Review The Lab Eatery - Takapuna

Nice outdoor seating options or comfortable seating inside also. Good mixture of Mediterranean dishes,they do an express lunch menu or lunch and dinner options. Service was efficient and very welcoming. I would recommend this place for a good bite to eat and a few drinks.

Quick service. Delicious food. Went here with a few girl friends to grab a quick bite before a show. We had the halloumi sticks, prawns, spicy lamb meatballs & babaganoush from their tapas menu. Loved the flavours. My favourite was the prawns. It had that smoky char flavour that was beautiful. And came with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce that complimented the prawns perfectly. Nice cosy place to hang out with friends. Good menu selection. Will definitely visit again soon.

Such a Great Place!! Food: really really good food, which looks great and tastes delicious. Staff: very friendly service, super welcoming. Atmosphere: the restaurant is very stylish and cool. A place where you live to spend time, enjoy good food and drinks.

The food here is mouth watering to look at and the various colours and flavours do not disappoint your taste buds. Service is fast and there are shared plates if you are eating together in a big group. As always parking is a bit tricky in Takapuna but it’s a short walk from Hoyts Parking. Will definitely be back to try out other items on the menu especially the Frankenstein’s monster burger.

Back to my eating antics again😍 Food is a bit on the pricey side again, but again, it's Auckland💁 Lots on the menu, and their cocktails look and taste fantastic! Service was also absolutely wonderful, lovely bunch of people working there!

I definitely enjoyed the cocktails more than the food BUT the cocktails were outstanding! tasty and different and not too expensive for what you get. Highly recommend the Tropic Toxic, so yum!

Don’t be deceived from the outside as very modern once go in. Food was very nice as was the service. Nice outdoor area to relax.

We definitely enjoyed our breakfast her this morning, we already came here several times and always enjoy the Mediterranean food style.

Good service and a funky setup. Food was good but a little on the pricey side. Great place for drinks after work.

Previously known as The Lab Eatery - Interesting and different type of restaurant - wasn't as sciency as we were expecting but the food we ordered was delicious, however; one dish took over half an hour for them to bring to us. I'd still recommend this place to others

Wish they had more options for dairy free milks for coffees. Otherwise, the menu is nice. Nothing extraordinary, but simply nice. The food is good but not many vegan/vegetarian options, perhaps something to improve one.

This place has amazing drinks! I would definitely go again.. love the presentation and different flavours they had! Food was also delicious, I booked a table for my birthday and definitely would go back.

Quite disappointed for what the price reflected. The serloin steak was a very below average schnitzel which came with tasty but nothing to rave about fries and the salad was just mesclun, no seasoning or sauce..

came here for the cocktails on my birthday, they were all so yum, i got the experiment one and it tastes as good as it looks, so pretty & refreshing! would defs recommend

If you like turkish food this is another good one to try! Great location and interior. Friendly & courteous staff. The food was delicious. I personally loved the bbq chicken nibbles, if you like bbq sweet glazed chicken wings/nibbles this is a good dish to try for starters.<br/><br/>Turkish food, We ordered the spicy lamb meatballs, it was not spicy accordinh to my taste but was still Amazing! So well cooked & flavourful. The only thing was the serving was little, their presentation is lovely the taste is good but just three meatballs in the tapas.<br/><br/>Third dish was Chicken shawarma. I am a fan of wrap,pitas & breads personally a lot so shawarma is always a safe dish. The only thing I disliked about this one was that it was messy. Like the stuffing popped out everywhere. Flavour wise it was packed with some good stuff, chicken kebab, caramalised apple & salad.<br/>The kebab was a slightly chewy maybe due to overroasting. <br/><br/>Winner was definitely the meatballs & nibbles.<br/><br/>Would definitely love to go again. Would recommemd to try this place!

I booked a birthday dinner here with friends and the only service we received was at the beginning from a guy. Throughout the night we were sat there just waiting for somebody to come back and take our drinks order. We had only 1 round and wanted more, in the end we only had 2 rounds of drinks because nobody came to take our order. We managed to call a waitress over because we wanted to order desserts, but she didn’t come back to take our order for desserts so in the end we left. I felt embarrassed because my guests complained about the service and we were super keen on ordering lots of cocktails and dessert. I don’t recommend holding a birthday function here, I pre booked a week in advance with 7 friends that showed up. So it wasn’t a big group at all

Food was delicious. The service also amazing. Loved the vibe there. We booked a table for 6.30, even when we were running late our table was still reserved. Highly recommend The Lab Eatery.

