Review Cbk Craft Bar & Kitchen Rotorua - Rotorua

We stopped in here for dinner after a long day on the bus. It was great to enjoy craft beer from the Good George Brewery along with chicken bacon poppers and an the most enormous helping of fish and chips I have ever seen. Also of interest was the ability to vote on/buy/schedule? the next music video to come on the big screen. There was a bit of confusion with our seating and order (possibly a new server with English as a second language) but things did show up correct eventually.

We had a good experience here. We likes the outdoor food hall atmosphere. We got the cauliflower appetizer, beef brisket roti tacos and chicken sandwich.

Food was really good! Waiters were in hurry, but got our order quite quickly. We enjoyed everything. Thanks!

Loved this place on Eat Streat, we ordered the cook your own meat on the hot Rock to share. Nice fresh meat and fish, desserts good too.

Great overall. The dumplings were delicious. My brisket was abit overcooked but the cocktails were yummy.

Wow totally new menu and both my wife and i tried 2 totally different dishes. She chose the Stone Grilled chicken and i had the whisky infused Beef Brisket with glazed carrots and duck fat cube potatoes. The nicest meal in a while. Place was really busy which likely explained the need to ask when our meals were coming.

I went here for dinner one night, got the Calamari and the Dumplings Laksa...the calamari was said to have Old Bay seasoning on it and as an American whose favorite seasoning is Old Bay (even brought a couple containers to Aotearoa/New Zealand for gifts), didn't think the calamari hit the mark with seasoning. However, the Dumpling Laksa was amazing; I came back the next day to have it again for lunch, got a side of garlic bread too. I'd really like the recipe, as I need it on a weekly basis and Arizona is too far away!

quiet nice for the first time , if i see the 3.8 review, may be i won’t come in. But after having the good , it is totally worth it

I can say that our experience at CBK in Rotorua was excellent. The food and drinks we ordered were delicious and the staff were very friendly and attentive. The service was quick, which made for a smooth and enjoyable dining experience. The atmosphere and ambiance of the restaurant were also top-notch, adding to the overall great experience. I would highly recommend CBK to anyone looking for great food and drinks in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.

I feel a little harsh, giving CBK a 4 star review, as they were very good apart from one area. Once our food was delivered to the table, we didn't see a waiter again. I mentioned it on the way out, and the manager received the information well.

Stone grill lamb was tender and you get to finish searing it on your hot stone right at your table. The huntsman breakfast had generous portions and everything in it was delicious. Service was a bit slow though.

Great customer service from Alroy, Jithin and team. Kudos to the chef, best chicken waffles EVER! 🤞🏾

Absolutely pleased with everything. Food was amazing. Service was amazing. Atmosphere was amazing. Our food came out fast. We will be back again soon

We were here for breakfast as it is one of the few places on eat street that actually serves a vegan breakfast. The vegan option was the muesli which was quite delicious, though for vegans who don’t want a jaw workout first thing in the morning, tough luck as the bar does not serve anything outside the breakfast menu in the morning. There are a lot of other delicious looking vegan options (the vegan sandwich sounded mouthwatering) on the other menus though which we did not get the opportunity to try.

Great service, yum dessert! Coconut chicken is gooood!! Great kumara fries... Mayo is pretty good. Lamb stone plate pretty good have to thank my brother for that... Self cook meat. Chips good too. Fried chicken is always a solid option 👍👍 chocolate fondue looked good sounds good tastes better is a must try. 100% favorite Cookie special... Options for ice cream and flavored sauce.. sweet tooth so went vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce. Wow!! So good. Looking forward to coming back to explore the rest of the menu. Highly recommend this bar and eatery

We ordered the beef and chicken bao buns. The buns were so old and stale, the meat was chewy and tasted old. No effort was put into making them at all, the were so bad I couldn’t eat them!!!!!! I ordered a cocktail, what I got was so far from a cocktail, it was a rum and water with some lemon in iT, service was slack. The lady chucked our menus on the table. Didn’t offer us drinks and had a frown on her face the whole time. Sad as you have the potential to be a great restaurant and bar. <br/>

We went there and asked if Sunday was 2 for 1 desserts, the lady agreed and said basically you can order two and they're half price each. We get to the counter and get told by another waitress it's only after 3pm so have to pay full price. Not happy. We ordered onion rings that cost $12.90, and didn't even receive 10 rings. At least they took it back and took it off the bill. And the waitress was nice, overall though, won't go back. Not happy at all. Portions and price are so not fair. And false advertising, they shouldn't have charged us for both.

