fantastic venue for friends and family get togethers . Love to return again. 😍🥂🌯🥗🥖

Stopped by for brunch while we were at the markets nearby. The kitchen is the building located right beside the farmers market. We had a table outside which had a nice view of the stream and the markets. It took a while to get the attention of the waitresses but once we did we were able to order. I tried the vegetarian which was quite nice. They did, however, forget the crumbed eggs so they were sent on a separate plate. It was a nice mix of flavours and textures. Sister had a cabinet cake and that took longer to come than the kitchen food. We also had to wait a while for the hot drinks since they had a backlog which we weren't aware of. We had to get the drinks for takeaway since we had already finished our meals when the drinks came out. There were a few hiccups but the food and location are quite nice.

Had seafood chowder for lunch today...texture of chowder was good but there was no seafood flavor...instead of using just frozen seafood mix, probably from China, some fresh fish, mussels etc which NZ is renown for and a few large prawns, would have improved the dish immensely. I have enjoyed most of my meals at MMK but was left very disappointed with lunch today.......

I would like to thank MMK staff for their great service and amazing food today...we had a table of 18 for my Mum's 70th birthday lunch....we couldn't have had a better waiter...his memory will blow you away...thanks Matt for topping off our day with your great customer service. I personally had the Italian Chicken Salad and I can't stop raving about it!!!! Awesome place for Mum's special day!!!

This delightful restaurant is in a wonderful setting. The food is excellent, the staff are friendly and welcoming and the cost is very reasonable. This is definitely a place to try and I will certainly go there next time I am in the area.

Beautiful spot to enjoy birthday dinner... sitting alongside river. Wonderful staff, attentive and friendly. Delightful food - enjoyed three courses accompanied with beautiful wines. First time visit, will definitely return. Recommend.

Fish and chips for lunch. First lot was dry overcooked so they gave me new piece of fish (which was good of them). Second piece also dry and horrible. I took it home for my cats and they wouldnt eat it!!

We have honestly never been disappointed when visiting MMK. The food is to die for and the service excellent! Love MMK.

Yum yum yum �� Whole baked camembert with kale pesto and chutney was the best i have ever tasted. Service was excellent.

WOW! Amazing food, amazing service and amazing ambiance! Family friendly and top notch waiting staff. 10/10! Great kids menu and food presentation was great. Back for brunch tomorrow after a fantastic dinner.

This place is so worth driving an hour & a half for (at times once a month)..great atmosphere, fantastic friendly service, the food is absolutely delectable with a variety of healthy choices, we all just love MMK; a great meeting place for our family & friends, we just wanna go back & back! Can't speak highly enough of the MMK Team, 3 cheers from us MEG & MWG, Whangarei..!

The meals here are delicious. We tried the baked camembert for an entree and it was amazing. For mains I went with the ribs, which were tender and flavoursome and the chips were crunchy. The kaffir lime creme brulee was the best dessert I've had in a while. The lime put a unique spin on this popular dessert. Well done!

Amazing menu , fantastic food and outstanding service. Love love love �

The most excellent cup of tea in the whole of Auckland! Thank you!

I can’t get over how there is a totally seperate and full Gluten Free Menu 😳 very lovely ambience with a spectacular view outside. Definitely creates are more relaxing vibe. I ordered the GF French toast, simple but tasty. However, do feel it lacks something. Perhaps some extra fresh fruit or cream/mascarpone on the side? Overall, I enjoyed it and would like to come back. <br/><br/>Service - 7/10 <br/>Food - 7/10 <br/>Ambience - 9.5/10<br/>

Matakana visits for now will be a thing of the past, with this virus surrounding us it’s hard to gamble, especially with health, luckily, we had our last visit here even before the dreaded “C” word infected lots of people surrounding us. This visit was around three months ago during summers peak, we passed by Matakana Market, dined in for lunch at the Matakana Market Kitchen before heading off and relax in the nice beach of Tawharanui.

Fantastic wine and great food

Amazing place had the Garlic Baked Flower Pot Bread and the Hummus and Halloumi Wrap with roasted vegetables both were divine and the coffees were great <br/>Surely a must visit place and surely coming back <br/>

Popped in for lunch with the fam while in Matakana and we were so happy with our meals and service. We got seated at a really nice big table outside with a view of the stream which was nice and the waiter was really sweet and got along with my Dad well. To drink I ordered a fresh squeezed orange juice and it was one of the best ones I've ever had it was so good. To eat I had the avocado on toast which at first they mixed up and brought out baked avocado so we had to send it back but they brought the avo on toast out in the next 5 mins it was super quick. The avocado on toast was good but a little bland so could have done with some seasoning but was still good and looked pretty. My family ordered a bunch of things to share like: fresh garlic and herb bread, lamb lollipops, stuffed mushrooms, sticky pork ribs ,chicken livers and the five spice duck tacos which they enjoyed all of it. We also got the funky chips which were so yum. We had such a good time and the service was fast and friendly, I definitely recommend to pop in here and I'm really keen to try their dinner menu.

We got the eggs Benedict and the seafood noodles. There was plenty of seafood in the noodles but the quality of the noodles was disappointing. They were a hard texture and not cooked evenly, for nearly $30 this just isn't good enough.

This place offers a fantastic and peaceful setting with decent food and a thriving vibe, especially on the weekends. We came here during the farmers market so it was very busy.<br/><br/>The setting here is the real seller with a placement on the edge of the river. It also sits within the beautifully developed area for the matakana farmers market. It features a rather rustic feel to the place like you are in a cottage garden. All these aspects provide a wonderfully relaxing dining experience. We were lucky enough to get a table outside under the sun and it was wonderfully quaint despite the busyness. The tables were also at a good height and the chairs were comfortable providing a very conversational space, which is always important when creating such a space I feel.<br/><br/>The service was efficient enough and the staff were extremely friendly. The food came out at a good time, not too slow and not too fast.<br/><br/>The food was good but nothing special which is why it doesn't get full marks from me this time. The menu in our opinion was too big with far too many options. However, they did have a separate gluten free menu which had plenty of great options for people with any dietary requirements. I got the steak sandwich and found it to be good but maybe a bit bland. For me it was lacking something, but it was still good and I would recommend it. My partner got the fish and chips and felt a little the same as myself. So overall, the food is good but isn't amazing.<br/><br/>Overall this place is a fantastic option when travelling this way, it offers a peaceful and beautiful setting with friendly staff. It is an efficient operation within a conversational space. This place is great for a warm day and being outside enjoying good company and food. The vibe is busy and caters for a range of individuals. The food is okay but nothing special unfortunately. However, the menu has lots of options which some find good, but I found there to be too many. Overall a lovely setting and decent food.<br/><br/>

We came here for Easter and was truly disappointed by the service. Although the meal was good, the quality of the food was masked by the poor service. <br/><br/>We asked for the menu twice but they didn’t give us the menu so we had to grab it ourselves. Once the order was made we waited around 40 minutes and when we asked where our order was the waiter only then put the order through. And then our drinks came, it was the wrong wine. The entire time, there was not a single apology despite the mistakes that the waiter made and instead he seemed to have an attitude that was unapologetic and rude.<br/><br/>The food was good but we don’t ever want to come here again. The price is more on the high side for a lunch yet the experience was much worse than your average cafe.

Really busy on a Sunday lunch, service pretty slow to take our order however the food came out fast so they obviously have the staffing right in the kitchen just not out front. Menu was a bit too big in my opinion, it’s good to have choices but it was a little excessive. Ordered The Vegetarian, crumbed eggs were a novel touch. Both cooked perfectly. Was expecting avocado as per menu but didn’t come. Mentioned when we went up to pay and the girl handled the situation perfectly, explaining that they had run out, the waitress should have advised and I should have been given a substitute. She then gave a discount off my main to make up for it. Top marks for service there. Great location, very picturesque setting down by the stream.