Nice place to chill and chat with friends. We ordered a platter to share between us. Food was delicious and service was great. The platter had a mixture of meats, dipping sauces, salad, and some hummus!

The vibe of this place is so cute! Everything is lab-themed and all the drinks come out in beakers!<br/>There's a big variety of food here, and if you get the bigger platters, its definitely nice for a little get together/party, especially if you ask to sit outside. Their portions are pretty big too, so definitely worth the price.<br/>Service-wise, it was definitely on the slower side, but its worth it!

Love this restaurant!! Their presentation of food and drinks are just awesome. A very insta worthy place. But food also taste very amazing. Totally recommend

Found this place as we were looking for a place to eat. Friendly service. We ordered the falafel shawarma. Falafel tasted great, portion was big, and priced at 15$. Lots of seats inside and outside. Quite spacious.

Went here with a friend for Wednesday evening dinner- it was after 8pm but we were the only ones to there. I ordered the Adaas fingers as it looked interesting. It was good but it was like having a few falafels on a bed of salad with some tomatoes and spring onions- carbs of some variety would have good with it- like a pita/flat bread with some hummus. My friend had a lamb shawarma with chips- it was quite tasty. Overall good, but not memorably so.

Customer Service - 1<br/>Helpfulness - 1<br/>Drinks - 1<br/>Ambience - 1<br/><br/>Came back here for a second time to try it again. Unfortunately customer service was really terrible. Drinks were below average. They look cool but paid $18 for basically a vodka red bull with a bit of food colouring 👎🏻

Friendly and relaxed service combined with real delicious food makes it a great place for catchups. The bread and dip was divine as well as the haloumi. The mains were filling. Would recommend a visit.

We loved the cocktails here, they were creatively designed and tasted great!<br/>The food is tasty and full of flavour .The lamb platter was big enough to feed 4 people .Cofee is really good too!Nothing to complain about as the service was great and we left full and happy.. if you love to try different cocktails this is the spot to be!

Dined here for lunch with my friend, we sat on the front deck, lovely place to have lunch. My friend loved her chicken and prawn salad as usual, the sauce is great. I chose the Salmon, it's beautiful laid out, like the dish colour- sweet pink. Unfortunately the coffee was just all right, the bean was quite light. Otherwise everything is good here, we will come back as usual.

Very quiet night there. Lovely cocktails and very attentive service from our waiter.<br/>We all shared entrees and all had a different main each everyones was lovely.

Cocktails here look insane and taste great. Love the lab vibe of it.<br/>Iced coffee was delishhh and strong just how its meant to be 😊😊<br/>Food was soo yum i definately recommened the coal grilled lamd and chicken dish 😍 aaamazing. Also the hummus and the turkish bread was soo good. I could come back and eat the turkish bread alone

Great food, great cocktails, great ambiance and great service! <br/><br/>Highly recommend this place. We tried the labgrill platter and absolutely everything on it was delicious. <br/><br/>The two cocktails we tried were both great. They also have a $10 cocktail special when you order any entree. <br/><br/>Our waiter was very friendly and accommodating.<br/><br/>Can’t wait to go back to this place!<br/>

Dined here for lunch, very pleased with the portions all around the table and food was delivered in a reasonable time. <br/><br/>Drinks were definitely fitting the lab vibe, all in beakers which was a interesting twist.<br/><br/>I enjoyed my salad, great ratio of chicken and prawn to salad. All around the table people enjoyed their meals. I found the fries made to perfection, nice and crunchy and still fluffy on the inside! <br/><br/>Staff were okay, attentive to the table although the waitress seemed a little away with the fairies when we’d ask for something. We had another waiter and he was much better. Overall, nice place.<br/> Would be back for more to sample more from the menu

Best meal I've had in a long time! Recommended from first table reviews and though we missed the deal the menu had me excited. Great value for money and everything was generous and delicious from the garlic bread, to the chargrill and the tagine it was amazing. Great service too

Bar hopping along the strip during Melbourne Cup......this place was dead. Shame on the duty manager! Bottle of wine and two tapas style dishes, $95.<br/>Something is out of whack with this bar. Food was really good, service was really good, the bar was empty.<br/>I think you should take a leap of faith and try it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!!/

I came here for dinner for the first time and it did not disappoint. The daddy and me burger was the standout, will definitely be coming back to try other items off the menu.

