Black Barn Bistro

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#6 of 39 Restaurants in Havelock NorthEuropean, Contemporary, $$$$

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Black Barn Bistro

Review

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Website

+64 6-877 7985Improve this listing

About

Open for lunches 7 days and dinner Wednesday to Saturday, Black Barn Bistro is the perfect place to spend an hour or two absorbing the atmosphere of Wine Country. It is in the heart of the vineyard surrounded by vines and a table on the large generous veranda lets you look right out across the region. In warmer weather a courtyard covered by a canopy of grapes is also a perfect place to enjoy lunch and a glass of wine. The restaurant menu is light, fresh and delicious. There is an emphasis on freshly grown Hawkes Bay produce, the selection changes with the seasons. The bistro is available for private functions, evening and during the day, it is also the perfect venue for a very limited number of weddings, for bookings or enquiries please give us a call.

Features

CUISINES

European, Contemporary, New Zealand

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

American Express

Free off-street parking

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Highchairs Available

Live Music

Mastercard

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Visa

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

Black Barn Road, Havelock North RD12 New Zealand

Free off-street parking, Parking Available

Can a vegan person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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Hours

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Closed now

• Opens at 10:00 AM

Sunday

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Monday

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Tuesday

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Wednesday

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Thursday

10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Friday

10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Saturday

10:00 am - 9:00 pm

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4.3

648 reviews

Excellent

399

Very good

138

Average

Poor

Terrible

Megan

1 contribution

Pure joy

Jun 2024 • couples

I don't how where to start, it was truely amazing. I have had the priveledge of eating pretty well throughout my life, but this 44th birthday lunch was the best meal ever. The food was sublime, fresh Malborough oysters with a mandarin mignonette, and a Black Barn brut something quite special. Followed by a roast shoulder of lamb to share with brussels sprouts and carrots, we had a Black Barn merlot cab and a Bilancia syrah. I am in awe. But it wasn't just the food, the staff were warm and welcoming, and knowledgeable about their food and wine, we had a windowside view out over the plains of the Hawkes Bay and sun streaming in to warm us on a beautiful winters day. What an achievement to put together such a great team and great restaurant.

Written 21 June 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Adventure38526408982

1 contribution

Gastronomic experience of a lifetime

Nov 2024 • family

I brought my Daughter her for an end of school celebration. As we entered the restaurant we were greeted by the lovely front of house staff and kindly escorted to our front row seat at the pass. We took our seats and were then greeted by Executive Chef Regnar Christensen. We were super excited to be watching this master of his craft working right in front of us. Our drinks arrived swiftly followed by our first round of snacks. We started with the Sourdough and butter. The bread was delicious, cut to just the right thickness and is quite possibly the best we have eaten. I got the oysters which were perfectly paired with a mandarin mignonette We then shared the watermelon and macadamia dish which was refreshing, clean and a deliciously balanced dish that left our taste buds dancing and the way it was plated was aesthetically pleasing Chef then made my Daughter a cheesy pasta which was absolutely amazing and the portion was bang on. she said was her highlight of the evening. I had the steamed fish and this was equally as delicious as the previous dishes. My daughter had the sorbet selection to finish off her meal. All the flavors paired extremely well together and was a perfect end to her meal. I had the Crepes, these were sensational. A well balanced desert that left me feeling like I was the only person Chef was cooking for. We were overwhelmed with the whole gastronomic experience. It was a really personal experience to be looked after by the most amazing staff and Chef. We look forward to dining here again in the future

Written 13 December 2024

Lim saw chin

Singapore160 contributions

Must do!

Oct 2024 • couples

A great place for lunch at the foot of Te Mata peak with a beautiful view of rolling plains and vineyards as far as the eye can see. A perfect setting to enjoy great food accompanied by a wide selection of local wines. Service came with a smile and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience there.

Written 23 November 2024

Sightseer39063034444

1 contribution

A disappointing lunch

Feb 2025 • couples

We booked lunch fairly spontaneously and were surprised to be able to book at any given time. On arrival we were at first ignored by staff before we were eventually seated in the otherwise perfectly empty restaurant (outside there were patrons seated under the vines). The young gentleman showing us to our table was genuinely polite and extremely likeable, while the young American lass who eventually took our order was rather reserved. We asked about portion sizes of items on the menu but were not given any usuable information. My wife ordered storm clams as well as duck profiterole. She got exactly one clam which was also frankly inedible and the tiny portion of duck profiterole was disappointing as well as it wasn’t really a profiterole. My own choice of sirloin steak (50$) didn’t fare much better as it was delivered as a soggy piece of meat with a few slices of radish put on top but without further accompaniments to speak of. Thankfully I had ordered a side dish of fries with Pecorino (16$). The meat was almost cold and rather chewy. We did not stay for desert. The gentleman serving was very courteous when my wife complained about the clam and tried to defend the dish after consultation with the kitchen, but the item was eventually readily taken off our bill. In summary we did not have a good experience. We have frequented this restaurant for 20 years and this was a low point from which they need to recover. Given the setup and location this shouldn’t be too hard if they can manage to keep staff like our waiter on their payroll.

