Review The Bistro - Taupo

Was visiting Taupo with my friend for a few days. We were looking for a boujee place to eat for a celebratory final meal. The Bistro knocked it out of the park. The food was great. They had this surprise salted caramel butter that I wasn’t expecting, that was an especially yum stand out

We made a last minute reservation and felt welcome. The complimentary home baked sourdough bread was delicious and had a crisp crust and beautiful texture. Paired with the salted caramel butter, it hit just the right spot. As always, the food was amazing. It’s our go-to place for pork belly! Although we did not order dessert, they brought out a “happy birthday “ with a candle in white fudge. I will always recommend The Bistro to friends!

What a great find in Taupo! I don’t usually eat 3 courses and hardly ever desert but the menu was enticing. The sous vide squid starter was a little under seasoned but with a bit of salt and pepper it was yummy. The fish main was cooked to perfection and seasoned perfectly. The chocolate lava cake was superb. Good selection of wine by the glass. Service was polished and attentive. Price was reasonable.

Amazing food and service! The calamari and cured raw fish were my favourite! Also loved the complimentary homemade sourdough and lemon brown butter curd served on arrival. The option to pay $65 for a entree, main and dessert was great value for money. We will definitely be back!

The Fish might have been the best fish I have ever had. Perfectly crispy on the outside with a deliciously tender interior. And don’t even get me started on their deserts. We shared… all of them were excellent! Highly recommend!

Perfect spot for a couples date, quiet and relaxed. The food was delicious, especially dessert. Service was good too and the food came out quickly.

As food lovers, we reserved both nights in Taupo for The Bistro. The menu at The Bistro is relatively simple. We tried almost everything on the menu and they were all very pleasing to the eye. The chef's selection of ingredients, the deployment of sauces, color matching, and plate presentation are like the impressionist painter Monet, soft and harmony. Dedicated service, tasteful decoration and cuisine are like a piece of jazz, making people relax and joy. The only thing you need to remember is to book in advance. See you next time in Taupo❤️

My husband and I have been here a few times now, and every time we have had a very positive experience. 😀 the food is delicious, the service is great. The extra touches like celebrating special occasions with delicious fudge and complimentary homemade bread, all make it a great experience.

Such a beautiful atmosphere and service. Food was just delicious. We were disappointed to don’t tried the degustation menu because we arrived too late (after 8pm). However we were absolutely satisfying of our dinner. My mother even liked the cheese board (we are French and it’s not commun she likes cheese in New Zealand). I highly recommend 🙏 Thanks for the experience! (And the sourdough bread was stunning!)

If you are in Taupo make sure to try The Bistro! We were there for dinner over Easter weekend and the food is stunning. We had rabbit terrine as entree (not pictured) then the beef with creamy spinach and mushrooms (the white foam hides a delicious ravioli) and the duck with veggies. I wished the duck had more variety of textures. Although both meats were beautiful cooked and the portions are perfect! Dessert was a creme brulee which was full of vanilla seeds and not too sweet, it was just right. Will definitely come again to check the seasonal changes.

Here has Kids menu. My boy loved the creamy paster. The market fish dish was very nice with spicy pumpkin mash. Make sure book in advance as they were quite busy.

We had yet another fantastic night at The Bistro. The food is so good and the complimentary bread and butter (with a twist) was delish - yum!! Some more acoustic panels would work wonders on the noise levels (had elderly parents with us who struggled a bit to hear) - just a suggestion. Every thing else was spot on - thanks team.

We were a group of 8 that was on a time limit. The food and drinks were divine,didnt feel rushed at all. Pork belly was melt in your mouth and the Crème Brulee went down a treat. The Sour Dough with whipped lemon curd butter was also amazing.

I found this restaurant online before I left Sydney, and it was further recommended by two locals. So glad we visited. It was one of the best meals we’ve had in NZ. Each bite was better than the next… so tasty, wholesome and clearly some great quality NZ produce. The service was great, and the staff were very hospitable and attentive. We will definitely return!