Came here after a long road trip for lunch, waited 45 mins with no food. Then we found out that the staff (blonde kiwi lady) that took our order never send it through to the kitchen??? And another staff had to take our order again, so messy service. At least the food was good. We ordered scallop baked in hard shell, rib rack stack and fish of the day. The baked scallop was pretty average, not the best we have tasted before. However, the fish was fresh and the rib was moist and soft, easily pulled off with the fork. Also the sauce was rich and full of flavours.<br/>Overall, I recommended MKM only for the food but the service was no good for me. Felt left out the entire time dinning here, none of the waiting staffs checking on us until we signal them.👎👎👎<br/>Ambience 4/5<br/>Service 0/5<br/>Food 4/5

Came for a day drive from Auckland. So convenient that its right next to the Matakana farmers market. The scenery was amazing. Had the fresh fish Ceviche and a Berry Bourbon Iced tea. Ceviche was really nice. The iced tea was very strong, especially the tequilla in it (cant complain though). Staff were very friendly. And prices were average. Massive menu though.

Dinner and breakfast at MMK. Great host and the staff very cheerful. Food looked amazing, I ordered the flounder meal that complimented the rest of the food on my dish. Big portions and ate it all. It was heaven, as I never get to see flounder on a menu in all the restaurants that I have visited. Breakfast, I had the vegetarian dish, large portion which I ate all, it was amazingly the best. Had great experience and will return again.

Have to give this place a 5 stars! 🌟 which is very rare for me to do. Excellent chief, great services, and lovely atmosphere. Total surprised to have discovered this place. <br/>FOOD: All food are nicely seasoned & spiced, as well as keeping its original tasty juice. All meat are well handled tender and moist. Everything are very tasty and I can tell that the ingredients are fresh and seasonal. Good portion as well. Reasonable priced, you get what you paid for no doubt.also the Brownie is awesome, rich chocolate flavoured but not too sweet, well balanced and nice spongy soft texture. Best gluten free brownie I ever had. <br/>SERVICE: couldn’t decide on the wine the Waitress offered us a wine taste even though We’re just ordering two glasses not even a bottle. We order more food after finishing courses the waitress change our plates with our needing to ask. 👍👍👍

We came here on Valentine’s Day so it was fairly busy but they still offered us great service. The food was unreal - super fresh, seasoned and delicious. We ordered the large rib rack, chicken Caesar salad, fish and chips and B AND E sandwich. I definitely recommend the fish and chips as the fish was fresh and the portion was huge.

Buckwheat salad - looks better than it tastes. The salad it’s slept was fresh but had no flavour so tasted bland. It was huge as well and would have worked as a side salad but def not a salad as a meal. Land was yummy but for the added cost for the small amount it definitely was not worth $32. Disappointing. <br/>Espresso martini - Delish as always <br/><br/>Service - friendly but not attentive. Forgot water, forgot cutlery, drinks, baby chair etc. everything had to be repeatedly asked for

Came at Thursday lunch time, and it was pretty busy. Very speedy service and friendly staff. The raspberry smoothie was really nice. We ordered three meals to share; baked Camembert,  Turkish bread and eggs Benedict with mushrooms. The baked Camembert was really nice, especially with the pesto on top. The Turkish bread was delicious, and was actually a lot nicer than the hard bread that came with the baked Camembert. This was the first time trying eggs bene, and was a little bit disappointed. It was alright, but nothing special, would have preferred if the hollandiase sauce was on top. There is so much to choose from the menu, so will be back to try something else!

Disappointed service... The waitress forgot to put through our order, and we waited for more than half an hour... Also she didn't admit that she took the order, quite funny...

Came here for a casual Sunday lunch and it was the perfect spot on a sunny day! Coffee was excellent, service great and food pretty damn good! Scallops in particular were lovely

Very nice spot to eatery in matakana, so peacful next the a little river<br/>Beautiful sharing brunch menu<br/>Service is good, very friendly and helpful<br/>Will def be back

We had two very enjoyable experiences at the MMK. Friendly service, delicious food and good selection of local wines. What else could you want from a local restaurant?

We spent the weekend in Matakana.  Saturday we ate the market which was great, but on Sunday we had brunch at Matakana Market Kitchen - this was even better!  The cheese hotcakes were a bit strange, but delicious.  The coffee was perfect.  And the service was great, even allowing to take our leftovers away.

Saturday morning brunch after Matakana Markets. Quite busy but service was on point. Chicken liver parfait, avo on toast, 'doorstop' sandwich...family of 5, cost $70.....great value I thought!

Spent the day at the Matakana Sculptureum and figured we should see what Matakana offers for lunch. Matakana Market Kitchen was rated highly on Zomato so we figured it would be a good idea to visit. The menu had so many tasty options that I took ages to make a decision! I ended up going for the chorizo and spud smash and I was not disappointed! The smash came with wilted spinach to give the dish some green which I really appreciate. The dish was the perfect amount, the sauce was the perfect touch to bring the chorizo and potato together. Lovely dish, will be back when in Matakana to try out the other tasty options.

Decent service. Some waiters just standing around chatting to each other in their own world. Others very helpful. Great selection and variety. Delicious food, biggest annoyance of the experience is the environment is loud, having to basically yell for people next to u to hear.

Great place with quality food. The ceviche is absolutely stunning with fresh local fish. The seafood chowder really is a stand out and you can see the popularity with the locals on this dish. The only thing I would fault is the menu insanely HUGE and it is quite overwhelming when you want to order if you don't know what your wanting.

Stopped by for brunch while we were at the markets nearby. The kitchen is the building located right beside the farmers market. We had a table outside which had a nice view of the stream and the markets.<br/><br/>It took a while to get the attention of the waitresses but once we did we were able to order. I tried the vegetarian which was quite nice. They did, however, forget the crumbed eggs so they were sent on a separate plate. It was a nice mix of flavours and textures. Sister had a cabinet cake and that took longer to come than the kitchen food. We also had to wait a while for the hot drinks since they had a backlog which we weren't aware of. We had to get the drinks for takeaway since we had already finished our meals when the drinks came out.<br/><br/>There were a few hiccups but the food and location are quite nice.

Delicious, the crab and prawn cake entree is excellent. Beef Wellington cooked very well, could have had a bit more pate but still very good. Deep fried mushroom yum but quite rich, probably best to share. Friendly service without being intrusive.

We popped in here after looking around the Saturday markets... big and spacious... was getting busy but lots of staff around, friendly service... great big yummy menu selection and we saw plates coming out that all looked very delicious. We started with 2 drinks:<br/>Jar-garita & Berry bourbon iced tea-yum<br/>The we ordered brunch salad and avocado on toast... great presentation and very delicious..

What a lovely location this restaurant has!!!!! It is a real pity the food we were served was not even close to the price we paid for them.<br/><br/>I ordered The Vegetarian.... The mushrooms were not edible and completely burnt, the halloumi was overly salty and I could not get my head around the crispy poached eggs. My partner got the chorizo and spud crush which was less than appealing. <br/><br/>Overall I found the food disappointing and hopeful they bring their standards up. Next time I will definitely try a different restaurant.

It's an okay place. Super expensive for an average food. I had their beef strogannof and it was waaaay too salty. I dont know if I'll come back.

On the hunt for a really special menu after a day out at Matakana, we were delighted to find this place. Perhaps a little understaffed, or was it just the manager being absent most of the time, regardless the wait staff were outstanding in their customer service, charm and wit, and were very knowledgeable about almost everything on the menu. Their take on Oysters Kirkpatrick was heavenly. The two raw oysters my partner tasted were briney, mild and very fresh. My crab and shrimp cakes were absolutely delicious, fresh, crisp and light little balls of green peas and seafood. The main of very good pork belly was accidentally served with plain (delicious) mash potato, so we asked for the promised apple and mustard mash which was underwhelming. All in all we’d be happy to go again and try something else on their very appealing menu.

Beautiful setting by the river. Amazing flavours. We had Roast Duck ravioli in sage butter and Chicken livers in port sauce and both dishes were delicious.

The food is creative and full of flavor, the dessert is excellent. Very friendly and attentive staff. Best food I've had so far in New Zealand.

We went here after the Matakana Saturday markets and found it had really great brunch food, and a good range of vegetarian brunch! We will be coming back to try the dinner menu !

Amazing, place looks stunning, the staff was very friendly. Nice choice of wines, beers are lacking though. I got the chef's special, the salmon,was absolutely gorgeous. Food arrived fast. Got two dessert cause they were amazing, I so recommend the jar-fogato, it was the best dish of the night. Will be back!