Came here for dinner on a weekday, relatively empty but felt a warm comfy vibe from the dim lighting and good interior decor, We had the chicken nibbles and lamb tzatziki meatball, great for entree, topped off with venison for mains, a very enjoyable meal! <br/><br/>Food- 8.5/10<br/>Service- 8.5/10<br/>Aesthetics- 8.5/10

I went here the other night for my sisters birthday. The restaurant is really nice once you figure out how to actually get into it.<br/><br/>The service was good but seeing as we were the only people there that might be why.<br/><br/>The food was pretty good but we had a few mishaps. Firstly my sister found a piece of plastic in her meal this was rectified by the restaurant offering her a $50 voucher to come back. My meal also had a problem the avocado was rock hard not even close to being ripe. Why have it on the menu or put it on a dish if you cant eat it?<br/><br/>Probably wouldn't return even though the cocktails were great as there are a lot of other restaurants in takapuna that wouldn't make those kinds of mistakes.

Came with some friends a few weeks ago. The staff were super friendly and there was a great atmosphere. We order a whole lot of tapas to share. The food came out quickly and was delicious. Loved how the cocktails came out in beakers. Will definitely be coming back again soon.

VIBRANCE is the keyword for this place. Loved the vibrant atmosphere here and the staff were very welcoming! Creativity and passion around the lab theme made for a fun dining experience. The food was great with a well-crafted mixture of flavours that made a vibrant arrangement of colours. You’re bound to have a great night here just because of the central location and vibrant environment. Even though it’s a bit pricey, you have to understand it must cost them a lot to be located where they are.<br/>Food 4/5<br/>Service 5/5<br/>Look & Feel 5/5<br/>Value 3/5

This place is a nice chill restaurant to go to with friends or a date. The food is delicious, really recommend their salmon, and for a reasonable, if a little high, price. The cocktails are also quite fun and the service is good. Would recommend.

Nice decor and friendly staff. The drinks are amazing and they made me a virgin watermelon one. Yum! The dates wrapped in bacon were divine!<br/>Unfortunately the rest of the food was average. We had the stuffed calamari, salmon and coal grilled chicken and lamb. We received the salmon skin side down and hence the skin wasn't crispy. The bed of quinoa and beetroot was yum.<br/>Everything was well presentated and the food was reasonably priced. We were too full to try their desserts but the chocolate mousse sounded amazing. I went there after reading all the amazing reviews. I'm not sure if they were just having an off night.

Love the fun and creative cocktails they have. Cocktails definitely a 5 but food was more on the average side. Would come back again solely for the drinks.

What an innovative and quirky concept, combining the fun and experimental aspects with food; best of both worlds! <br/><br/>We got the Labgrill Platter, Fresh Salmon Fillet and Chicken and Prawn Salad. Finished off with a Mango Cheesecake. Of course, if you didn’t go to Lab Eatery without trying their photo-worthy drinks, did you really go to The Lab??? We got the Pomegranate Crush and their signature Experimental cocktails. These were served in measuring beakers—so cute! <br/><br/>The Labgrill Platter came fairly quickly—and I’m telling you now, if you don’t quite have an appetite like myself (I have 4 stomachs) then you probably want to just stop at the Platter, because IT. IS. MASSIVE! The plate takes up half the table. The aromatic seasoning tickles your senses as you stab your fork into juicy chunks of chicken, lamb koftas and Pork. This was complemented by a very citrusy yet explosive fattoush salad that ticks all the boxes; with crunchy bagel, cucumber, tomato, just to name a few! <br/><br/>The Chicken and Prawn Salad and Salmon Fillet arrived together; both on giant plates too. The salmon was cooked to absolute perfection, best salmon I’ve come across in awhile! Crispy skin that was perfectly seasoned, and moist salmon flesh sitting on a beautifully magenta-coloured fluffy quinoa and beetroot cloud. The salmon melts in your mouth. <br/><br/>The salad was surprisingly good! Generous chunks of chicken and big juicy prawns tossed in a flavoursome and beautifully dressed leafy mix, with crispy noodles to add to the texture. Every mouthful was an experience in itself. Can’t be faulted! <br/><br/>Their mango cheesecake was incredibly moist, decadent and rich! Nice presentation too! The subtle sweet and tanginess of the mango came through with each spoonful, which went very well with the syrup. <br/><br/>Service was impeccably smooth from start to finish. The girls came to fill our glasses before I even realised it needed refilling; usually I have to wait for them to notice. They were attentive and checked on us without being disruptive. When we finished, both of the ladies said “I have to say, I’m really impressed!” seeing as we finished everything clean! The food is that good though! A satisfying dining experience and I would love to be back! <br/><br/>Food: 10/10<br/>Price: 8/10<br/>Ambience: 10/10<br/>Service: 10/10