Written 18 February 2025

Rossydos

Napier44 contributions

Not as special as it should have been

Nov 2024 • friends

What an utter disapointment! Only made up from the group who attended, and the slightly "quirky" - possibly on the spectrum - waiter assigned to our table. On entry - the table had not been set up - we were a big group booked for 12pm and arrived just after 12pm. Trying to get a drink on arrival was a mission, and they basically ignored our request as the maitre de was preoccupied and her staff unsure of what to do while we had to wait for our table. When we finally got to our table, ordering our drinks and receiving them took approximately 20 minutes. When we were ordering our food, (group of 16), we wanted to get side salad to share between two, but we were told that having an assortment of salads for the table was the way to go. The menu is set up to encourage entree and main, but we were wanting to get just a main. (The cost for food was a bit pricey) - hence why we chose mains only. However, we received very small portions for our main. I went home hungry! There was no scope to allow for individual payments - as some of us were watching our budget - I chose food that should have cost me $31-00. I was trying to order a glass of wine, but they ignored my request and brought out bottles to share. I had 2 glasses of wine, and my total cost should have been $61-00 but I ended up paying $82-00 as it was easier for them to have us split the bill. This needed to be clarified at the start of the meal. The ambience was gorgeous but make sure you have a feed before going, because you will not be satisfied. If I return, I will only go with a small group of friends.

Written 31 December 2024

Keith

Havelock North3 contributions

Disappointed!!

Jan 2025 • couples

Booked for lunch for husbands birthday. To begin service was slow, waited for drinks, restaurant was getting busy but just too understaffed to cope!! Ordered roast shoulder of lamb to share for $95, mixed green salad & fries. Lamb was good, salad oily and bland & fries luke warm!! Could not eat all the lamb ( left abt quarter ) so asked for a container to take home. Between two staff members they got confused and binned it. We were not happy but were advised we would get a good reduction for their error. Dessert was lovely but waited a long time for the menus & to have our plates cleared from.our mains. Asked to have coffee delivered after dessert but arrived before dessert was delivere which was watery and not hot enough. Time to pay, my husband was informed of a reduction of $10 for binning the lamb for a $95 dish. He questioned this and was adamantly advised that was it, non negotiable!! In our opinion the customer does not come first at Black Barn!!!

Written 3 February 2025

robert154917

Jasper National Park2 contributions

Rushed meal no atmosphere

Jun 2024 • couples

Reading all the reviews about The Black Barn we expected much better especially with the cost of eating here. They even sent me an email asking how it was, which I expected a reply, given what I said. We had evening meal on a Saturday night with all the trimmings costing around $500 for 2. We felt extremely rushed to eat our food and drink our expensive wine, it was like just get them fed and get them out of here and take all their money. Not sure why reviews say atmosphere was good, as there was none. Piano player, one person band playing quietly in background would help. Food and staff where great won't be going back in a hurry though, especially given we live so close.

Written 5 August 2024

Frankie N

Toronto7 contributions

Good food but very rude manager

Dec 2024 • family

We had dinner at the Bistro on December 29th and had very high hopes for a wonderful experience despite reading mixed reviews online. We had travelled from Canada and this was the only winery we visited in Hastings. Despite making our reservations months ago, when we arrived we were placed at a table at the very back of restaurant, with almost no view of the winery outside. In fact, my husband was looking at a wall due to the orientation of the table. I noticed a few tables closer the windows and inquired about them and was told we could not have them as customers specifically requested them. All I could think was, I did not specifically requested the worst table in the restaurant!! Otherwise I would not have made my reservation months before after searching all the wineries in the area. I will take some blame here as I likely asked the manager in a rude tone if they had made the reservations prior to ours and she very rudely said back “yes they did, do you want me to look up when they made their reservation?” I said “yes please back” but she never did. She did not try to defuse the situation (as she should be trained to do) or even offer us one of the other open tables closer to the windows. After we were seated at the first table, we watched the manager walk into the kitchen and whisper something to the waiters. We can’t be certain but we felt she was whispering about us as they turned to look at our table. We had read in the prior reviews that the staff were snobby and sadly this was our experience as well. I made my husband request another table closer to the window again and this time she did seat us at empty take closer to the windows. By this point, the dinner that we had been looking forward to for months was almost ruined. The waiter we had was lovely and very professional. The food was also delicious, unfortunately first impressions can sometimes be the most important and we would like not recommend the Bistro to others visiting the area.