Amazing little place for weekend lunching..We went on market day but service was not affected as previous reviews had mentioned <br/>We sat by the window and servoce was attentive.Food was out not too long wait..Fish and chips was a big serve and didnt disappoint. The prawns with bread was delicious and simple with goof flavours.Would love to try more dishes in the next visit.

Best customer service experience in New Zealand. Thank you Dominique for your exceptional service and recommendations on the menu. The food was absolutely delicious. Loved the presentation of food and the ambience.

Worst entrees I have ever had. We left after entree they were that bad. Never meal checked us once even when paying the bill. Would never go back there.

A vibrant and busy cafe cum restro bar admist the lovely little matakana village.<br/><br/>The seatings and ambience is great. Beautiful food and good wines to compliment with. <br/><br/>Been here twice once for lunch and once for din din. Service is good could be better.

Amazing environment and good portions. Food was delicious and full of flavour. Oysters very fresh. Recommend the Thai fish curry. Fireplace set the ambience

Worst service I've experienced. I heard good things about this place, so went there for brunch all the way from Auckland. It was raining, so was quite busy. A waitress told us just grab a free table, but everytime we try to sit down a waitress come put a reserve sign on it. And finally we got a table, we were not served for a long time, we have to go grab menu ourselves. When we ask if we can order, the waiter seems like he does not want to serve us, very not nice to us. Food was ok, came out very quick. While we waiting, we saw the bartender pouring a unfinished glass of wine from the table back into the wine bottle!!! I wouldn't suggest people going, and I wouldn't go back there again.

I highly recommend dining here to end your Matakana experience. It is cosy and quality 👌🏼<br/><br/>For starters, we ordered the garlic baked flower pot bread and tom yum mussels. Followed by roasted pork belly, a whole rack of ribs and a whole baked flounder. Everything tastes just as good, if not better than pictured 😍

My last post was about the Matakana Village Farmers Market and I said in that post that I’ll share about the place we went for brunch which was the Matakana Market Kitchen. This place is underneath the Matakana cinemas. We chose this place because it was the closest to the market and we were lucky we managed to get a table as it was a busy morning.

Cool little spot next to the river with really nice rustic outdoor seating. <br/>The plating of the food is a talent always looks divine<br/>Must say it always looks better than it tastes <br/>If you dont plan on spending much money <br/>Id steer clear. but otherwise its a pretty sick little spot!<br/><br/>

Best avoid MMK on Saturday when the market is on, it gets rather busy and service suffers. However the food is consistently good. The menu is enormous, with another "specials" menu available. A huge menu is usually a red flag for me but somehow MMK pulls it off - hell knows how but they do. Great location and something for everyone. Prices are fair too.

MMK, as it is commonly known, had really made my day.  The time for the food to come out after order was made, was really impressive - I would say, less than 5 minutes. Sautée chicken livers served with a couple of Yorkshire puddings were unbelievably nice. Its not just the livers, but everything else in the dish was good.  I had fish (Hapuka) catch of the day, pan-seared & served with salad. Again it was excellent - salad, which gave a fresh taste than potato or kumara. My wife had scallop & snapper risotto with rocket & parmesan. Risotto was lovely, scallops were small but the taste was fresh.  We finished our dinner without much room for desserts.  (Food - 5/5; Service - 4.5/5; Ambience - 4.5/5)<br/>P.S. I loved the front page of the dessert menu & couldn't resist taking a photo of it.

Happy Mother's Day to all you god damn attractive mums, I took the old girl out for breakfast for her special little day and she loved every minute of it even though mr pony made her pay for the meals hehe <br/><br/>She ordered the eggs benedict with salmon. I was to busy taking selfies to snap some pics of her meal, The eggs were cooked puuuurrrfectly and the salmon was well seasoned. The only other time I have seen her that happy is when pony moved out hehehe. Overall she loved her meal and was yarping on about the nice decor.<br/><br/>I ordered the steak sammy along with a mocha, <br/>My sammy was b e auuutiful not a piece of salad out of line, the steak was sexy if it ain't medium rare it ain't good steak. <br/><br/>The mocchaaaaaaa shoot me dead it was the best god damn mocha my lips have ever come across, I didn't really fancy the gay little milk display going on, but set that bullshit a side It was one of my favourite places I have ever eaten.<br/><br/>The staff were very polite and helpful few little hotties sniffing around which I didn't mind 😎 It wasn't to badly priced well it never is when I have so much money to blow. It was my first time here and it did not disappoint. I'll be back to sniff around again. <br/><br/>Pony 🐴 xx<br/><br/>

This would be one of my top three restaurants in Auckland. Even though it's an hours drive away it is so worth it. It was our first time here and I can't wait to be back again. Exceptional. Everything was exceptional. I mean it's set next to a river making it romantic to start with. The interior is very pretty. All the tables were adorned with little trinkets of floral displays. From the wine we were suggested all the way through to the dessert menu. The staff checked up on our table at least five times throughout the night. We came in for an early dinner just in time to make it back home. Great wine selection of New Zealand wines from different regions - picked a Pinot Gris from Lake Hayes in Queenstown. We settled for a tapas and picked out the island styled ceviche, lamb cutlets, mussels, flower bread and the beetroot salad. The best ceviche I've had so far! And the Asian style mussels weren't bad either. Unfortunately we didn't stay for dessert as what we ordered was more than enough for two people. Bookings are essential as they are relatively busy through out the week.

I've been waiting 20 minutes and still can't get anyone to look after me. <br/>Went inside and tried to order and I got told that someone would be looking after me ASAP. <br/><br/>Shit customer service. Not coming back here definitely

Food was good, perfect eggs and the benedict sauce was well executed along with the presentation, mostly good experiences here but some of the staff are incompetent and rude (not all) just a select few which is unfortunately a downfall since the prices are pretty up there so when I invest my money I want the service to match the dish, food is off and on good and sometimes is lacking love so don't go here often anymore, breakfast seems to be the time to go, restaurant is normally full of pretentious people other than that the atmosphere is bearable

Great ambience and great food & coffee at reasonable prices. Staff were friendly and the place had a real buzz about it. Will definitely come again.

We stopped for morning tea here. The coffee was great and the muffin delicious. Service took a little while but the muffins were heated in an oven rather than microwave. They tasted like they were fresh out of the oven. Look forward to returning for lunch.

Came here from a road trip from Auckland! Ordered the roasted fig with feta and salad, and my friend ordered the char grilled lamb salad! And it was amazing! <br/>The figs was an explosion of flavours and textures in the mouth and the lamb was cooked to perfection and good flavoursome seasoning!

This was a Saturday with lovely weather. Matakana Market Kitchen was the immediate option that sprung to a friend's mind while 4 friends who brunch were making their way there together. <br/>Checking their website as a start to learn what's on the menu, I'm pleased to say it was a satisfying browsing task. Although readable, the menu presents a genuine problem. Commonly faced, numerous delicious options may lead to a FOMO (fear of missing out) decision. Do I really want this or that? Arguably, the chorizo and spud smash held my awe to satiety. I was actually copying my friend's order. The baby potatoes were roasted to that tempting golden brown colour, generous portions of chorizo sliced thinly to lend gentle helpings without kicking any other elements out of the way. I appreciated a sizeable hunk of spinach and almost the right amount of onion jam. <br/>Verdict - left a satiated camper. Less than perfect as the breakfast melt was more a generous meal rather than a well executed meal (now if you're a voracious eater, this is your 5/5). Both were $18, I would recommend the crush if you don't want to be stuffed, the melt if you're hangover / hungry. <br/><br/>Would return? Yes. The Welsh rarebit stuffed avocado is in order. <br/>

Made a booking for my 50th birthday a week in advance for 11 people but when we arrived the table wasn't ready and we were placed at two separate tables then left for 20 mins with jugs of water. Noticed a large table had emptied myself so I requested we move to it which was fine. Finally after another 10 mins the Waiter came back but did not want to take our drink orders, just meals, as the kitchen was closing!!! And we could only order from bottom half of menu... after waiting 30mins it would have been great to have known this earlier and couldn't we have had some drinks ordered by now? Meals limited to wraps, chips, ceviche and snack size ribs... a little under whelming but tastey enough. Needless to say no birthday felicitations offered. Beautiful location just very very poor and unfriendly service.

Good ambience. The food is okay. The ribs though is what has strucked me. Veryy tender. Melts in mouth kind of ribs. They are pricey though for a regular serve size.

