Review The Gables Osteria & Enoteca - Russell

Our favourite Russell restaurant has reinvented itself as an Italian. Food was pretty good but not outstanding. Service was friendly if a bit inconsistent. The wine was excellent. Tables are now quite close together.

Such a lovely restaurant! We were here on our last visit a few years ago and it was again excellent. You can either sit outside or inside, I would recommend a table at the window if sitting inside as it has a very beautiful view over the water.

Booked in for a quick lunch with my partner, on arrival we were asked to wait at the bar for a bit while our table was prepared, and for this we were compensated with drinks on the house! We ordered a selection of small dishes to share and loved all of them. Delicious fresh oysters & cocktails were a favorite. Worth the visit!

We thoroughly enjoyed dinner here. Delicious food-fish stands out, it is fully cooked blue nose, duck and pickled appetizers. The service is very good, they have a good wine selection, and there are many local wines to choose from. We were there that night and it was raining, so we had to sit in the house, but it was a good choice to sit outside on a warm summer night... the view was beautiful.

Enjoyed the food , the wine menu they give to dinners does not match the one on the website. Wait staff a bit disorganised, kept delivery wrong food to our table and others. Then they tried to charge for extra drinks we never had in the final bill. The food the atmosphere is great.

Had dinner here last night the waiter is very friendly and welcoming. The fire was going and gave off great warmth. This is the oldest restaurant in New Zealand has been open since the whaling times and is built on whale bones. We ended up sharing three entrees and it was very nice. Just the right amount as one tends to eat a lot when on holiday. Recommend cost $$$

We shared a bunch of the small plates which were all delicious! The negroni was A++ and a the kaffir lime margie was the perfect dessert. Service was prompt and polite, the servers all knew the menu and were confident about the ingredients. The refurbishment has added a fresh and cosy feel. Well done team, we look forward to coming back.

Thoroughly enjoyed the meal here. The service is really friendly. If you look for that old fashion kiwi service with big smiles and always seem to have been able to put a chat on between there super busy night, this is the place. The food, well, check out those pictures and they do taste as good.

Dinner at the Gables Osteria & Enoteca on the waterfront in Russell, marked the end of five wonderful days visiting Northland. A lemongrass Margarita each set the tone for a throughly enjoyable, understated five star evening. Keeping it simple, we shared olives with homemade Focaccia, followed by melt-in-the mouth Flounder with caper butter, and Vongole, Cloudy Bay Clams, with delicate, homemade spaghetti. Our fresh green vegetables came drenched in garlic, butter and other subtle flavour delights! These two fish classics are firm favourites and were cooked to perfection. Thank you chef! Having booked a window table, we concluded dinner, watching the picture-perfect sunset, while sharing a Coffee Semifreddo. What a memorable evening! We would highly recommend this charming restaurant, with its equally charming and attentive staff.

A lovely place for a romantic dinner, highly recommended the food we tried but suggest you order off the menu and don't have the "tasting menu" chef's choice. At $69 per person you get better choice ordering per plate. We would have preferred some of the other options. Service was fabulous.

It's been a number of years since we ate at Gables for a variety of reasons, and we were really delighted with our meal. The steak tatar (italian version) was one of the best we had. It was a lovely evening.

Most standout meal we have had in some time. All facets of the evening were exceptional: the food, the wine, the ambience, service and the view. An evening to be remembered. If you love quality food prepared with skill, then try it out

Food was fantastic. Great to sit outside and right on the water Even when the power went out for this side of the peninsula they came out with candles and the food kept coming excellent service, fast, hot and even my kids loved the food. the only small complaint would be if you order a glass of sparkling then you only get half a glass besides that well deserving a five stars. Wish I had more photos to share but the power went out roughly 10 minutes before we got our main and it didn't come back on until about 10 minutes after we've finished our food Ps. They are open late, we were a walk in table of 4 at 9pm.

Love the new fit-out and Italian cuisine offering! A great place to spend some good time with friends and quality food & drinks.

Amazing service. Amazing & well presented food. Terrific location. Allie was friendly & efficient. Seemed a nice vibe amongst the staff. Had grilled fish and salad and highly recommend it. I’ll try the lamb next time though!

