Review The Stables Restaurant Matakana - Matakana

Literally the most amazing and most accommodating venue ever! I never in my wildest dreams thought that planning a wedding would be so stress free but Nic and her team made it such a breeze…infact I actually enjoyed planning it! We got married at the start of May which was always risky but as they have an indoor/outdoor option which both look amazing it didn’t really matter what the weather was doing! The staff were AMAZING and so so lovely and the food was DELICIOUS (I will be stopping in at smiths in hopes to get a taste of their amazing food again). We can’t thank the team enough for making our special day so perfect 🖤

We had so many venues listed to checkout for our special day and visited the Stables first. WE NEVER LOOKED BACK!! We fell in love with the place immediately! We were very well looked after from quote, to planning to tasting and to the day itself. The team was consistent, friendly and just AMAZING! We are so lucky to have celebrated our special day here! The food was DELCIOUS and our guests enjoyed their time! To top if all off, even though we had a rain on our special day, there was so many "photo location" options available for us! Thank you for looking after us, for hosting us and for making our sepcial day the most perfect day.

We had our wedding at The Stables. Nic is their events coordinator, she is very organised and thought of everything we needed. She asked relevant questions to ensure every last detail was how we wanted it for our special day. They were able to order in our favourite drinks for our wedding. The venue is beautiful and they have recently renovated their garden too! The food was yummy and the staff were awesome. The outdoor area looks awesome at night time too. Highly recommend.

Excellent experience at Stables for our staff Christmas party, the table was spectacular, fire on, staff on hand and a wonderful night. Everyone loved the room, we had it all to ourselves and it was perfect. We all agreed we would be back soon for another event.

It’s been a while since we have been equally impressed across our main 3 areas of rating a restaurant. In order of the experiences- Customer service is 5 star, as a team they are in unison with each other, my husband commented saying he likes the fact that you can’t tell who owns the restaurant because each of the staff display a passionate sense of ownership for the restaurant. Very proud, friendly staff who are not obnoxious, and we really value that. A sense that a place is more than just employment, a togetherness on the floor that is true kiwiana manaakitanga and it is shared throughout. Family friendliness is a 5 star, we like to dine with our young family of 3 children often, and The Stables team are at the front of making the experience a pleasant one. The contemporary country setting is beautiful, horses going by and accessible playground equipment outside on far side of the park. Great for the children to run off steam with relaxing scenery as the backdrop. Yes, they have colouring ins, as entry to a competition to get a half price meal for the next visit. A thoughtful and effective way to have children waiting patiently for their meals is always a tick. That brings me to the 5 Star kai (food). Perfectly prompt, signs of a well organised kitchen and it definitely shows! Quality fresh local produce with presentation seen in a la carte dining. I thoroughly enjoyed my fresh line caught Leigh snapper. My husband enjoyed the crispy duck breast dish and my eldest had the chicken supreme, 10/10 all three cooked perfectly tender. We were so impressed by the dedicated chefs, and The Stables not missing a beat. Also, the garlic bread with olives is a must! Now for the childrens menu, simple quality indgredients which for our youngest fussy eaters was perfect, especially because our children have ASD tastebuds, so we usually find that even the herb sprinkles over pizza, chips or pasta is enough to turn our children away. I asked kindly that if they do usually serve with herbs, if they could leave them off and it was honored with no problem. Not once did we feel our requests were an inconvenience, which these days is hard to find. The Stables child friendliness was apparent and well received and anyone who dines with a young family will know how important this is. Drinks- gin lovers must try the Rhubard Tonic. We enjoyed all our drinks especially the TED Otago Pinot Noir. Deserts- don’t give it a miss! We value experience over pricing so like anyone else like to feel that we got what we paid for and we absolutely feel we did and very happy to tip this place. Just entirely worth it and highly recommend. Thank you for contributing to a wonderful Mother’s day, it was the first without my husband’s mother who recently passed away and we couldn’t have asked for a more memorable way to have commemorated the day. We will definitely be back to try your steak and rib Fridays!

Was at this venue for a wedding. Ceremony and reception were beautiful. Great indoor space with stunning woodwork and lights. The outdoor area was nice, lots of grass and games on the lawn. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. The menu was amazing, beautiful food. Would recommend hiring

This place is great and there's a lot to see. Very well set up country barn and ranch atmosphere. Including horses, carts and, of course, barns. There is a cafe, restaurant and bar to choose from for food. There is also a souvenir shop and a huge, wonderful playground. There was a lot we didn't have time to see here. We had the sunday roast (pork) and snapper. They were both beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. We could not fault our meals, or the restaurant at all. The atmosphere, service and setting were great too. Even if you just want to stop for a break and food while driving north this place is definitely worth it.

I have been to matakana many times but i have never been here before until recently. Lovely restaurant with an amazing scenery while dining out. I highly recommend the roast dinner if your there on sunday. We really liked the menu and good prices too. Great service and the staff made us feel very welcome and we'll be back again. We also enjoyed a walk around the grounds.