Had lunch here with some friends. Was very busy when we went but the atmosphere and vibe of the place was still relaxed. Food wise, I ordered steak and eggs with seafood chowder on the side. Presentation was wonderful although steak was well over cooked beyond what was asked; chowder was delightful. Overall, a pleasant experience.

When they say a bowl of coffee, they're not joking! My partner ordered one and received a dessert bowl of coffee. Beautiful food, surrounds and service.

We have dined at Matakana market kitchen many times over the last few years and the food and service has never failed to impress.<br/>Without hesitation MMK is our "go to" for a great meal in lovely surroundings. Only problem is getting a booking at times due to its popularity!

Was bad from the start. We had to find and clear a table ourselves. After 30 mins of being seated the waitress never returned to take our order so we had to wave down another waiter (which took many attempts at getting his attention). Then waited for 45 minutes and still no food or drinks arrived. We thought they might just have been busy. But no. They completely forgot to process our order. Had to wait another 25 mins until we finally got our food which came out cold and half of it missing. Nobody came to check on us or ask if we needed anything. Had to keep getting up and chasing the waiters around the place just to ask for the rest of our order. Was a shame our first time was such a bad experience because it is a lovely venue.

Hmmmm..... Been to Makatana a few times but 1st time actually eating here at lunchtime today. Mixed feeling about this place. <br/><br/>Servicewise, my wife and I would give it 5 out of 5. Friendly staff. Also very attentive. Can't complain. <br/><br/>We would give the decor 4 out of 5. We love the decor. Inside and outside flow. 1 thing I don't really appreciate is we sat under a ceiling lamp. Nothing wrong with that. Is just dead flies inside the lamp shade. When we walked out (after paying our bills), I notice the same with some lamp shades. Please please look up when cleaning. Isn't nice looking at dead creatures when dining. <br/><br/>The most disappointment is the food. I feel cheated . 1 dish we ordered is fish n chips under the heading Something Wrapped. The product that came out isn't the same as it described in the menu. We know us a wrap. When it came out, the wrap only had fried fish and a little bit of salad type of thingie. Not chips. Where is the chips? If chips not included in the product， why say fish n chips then? Very very very misleading.

I took my mum here on Monday for lunch as a nice catch up. The restaurant is really nice with lots of different seating options. <br/><br/>It's a little confusing when you first walk in as there wasn't a wait or bar person greeting people. We waited for a couple minutes then got told to sit anywhere.<br/><br/>Our waitress was friendly enough, it did take awhile to order even though we went in around 11.30am and there wasn't many people. <br/><br/>I had the chorizo and potato smash with a Diet Coke. My mum had the prawn and scallop patties special with a glass of the house Sav. My meal tasted and looked great. My mums however was different to the explanation of the dish. The "patties" were actually balls and there wasn't much prawn or scallop in any of them... <br/><br/>Overall the experience was pleasant but I would probably try one of the other places over returning.

Best brunch in the Matakana / Snells area. We had the Market Grill and the Vegetarian. Both very good. Coffee was great too. Only negative was the service was lacking a bit, not in a rude way but just missed the boat on a few things. For example, we ordered the coconut bread (bressert of course!) which was meant to come with butter and lime marmalade. The butter was missing so we asked then waited 5 mins.. no butter. I went in to ask and the guy returned only to plonk 3 sachets of butter on the table. You expect better than sachet butter from a decent cafe. Just a bit clumsy! Overall a great brunch though and we'll be back.

This is a beautiful restaurant with amazing food! Situated right at the heart of Matakana village and right bedside the beautiful stream.<br/><br/>You can either sit inside and enjoy the chic design of the restaurant or sit right by the beautiful stream watching water flows and birds flying. We went for the later.<br/><br/>The food arrived quickly and presented very nicely. All ingredients were nice and fresh, you can tell the chefs took pride of what they do and out a lot of effort into it. Very generous serving portions too. We ordered The vegetarian with fried egg (literally crumbed and fried eggs), fish and chips (one of the best quality F & C in town) and the flower pot bread. Kombucha ice tea is a must try even you are not that familiar with Kombucha. <br/><br/>Coffees a bit of a let down though, it's quite weak and way too milky. But the rest of the food was amazing! <br/><br/>Great services too, staffs paid a lot of attention to their customers.<br/><br/>We would definitely recommend this place and can't wait to return again.

Service is great, hygiene is great, I liked the idea of the paper table cloths so kids could draw on them! The food was very tasty but the serving size was quite small which was a shame! Overall I would definitely go back and with it being decent prices and in area I would just recommend ordering an extra side if you are like me and not easily full!

Chowder is really nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the food and the market here. The lamb is really tasty. Why need so many words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a tough decision whether to dine here or the actual farmers market itself as we went on a Saturday!<br/>But I think we made a right choice :)<br/>The interior decor was warm and spacious<br/>With delicious cabinet treats and an extensive menu we were spoilt for choices.<br/>We went for the matakana grill and the vegetarian breakfast. Both were so so delicious!<br/>I'd most definitely come back<br/>Service was adequate but food was definitely the highlight <br/>Ps the mushrooms were exquisite

Had breakfast outside, service was punctual, coffee good, food was great. I had the Vegetarian brekkie, crispy coated eggs are my new love. Could have had a little bit more Halloumi, but on the whole scrummy.

I dined here with my mother on Friday 29th April 2016 for dinner as we had looked online at the menu and the food sounded nice. When we entered all of the tables were reserved, so we thought this was a good sign. How wrong we were!! The service by the older man was grumpy, and he made us feel unwelcome. A family entered after us and after they were sat down they got up and walked out. We should have too! I ordered the seafood laksa and asked the waitress if it was spicy, she said it wasn't and my mother ordered the italian parpadelle meatballs. When they came out the laksa was incredibly spicy, but without flavour and my mothers meatballs were barely heated and straight from the freezer. We waited for someone to check on our food but no one came. So then when the waiter came to finally take our plates (we had left the food on them) we complained and he said nothing and walked away!! I DO NOT recommend this place!!

I love this place because it's people, menu and of course the river side view! Located in the beautiful Matakana village and has both indoor and outdoor dinner. Their lunch menu is very comprehensive even for Auckland standard with both healthy and hearty choices. Their staff are always friendly and attentive.

I can't quite explain how amazing it was to sit under the morning sun alonside a little river and have perfectly made coffee and good food... ny pictures don't do it justice... its a definite 'go check out' kinda place!<br/><br/>We had the chorizo and herbed spud mash w poached eggs and the market grill. The food was presented beautifully and was definitely good, just lacking that wow factor. Coffees were delicious.<br/><br/>Some good banter w the wait staff too so tick in that department aswell haha. Food was served quite quickly! Overall, id definitely pop back one day, probably for coffees!<br/>

We were quite late for lunch so ended up with funky chips and apple cake. I love it when the chips come with dippy containers and I loved the eye dropper for the vinegar. They were really good chips - perfectly crisp! My apple cake was gorgeous.

I've heard great things about this place and finally came here on a sunny, saturday afternoon in a group of 7. <br/><br/>The location and atmosphere was amazing, with the restaurant sitting right near a stream and outdoor tables and chairs overlooking water and garden views. We undoubtedly chose to be seated outside. Service was lacking, we waited a long time for someone to help serve us and bring water to the table. <br/><br/>I ordered the cocoa and chia smoothie and avocado on toast. I was so disappointed with both! The smoothie was unpleasant, I had a few sips and left it. Extremely thick consistency and flavourless with no sweetness to it. I usually don't mind healthy smoothies however this one was really tasteless and gross!!<br/><br/>The avocado on toast was average, I wouldn't recommend ordering it. The salad served with it had almost no dressing and again, very flavourless. My friend ordered the museli and found it unpleasant, in fairness it seemed to be a hit and miss with alot of the dishes, some enjoyed theirs and others didn't.<br/><br/>I'd like to try the dinner menu next time and give this place a second chance..

