Zane Grey's Restaurant and Bar

Someone from this business manages this listing.

1,253 reviews

#4 of 40 Restaurants in Paihia$$ - $$$, International, New Zealand, Vegetarian friendly

+64 9-402 6220+ Add website

Hours

Sun

8:30 am - 8:00 pm

Mon

9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Tue

9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Wed

9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Thu

9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Fri

9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Sat

8:30 am - 8:00 pm

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

1,253 reviews

#4 of 40 Restaurants in Paihia

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

$15.00 – $39.00

CUISINES

International, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

69 Marsden Road, Paihia 0200 New Zealand

+64 9-402 6220

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Details

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About

Join us for a wonderful experience over the water in either "The Aquarium" or on "The Dock". Inside we serve up-market dishes situated in a cozy dining area with great views. Outside we have a big lounge area for you to relax and enjoy your day - completely casual and informal. All our locations can be booked for events as well and we try to cater for every wish that might arise.

PRICE RANGE

$15.00 – $39.00

CUISINES

International, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

1,253 reviews

Excellent

876

Very good

218

Average

Poor

Terrible

Edspice

Oakura44 contributions

We dropped off our freshly

Jan 2020 • none

We dropped off our freshly caught Kingfish when we got off the boat and made reservations to go back for dinner at 7 PM. The chef cooked our Kingfish 4 different ways including sushi style. Let me just say that the fish was amazing and the view was spectacular. The staff was very friendly and helpful and made an our evening amazing! Kudos to the staff and to the chef for making our last night in New Zealand the best it could’ve been. I highly recommend them if you catch fish and want somebody to cook it for you. For a modest price they cook the fish 4 different ways and included some side dishes including chips, salad and fresh vegetables. Sitting along the water enjoying your fish freshly caught fish was priceless!

Written 5 January 2020

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.

Michaela-ZaneGreys

We loved that huge kingi you brought in - we had to take a photo of it and the selection the chef prepared. Thanks again for trusting us. What a phenomenal way to end your special day!

Written 6 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Catprints109

County Londonderry15 contributions

Welcomed with big smiles

Aug 2020 • family

We weren’t sure if wanted to dine here and when we asked to view the menu a very smiley and welcoming Jay gave us both the main and kids menu to review. Once we’d decided we’d stay Jay tried to give ya the best seat in the house following my request but given they were already booked for only half an hour ahead we couldn’t seat there however our second option best was still fab!! Both Jay and a French waitress were very attentive and nothing was an issue. The food!!! Wow, we were blown away and not expecting what we got. The soft shell taco literally disappeared and we regretted choosing to share one. Both mains were seriously delicious. Market fish was cooked to perfect and full of flavour. The chicken was so moist and also loaded with taste. Let’s be honest chicken is chicken but this was just delicious! You always know food is good when you would pick the plate! And then dessert!!! Lol we decided to share this and thank goodness we did because it was massive. Loved loved loved.

Written 5 August 2020

Manager-ZaneGreys

Thank you for taking the time to review us. We are glad you had a wonderful dining experience, and we hope to see you back in Zane Grey's one day!

Written 11 August 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Patrick H

Palmerston North17 contributions

Great views over harbour !

Jun 2020 • none

Great views over harbour ! Initially we were not sure as it was so smart, but quickly realised it was well priced . We had exceptional food - burger and The Ribs - we highly recommend , with the best fries we have had in a long time. Food was fresh, tasty, generous portions and we were well served by Lucia and bar person Inmarsat. A great place to relax and soak up the best of Paihia.

Written 27 June 2020

Manager-ZaneGreys

Cheers Patrick!

Written 6 July 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Zara

2 contributions

Shocking

Feb 2020 • friends

Stunning location with beautiful scenery overlooking the water. Food was poor. Multiple of us eating. One meal came out straight away, which seemed to us to have been made prior and kept warm. Other dishes came out 10 minutes after, where the first person had already finished there meal! Got a salad and added 3 small, overcooked prawns for 8 bucks. Small cheese board with 6 crackers for $24 Poor service, not even offered a glass of water.

Written 8 February 2020

Michaela-ZaneGreys

Good morning Zara. Thanks for taking your time writing a review. We assume you've been dining outside on The Dock. We offer here a casual bar service and we have 4 different free-to-use tap water stations and we're sorry that those weren't obvious enough. As you say, multiple of you have been eating so again, we assume (as there's not enough information) that you have been ordering separate and paying separate which is normal then for the kitchen the prepare dishes one after each other or send food that is quick to make. We'll forward that info regarding prawns to our chefs, we're very sorry about this! We've just started those sides as it has been asked for many times in the past and they are not a cheap side anyways. We'll review this so thanks again for sharing your opinion!