It was first time visiting for dinner after I read good review. Our family member shared “Grilled Platter”. It was huge and many items on the plate. Also had “Daddy & me burger”. They are big 2 burgers and pretty chips! And I had "Orange Falafel Salad (I don’t eat meat)". The falafels are so nice. Salad was crispy. I was so full. I will come back for this. We shared chocolate mousse for desert. It’s not too sweet and interesting looks. We love it. Meals are big, tasty, service is welcoming. Have choice for meat lover or non meat eater both. We will come back again!

Love this place. Been there 3 times this year. The staff are very pleasant and professional. The drinks are quirky and interesting. And the food is delicious. A must visit for all foodies

Lovely little resturant with great staff and a creative sciency theme - they served our drinks in little beakers and jugs! We ordered the mixed grill platter to share between two of us and there was more than enough food. It tasted great, and exceeded our expectations. Thankyou the Lab Eatery!

Wow great restaurant. All of our food were really flavoursome. They use fresh& fantastic quality imgredients. The meats were perfectly cooked, tender & had no fat on them. <br/>Portions were the biggest we have ever had in any restaurant. The lamb/chicken cubes dish could be a platter you’d share with someone - i had no idea it was as large as it was! Very tasty smokey chargrilled meats balanced with the fresh salad &hummus.<br/>The daddy & me burger was also very generously portioned. It came as a slider on top of the main burger (both had thick house-made lamb patties), makes for great a photo op! <br/>Drinks came in beakers, in line with their lab theme. <br/>Would recommend coming here. Quality fresh ingredients, decent prices, flavoursome & massive meals. You will not leave hungry!

This is the 3rd time we’ve had a meal at the lab eatery and all 3 times the food has been delicious! We had a platter to share and The flavours were amazing, the staff are friendly with an atmosphere that is relaxed!

Awesome lunch experience at the lab eatery last week. We had 'flame chargrilled lamb & chicken cubes' and 'naked chicken'. We also had 'tropical cocktail' and 'flat white cocktail'. Food was tasty. Staff were friendly and professional. I loved their flat white cocktail. It's one of the best coffee cocktails I've ever had.. Highly recommended :)

I have no idea why this place isn't full, I'm rating it with El Humero as a great spot to eat in Takapuna. <br/>The food is fresh, fantastic salads, vegetables and top notch meat.<br/>I had a broad bean accompaniment with my lamb cutlets which was incredibly tasty and excellent with my perfectly cooked cutlets.<br/>We started with the stuffed squid, excellent.<br/>My partner had the charcoal grilled chicken and lamb; I had serious food envy, even though my meal was truely excellent! The only criticism was the lamb could have been cooked slightly less.<br/>I highly recommend the lab and have one suggestion, the music is really not conducive to the food at all, I would suggest some Youssou N'Dour, something more in line with the very good and different food. Average European pop lets down the experience.<br/>

Good experience, nothing too fascinating.<br/><br/>Great environment. Staff a bit slothy but friendly.<br/><br/>Food looks nice but tastes average. <br/><br/>Service: 3.5/5<br/>Food Quality: 3.5/5<br/>Food Quantity: 3.5/5<br/>Presentation: 4/5<br/>Environment: 4/5<br/>Price per person: $20-$25

4/5 Taste<br/>4.5/5 Display <br/>4/5 Quantity <br/>4.5/5 Customer Service <br/><br/>Lab themed Semi-Fine Dining Restaurant with amazing drinks.<br/><br/>I tried this place twice in the past two months, staff were over-friendly. They didn't mind us asking many questions. Everything was fast paced, they forgot one of our dishes but they handled it really well. Food was amazing, beer cameout in a long lab glass flasks and beer glasses were beakers. <br/>Amazing experiance, beautiful layout, great even clean balance of vegetables and meat. Took my work team mates here for team dinner And i'm sure i'll return to this place again soon.<br/>