Shocking service been here previously and food was lovely!! But wandered in this week and of course it was very busy. Head waiter was obviously stressed and not coping saying 'if you can find a table ...' We thought he was taking us to an empty table and we started following him and he said 'you can take a seat but it's going to be ages' ..... You know if it's a busy season then offer good service and have staff that can cope because summer will be over and then you'll be wanting customers. 😤

We went here last 30-12-15, and they were only serving wraps & chips, even though the specials menu was placed outside the door. It also took a while for them to take our orders, and serve our orders. The wraps were good though, I just wished there were more options when we went there.

I really enjoyed my meal here and I recon it is well worth the 50 minute trip from Auckland. The service was great and the meals came out very quickly. Loved everything about my meal; particularly the crumbed poached eggs. Yum! Highly recommended to all!

This restaurant is so rustic and beautiful! I love the outdoor seating area! The food is also delicious! So organic and fresh and healthy. I got the Moroccan salad with chicken and it was so nice and and filling. I definitely would visit this place again if I'm going to visit Matakana again :)

I adore this place! 50 minute drive from Auckland and totally worth it. Come up here and have a delicious lunch, take a look at the markets and head out to the closest beach or the cement works (secret spot ;)) <br/><br/>Awesome if you manage to get a table outside overlooking the cute river in the sun. <br/><br/>Highly recommend the eggs benedict (of course, my favourite). Girlfriends ordered chicken wrap and the beef burger and they loved their food! Every time I come here, the food is consistently good. <br/><br/>One tiny thing I've noticed is that the service seems to be heading downhill! Cheer up! You're in beautiful matakana! Life could be worse.

We ordered their daily special, seafood chowder (very disappointed, I prefer the tomato base than the white sauce base), curry laksa, beef masala with rice, fish and chips and spicy prawns.<br/><br/>Averagely the food was good and the environment and atmosphere were quiet and comfortable.<br/><br/>If you prefer better seating, please book for your place they will accommodate you to outdoor steam side sitting.<br/><br/>The staff were friendly and nice.<br/>They were happy to recommend their best food to you.

It was my second visit to MMK - the first visit was less than impressive as they were full (which I do understand) but we were treated so rudely as if we were supposed to know they were full - I was reluctant to return.<br/>Well I'm pleased I did! Admittedly it was a weekday lunch meaning they were not full, but the service was greatly improved. Our server was lovely & engaging, and all other staff were similar. A great start.<br/>The location is fantastic by the river so we sat outside - a great move as the weather was perfect. Great entertainment watching the ducks.<br/>Our food was good too - always great after deciding to make a return. <br/>My friend recommended the crumbed deep fried eggs which were available on several dishes - I chose the breakfast salad with added avocado. It was a good choice although the bacon pieces needed to be larger. They were almost like crumbs? The egg was perfect - runny in the middle & crispy but not greasy with the coating.<br/>My friend had 'The Vegetarian' with added bacon. I had food envy & wish I had chosen this dish. It had the crumbed egg as well.<br/>Our wee companion chose the fish & chips from the kids menu. Fish was crumbed & chips perfectly cooked. A great menu item. I hear from him that the ribs are also good. <br/>Coffee was great - did not need to add sugar although it would have been nice if this was provided on the table just in case.<br/>Overall a good visit - rating 3.5/5 based on today's experience. Not far off a 4 to be honest based on the service, location & food. Will be back.

First time going here for dinner. The service was amazing. All the entrees were yum and of good size. For my main I got the chicken hazlebert which I was super disappointed with. The coating overpowered all the other flavors and led me to scraping the coat off altogether. Apart from that everything else was exceptional.

The service was pleasant. The waitress misheard me when I was ordering I said two racks of ribs and repeated it yet only one rack had come out and I had to ask for a second rack.<br/><br/>The atmosphere was very nice. We were very promptly seated. The ribs here are the best ribs I've ever had. Even though some might say the meat was a bit dry.<br/><br/>The desserts looked amazing but I didn't have the opportunity to try then.

Matakana Market Kitchen is a slice of heaven tucked away from the hustle and bustle. It was so nice having lunch here on a Sunday morning. We sat outdoors on a table overlooking the river (?). Our orders were taken by polite staff and the food arrived promptly. The stuffed mushrooms that came first were absolutely sensational. The flavours melted in our mouths and made us moan in pleasure. No, seriously. We were 'ooh'-ing and 'aaaah'-ing over these little gems. It was a small portion but what you would expect from an entree. My fish salad was very summery and it had fruit scattered throughout. Normally, I'm not a fan of sweet with savoury - but someone the flavours meshed together. It was balanced. <br/><br/>The mushrooms were still better than my main dish though. I did enjoy my time at MMK and would definitely come back for another lazy Sunday brunch in this beautiful village.

Right in the heart of Matakana. The cafe/restaurant offers a wide array of fresh food for all kinds of diets. I had a special of the day- Panko fish burger which came on fresh bread and was more than enough. Lovely setting and great service. A must do for a meal in Matakana.

Best brunch I've ever had .....and I've had a lot of cafe brunch! ! Been here numerous times for brunch and ordered something different each time and have never been disappointed. The spud crush and vegetarian grill are my favorite. Beautiful atmosphere sitting outside next to the river. Wait staff super friendly. Only advice is to create a kids menu.

Lovely setting by the river, especially on a sunny day. Great menu with lots of tempting choices and drinks list with local wines. Food is always beautifully presented and tasty. Waitresses do their best and are nice enough but young and inexperienced.

Great place, nice and good food, team was great and helpful, nice steaks one of the best I ever ate. <br/>Chicken was great as well, and tap beer was good

My partner and I were around the area and we've had friends raving about the place so we thought we'd drop in to see what we had been missing out on! <br/>It was Friday around lunch time and there were a few other tables with us when we got there. <br/>Service was quite slow and it took a fair while for the waiters to seat us with a menu and some drinks <br/>The decor was inviting and warm and the kitchen smelt delicious! However t must have been a slow day as food took awhile to come out. <br/>By the time our food arrived we were starving! The food was nice but nothing we were missing out on in Auckland. I do recommend you check out the place if you're ever around the area tho!

My partner and I drove up to Matakana a few weeks ago and thought we would try the Matakana Market Kitchen for lunch. The staff were nice, but it took them a while to bring us menus and water. My partner ordered the fish and chips and said it was nice but nothing amazing and I had the eggs benedict with ham which again, was nice but nothing special and the presentation was pretty messy. We might go again but we will most likely order something different.

A beautiful meal and setting. I had 2 entrees, mike all three courses. We weren't disappointed everything tasted like it was prepared in their kitchen. We are still going on about how good the meal was. Lucky to get a table for two as we didn't book. Will definitely come back here again when we are out this way. Great service as well.

The gluten free menus here are epic! Drove up for brunch and definitely should have thought beforehand to book a table as MMK is super busy on a Sunday morning. The baked avocado sounded oddly interesting and was absolutely delicious! Gluten free and normal french toasts also delicious.  Definitely worth another visit or 7 to get through the menu! Quietly think they should re-think their plates, as by the time all four meals had arrived, we had an interesting game of tetris to conquer with plates, coffees, waters and condiments to try fit onto the table before we could get stuck in.

This cafe is our usual haunt in Matakana on a beautiful Saturday morning as it overlooks a cute little stream and the food is generally good.<br/><br/>Today we had the vegetarian breakfast, with bacon and the steak and chips breakfast.  Overall, the meals and coffee were good, however a couple of minor things to note.  We asked for poached eggs, but got fried ones with the steak; we asked them to hold the toast on the vegetarian meal (as a really hate wastage and never eat it) and the crispy coated eggs were very cold in the inside.  <br/><br/>However despite a few hiccups, the steak was cooked really well and the selection of mushrooms, haloumi and salad were delicious with punchy flavours.  The servings were very generous that in the end we didn't need to coated eggs. <br/><br/>We would definitely return as it's a lovely little spot and cake display always looks delicious

The foods here are awesome! It's a trike place to find:) we were here after riding, I ordered ribs and my BF had big breakfast... We are so enjoy this meal and the lake view is nice too!