Written 9 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sophie G

10 contributions

Don't get the crab taco if you're hungry.

Jan 2021 • none

Over all our first impression was a bit off, with having to ask waitstaff to wipe the dirty table down before our meals arrived, then having to collect our own cutlery and move dirty glasses from previous customers off our table, to the use of a roll of handy towels as napkins for the table... If I had friends coming to my home for dinner I wouldn't put a roll of paper towels on the table, so I feel for paying customers you could do a bit better, sorry. I wouldn't be so critical if the price paid reflected the experience, but unfortunately at Zane Grey's you pay top dollar. We got the soft shell crab taco and it was astonishingly small for a main sized meal, priced at $22. To add insult to injury the meal was luke warm on arrival. We took the meal to the bar to get re heated (and let them know the size was disappointing for the price) and the waitstaff came back to our table 5 minutes later with our now stone-cold, minuscule meal, proclaiming that the "chef said the meal went out 5 minutes ago, and that is why it is cold, and that he wont re do it". It is unfortunate the way the chef dealt with this situation, as the waitstaff had said that they would re make the meal and try and bulk it up a bit as he agreed it was a small meal for $22, but this did not happen and instead we were left with a small microwaved meal and embarrassment for bringing our friends from out of town to this restaurant. (their meals were not good either. There was more batter than fish in their fish and chip meal.) So all in all, a disappointing experience.

Written 16 January 2021

Manager-ZaneGreys

Hello Sophie Thank you for your review. I am sorry that you were disappointed. We have been understaffed since the start of school holidays and have been struggling to meet the demands of the high volume of customers! This is obvious by the fact that we were unable to get tables wiped fast enough and cutlery restocked in time. I have spoken to management along with your server to determine what went wrong and how it could have been avoided. I have also started discussing portion size, etc. with our head chef to determine if this dish is satisfactory, or if we can make it better! This review is the first complaint for this crab dish so we are taking it very seriously. The pricing for our establishment is based on the unique location of the restaurant and the seasonality of the town. We need to make money in summer to survive a long, quiet winter. It can get very windy on The Dock. When we have provided napkins in the past, they have blown away! Paper towel has been a great way to ensure we aren't scattering hundreds of paper napkins into the environment. We have also experimented with napkin dispensers in the past and been left unhappy with the results. We are always looking to improve so if you have any ideas, I would love to hear them. I would be happy to discuss this points further with you. Please email laine@zanegreys.co.nz.

Written 17 January 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

kira

Mangere22 contributions

Christmas lunch 2/5

Dec 2020 • family

Service was great and it was a pretty view but the food was lacking in flavor and inspiration, I paid $300 for me and my 2 kids (not including drinks) for a pretty mediocre 3 course meal. Meat over cooked and dry with some herbs that tasted what you found in the back of a forgotten cupboard. If it was cheaper I probably wouldn't be writing this but alas here I am. Hopefully this may have been a 1 off but I wouldn't know as I won't be going back.

Written 27 December 2020

Manager-ZaneGreys

Hello Kira. I am sorry that you were unhappy with the Christmas meal. We are taking all feedback on board to help us make the experience better for next year. We didn't have any other negative comments about the meat and spices from the other diners so I think the issue you had was a one off. I have been assured that all problems that were brought up to the Manager's attention on the day, were amended by the Managers at the time. The last thing we want is unhappy customers! If you feel that we didn't attend to your issues appropriately, please email on at laine@zanegreys.co.nz so I can discuss this further with you.

Written 4 January 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

FoodTravel26

74 contributions

Great view but disappointing taste to the palate.

Nov 2020 • none

Stunning location set in the sunny Bay of Islands. The restaurant looks very attractive to the eye from the outside with a very large outside dining area overlooking the bay. Inside they have a fabulous salt water aquarium with New Zealand native fish in it. We went there for an family birthday dinner and was expecting the food to match the décor but was very disappointed. The meals are well over priced for the poor quality that was served making the experience unfavourable.

Written 11 January 2021

Manager-ZaneGreys

Hello. Thank you for taking time to give us a review. I am sorry that you were unhappy with the food. So I can assess the problem I will need to know more information. Were you meals out on the Dock or in our Aquarium restaurant? The menus are quite different based on which area you were sitting. What did you order and what didn't you like about it? Please email laine@zanegreys.co.nz so we can get the details and hopefully fix the problem!