Lovely place, delicious food and great service.<br/><br/>The food we ordered at The Lab Eatery was aromatic and full of distinct and hearty flavours. Not only did all the spices, sauces and ingredients used complement each other, but you could combine the food with the condiments however you liked and it still tasted amazing!<br/><br/>I loved the creative and quirky decor and also how our lemon water was served in a giant measuring cylinder. The service was pleasant, prompt and polite.<br/><br/>Would definitely revisit in the future.<br/><br/>Recommendations: Sharing a plate per person with a group of friends allows you to split the cost and also try as much of the food offered as possible.

Food: stuffed squid to start, grill platter and venison main to share and it was bloody amazing, you have to try it all, no words can describe how good this hidden gem.<br/>Beers: Tokyo Dry, cant say much there.<br/>Service: attentive and  friendly

Overpriced food and long waiting time. But friendly staff. Aesthetically pleasing drinks and desserts, not so much for the food itself. Overall, would only come back for the cocktails and iced mocha.

As lovers of Lebanese cuisine, my boyfriend and I were really excited to try this place out. We ordered the large chicken/beef plate with fattoush, hummus. The fattoush was NOT proper Lebanese fattoush - it was something completely different. The hummus was also awful with a sauce-like consistency. Also ordered the halloumi zataar which was equally disappointing. The halloumi mixed with the zataar was extremely dry and the zaatar was burnt. Couldn't finish it. Very obvious the owners/chefs don't know true middle eastern cuisine.

Worse waiting time I've ever had for food for a restaurant! Their service was really slow. The food was average and not worth the price. Wouldn't come back again. We waited 1 HOUR for the mains. That's ridiculous. And it was so not worth that wait

Nice place and good location. Friendly service. Coffee was perfect. Took a while to get all meals but worth waiting and there were a few of us. I had a lamb and chicken dish with fresh Turkish bread and hummus and salad. It was filling and very nice. All of our meals were a decent size. Good value for money too.

Came here with friends on a Friday night and enjoyed The Lab's great range of food, drinks, and desserts. Thanks to their particularly friendly service, we all left very full and happy. <br/><br/>I’m not normally keen on Mediterranean food served outside of traditional contexts, so enjoying my chicken shish was a pleasant surprise. The meat was tender, seasoned well, and came with heaps of veges so the overall meal felt healthy and balanced. Considering you get Turkish bread and three types of dip as well, it was a pretty good portion for what we paid.<br/><br/>Our table shared some fries, where the sauces came out in little laboratory beakers. The fries were nice but nothing to rave about, and I was slightly disappointed that the aioli was not as creamy or flavourful as what I’ve gotten at Velvet Burger or Burger Fuel. <br/><br/>Their dessert menu was hard to pass up, and I was impressed with my chocolate mousse parfait because of the range of textures (a mix of crunchy popcorn, creamy mascarpone, moist brownie, and light mousse). While I found the caramel sauce to be a bit too much at the end, that’s probably more to do with my personal taste! <br/><br/>Overall, it was a fun little place to try. Next time, I’d like to sample some of their appetisers and more of their desserts!

Such a great atmosphere!! Came here for a friends birthday and was honestly disappointed we were the only ones in the entire restaurant. I ordered the lamb cutlets and they were outstanding!! Thoroughly enjoyed my meal here

After reading reviews online I thought I'd check out The Lab Eatery for myself. My husband and two teenagers really enjoyed our meals at this casual restaurant. We were welcomed by a friendly waitress. Great menu options. Food was well presented, tasted fresh & was beautifully cooked.<br/>I recommend the hummus and Turkish bread. My teens had chicken & prawn salad. I had salmon with date glaze and my husband had lamb shish - delicious!

Lovely restaurant! I went for brunch and we ordered the shakshuka and crab cakes. The crab cakes were creamy and delicate, and the shakshuka was hearty and flavourful. The service was prompt, and coffee satisfying. I'm very much looking forward to going back.