Amazing!! The 20$ stone grill was tops! Both waitresses so helpful and great humour! Will definitely return next time we are in the area! Food and drink atmosphere everything was perfect thank you!

Who runs out of wine glasses at a bar ..

Had a good experience, fast service, food out quickly etc. 100% recommend the alcoholic milkshakes and the Popcorn Cauli. Staff were friendly, the lady that took our payment was really nice.<br/><br/>Only four stars because we had to ask for water, other than that, 10/10.

A sad experience today as last summer I was here cbk was my go to. The service has dropped big time and I think they take their location on eat street as all they need to bring in customers but sadly they’ve lost 2 today. After standing around me and my partner found our own menus and seats. Weren’t too sure if we were going to have to go to the bar to order till a waitress finally noticed us. I also noticed another table of girls that waited an age for a waitress to take their order till 2 of them got up to go to the bar to order where they were stopped midway by a waitress who finally took their order. Shorty after we were served warm water that sits outside under the summer sun. Guess that’s one way to make your customers order overpriced cocktails. I opted for a coke which fortunately came cold in a glass with ice. The meals didn’t take too long which was good but my cheeseburger was cold, under seasoned and just all in all very bland. I did however finish my meal so it wasn’t uneatable just cold and plain. I’d recommend the basics being salt and pepper especially on tomatoe and avocado. And I’d also throw some smoky bbq sauce in there. Chips were plain as well. Need some chicken salt and accompany them with some garlic aioli. Have some class. My partner ordered the Gunpowder Chicken which we both found uneatable. She barely touched her meal and I don’t blame her. The sauce wasn’t hot or spicy, it was just a curdled mess. Not what I pictured reading off the menu - Popcorn Chicken, dried chilli, Sichuan spice, chopped peanuts. But it was just deep fried chicken and a side of sauce. The chicken was borderline cooked and the thin coating was yuck. I’m a big fan of chilli but none of this was hot, it was just unpleasant & the sauce well I think the picture tells half the story. Each to their own I guess but a sad thumbs down from me.

Went here for dinner around 5:30pmish so it was reasonably quiet at this time. I feel like this place is a bit of a hit and miss, as we experienced orders being forgotten or having a hard time getting the waitress/waiters attention. I would think they would be onto topping up peoples drinks as it is a bar and a good way to collect revenue. <br/>I ordered a vegetarian open sandwhich and the flavours of the patty didn’t really work. However I did enjoy the potatoes and cookie pie i had alongside it, my partner also enjoyed his burger. I probably wouldnt come back.

I have ordered cookie with ice cream ,it was good but a little bit over cooked and they took long time to bring it..........................

Poor service quality (how come just 1 waiter taking order while the other was disappeared? And makes customers wait for about 30 mins?!), not worthy foods (dry steak and not hot when served, the steak jus was gross)<br/><br/>NOT recommended place for dining!<br/>

A wonderful homely place, great service, FABULOUS food and fair pricing. <br/>The least (not at all) stringy calamari ever! Perfectly cooked food - tops to the chef!

Loved loved loved it here! We’re out of towners but man did we hit the food jackpot, we ordered the chicken wings with the honey sauce so delicious and even better the night we went they were only $1 per wing! BONUS. Then we ordered curly fries, Mac n 3 cheese, and one beef and one chicken bao bun, the chicken one was my favourite. We wanted to try the cookie in he pan but there was no room left in our stomachs 😂. Loved the atmosphere and the vibe from the staff had awesome service from one girl there with a tattoo sleeve VERY VERY FRIENDLY! <br/><br/>Will definitely be back next time we visit Rotorua.