I facilitated a workshop at Stables yesterday, and the whole experience was first class. From the comms with the events team, set-up requests being accommodated, and then the welcome and treatment of myself and my guests on the day; it was all very high quality stuff. I'll definitely be coming back to use this venue again... luxurious surrounds, and great people, its a great package.

Great diner, menu is very broad and will cater to even the fussiest of guests or kids. Staff were super friendly and made us very welcome. I’ve been here a few times and it’s always a great stop when in Matakana. Our meals arrived very quickly and were perfectly cooked. The steak was done to perfection and all round the flavors worked. The chicken was moist and tender while having a nice crispy coating, on a lovely black rice salad. Highly recommend a drop in, prices are very reasonable and won’t break the bank!

Was absolutely wonderful. The food was fantastic and the staff were absolutely amazing!! Brilliant birthday dinner.. I'm so full, but so impressed. Highly recommend this place to all wanting a delicious meal with excellent service!!

We've been there for steak night, lunch and pizzas. Food all good and service efficient . The indoor and outdoor spaces are lovely. Last night we went to Smiths for tapas style dinner - great ambience, service and delicious food which was very filling. Would recommend a couple of light, quick dishes - like the tuna tataki, calamari or broccolini as soon as you get there as other dishes can take a while. The outdoor area would be perfect for warm summer evenings... Would def recommend and will be back!

One of the best entres ever!! Great meal recommend 👍🏽

I really enjoyed the new music choice and the volume was just right . It really added to the aubiance , the duck pizza was superb and as we are still waiting the fine weather to arrive !! the small open fire was excellent . Great atmosphere and very friendly staff

Highly recommend this wonderful restaurant. Service great, staff were great, meal was superb and you definitely don't go home hungry. Will certainly be back.

My husband and I are regular customers of The Stables, so when we were looking for a venue for our wedding, The Stables seemed like the perfect choice. Steph and the team did a fantastic job of looking after us and our guests during the wedding. They were happy to accommodate all of our requests regardless of difficultly. They also did a fantastic job of providing advice and managing us to ensure the day went smoothly. Of the actual night, the maitre d' was awesome, the food and wine was delicious, the venue itself looked fantastic, all of our guests had such a great time. My husband was talking to the manager after the wedding and he was saying that it was booking up really quickly, so if you considering it, definitely get in touch. You will have such a memorable wedding. Thanks to everyone at The Stables for your time and effort in providing us with our dream wedding. We honestly cannot thank you enough. <3<3<3

Great atmosphere, fantastic menu of sharing plates & great service. Will visit again. Highly recommend.

This was a gorgeous venue for a wedding. Guests can meet before hand and have a drink at Smiths if they arrive early. The adjacent Chapel is a special place for the ceremony. The venue works perfectly that guests can get up from the table and walk outside to mingle between courses. However there are a couple of things that could be improved. I was surprised the couple were told tablecloths were not provided but can be rented for $800 from a local company that provides them otherwise they must source their own. The tables are screwed together and overlaid with large sheets of wood/particle board so table cloths are necessary. I was also surprised and disappointed that despite having been agreed the week before, that the main course of Lamb Rump-which was delicous -was not served on Roast Vegetables but on Couscous the same as the Chicken Breast. Easy for the kitchen. The first courses of Handcut Taupo Beef and Pork Belly were delicious as were the deserts and canapés. The Maitre D was excellent in her manner and timely co-ordination with the MC so that the event ran smoothly and was thoroughly enjoyed by all guests and the wedding party.

My sister had her wedding at The Stables last weekend and it was just amazing. Beautiful atmosphere, amazing food and best of all, attentive, friendly and helpful staff. �

Excellent venue for a wedding!! We recently got married/had our reception here and what a terrific job the Stables Team did! They certainly made sure everything was exactly how we had planned. The food was amazing & the service was great! Would highly recommend.

Loved coming here last week for my Husband's 30th! The staff were REALLY accommodating, and the food is AMAZING. We will DEFINITELY recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice place to eat in our area! Thanks guys for the great dining experience! :)

5 bloody stars! Erudite staff, toothsome meal, and such an enchanting venue. 10/10, would dine again.

I fully enjoyed my experience here. My meal was delicious, the service was very kind and the fire place was just as comforting as it was beautiful. I will definitely be coming back.

Yummy! Great food. Even better fire! Will be back.

Always brilliant, never fails. I'm a pescatarian, and these people know how to treat a fish. The first bite will make you close your eyes, take a deep breath and smile like it's the best day of the year!

Had a lazy 2 hour lunch here and its the perfect for such a Sunday afternoon. The snapper wontons and tuna tataki were a highlight. And the brioche and butter pudding capped of a great day. Will definitely be back with friends.

We had a lovely meal at the Stables last night and especially loved the 2 roaring fires and cosy rustic decor. I also loved the horses being put through their paces just outside.

Lovely Sunday lunch, great wine list. I could have easily spent a lazy Sunday afternoon here if I don't need to head back to the city.