This place is simpy amazing👌 the ambiance is good,their ladies drink is exceptional and to top it all i ❤️ their food esp. the chicken and squid👍

I've only been here for brunch but when I went, I really enjoyed it. My sister have tried their lunch menu and she also had good things to say. <br/><br/>First of all this place is nice and well decorated. It's spacious and the decor is lovely. The service is good. I think the location is great but they're a bit tucked away so I've never seen it full for brunch. The music was also on point which made our experience better too. <br/><br/>The coffee is good and the iced mocha is even better and well presented and went with the cafe's lab name. I got the bagel as I wasn't too hungry. I liked that they were generous with the cream cheese. I've also tried the Shakshuka before and I liked it too. The home baked bread was so good.

Came here for dinner and cocktails before a comedy show and shared a few dishes between three of us. <br/><br/>Absolutely loved the decor and laboratory theme! The beakers and test tubes around the seating as well as the unique and creative cocktail menu were highlights! The waitress was also very helpful with the menu, especially in directing us towards the more elaborate cocktails! <br/><br/>We shared a few starters as well as a chargrilled lamb kofta - everything was delicious, very well presented and the cocktails were made very nicely! Very impressed!

Service - Excellent<br/>Staff - Friendly<br/><br/>NO -<br/>Broccoli and Cauliflower with grilled haloumi and Sumac<br/>Very watery and some pieces tasted strange. <br/><br/>*Will be back to try other dishes*

Great lunch at the lab yesterday! Will be back for sure Great food and service loved sitting outside, thanks guys! Daddy and me burger was MEAN!!

We started with homemade hummus & Turkish bread which were good. For the mains, our friends & I had char-grilled lamb Shish, lamb cutlets with veggie, salmon fillet & a chicken & prawns salad. Lamb cutlets, particularly, were nicely cooked, tender & rich in taste; a big thumb up. A special mention on the interesting display of lab utensils at the Lab Eatery - my beer came in a beaker! (Food - 4/5; Service - 4/5; Ambience - 3.5/5)

Dined here with a group of friends for my birthday dinner. The Lab, as you can probably guess from the name has a science theme. Upon arrival we were very impressed, this eatery is an awesome location right in the heart of Takapuna. There's a gorgeous courtyard out the front of the restaurant which is lit up by fairy lights in the evenings & the inside is very contemporary & cool. We ordered a round of drinks to start, I had a really hard time picking a cocktail, they have such a great selection & I loved the way they served the drinks in beakers & measuring cups. For food my partner & I shared some garlic and herb bread to start, for main I had the chicken & prawn salad. The others I was dining with had squid, chicken wings, burgers & lamb tagine. The wait for food was a little on the long side, however they were pretty busy & all of the food was enjoyable & worth the wait. The staff were all lovely. There was quite a large group behind us who became extremely loud to the point we couldn't even hear each other. One of my friends spoke to the waitress about the situation & she went out of her way to accommodate us, she spoke with the group & had them quieten down, she also put a table together outside for our group when we were a little warm sitting inside. For dessert I had the brownie parfait which I also thoroughly enjoyed. The others I was dinning with either had the parfait or the passionfruit cheesecake. The staff also gave me a couple of test tube shots since it was my birthday which was so kind. Overall we had a lovely evening. The lab has it all! An awesome theme, great food & drink, excellent staff & a lovely vice. I would highly recommend this eatery & I will definitely be back.

HORRIBLE SERVICE. Waited 45 minutes for granola because the chef had "just arrived" and when our food did arrive it did not match the description on the menu at all. Do not reccomend this place at all.

A group of friends and I went for brunch today and it's a pretty awesome place. The iced mochas come in a beaker and the jug of waters don't really come in jugs. I also had the crab cakes eggs benedict with salmon ! 😋

Came as a group of four - absolutely loved the food here!<br/>We ordered:<br/>- Chargrilled Lamb Shish<br/>- The Lab Spicy Chargrilled Kofta<br/>- Chicken and Prawns Salad<br/>- Vege Delight<br/>- Chocolate mouse parfait<br/>- White chocolate mango cheesecake<br/><br/>The food was excellent- great flavour, well cooked meats, and the desserts were delicious (especially the parfait, wish we had one per person instead of sharing....)<br/><br/>We took a table outside which is nice - the outdoor area is raised above the street, so you don't feel too close to the footpath. Although this is to their disadvantage because they don't pick up on many of the people just wandering around looking for something to eat (so they were quite quiet). Good music too!<br/><br/>A five star rating is really deserved at Lab Eatery for the service, in particular. Our waitress was super friendly, and simply couldn't do enough for us, always checking to make sure we were alright. Best service I've ever had in Auckland.<br/><br/>Would definitely like to come back, the next time we're on the Shore. They're in the EB, and also on First Table.