After reviewing several lacklustre Zomato recommendations for various restaurants, I ventured down to Eat Street and came across this little gem. Had a burger, cauliflower poppers and a “beer tasting flight”.<br/>Poppers: fantastic tapas dish. Great balance of flavours. The burger was succulent, with a perfectly cooked patty, Smokey bacon and just the right amount of sauce upon crisp lettuce.<br/>The beer flight was a suggestion of my waiter and is well worth it (and I am not usually a beer drinker!). There is a great choice of local beers not to be sampled anywhere else. <br/>Service was attentive and friendly. The place had a good mix of locals and tourists.<br/>If you are in a mood for some honest Kiwi food whilst in Rotorua, add this place to your list.<br/>

Although the food is really good the wait time is ridiculous, we've waited 45 mins for starters when it wasnt overly busy and then another 40mins for mains. The food is lovely though, but i wouldnt want to wait that long anywhere. Most the staff seem friendly enough.

After the Rotorua marathon we enjoyed some very friendly service and great hospitality here. Tended to adequately and politely.<br/><br/>That’s where the compliments stop unfortunately. We ordered the chicken bacon burger and the five-plus-a-day burger. Very bland burgers with excessive unflavourful sauces. En route to the restaurant I saw a white dog poo perched on the grass. I regret not taking it back to fry up with some garlic and butter - would’ve been much more enjoyable not to mention cheaper.

They've got nice ambience and good beer, but unfortunately their steak didn't meet our expectation.<br/><br/>So we tried 3 kinds of stonegrill and also surf&turf. Stonegrill was not bad and it was fun as you grill meat on a hot stone yourself. Which means they only need to serve raw meat without even seasoning. But it was good.<br/><br/>Surf&turf was a big disappointment. I ordered midium rare and it was burnt outside, raw inside. There was no seasoning at all, so I dipped it in aioli and tomato sauce which I thought they were for fries on side.<br/><br/>I'd be happy to come back to enjoy their nice beer, but probably no food.

Me and my family went to CBK for lunch on my birthday, the service was great 😊 everything was delicious especially the aioli sauce. Highly recommend this restaurant

Really enjoyed my stonegrill meal here, the only fault would have been the salad but other than that the meal was delicious. I also had the Pan baked cookie and ice cream which I highly recommend. I must also add that the customer service was perfect 👌

Located in EatStreet, this is a vibrant and lively place. Amazing vibe it has. We tried the beef burger and Stone Grilled lamb. Burger was amazing but the Stone grilled lamb was something unbelievable...<br/>Worth every cent i must say. Friendly staff and frankly didn’t have another night or would have gone back for the stone grill

Ambience: its all clean, well lit, the interior is fascinating.<br/><br/>Food: we had stone grills, the chicken and the Cut. Surf and Turf as well. it took a long while to have them served. And the surf and turf was more on well than Medium. Its worth the experience and enough to have us wanting for more. 4.5 Because of the long wait and the steak temp.<br/><br/>SERVICE: A HUGE PLUS. We had Greg serve us during our dining experience and he was awesomee! We had a long wait, he kept on checking on us. And gave us complimentary sweets which was very sweet. He took time to have a little chat with us and really completed our wonderful dinner. Thanks Greg!

A very average restaurent. The range of craft beer redeems it slightly but the below par quality of food lets it down big time. We started with seafood chowder which was good but sadly it was all downhill from there. The chicken wings were bland and dry. The chips weren't seasoned. The pesto chicken fettuccine was awful. An average food court diner beats the mains at cbk. The 2 star rating is for the beer and the chowder. Will definitely not be visiting again.

Great way to end a full day of hiking. I highly recommend the stone grill. The beer was also top notch. All and all the price for what you get is reasonable

It takes forever to get your order - I had to wait 35min to have scrambled eggs&toast. Then 15min more for the tea... Just to find out that they forgot about it. <br/>And it's better to ask what they have before making your choice. They managed to run out of salmon for dinner and ciabatta for breakfast next day.

Loved the atmosphere . Service was good not too long of a wait considering it was quite busy as well. <br/>Food was fantastic, Everything on the stone grills are delicious as well as the sides.