Matakana Market KitcMatakana Market Kitchen is one of my all time favourite brunch and dinner places. It is set next to the river and is a lovely place to go with family and friends.<br/><br/>The meals always come out looking amazing and they taste even better. My all time go to for brunch is the Vegetarian Market Grill with a side of salmon ($22.50). It’s such good value for money and I always leave feeling satisfied. My favourite dish for dinner is MMK Eye which is chargrilled prime eye fillet, roasted bone marrow, confit garlic and bloody mary butter served with roasted potatoes, sautéed spinach, mushrooms and a red wine jus ($38). I also recently tried the Fish ‘n’ Chips ($28.50). The fish was really fresh and the chips were served with vinegar which made it really tasty. Another favourite from the menu is the baked camembert with candied walnuts and a beetroot horopito ($18). If you are a cheese fan then don’t go past this deliciousness. <br/><br/>The place is always busy with a constant stream of people coming and going. The only negative is that the service can be quite slow and they have got my order wrong a couple of times. <br/><br/>If you are in Matakana then this is the place to go to for brunch or dinner.<br/><br/>hen is one of my all time favourite brunch and dinner places.

Highly recommend this place. A thoughtful menu, and great service. The food is simply fresh, delicious and really highlights the produce of the region. Lovely wines and to have such happy tastebuds, with a view of the stream flowing by, after a morning of strolling about the farmers market is just the cherry on top. <br/>The picture attached, is of my favourite thing on the menu: Baked Camembert with candied walnuts, and a beetroot horopito.

Fantastic meal Sunday. Great setting, friendly staff, brilliant food.<br/><br/>Barman does a mean cocktail, the Bloody Mary's were perfect, something a high end hotel struggles with. Girls loved their Espresso Martini's, had seconds.<br/><br/>Recommended for a great time.

What a great find! A restaurant with fantastic ambience and fantastic food!!<br/>Just down below the cinema/information centre. Best eatery in Matakana by far

The only reason this isn't 1 star, is because the setting by the river is simply gorgeous. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the food. Ordered an old fashioned kiwi favourite: fish and chips. The meal actually looked really good, but the fish was hard and very fishy (I'm a fish lover so I have a very high tolerance for fishy fish). The batter, despite looking delicious was disappointingly, even worse. The tomato sauce was also a cheap one, not doing the fries any justice at all. Frozen hoki from a local takeaway would put this dish to shame.

You really can't go wrong with eating out at the Matakana Market Kitchen, and every dish i've tried for breakfast or lunch here  is very good.  I love the beef masala especially or Thai Fish and Coriander Green Curry.   Hubby enjoys the Welsh rarebit, and the vegetarian breakfast, which is a very generous size- I love how the eggs are cooked with a crunchy outside and oozes in the middle - you can add bacon to this breakfast too.  They have great friendly service and a nice chat if they have time.  Its really nice with outdoor seating by a small running stream, and they provide blankets and hotties for the winter, which is  very relaxing and warm, whatever the weather.

Just a lovely experience with great food and wine. Fresh Matakana oysters, beautifully cooked duck with mash and red cabbage, Fresh fish and lovely salads. Service was good and very friendly. The restaurant is open all day for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner and yet its standards are very high. Our meal was better than some of the meals we have eaten in top restaurants in Auckland. Will return.

We really enjoyed our meal at Matakana Market Kitchen a few weeks ago.  We were staying in Omaha and decided to make the short drive to the village for dinner.<br/><br/>The food was very nice.  My husband ordered the babyback ribs and they were juicy and tender, served with fries and a salad.  I had the tuna special, which was a kind of nicoise salad with asparagus instead of green beans.  It was topped with a crispy poached egg which was impressive - crumbed and golden on the outside but still gooey on the inside.  There was a generous amount of seared tuna steak in the salad and I really enjoyed it.  Definitely a tasty and fresh meal.<br/><br/>The service was friendly and the place seemed quite busy, with people constantly coming and going.  The decor is nice and inviting.<br/><br/>A word of warning if you are someone who is prone to getting bitten by bugs - this place opens out to a river, which looks lovely, but means there are a lot of mosquitos in the warmer evenings.  And as they didn't have anything like citronella candles burning, I got bitten.  Next time we find ourselves there for a meal, I'll definitely bring some insect repellent!

This place has got to be in my top 5 places that I've visited. They offer a range of variety and it was just so difficult to narrow it down to one choice- because everything looked so good! I ended up closing an eye and picked the chorizo and spud crush. It may not have looked a lot, but there was just so much ingredients and flavours on the plate it took awhile to get through the whole meal (despite being so hungry). Nevertheless I was very satisfied, thoroughly enjoyed my meal + a long black coffee on a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

Like Liam J, I created this account for the sole purpose of writing a review for this establishment. One star is the lowest rating I can give, but it actually deserves none.<br/>After visiting the Farmer’s Market last Saturday, we decided to have lunch at MMK. <br/>Approached the entrance, no staff seemed to be interested in us. We stood there until a staff finally asked what we wanted. We asked for a table for five. To our surprise, she said “I don’t know you’ll have to go to the other entrance.” – I shall call her the ‘I don’t know lady.’<br/>Fine, we thought, as we walked to the other entrance, which was the entrance from the cinema; we waited there for a while also, until the point I thought was pathetic so walked up to a staff that was making the coffee. – I shall call her the ‘coffee lady.’<br/> I told her that we were asked to come here for a table. She seemed oblivious; however, she tried to find a table for us. She had a quick glance at the seating floor and said there’s a table outside to your right where the concrete table is. Perfect and we made our way there. <br/><br/>Here comes the most unprofessional dining service I’ve received. <br/>The ‘I don’t know lady’ came to our table and asks “Is this your table?” We were all surprised by the question and said, “ummm…. We were told to sit here.” “Did you reserve this table? It’s got a reserve sign on it.”<br/>All we could say was, one of the staff told us to sit here. She said “I’ll check the reservations”. She disappeared for 30 seconds and came back and said you can’t sit here, it’s reserved. <br/>When we asked where we’re supposed to sit, she just said “I don’t know,” and walked away. Look, we understand what a reserved table means, but we were told to sit there! Instead of kicking us off, find us another table then, don’t just walk away and leave us hanging! <br/><br/>This treatment left us in shock and embarrassment as I overheard another table mumble “don’t they understand it’s reserved?” I almost walked up to that table and wanted to confront them that we were told to sit there but held back as I did not want to escalate things with other diners.<br/><br/>We had a walk of shame moment back to the ‘coffee lady’ and told her the table she gave us had a reserve sign on it and thus we were kicked off it. She then quickly gave us the high table to sit; however, it was a bit tight to fit five people. May I also point out that they actually had plenty of tables available, but none to think they would actually clear and clean up the tables or even combine already ready tables is beyond me?<br/><br/>Perhaps someone came to their senses and they finally cleared a big table and asked whether we would like to sit there instead. Third attempt and we were finally seated.<br/>Another staff comes along creepily and in a clueless tone asks whether we like to order drinks? We do, however, we weren’t given a drinks menu. Therefore on the top of our heads we ordered the most common drinks you can order in an eatery.<br/><br/>In terms of the food, which took more than half an hour to arrive, one had a slight burnt fish. One was not asked how she likes her steak and was presented med-well. Which we all know is terrible.<br/><br/>In short, it was such poor treatment from the “I don’t know lady” that ruined the whole experience. Asking you for a table and you said I don’t know, but you seem to know the table reservations when you kicked us off. Contradiction at its best.<br/><br/>We kept an eye out on the so called reserved table when we were dining and we saw an elderly woman on it by herself. She didn’t seem to have reserved it. Later we saw a group of three walked it, asked for a table and got seated there. Don’t think they reserved it either. Had a number of people using the same entrance we did and got a table. No one told them to use the other entrance. Observed other diners, a couple of tables waited for a long time and their frustration showed on their faces. Be prepared to wait if you come here.<br/><br/>The only explanation I can think of for the “I don’t know lady” still working there is she must be related to the owner of the establishment. Because no one can get away with being so rude and disrespectful to the diners like she did. On top of that, her grooming standards are definitely below par compare with the rest of the staff. You’ve got to know the owner to get away with looking so bland, much like the food.<br/><br/>A huge tip to the management of Matakana Market Kitchen, please provide a decent service to your patrons. Your location is your asset and you will get people into your establishment after they’ve visited the Farmer’s Market. Please don’t ruin their day with your rude service. <br/><br/>Just wanted to add that we also went to Brick Bay, like Rebecca H, and we loved it. The environment and the service was spot on. We were still full from MMK so we didn’t order any food, but saw the table next to us had the platter Rececca H mentioned. It sure did look delicious! Should have skipped MMK and went to Brick Bay for food.