Had degustation menu with wine matching. Incredibly tasty, a surprise for each course 😍

Always such a personal and delicious experience, can't wait to go back for our annual anniversary dinner in September. It's hubby's only good steak in town so he got a treat for his birthday this time. So sad when all the food is gone and eaten and we can't afford to buy any more. Ideally we would have had double of the starters we chose and seconds of our mains also. 😂

Attended with a table of 13 the night before the Taupo cycle challenge. The food was fantastic and the service was accommodating with a few extra carbs requested for the bike riders. We had a wonderful experience, thank you.

Outstanding Bistro experience and highly recommend. You’ll be taken care of by Jude, his family and crew. My first time, and I will be back next time in town. 🤩

Warm friendly atmosphere, attentive service and yummy food. We had mains of perfectly cooked fillet steak and duck with perfect crispy skin. Finnished with a well stocked cheese platter. Very satisfying.

My wife and I went here for our anniversary dinner. We booked a table late but they were still able able to accommodate us. Service was great and our waiter explained the specials. Started with some complimentary ceviche and some bread which was nice. I ordered the calamari for my entree and she ordered the kumara soup. I personally liked the calamari. For my main, I ordered the scotch fillet and she ordered the special which was blue finned tuna. The prices are a bit tad high but worth the food and service. It was a delightful experience and we will visit next again when we visit Taupo.

Walked in after reading the reviews on Menu mania, and weren't disappointed. Beautiful flavorsome food, for a very reasonable price. Pork Belly, Lamb and Steak were all cooked to perfection.We will be going again next time we are in Taupo!

What can I say but Wow! From the first complimentary spoonful of ceviche I knew the chef in the kitchen knew what they were doing. I had the pasta & my husband had the fish , we finished with cream brûlée. The meal was really really good. In the words of Barry White , keep on doing it Babe!

We dined here Sunday night, absolutely devine!! I had duck leg - to die for - so tender and tasty and beautifully presented. Hubby had poussin, moist and delicious also. The little salmon nibble given out for free was also a very nice touch. As locals we will dine here often.

Best meal I've had in a long long time! I've never eaten rump steak like it and the calamari is to die for! Also had the pleasure of chatting with chef/owner Jude, what a dynamic character, very passionate about what he does. Service was great, casual but attentive and on the ball. Loved the decor and style, I am from Auckland and eat out a lot, you could pick up the Bistro, drop it onto Ponsonby or Jervois road and it would not look out of place at all.. Great stuff Jude and team, love your work!

My first visit to The Bistro was with a group of work colleagues and we had a great meal.<br/>My second visit was with family. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal but my son &amp; husband didn't enjoy their 'Steak Soup'. They both asked for medium and got almost Bleu. <br/>I will certainly go back but I'm not sure about the family

Slow and inept service and the odd ingredient left out of the main on what appeared to be a night when they were trying to do too much with too few competent staff. Taste and quality of the courses was ok but a 2/10 on the tiramisu. Could have sold a second bottle of wine maybe if the service was sharper.

Not a great experience sadly. My partners lamb ribs were 80 percent fat and the portion small. I choose the fish which was cooked perfectly but lay a little on the bland side. Was expecting to be wowed but it all just came up a little short. The Bistro claims to be the best eatery in town a title I feel belongs to the original Bistro.......Bistro Lago.

WOW! What an amazing meal! We had the terrine and mussels to start followed by the duck and the lamb ribs, the waitress was great and warned us about the fat content on the lamb ribs, but they were sensational! I'm am gluten free and the menu was easy to follow. Definitely will be back!