My partner and I went here for a snack after leaving another restaurant hungry and unsatisfied and were greeted by friendly and welcoming staff. We just got a flat bread, which we loved, but because the atmosphere and staff were so great and we liked the menu we decided to go back for dinner the next night. The next night we were absolutely not disappointed with the same welcoming and friendly atmosphere. I got the chicken fettuccine and it was AMAZING, best pasta I've ever had and would 100% go back for it. My partner had a burger which was absolutely delicious as well. An absolute gem in Rotorua, highly recommend!

Fabulous service....friendly, helpful and really really thoughtful stuff<br/>Duck was cooked perfectly, even better than some of the 4-4.5marks restaurants in akl!! Highly recommended<br/>Forgot the brake of this drink, made with hot chocolate and one coconut liquor....loved it<br/>Venison cooked nicely, not over cooked, really nice<br/>Overall it was a nice and enjoyful meal, will definitely go back agin🌹🌹🌹

Barely any options for vegetarians... *sigh* but only complaining as the menu was ginormous. My vegetarian burger was late and half cold... but Service was great though and there desserts - when affordable were also pretty deceiving. I wouldn't recommend it really but it's nice as one time thing! Great chips but who can't get that right, right? You decide I don't know.

There was a queue. All tables were full of large groups and we immediately regretted choosing this place with the fear we'd be waiting an hour. We were wrong. <br/>The service was great, the staff were positive, chatty and jovial even though they were obviously stretched. <br/>We ordered the signature cbk salads and a squid to share. <br/>The food arrived in 15 minutes, was well presented, tasted fresh and was a great portion size for lunch. <br/>The squid was cooked perfectly. This is a great lunch spot! Thoroughly recommend.

The burger there is freaking big. The combo is too much for myself. The chips are really good, outside is crispy and inside is soft and smooth. The staff gave me the recommendations about the beer, they r really good. I also like their decorations

Went for lunch on a Monday - quiet with great service<br/>Great food! Had a flat iron burger which hit just the right spot and the onion rings are top notch

Came here on Sunday.  The Restaurant looked ok and the menu appealed BUT the service was terrible.  I had to find a staff member and ask about service and was told someone would come to the table to take our order.  We waited and waited and then walked out.  I assume they didn't want our money!

when we went it was in the good little brunch-ish time so it wasnt quite so busy, but we ordered the buttermilk pancakes, which was sooooo gooooodddd and the calamari which was delicious, the hashbrown and the cookie in a skillet, which is if you have a sweet tooth like i do would definitely hit the spot, they were all very delicious, the waiter was super friendly and he gave such good information on what places are fun to go to if your touring rotorua

Awesome breakfast here! My partner had the butchers breakfast and I had scrambled eggs on toast with coffees.<br/>Coffees were excellent, butchers breakfast was delicious and sausages were top notch. The basil pesto was addictive. Eggs on toast were spot on.<br/>Lovely service despite a super busy morning due to the marathon being in town. Would love to go again for dinner and try that skillet cookie thing :-)

Food was great here. The vibe of the restaurant was amazing. We had the special for the night which was a pretty big serving and quite tasty. The service was very friendly.

Had a fantastic time at this great cafe - mostly due to the staff. Miss seven was a little scared of her stone grill, and someone who I assume was the manager spent some time and talked her through it - to the point where she wants to go back and have another! The staff were friendly and attentive - and the pork and prawn burger is fantastic. My scallops and prawns were a bit overdone but overall very enjoyable.

Absolutely, and without doubt the worst service in NZ. Seated quickly, but over 30 minutes before we could get someone to take our order. And it wasn't even busy!<br/>But the food was okay. The turf could have had more than one surf, but the sliders were well received as was my salad.<br/>Would recommend the chicken popcorn (nothing like you get in Australia).