The concept of this place is cool and we really enjoyed the food here. Great flavours and good portions! We especially loved the desserts. Had the cheesecake and chocolate brownie desserts and they were both so delicious. The real winner here though was the service. The waitress was super friendly and lovely! Would definitely like to come back.

This place is serves great food, cool atmosphere, good service and pet friendly! What more could you want?! They also have a great range of Gluten Free items in the menu.. all way more exciting than your bog standard salad! Our pick? Definitely try their chicken wings! Yuuuum!

I have been visiting lab family since they opened. Food taste so delicious. Very friendly people and amazing cocktails. I highly recommended to everyone.

Top end cocktails and the chargrills are just amazing and I don't use amazing often when it comes to dinning out.<br/><br/>Also one of the best outdoor areas in Takapuna.

Great service. Great drinks, really strong. I like that. Amazing food. Great company and atmosphere. Love the layout and the music is giving a good vibe

Without a doubt this is new favourite place! EVER! The food was outstanding (I got the <br/>chargrill) and the staff were incredible! Looking forward to coming back :)

Great food, great concept - loved the wine with a popsicle inside and the drinks in beakers etc. real shame that this place isn't more popular because it's a lot better than the other places next door. They need to advertise better and have some more signage as from the road you can't even tell it's there. Would recommend!

This place is absolutely adorable. Loved how everything was lab themed. The food itself was very good, personally loved the roasted chicken as it was tender and paired with beautifully caramelised onions. Definitely a nice place to take your kids or for a date. Service was a bit slow but it was worth the wait.

Went here for an early morning breakfast catch ups with one of my friends and it was alright. It's a very big space so lots of places to sit. Service was okay, not the best. Staff were a bit unsure of some of the items on the menu had a to ask a few questions with the chef. I have found lots of better places in Takapuna to go for a better breakfast though in my opinion.

We were in Takapuna yesterday and went to lunch at The Lab Eatery, which is a relatively new cafe in the central restaurant quarter. The style of food is modern Turkish. From an interesting all-day breakfast/lunch menu we chose the Lamb meat balls, the Shakshuka, and fries to share. The meatballs were served on roast vegetables in a very tasty tomato based sauce. The Shakshuka (spicy sausage, onions, tomatoes and baked eggs) were served in a sizzling platter accompanied by generous slices of Turkish bread. The 1 helping of fries for sharing was served with tomato and aioli sauces in 2 individual baskets - a nice touch. All of the food was delicious, very tasty and full of flavour. The staff were friendly and attentive, and water was refilled without request. Overall very good Mediterranean fare, offering dishes a bit out of the ordinary.

The restaurant looks cool and has a unique science theme. The waiter was very helpful and accommodating! Apparently they were still experimenting with food and drink ideas and although the cocktails looked quite Coll they were very sweet! The food was yummy but quite over priced for what it is. Probably wouldn't go back purely because of the price

This was quite nice, yummy food and amazing glass to match the theme of the restaurant, even the sauce came in little beaker glasses, was a bit empty though

Yum! Solid 4.5 out of 5. Everything we had here was pretty good. A good choice of you are planning to eat in Takapuna. The Lab lives up to its name serving drinks in beakers and test tubes and syringes on the plates. Will be back again to try the rest on the menu.

A terrible experience at this restaurant. <br/>We came in at 7.30pm on a Saturday night, and they had run completely out of garlic bread, burger buns, and chicken. This effectively reduced their menu to 3 items at best. Worst still, we weren't informed of this until AFTER we ordered.<br/>I feel sorry for the waitress we had, as she had to constantly come back to tell us things were out. <br/>We overhead another issue where another customer waited for more than half an hour, only to find out his meal was never going to come out of the kitchen (he'd ordered a burger), yet was never told this.<br/><br/>Additionally, as we were leaving, they still charged us full price for what we had, despite all the issues we experienced. <br/><br/>Don't bother with this place, based on other reviews it can be seriously hit or miss.

You can tell as soon as you enter that this is a family run business with a lot of heart.  Its so cosy and runs a bit of an alternative vibe, serving water out of beckons.  Unfortunately despite the homely feel, I have to admit that I did found the food to be a little on the average side.  I would like to come again to try something different as this might have just been a poor meal choice on my behalf.