The new menu, food, everything absolutely superb. A taste sensation. The platter was magnificent. The carne cruddo belissimo! The gnocchi to die for. The semifreddo to live for.

Don't walk past this place if you fancy a really great meal in a romantic setting. The exterior can lead you into thinking that this is a place that's a bit stuffy - but the food and service here is absolutely excellent. I had the oysters and the fish and chips and my partner had market fish - all were wonderful. Great ambience. Not to be missed.

We had a very enjoyable dinner, the Restaurant was fairly busy but we weren’t left waiting. The staff are very attentive. Thank you

Good food and nice service

We had the most wonderful 3 course meal last night for our wedding anniversary. Service was faultless and the food was world class. Would recommend The Gables to the most discerning diner but also we are warmly welcomed with our grandchildren for a casual meal iin the summer on the beach front.

Over from the Sunshine coast in Qld and have just eaten at the Gables- one word- Incredible. Excellent service, beautiful atmosphere, incredible view and most importantly- superb food! Thankyou so much for an awesome meal! Im so looking forward to bringing my entire family back for a meal sometime soon xox

Russell needs to lift its game when it comes to food . Lacks any diversity . We finally chose to go to The Gables and sadly found it lacking . The service was very cold until we made an attempt to engage our waitress ( should have been the other way around ) the serves were very small ( one small bite of cheese on the charcuterie board ) and when we requested another couple of pieces of bread were charged another $2 per very small slice . Had eaten at a winery in KeriKeri the previous day ( for the same $ ) and it was far superior in every department . Well , maybe not the view .

Great food and great service As well as a great wine selection It was the perfect place to celebrate a mile stone birthday

Beautiful architecture, view to die for, food amazing .....service perfect. What more can I add.....go there, just go there and eat, you won't be sorry!

We had fish and chips for lunch, very well presented and very tasty, staff were friendly and attentive. We thought it reasonably priced for both drinks and food and if you can get outside the view it fabulous. Recommend a visit.

Last night's dinner was lovely, no booking but we were given a table at 8.30pm , service was great with a smile and food knowledge, food was fresh and full of flavour and an unexpected taster to start with , to the team at Gables thanks for making our last night in Russell z great one and keep up the great work that you all do �

Perfect sirloin steak meal with delicious chunky chips, salad & condiments all seasoned tp perfection 👍🏻

We were there yesterday and Today. We had 4 different Main courses and each of them was excellent. �Service was Friendly and we enjoyed it. Thanks �

Nothing special...service impersonal...Food ordinary yet overpriced...drinks ridiculously priced (seasonal rates? Doubt whether much business outside of the different seasons) - will not go back. ..oh - the view is good if you get the table you booked!

OMGoodness. The steak was amazingly delicious!!! The aolli?/ butter? infussed with Rosemary etc. It was incredable. Cooked to perfection as Medium-Rare. Yum yum!!

Amazing roasted salad, was delicious and paired with the mulled wine, made for a happy diner on a winter day. Was a fantastic choice for lunch with great service

Set in a historic building on Russell's waterfront the restaurant exudes a special charm from the moment you walk in.<br/><br/>The staff was lovely and efficient and the food just amazing.<br/>The chefs do an outstanding job at serving local cuisine with excellent flavor and execution from presentation to taste.<br/>We especially enjoyed the seafood risotto and roasted lamb.<br/><br/>The wine list includes lovely NZ wines with special gems throughout.<br/><br/>I found myself dining here several times during my stay while watching the sun set from my table and look forward to coming back to the best restaurant in Northland to do just that!!

Without a doubt the culinary pick of the Bay of Islands. <br/>I ordered the lamb which was exquisitely cooked. All the servings were generous and beautifully presented. An extensive quality wine list was provided, and we treated ourselves to a beautifully balanced local pinot gris (Marsden Point[?]). The service was right on the money - efficient and attentive, yet not overbearing. Despite only two of us eating, we were greeted by the manager and he personally organised a spot for two on the waterfront. I am a bit of a romantic, and being able to enjoy such a memorable meal in a restaurant housed in a historical building in a town of such historic significance was something very special, and not one I will forget for a long time.