Written 5 January 2025

Mcelpear

18 contributions

It’s about the whole experience not just the food

Aug 2023 • family

I was really keen to dine here but to be honest I was disappointed. We were taken to our table promptly and poured water but then waited ages for the menu and then waited ages for someone to take our order. The restaurant was about half full at this point with what looked like only one front of house person. Other staff brought out the actual food and drinks. Expensive. my fish dish was $46 - blue moki - I had to ask what the fish of the day was rather than be told - it was undercooked and very rich. We also got given the august menus as well as the September menus and there clearly was a difference! We won’t be back sadly

Written 30 September 2023

peterJ7714MI

Napier82 contributions

Mediocre Attempt

Jul 2023 • friends

We went on a nice winters day to enjoy the new Bistro and taste the menu. I ordered the crayfish milk bun, followed by the tartare and as a main the brisket… The start was bumpy as the breed for the table had a long white hair on it and when I alerted the waitress to the fault she said “oh” … The bun was only OK, the tartare with the fat potato raised my eyebrows but the brisket dish was not worth $48 … the fermented potato and the brassicas were cold (??) when I asked the waitress whether this is meant to be cold I got a further “oh” … this time she disappeared and was not seen again. At the check out I asked about the hairy dish … and before I could pop the question about the brisket dish the person disappeared to get another staff member with a calculator… at least I did not hear the Oh. Hospitality is such a wonderful word … what I experienced here was unfortunately a mediocre interpretation …

Written 2 July 2023

pkdk

Wellington155 contributions

Really disappointed

Jan 2025 • couples

The really disappointing aspect of this restaurant is not the food (always very good) or the location (lovely) but the poor service. The restaurant was not busy. We waited for a time before being taken to our table, we waited much longer for a menu (15 minutes), we waited for our drinks and then when we asked for our water glasses to be refilled, we waited and waited with assurances but no action. Equally frustratingly, and after we had ordered, we learnt from the table next to ours that there was an express lunch menu that had not been offered to us. When staff did appear they were pleasant but inefficient. There did not appear to be a supervisor to keep a watchful eye and whoever their manager was needs re-training themselves.

Written 6 March 2025

Phil C

1 contribution

Very overpriced, mean portions and not particularly nice food at all. Wouldn't dream of going there again

Jan 2024 • family

Never again, waste of time and money. The offerings on the set menu weren't weren't particularly appetizing at all and mean portions would be an understatement. Teaspoon sized entrees on a shared platter, what a joke

Written 9 February 2024

TheWayItIs

Lower Hutt163 contributions

So much promise, so little delivery

Feb 2022 • family

We went to the recent Food and Wine night expecting great things. We have been a reasonably regular group of customers and have noticed the feedback in the decline of service over the last year. As a group, our experiences have always been good thought and as the night was a very high price (even for a FAWC event) so came prepared to be wowed. The evening started slowly with significant delays between courses and inattentive staff. The food, as always, was very good but was the only highpoint of the evening. We heard a lot of grumbling from other diners who obviously were not pleased. The night didn't improve and the overall walkaway was a poorly planned event for a unrealistically high price. Appreciating times have been hard in hospitality, this felt very much gouging. Of the FAWC events we went to, sadly the least enjoyable. A real shame to see but with so many other options in the Bay, I think this will be the last time we go.

Written 5 February 2022

Rose

Wellington56 contributions

Nice setting but very underwhelming

Jul 2020 • friends

Nice setting but very underwhelming food. We came here with friends fo enjoy a late lunch after being recommended it as somewhere nice in the Te Mata area. We booked (well ahead) for the last available lunch sitting for day as we intended to stick around, enjoy the Winter sunshine and have some drinks but unfortunately from go to wo the experience was very underwhelming. With 6 of us we managed to order most of the menu, including plenty of sides and drinks. The overwhelming feedback from the table was that the food was bland. For entrees we had the hangi goat (very dry) and the pumpkin and mozzarella (bland) along with the bread which was fine but nothing to write home about. Two guests got skirt steak for their main which was chewy. Two got the veal ragu, and regretted it. We did see the half chicken go by which looked good; perhaps it was more flavorful than what we ordered. The standout of the meal was probably the brussels sprouts! The restaurant was crowded and busy and the general vibe was that diners looked happy but I’m not sure I’d go again. Those of us who had the BB wine were happy enough but the glasses stood empty too long.

Written 4 July 2020

pkdk

Wellington155 contributions

Tasty lunch in lovely setting

Mar 2024 • couples

Lovely venue, cheerful & helpful staff. The shoulder of lamb was fantastic, tender and beautifully cooked. Only negative was the chicken liver pate entrée which was served with burnt toast which really should be a no/no in a restaurant of this quality.

Written 16 March 2024