Written 17 January 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Megz-parris

Mangawhai7 contributions

Unsatisfied customer

Jan 2021 • family

Went for lunch. Ordered 3 beers and a apple juice. $47. Didn’t get asked if we wanted a big size beer or a small size beer just got automatically given the big one at $14 each. Thought $47 for four drinks was pretty expensive. Then ordered the Asian salad and Kumura wedges and a couple of other items. The Kumura wasn’t Kumura it was sweet potato. The Asian salad was supposed to have mung beans and glass noodles. Had no mung beans and no glass noodles it had ribbon noodles. When questioned about the glass noodles the lady which I think was either the manager or owner said we don’t have glass noodles in any of our menu. So I corrected her and showed her on the menu that there was glass noodles. Then I wanted a little tub of tomato sauce and sweet chili sauce to go with our chips and sweet potato wedges and she charged me for the tomato sauce and sweet chili sauce But then couldn’t provide me chilli sauce only chilli mayo. My sons meal which was the soft crab tacos was very small for the price. Overall very disappointed. Being a local I would like to recommend paihia places but I won’t be on this place

Written 14 January 2021

Manager-ZaneGreys

Hi Megz. Thank you for taking time to give us a review. I am sorry that you were unhappy with your experience. Our staff are trained to request all the details of a guest's order to ensure that there is no mix up with their glass size. I will have management look into why you were charged this way. Unfortunately, admin was unaware that the kitchen needed to make an ingredient change to the Asian salad. We have since updated our menu to show the item is made with ribbon noodles. The salad does in fact contain mung beans. I believe this is a chef error and I am sorry for the mix up and I think this needs to be addressed further with you. We are required to charge for extra sauce that is requested in a meal but as I understand you did not receive what you ordered so this is another problem that I would like to address with you. Please email laine@zanegreys.co.nz so we can discuss some different options to make this right.

Written 17 January 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tina

15 contributions

Nice view, poor service

Jan 2021 • friends

We went to Zane Grey's last night for dinner. Very unclear on if we were supposed to seat ourselves and noone came to greet us. We sat down at a table for four and the table was sticky from the previous customers. When we went up to order there were 3 people behind the counter, 2 tills and only 1 person using the till and serving. Seemed very unorganised or like the guy pointlessly wiping the taps, was too nervous to use the other till. We sat down in the hope of a good night, instead came away feeling dissapointed with the service and quality of food. Our food was brought out by different waitresses, one of them took a meal to the wrong table, another didn't know the name of the meal and another meal was tiny. The batter on the fish was stodgy and gooey inside and the tartate sauce looked like cottage cheese. Yuck. The soft shell crab was ridiculously overpriced for what came out, an entree sized main. It was also cold and the chef wouldn't recook it, so it was microwaved. We left feeling unsatisfied, hungry and ripped off. For a place with such an amazing venue and view, very poorly utilised.

Written 14 January 2021

Manager-ZaneGreys

Hello Kate Thank you for taking time to review us. We are a two sided venue and based on your comments it appears you were dining on our Dock Bar. It is a casual venue. Our menu displayed in front of the dock bar along with all our tables clearly indicate that customers are to order at the bar and seat themselves where they wish. I am sorry that you were confused. I have taken your comments regarding the service and food to our Restaurant Manager and Head Chef. While we feel that our pricing is accurate based on the venue location and style of food that we offer, I am concerned that you were unhappy with the quality. We will be looking into this. If you have any further comments or concerns feel free to email me. Laine@zanegreys.co.nz

Written 4 February 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Baysee

3 contributions

Great food, great atmosphere, and great service

Mar 2020 • none

It was by far the best food we had whilst in Paihia. We basically had a full meal that was made up of a range of starters. The mussles (in like a curry) were delicious along with the pork belly, the garlic bread, and the prawn. The tempura crab was okay, but we felt that it was not the strongest dish. We absolutely loved the creme brulee and the our young daughter enjoyed the chicken fingers (which by the way were the first moist chicken fingers we had ever had). The atmosphere was absolutely superb with an option of being seated by the window overseeing the water or by the aquarium. We chose to be seated next to the aquarium and we absolutely loved it. The service was also fantastic as we were greeted by the lovely Becca who offered us a little pack of ice as our little one jammed her finger when getting out of our car. We were later served by the wonderful Ileen who was very welcoming and made sure that we were well looked after.

Written 20 March 2020

Michaela-ZaneGreys

Thanks Baysee for taking your time to review us!! <3

Written 22 March 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Wes

Auckland14 contributions

Overpriced and Food was not good

Dec 2019 • none

Service on arrival was okay but deteriorated exponentially. Food was way overpriced and we did not enjoy our meals in any way. We do not recommend this eatery at all, the only thing it has going for it is the actual location. We will be visiting Paihia again soon but will stay clear of this restaurant.