I visited the Gables in mid-November with my girlfriend and a friend visiting from the Netherlands. We had been thoroughly impressed the year before and decided to take our friend, we were not disappointed. Russell is a stunning place and the Gables is in a lovely building on the waterfront. <br/>We managed to get a table by the water, I suggest this to anyone who enjoys al fresco dining and a world class sun set. We shared a seafood platter to start as suggested by our waiter. It was very well cooked and the produce was fresh. <br/>I had the Hapuka main, a bit unusual for me as an uncompromising carnivore, but it was superb. I was impressed that the waiter suggested a wine that was so well suited to my meal, the Marsden Black Rock Chardonnay. My girlfriend and our friend were very happy with their meals. The service was great, the staff are impressive young people with good knowledge about the food and wine list. We will definitely be back to try the Ostrich!<br/>Tom, Papamoa

What a fabulous evening dining at The Gables. We were seated overlooking the beautiful Russell waterfront and were well looked after by the friendly and professional staff. We started with a generous seafood platter which featured all the local treats and had a wonderful whole snapper as our main. The sunset was unforgettable and an experience I would love to repeat again soon.

What an amazing setting, beautiful view of the bay, oldest building in Russell. Relaxed atmosphere and owner and staff really friendly and made the meal an experience to remember. It was winter time and although people were still dinning outside on the terrace we decided to take a table inside where the fire was warming up the restaurant nicely, as well as adding to the special atmosphere. Had heard lots about deep fried oysters and The Gables were certainly the best place to try them really delicious. In fact the whole meal was of top quality and certainly value for money. Would recommend at least one visit during your stay…….

I visited Russell last November with 3 other friends, I live in Spain, two from UK and the other from Holland. We had a great night, the restaurant is in a perfect position beautiful views over the bay, the interior is warm and interesting. We all had something different, and enjoyed it all, the deep fried mussels were amazing! Spent the rest of our holiday in New Zealand looking for more. Would highly recommend The Gables and Russell we were all sorry to be leaving. <br/>DJ, Spain

Missing this amazing restaurant very much. We ate there 2 of our 4 nights in Russell and it was outstanding both times. The local Chardonnay recommended by the lovely looking english waitress was the best wine we had all trip. The setting is gorgeous, looking out over the bay with warm weather late into the night. The snapper and rib of beef are highly recommended.

Although the old building is beautiful, it took an age for the drinks and food to arrive. The waiters were not unfriendly just inattentive. The main courses were tasty but by the time the food arrived we were unable to enjoy it. The starter bread and dips was shoddy and the very small glasses of wine we we were served was insulting (as was the $11 price for a bottle of water).

I loved everything about this charming old restaurant. Right on the Russell waterfront with stunning seaviews -<br/>our window table was perfect. For seafood lovers there is much to choose from and dishes are beautifully presented and prepared. Just loved the whole snapper which we shared and the 1847(when the Gables was built) Mess (berries, meringue and cream) was a deliciously light dessert. An excellent wine list and very helpful staff. I cannot recommend the Gables highly enough.

I had an excellent dinner recently at the Gables, overlooking the water and beautiful sunset. This restaurant is housed in an historic building full of character and interesting memorabilia, built in 1847 on whale bone vertebrae, right on the Russell waterfront. The menu created by the new owner emphasises local produce and seafood and our seafood tasting plate which we shared as a starter was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Choosing a main was difficult as we were very tempted by the paella and the freshly caught whole fish, but decided on a cote de boeuf for two, aged scotch fillet on the bone served with bearnaise and fries. Just like being in France! No room for dessert but the Chocolate Nemesis and lemon tart looked scrumptious. A young and energetic wait staff looked after us very well. We will definitely return to the Gables when next in the Bay of Islands. A magical evening.

I visited the gables with some family and friends and ate in the rear sun terrace,my wife and daughter wanted to use the bathroom,when asked where they were they was told to use dirty public toilets in Russell,my wife explained i am dinning at your establishment can i not use yours.With a rude reply "OK but only this once".<br/>I shall never go back there and i advise anyone needing to use the bathroom while dinning does not go to the Gables either.