What an amazing place to go!<br/>Went on a Sunday night with our family of 3 children under 6 for a Sunday night meal and it was excellent.<br/>Service was fantastic, greeted by a friendly smiling waitress who brought out crayons, colouring books and books for the children.<br/>Free freshly made bread still warm out of the oven was amazing to eat and fantastic for the kids as our waitress brought out extra for them. <br/>We had the cold cuts, cheese, pickles plater and again our lovely waitress brought extra bread for the children.<br/>The had an excellent kids menu, our children choose the pasta dish.<br/>We had the duck and the lamb meatballs which there was enough for us and to share a little with the children. <br/>The children had ice cream sundays for desert that were free as it was Sunday.<br/><br/>Overall, an amazing experience with fantastic food, awesome service and a price that will bring us back next Sunday for sure.<br/><br/>Thank you so much to the chef and his team for a restaurant that caters for a young family without making us feel like you cant wait to get us out the door :-)

Unfortunately our experience here was the worst we have ever encountered. The Bistro is very confused. The slogan here is simple but nice......they should consider changing it to simple, slow and average. Although we enjoyed some aspects of our meal the portion sizes are too small and we left here feeling hungry. Our waitress was nervous and clumsy and paid no attention to our table. Her constant giggling was very distracting. If your after a restaurant with a view of Dick Smiths then this is for you! Will not be returning

Experience pure. We travelled to Taupo on Valentines Day, got recommended The Bistro from locals. When we arrived at The Bistro it was packed but the friendly manager squeezed us in. The menu is amazing, food delicious and worse the wait. Must say we got entertained by the wait staff, the two girls made our night. Great coffee. Wish we lived closer to visit weekly. Highly recommended. Respect to the team and thanks again for a absolute great night. Janet and tk

We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary here - it was amazing, the service was top knotch - Abbey was our waitress and she was so funny but still very efficient and professional. Food......absolutely delicious! We had the beans and mussels for starters, then calamari and seafood chowder - moved on to duck and pasta with truffle - to finish a great coffee with homemade biscuits - the quality of food and service was of top standard (we are wellingtonians so very critical!) HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! The chef had a chat to us also - stating - "its nice to see true diners who will try different foods from each course &amp; experience fine dining" couldn't agree more

What a great addition to the town restaurants..The meal was fabulous and very tasty. Service was great and we requested a chat with the chef who quite happily came and spoke with us.<br/>If you are looking for a great meal, this is a must.

Top meal. Two of us had starters, the chips with black truffle and the beans, both awesome. The duck was melt in your mouth, the veges well cooked. My friends both had the fish which they enjoyed. We had no room for desert, but shared some chocolate treats between us.<br/>Good portion size and value for money, great atmosphere. Well done Jude and team.

Arrived late in town, we were looking for a restaurant in Taupo and chose "The Bistro" totally randomly. What a great surprise. The food was "simple but delicious". We loved having complimentary bread at the beginning of the meal. We had a main and a dessert. The fish was cooked perfectly, in a spicy juice with nice and fresh veggies. It was fresh fish from Hawkes Bay, firm and yummy. We had an apple tart for dessert. A lot like the famous French "tarte tatin". Light, perfectly cooked, perfect! We talked a bit with the Chef at the end, who told us that his philosophy is to use fresh and seasonal products to prepare a good and affordable European style meal. Success! It was perfectly achieved! We'll be back.

We had a great meal. The Chowder was Divine and duck fell off the bone it was so tender. The complementary canapes and bread is a nice touch. Rabbit terrine for entree is well worth having. Only downside is we were too full for dessert!

The Bistro is a great little place to dine, starting with complimentary bread and canapés followed by a journey through the menu. The food is the best Kiwi food I have experienced. If you have not already enjoyed The Bistro it is a must have in Taupo.

Went to The Bistro last night for our first visit, all we can say is fab and we can't wait to go back. Lovely complementary canape and bread to start. Beautifully cooked Harpuka and cockles. Great background music. We will be back, with friends next week!

Had the chowder and beef rump dish tonight. Sensational! A chef that knows his flavours. Awesome refit from top to bottom and lovely atmosphere. Best New place to eat in taupo without a doubt!!