Very friendly waiter (Anton) was the highlight of our meal here. <br/><br/>Food was all ok but that is all - ok. <br/><br/>Nothing tastes particularly fresh - all just seemed a bit tired (despite being busy). Fish was bland. Salads were somewhat wilted. Good beer though and as I say Antin was excellent.

seriously mouth watering stone grill steak....pricey but worth every single cent...can't fault it....service and environment fantastic too..... we loved it and would make a special trip from Hamilton just to have that steak again :)

Happpppy New Year 🎉 lunch at the craft bar. .pretty full at 2 pm told it was an hours wait on food. .we took a seat and sipped our drinks and watched the world bustle by. .surprisingly our mac and cheese arrived in 30 mins. Very happy

Hmmm. <br/><br/>What to say. <br/><br/>Staff were nice and helpful. However. Place was busy, not bursting at the seams busy, just busy. Staff seemed to struggle. Orders were slow to be taken, drinks (very) slow to come, a lot of tables needing clearing. Outside area was full (however if they had cleared some of the tables it might have freed them up) so we were sat inside which was way to hot and uncomfortable, had been 30 deg during the day. Lotsa flies, maybe if tables were cleared?? <br/><br/>Food? A Caesar salad served on a very hot plate, lettuce was effectively cooked and yucky (my wife's word). Chicken wings, am sure they were under cooked, staff said as they were smoked they should be pink (only ate 2 of the 6). Dipping sauce was supposed to be hot, at best it was mayo. Not convinced. If I am sick tomorrow, I know who I am calling. Fish sliders, pieces of battered fish in small bread rolls, so so.<br/><br/>Beer, had the George APA, was fine, nothing to write home about tho.<br/><br/>All in all, a 2 rating is generous. Perhaps they were too busy/overwhelmed but they should have been staffed correctly for Dec 28 if that was the problem.<br/><br/>If just stopping for a beer and to people watch, fine, set low expectations and don't be disappointed.<br/><br/>Oh and to the tall loud guy who seemed to be in charge, you should think about getting a job where you don't need to have customer contact.

The back story: CBK caught my eye on The Eat Streat of Rotorua as it was bustling with activity. With a large outdoor courtyard area plus a spacious interior with a wood fireplace, it was warm and inviting - tempting us to try.<br/><br/>Setting: The place was buzzing with activity when we walked in. We were promptly met by wait staff and told there was a 45 minute wait. Obviously was very popular. We agreed and were seated. The atmosphere was warm with a spacious interior; the white brick walls adding the illusion of vast space and elegance. Their black and white menu complemented the setting well. <br/><br/>Food : Their menu was vast with lots of choices from all day small dishes to more substantial mains and stonegrill options, and pages of drink choices too. Whilst we were waiting for food, I ordered a chocolate liquer - a coconut rough - somwthing certainly unique to the restaurant. I did enjoy the coconut chocolate combo but was put off by the large amount of alcohol taste and the lukewarm temperature. I turned to the food choices. I was tempted by the small plates - sliders, wings bucket, Mac and cheese, aracini balls, popcorn chicken... I didn't know where to start. The prices were on the high side though - not unreasonable for an upmarket place - averaging around $10 -$15 for their small plates. I ended up ordering 2 x 6 wings bucket, the crumbed mac and cheese, and scallop and bacon sliders. <br/><br/>Unfortunately despite how tempting the menu sounded and the great setting , I was disappointed by the food. The wings came first with two side sauces. The wings were not marinated and had a frozen chicken taste to it, which without any sauce was very bland. When described as teriyaki wings and honey soy wings , I expected them to be marinated. They were not. We were just give two 5cm ramekins of sauces - barely enough to flavour one wing, let alone the six. I felt I was paying for frozen baked chicken . The mac and cheese was up next. This was presented innovatively as 4 squares of crumbed Mac and cheese. These were not too bad but again a bit bland on taste. The chorizo and cream cheese promised as part of the mac and cheese was given as a sauce on the side. This did not work well - the cream cheese being too heavy on an already calorie rich dish and difficult to incorporate into the pasta; the chorizo bits were a welcome addition for flavour but should have been in the pasta packets. The best meal of that night were the bacon-wrapped scallop sliders. These did have enough taste but the dousing of mayo didn't do the creative dish justice. <br/><br/>Occasion : Casual upbeat night out, be aware of busy nights as you'll need to wait.<br/><br/>Revisit potential : 5/10 for the atmosphere, uncertain about the food especially for the price.