Lantern

Ok, I get it now. I understand what all the fuss is about. I appreciate I’m a little late to the party, but better late than never. This review could really just be one word - “superb.” But why use one when you can use more. It was a celebration dinner for the Favourite Husband and I. To be fair we could celebrate simply waking up, but we were in buoyant mood and expectations were high. It was a warm and friendly greeting on arrival which sets the tone nicely. Drinks arrived super fast which is always a win. And then the food. The tuna was the most beautiful mix of flavours and textures. We could have dined on a succession of those alone. But there was more to explore. Avocado fresh rolls were a great mix of clean and crisp but if I was being picky, I found the peanut sauce slightly salty for me. The edamame beans were the best I’ve had. A beautiful smoky char and a slightly spiced salt. On to the prawn toast. The presentation is stunning and I thoroughly applaud restaurants that leave you a copy of the menu so you can check what the flavours are. It was simply outstanding. My comment to the Favourite Husband “what creative genius comes up with this?” The only dish that didn’t work for me was the green papaya salad, again personal taste. Just too spicy for me. It’s stated on the menu that the dressing is spicy. The Favourite Husband, never one to pass up food, did eat it but then complained of his lips being numb. (Didn’t stop him grabbing the third slice of prawn toast I noticed.) And then because we are gluttonous piglets we also had the large plate lamb shank massaman curry. Again it was just incredible. Rich and creamy and perfectly balanced. The lamb slid off the bone. I liked the broth so much I could drink it from a cup. There’s no one stand out dish for us, they were all superb. Special shout out to the staff who all seem pretty young, they too were outstanding. Friendly, efficient, not intrusive. Just a great place.

Went there on a recommendation and loved the place. Was going to get chefs special but instead got a variety of the smaller starter dishes to share. All the food was fantastic and full of flavour. The service was also really good with Bronson doing an outstanding job looking after us and guiding our evening as we hadn’t been there before. Would highly recommend it to others.

What a beautiful place to dine. Food was delicious, service was great. The whole vibe was perfect. (Father's Day outing) Considering my Dad has Alzheimers the quiet Garden area was an absolute hit.

It was second visit from us. The entrance might be hard to find and there's no sign that's obvious, so it feels like it's a hidden place. It look like a cafe in a tropical island due to their interior design with wooden stuff, which I love. The food is very unique, and they will recommend you to have small plates to share. I loved the pulled pork on pineapple which was a special menu and the honey glazed pork skewers. The ingredients are all very fresh as well 👍The cocktails and mocktails also are unique and beautiful, but taste was just okay. The staffs were also nice, and a man was super kind. Thank you so much for singing birthday song with me =)

Incredible! We were so busy enjoying our food that we forgot to take pictures of our other two dishes. The service was super quick and friendly, and the drinks were absolutely delicious. Not super sweet like most restaurant cocktails! The star of the show was definitely the fried chicken: it was amazing. We’re definitely coming back to get a larger dish each as they looked delicious going to the other tables! I would say top 5 restaurant in the Tauranga/Pāpāmoa area 👏🏻