Written 7 January 2020

Michaela-ZaneGreys

Hi Wes - what was not quite right with your experience?! We would love to fix whatever you did not like but without any further details we cannot quite follow. If you care to help a local small business to grow you're most welcome to send an email to michaela@zanegreys.co.nz. We would really appreciate your feedback and if you feel we could give it another shot we would love to offer some compensation.

Written 6 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Garny_65

Preston418 contributions

A decent brunch venue in beautiful location

Jan 2020 • couples

Opted to have brunch at Zane Grey’s. Initially we called in for a drink, having been let down by Trip Advisor and their incorrect detailing of a boat trip booking. Having sat down we decided to have brunch. I opted for bacon & eggs and my wife risked the waffles with bacon, banana & maple syrup. I can’t complain about the poached eggs, they were perfect. It’s fair to say the banana and bacon waffle wasn’t my wife’s favourite dish but as she said ‘ it could be someone else’s!’ The tables state to order at the bar and you are free to help yourself to water and additional condiments. The staff were busy but remained polite and helpful throughout. I have never been here before but found it ok. There is a great range of drinks available and the view is outstanding. It’s certainly worth a visit for a drink and you can assess the food whilst there.

Written 20 January 2020

Michaela-ZaneGreys

Good afternoon Garny! Thanks for taking your time and reviewing us! We hope we can welcome you back soon and you can try other dishes :)

Written 6 February 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mike W

Christchurch66 contributions

Definitely worth stopping by…

May 2021 • couples

Staying in Paiha for the evening, this was one of the places recommended to us. The service was great, we were seated as soon as we went in, were able to get seats around the aquarium which is just amazing, in the summer months the view onto the water would be great, but for the winter months, the aquarium is just as great view. The menu has a limited selection, bu the food is just amazing, excellent, and served very quickly, and fairly reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend a visit, although you may want to book ahead, as it appears it does get busy quickly (which is another great sign) Special mention to Joy, who ensured we had everything we needed..

Written 5 June 2021

Manager-ZaneGreys

"Thank you for dining in at Zane Grey's. We are pleased you enjoyed your meal! 'We appreciate your feedback and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Written 8 June 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Adrian K

Whangarei2 contributions

Slow and cold

Aug 2020 • couples

We came for lunch and we’re giving the wrong menu. After given the correct menu I waited at the bar to order but the two staff didn’t seem interested in taking my order. We were told that the garlic bread would come out first. The food took a long time to arrive (others that ordered after us were served after) and was cold. By that time we were hungry and ate it, and it was fine. One worry was that we saw another table get the wrong food, which I suspect was ours - it would explain the temperature of the food. We will be avoiding this place in future.

Written 29 August 2020

Manager-ZaneGreys

Hello Adrian I am very sorry that you didn't have an exceptional experience at our restaurant! It sounds like we have let you down. We were trialling a new menu when you dined with us and that would explain the menu confusion. I have spoken to our management regarding staff training and the overall restaurant organisation. I can assure you that we now have our procedures worked out. I apologise that you didn't feel attended to by our servers. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Regarding the significant wait times, I believe that you dined with us during a day we underwent a massive POS system breakdown which resulted in large amounts of information not reaching our kitchen, dockets being lost, etc. Servers were attempting to recall orders from memory. It was a very stressful time for all and this issue was at no fault of our own. I am sorry that you were caught in the middle of it :( I invite you to dine with us again so we can right our wrongs. My contact details are laine@zanegreys.co.nz and I ask that you contact me if you aren interested in making a booking with us in the future.

Written 3 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lyndsay P

9 contributions

Lunch in January 2021....restaurant by the sea.

Jan 2021 • couples

An impromptu lunch during a short break in Paihia. We selected this restaurant as the location, right near the wharf looked very appealing. From a very limited menu we selected fish and chips and crab taco. Service was fine but both meals very extremely over cooked which was disappointing in a restaurant which was very quiet. When asked how our meals were as we paid our account, we did politely explain our findings. Hopefully the feedback was acted upon to save others from disappoinment as the location deserved much better attention to detail.

Written 12 January 2021

Manager-ZaneGreys

Hello Lyndsay. Thank you for taking time to give us a review. I am sorry that you were disappointed. I can assure you that feedback was taken directly to the kitchen team and our Head Chef would have looked in the issue. Yes, attention to detail is so very important and the last thing we want is to serve low quality food! We have been experiencing busy, intense rushes and our team is struggling to keep up with demand. In some cases we have made mistakes but we are always looking to improve. If you would like to discuss this further please email laine@zanegreys.co.nz.

Written 17 January 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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