Ordered the slow cooked capsicums with the lamb. Absolutely delicious. My friends got the burger and it was juicy and tasty for sure and not to mention huuuge. Although the starter that my friends ordered came in after the mains was delivered it was delicious and will definitely visit again to try some of the other dishes.

Catchup dinner with friends, located the place fine.<br/><br/>I would love to see more science decor around the resturant to fit in with the theme.<br/><br/>We ordered bread and dips for the entree, dips came out in mini beacons which were mega cute!! For the price of the entree I would of hoped for a little more bread.<br/><br/>Mains, I had the Roasted chicken, and the rest of my group had the eye fillet steak, very impressed with the food !!! <br/><br/>Dessert we all had the white chocolate mango cheesecake. Easily shared between 2 people as the slices are massive !!! The cheesecake was simply a 10/10 !! Great experience at The Lab, Im sure we will be back.<br/><br/>My ratings:<br/>Decor - 3/5<br/>Service - 5/5<br/>Drinks - 3/5 (they didnt have my first couple of choices available as they had run out)<br/>Food - 5/5<br/><br/>No photos as the lighting on my phone was terrible,<br/><br/>Great stuff "The Lab Eatery" !!! :)

Just past the roundabout and behind the bus stop. It is well hidden and on a rainy wintry evening it's easily missed. Would suggest better signage even neon signs to go with theme would be great. <br/><br/>The interior is contemporary and the staff were friendly and attentive. The theme of science runs just through the glass stemware as water is presented in a beaker. Would have liked more experimental foods and drinks offered in the menu. Although the popsicle in white wine was great. <br/><br/>The food portions were generous and I shared the chicken pizza with a friend. <br/>The dessert of chocolate mousse with popcorn on top was a hit too.

Awesome science concept with drinks being served in beakers, and the menu layed out like a science experiment. We ordered the tiger prawns starter which was really tasty, only problem being that the little buggers weren't de-veined (mmm prawn feeces). Mains were fantastic, amazing burgers - highley reccomend! My partner had the lamb tagine which was also yum! Their house beer is also worth a shot :) cheers guys

Went to try the newbie on the block, just needs a little polishing up as its little ruff on the edges. But food was pretty good and service even though a little slow and guy was a bit lost and seemed new, however was super friendly and put in great effort to Aquire to all our needs. Also the theme is vey quirky and unique! Being served water in beakers (the LAB) would recommend!

Highlight would be the popsicle wine! Incredible! The service, atmosphere, location and the laboratory theme were all excellent. The chicken and fig burger lacked a bit of moisture but overall good combination of flavours. A good spend.

Great service went just for a Chai and muffin. finally someone who knows how to make chai latte! Melt in your mouth freshly baked blueberry fig muffin yumm will come back for dinner/lunch!

Came here for lunch the other day and safe to say we will definitely be back! Delicious and well presented food, friendly staff and fair prices. Nice outdoor area to sit on a sunny day :)

Came here one evening for a couple of beers and some food. Me and two friends shared a couple of entrees the squid, selection of breads and dips, chicken nibbles and falafel's with eggplant. Everything we ordered was really nice and the lab theme made the experience even better with measuring cylinders as water jugs and hand towels that expanded after the waiter poured water on them. Would like to go back and try a the main meals.

Nice new addition to Takapuna. Loved the scientific theme and all the measuring cylinders used as water jugs and cups. Lovely variety of mains on the menu. The chicken and prawn salad was light and refreshing. The mango salsa was very sweet and the chicken was beautifully seasoned and cooked. The only flaw was the avocado wasn't quite ripe enough. Enjoyed sitting outside under the trees. Looking forward to trying more of the menu!

I stumbled across this eatery a few weeks ago while strolling through hurstmere Road. What appealed to me was the great outdoor seating very quickly shown to our table. Comprehensive menu but might add the small plate I ordered was massive. <br/>I ordered the falafel which came with a side salad very reasonably priced. My friend ordered the home made burger with blue vein cheese which she said was delicious and tasty. <br/>Drinks are novel. Everything served in glass beakers! Service was wonderful but the best part was their honesty. I left my mobile behind. Sadly as its such a new restaurant I couldn't find a listing for it not a problem. Raved back and it was waiting for me behind the counter. The young waiter from Holland was awesome. Very passionate about his job. Can't wait to go back.