My girlfriend and I created this account for the sole purpose of writing a review here for this cafe.<br/><br/>We have been appalled by the shocking display of ignorance and disrespect for customers at Matakana Market Kitchen. <br/><br/>Looking forward to a nice lunch out today, we approached the cafe and had multiple wait staff look at us waiting to be seated before ignoring us. We had to seat ourselves. It then took 15 minutes before we were given service or any attention at our table whatsoever. At this stage we both feel we should have walked away as fast as possible.<br/><br/>When the waitress came out to serve us, we were greeted with an unpleasant 'do you want anything?' This threw us off but we continued to order our mains and our drinks. <br/><br/>Five minutes later, around the time you'd expect your drinks to arrive, the waitress returned to ask us again what our drinks order had been. We had ordered a lemon lime bitters and a lemonade which she wrote down but for some reason took five minutes to return and confirm with us. The drinks did not arrive for a further 10 minutes. <br/><br/>When our meals arrived after an elapsed time of 40 minutes at the cafe, my Italian meatballs were only half-warm and were drenched with an unappetising, watery tomato 'sauce'. My girlfriend's chicken wrap, the simplest component of our food order, was the only highlight. <br/><br/>We placed a second drinks order upon receiving our food, and as we were already well-aware of the poor service of this cafe, we timed the drinks. They took 17 minutes, and this was after repeating to the waitress several times exactly what we wanted. Clearly, 'lemon lime bitters' and 'lemonade' are not in the vocabulary of the staff here at Matakana Market Kitchen. When it looked as though we weren't going to get them, I called the waitress over to ask again. I especially didn't appreciate seeing her talk to another staff member inside, both of them looking at me, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. If I wasn't welcome they needn't make it clear. Nothing seemed to work.<br/><br/>I'm not one to make a fuss at places, because I respect the enjoyment of my fellow customers. When asked how everything was when paying at the till, I faked a smile and said everything was fine. <br/><br/>In reality, I warn all who read this to stay well away from this place. The waitresses treated all tables as if they were an annoyance, the service was slow and incredibly nonchalant, and the food was at the very most painstakingly average. <br/><br/>Avoid this abysmal excuse for hospitality at all costs.

We had read and heard great reviews about Matakana Market kitchen, so we're looking forward to the experience. However we were extremely disappointed.<br/>My husband and I shared scallops in their shell for an entree. These came out doused in melted cheese which killed the flavor of the scallops.<br/>For a main I ordered the fish green curry which was bland and tasteless, hence I had a few mouthfuls and gave up. My husband had the beef massumen curry and found it tasteless, bland and ate about a quarter. So at this point we decided to flag desert as didn't hold out much hope! <br/>This was the worst meal we've had in years, and I have never written a meal review before, however feel compelled to as it was so poor.<br/>Also the waitress looked like she would rather have been somewhere else, and was vague and unhelpful!! We certainly won't be returning to eat here. In contrast we had a platter at 'Brick Bay' Matakana today which was absolutely divine with gorgeous homemade dips, relishes, and service with a smile!!

We recently stayed 3 nights in the area and dined here twice for dinner as we enjoyed it so much. The food is fantastic. Really generous portions and very tasty. Great decor/atmosphere. All staff were great, very welcoming and friendly but special mention for the Australian lady (waitress) who is great at her job &amp; I imagine well-liked by customers. We would not hesitate to return to this little gem :-)

Disappointed. We were looking forward to a lovely lunch after seeing the great review in The Herald. <br/>The meals were lack lustre. All needed seasoning, were missing ingredients as stated in menu, were tricky to eat and tasted rather bland. <br/>I would not hurry back.

We visited on a winter Saturday evening. It was nice and relaxed but still had good restaurant service. The mains well priced,we had the rib's and the scallop and snapper risotto. Rib's were amazing and meaty with fun vinegar pourer. Risotto was YUM and seafood was melt in mouth.<br/><br/>Was nice to not feel ripped off when paying, as often can happen with Auckland restaurants trying too hard. We will back.

We've taken the family here three times in the last 5 months. I love it because of the kids menu with its healthy options which is great and always given rave reviews by the kids. Our last meal was fantastic. My husband had the fish of the day which was divine. A beautiful setting with great food and a wide and varied menu.

Gorgeous Auckland day today, perfect for the scenic drive up to Matakana and a riverside lunch on the terrace at Matakana Market Kitchen. We've been fans since it opened as the pleasant but rather chilly Tapiano but we've been devotees since it morphed into the warm, relaxed MMK. Neither of us can recall any unfavourable meals and staff have always been delightful. Today our mains were a spicy John Dory special on a light zesty salad with crisp baked potatoes and a Thai fish curry, today made with snapper. We live in Ponsonby and we're surrounded by fabulous eateries but MMK really is the complete package of classy relaxed dining in a great setting.

Saturday market brunch time visit. Excellent atmosphere, friendly staff greeted us and helped with awkward group number &amp; order. Average prices &amp; really nice meal. I had the breakfast salad I think, would come again and order the same. The addition of avocado to it would be perfect. My wife had mushrooms on toast with beetroot, perhaps a bit strong on the balsamic vinegar. Would definitely come again.

On the positive - good location and nice to sit outside. On the negative poor beer selection. Started with some fries and aioli. Nicely presented in a mini basket and served with vinegar which I love. However the fries had been refried and not in a good way so they were dark and super greasy, I hate restaurants that are so cheap they don't cook fresh fries every time but serve you seconds and I know a lot of people might not notice but come on! There ended our lunch decided not to order anything else based on this. Looked so promising but let down by a lazy chef!

Fantastic! I have been there twice in the past couple of weeks and have loved everything about it both times. The food is so delicious and presented beautifully. The menu has something that everyone will enjoy, (it is not restricted at all). They obviously work efficiently in the kitchen as it was packed when we were there but there was not a long wait for food. The pricing of food is also incredibly reasonable. I was surprised to see that delicious and sophisticated dishes were cheaper than pub food you would find over the road. Fabulous experience and will continue to go back!!

It's really sad when you are looking forward to a nice lunch with friends and the restaurant lets you down. On arriving staff didnt want to know you, standing at the bar they just look and turn away. Our lemonade came with a big peice of plastic in it. We then ordered our food after again waiting at the bar, staff saying he will serve you and "HE" just carries on what he was doing. Meals arrived, well half of them.. 10 minutes later i follow them up saying we have only half our meal. Again staff just look at each other. Really disappointing. not worth even mentioning the food. I have to laugh though reading "Jenna C"s comments, I should have just copied them. Wont be visiting again

My mother in law and I stopped in on the way from Auckland to Whangarei last week for lunch - I knew the place was there, but hadn't eaten there before. What a treasure!! The staff were vibrant and engaging, the food was fab, and the setting on the banks of such a gorgeous river was unparalled - think sun sparkling on the water, flowers growing alongside, ducks gently floating along... Bliss. We lingered longer than we ought and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Gorgeous cakes dotted along the counter caught our eye and we took a few home to have with a cuppa. Best of all, the rack of papers and magazines complete with a selection of funky reading glasses - inspired!!! Check it out - you'll be glad you did. Big tick from me.

I wish I had never bothered walking in the door, alarm bells should have rung when the staff ignored our group, the guy whom I presume was the Manager was too busy talking with the other staff to pay us any attention, but alas we stayed. It all went from bad to worse once we were seated, the waitress took so long to get round and take our order for drinks that we were more than ready to order food by the time she came over, however she never asked! <br/><br/>I felt embarrassed for the women owner as she imposed herself on our table, we were there to catch up with our friends not hear the story of the owners life, you should learn to tell when your customers want you to leave them alone. <br/><br/>I love a good Beef wellington but unfortunately this was not a good choice, the meat was well done even though I had ordered medium-rare, my husband had scallop and hapuka risotto which was bland and overall all the meals were over priced and decidedly average.<br/><br/>Unfortunately having friends in the Rodney District we frequent Matakana a lot but this will not be a place we return to, and as with small towns everyone knows someone so it is also best others are aware that some of the reviews on this site and other sites are from family members and staff of Matakana Market Kitchen. Shame on you!!!

Devine. Was lucky to be shouted dinner here. Was very satisfied. Your Scallop &amp; Hapuka Rissotto was spot on. Thank you

Had dinner on Friday and Brunch on Sunday. Both were great. The staff were friendly and helpful, but not too much. Nice environment and good prices for the excellent food.

We visited on one of those magic winters days and were able to enjoy our lunch outside by the river.<br/><br/>My chicken rolls were the right choice with a glass of wine. They do also have a kids menu with ribs, which my son loved and covered his face with.<br/><br/>The wine selection is good by the bottle, but rather limited by the glass.<br/><br/>Friendly and quick service.<br/><br/>Great location to sit outside on a sunny day.

I've been to MMK twice now. Once a number of months ago for lunch, and I wouldn't have rated it - food was pretty boring and the service ridiculously slow. Though a good selection of wines which was nice to see... inc some local options.<br/><br/>Had dinner there recently and really enjoyed ourselves, took my folks for a birthday treat. The service was slow at the start, felt left for a long time, before being offered a drink, or given the entree specials.... but overall we enjoyed ourselves and MMK had some good red wine specials on local options, which was great to see! My duck was perfectly cooked and my partners steak whilst order med-rare, was infact med, a little disapointed with that, but it was still tasty. The food was really nicely presented... and shockingly with breads and edamame, two entrees, four mains, 2 cocktails, 4 beers, 2 cocktails the bill was only $230.00 for the four of us. <br/><br/>So ultimately, yes we would go back and I would recommend booking, as it was BUSY.<br/><br/>Thanks MMK, you made that night a hit for us.

Just my partner and I eating in on a quiet Sunday afternoon earlier in the year. Asked the waiter for the specials - he looked blank and then walked off without a word! Came back a few minutes later with the specials but would have been nice if he had told us he was just going to check.... Ordered garlic bread and told the waiter we would like it as an entree. Ordered mains at the same time, spaghetti and meatballs and the fish of the day. Waited forty minutes for the garlic bread, only for it to come out with the mains. Forty minutes is too long to wait when it's quiet and the garlic bread was meant to be an entree. When we pointed this out to the wait staff, they assured us the garlic bread would be free as compensation for the mix up and the wait. The food was divine to be fair, but portion sizes were very very small and the food is very expensive for how much you get. Main complaint is when we went to pay, they tried to charge us for the garlic bread. Refused to pay it as we would have sent it back when it came out with the mains. Only reason we kept it was because it was apparently free. Didn't have to pay for it in the end, but was an annoyance having to argue with them about it. Clearly communication between management and the wait staff is not so good. Would not come back again.

Aug 2012: Went to MMK again last weekend and was super impressed with the food and service! The chargrilled squid was cooked to perfection and the Nutella pancakes were to die for. Can't wait to go here again. Thank you MMK, you rock!<br/><br/>Feb 2012: Went there with a group of friends on a busy long weekend lunch hour. The food was delicious and well presented. The waiting staff were patient and extremely polite and did a fantastic job in providing a gr8 service. The portion sizes were generous and overall totally worth the money. <br/>Will go back again, highly recommended!

Dined here on a busy Saturday evenining. 4 ladies and we all loved our meals ...... the service we had was great and the decor we enjoyed very much. We did book .... so no hassles with waiting etc. The meals/entrees were a great size and reasonably priced and loads of choice on the menu with advanced flavours. Nice evening had all round. :oD As in a previous comment my girlfiend had the Tuscan Chicken and she loved it!!!!!

We have been here a couple of times since the business changed hands from when we knew it as Tapiano. We wanted to see if things had improved from our earlier visits this year. The waiting staff service has improved further. The meals are ok, the setting great. <br/><br/>However, we have a similar concern as per Ellie A's 'review' on this site regarding the way the owner or owner(s) i.e. Management, do not acknowledge, deal with, &amp; apologise when a customer has made a genuine complaint.<br/><br/>The impact of management not dealing with customer complaints at all means that no one will ever want to venture near the place again. (That now includes us). It's just down right nasty not doing anything to rectify a customer's complaint. See Ellie A's review below if you want an example. <br/><br/>Sorry to have to post this here, but to put things diplomatically to the <br/>owner/owner(s) who manage the restaurant, professional development in all aspects of customer service including dealing with customer complaints, would be helpful. The waiting staff are fine. This suggestion is for Management to undergo further training in these areas. <br/><br/>Looking at the MMK facebook page, we noticed a lot of positive comments on their wall. But on closer inspection it looks like the comments are coming from friends/associates of theirs (because the same profile names keep popping up all the time). <br/><br/>But, leadership in making things look impressive for the restaurant has to come from the top as well, rather than relying on the facebook wall scribings of a few close friends/associates. <br/><br/>(A good start for Management is to deal with customer complaints no matter how big or how small they are).<br/><br/>We know we are not the only ex-customers who have drawn the short straw where MMK's lack of action is concerned. The lax approach can be pretty frustrating if not hurtful to some. Matakana Village really does need more competition in the area to give this lot a good shake up. <br/><br/>It wouldn't surprise us if we saw a sudden stream of 'reviews' being posted to this site saying how well MMK deals with complaints, etc. But ex-customers know otherwise. <br/><br/>

I have been to Matakana Market Kitchen 3 times during the last 12 months.My last visit was a week ago. I have enjoyed dinning there each time l have been. The staff are very helpful and friendly, the food has always been great and the decor is pleasant. I would highly recommend paying MMC a visit if you are ever in the area.

I went and had a good experience. The staff was very friendly and helpful in helping us pick out our food and drinks, telling us which were the most popular dishes, etc.<br/>The feel of the place is very warm and welcoming and beautifully set out and makes for a relaxing time.<br/>The drinks were well made and I had the ice cream which was very tasty.<br/>I would recommend to go there if you're looking for a place where you can have a great time with friends or family (could take kids).

We had a terrible experience here on NYE. Booked a table well in advance as we had heard good things about this restaurant. We turned up on NYE - and the restaurant was shut. We had had no warning of this, and by the time we found out on NYE it was too late to book anywhere else. Eventually we found out that they had decided not to open on NYE, and 'the booking system had broken' so the staff had no record of who had a booking for that night. Frankly this suggests to me that they had not tried very hard to contact us to tell us they were not opening, and definitely hadn't done it far enough in advance for us to make other plans. They ruined our NYE plans, and since they had bookings for the evening they should have stayed open and honoured them.<br/><br/>Despite this we went a few days later for a meal. They offered us no apology or compensation for what had happened on NYE. The staff were unfriendly, the service was extremely slow - by the time the food came we were on the point of walking out. And was the food worth the wait? - definitely not.

I must say, I LOVE THIS PLACE!! I go here regularly and can't get enough of their amazing food, beautiful coffee and gorgeous home-made baking! <br/>Went for dinner with my partner about a week ago and I had the Tuscan Chicken which is served on ratatouille and it was the nicest meal I have had out - ever (and I go out a lot!!) and my partner had Lamb Rack which I must admit I tried and LOVED. Went in for breakfast the next day and had Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs while my partner had the Market Grill with perfectly poached eggs and lovely wild boar sausages.<br/>The only thing I would say is that it gets very busy (packed out in fact) so I would say to book because then you don't have to wait for a table!<br/>I went here before when it was Tapiano and it lacked ambience and the food was disappointing for the price. It has changed now, looks gorgeous and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anybody who wants a nice feed!<br/>Overall, 5 stars and cant wait to go back!

Sea food chowder fantastic.<br/>Food has been hit &amp; miss with each visit, as are the staff.<br/>Has been busy on last two visits, both week days, on last visit made to feel inconvenienced by not having a booking - yet the owners philosophy is stop in and eat, if we don't have a table your welcome at the bar...

Cant agree more with the last diner we just called for a cruzy sunday lunch and ended up having one of the best lunches i have ever had .<br/>great staff great specials and please dont take the scallops off they were devine keep up the good work.

WOW!!!<br/>About time we had someone who does exceptional coffee and exceptional food!!!<br/>We eat out a lot and have I must admit high standards (Chef by trade), and this place is just awesome...plus staff are just lovely...<br/>Of all the eateries in Warkworth/Matakana region,,,you guys are tops and I will be telling everybody...<br/>P.S. Please don't take the Snapper "special" with yoghurt and cumin sauce off the menu, it was devine :)