Roquette Restaurant & Bar
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.
Roquette Restaurant & Bar
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
To celebrate two decades of delectable dishes and exceptional service, Roquette Restaurant and Bar in Whakatane is inviting you to experience their renowned cuisine. For 20 years, Roquette has tantalized taste buds with their expertly crafted dishes, all beautifully presented for a truly unforgettable dining experience. Their commitment to quality ingredients and outstanding service has positioned them as a Whakatane favorite. Whether you're a longtime patron or a first-time guest, Roquette promises an evening filled with exquisite food presented with artistic flair. Don't miss this opportunity to savor Roquette's culinary artistry as they celebrate this impressive milestone.
Features
CUISINES
European, Contemporary, New Zealand
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Dog Friendly
Family style
Free off-street parking
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Gift Cards Available
Highchairs Available
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Parking Available
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Street Parking
Table Service
Visa
Waterfront
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Free off-street parking, Parking Available, Street Parking
Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?
Reserve a table
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 11:30 AM
Sunday
Closed
Monday
11:30 am - 2:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Tuesday
11:30 am - 2:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wednesday
11:30 am - 2:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Thursday
11:30 am - 2:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Friday
11:30 am - 2:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday
11:30 am - 2:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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4.4
457 reviews
Excellent
281
Very good
114
Average
35
Poor
14
Terrible
13
Jane Y
Tuakau8 contributions
Feb 2025 • friends
Gluten free / coeliac friendly.
We had a lovely evening. The waiters were very attentive and clearly outlined the gluten free options. One of our guests was coeliac and the chef was consulted about certain meals.
All in all, we had a wonderful evening.
Written 25 February 2025
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.
Jellyontheroad
Rotorua99 contributions
Apr 2024 • friends
We went for the evening set menu which was fantastic value for money. The refillable house wine for $10 was also a great option.
We all had a variety of dishes and everything was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. The chips that came with my steak were the best I’ve ever had!
The desserts were all also excellent. We will definitely be back.
Written 23 April 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.
Helen M
Sheffield208 contributions
Mar 2025 • none
We have eaten at some of the best and expensive restaurants in the world such as the Burj al Arab, several Gary Rhodes restaurants and many Micheline starred chef's restaurants in the UK. This restaurant is certainly on a level with these types of establishments and high quality chefs. The food is exquisite and the service exceptional. It is only a pity we live in the UK as this would be our go to place. Thank you for a wonderful meal.
Review collected in partnership with www.restauranthub.co.nz
This business uses tools provided by Tripadvisor (or one of its official Review Collection Partners) to encourage and collect guest reviews, including this one.
Written 10 March 2025
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.
Juliet W
1 contribution
Dec 2024 • family
Location and parking just great. My partner was pleased with his fish main and we both liked our desserts. But I was disappointed with my pork belly dinner because it was presented more like pork strips and they were very tough to eat. Some greenery would have enhanced the appearance. A few days later we dined at the Lime Cafe,Rotorua and I was presented with an "eat with a spoon" tender pork belly and served with crisp chips, salad and apple sauce. The price was $10 cheaper too. Very disappointed with Roquette.
Written 29 December 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.
peter
2 contributions
Jan 2025 • family
With helpful advice from our server we began with garlic and cheese bread ( best we’ve had) lamb salad, scotch fillet with a side salad including pear and blue cheese. All the dishes were delicious. We will have to come back to try some of the other dishes on the menu
Written 2 January 2025
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.
Sue & Warren
Whakatāne292 contributions
Jun 2024 • couples
My husband and I had an absolutely delicious lunch today at Roquette Restaurant in Whakatane.
For Mains we had the Lunchtime Chefs Special of Baked Terakihi in a crust of pine nuts, panko, Parmesan & pesto, with roasted baby potatoes, steamed greens and beurre blanc😍😍
And the Savannah Scotch Fillet of Beef with crispy hash sticks, mushroom & leek cream sauce, watercress and aged Parmesan 😁👍🏼
Large entree to share: Beer Battered Scallops & Prawns with lemon aioli and sweet chilli sauce😋
And Dessert: Italian Tiramisu with coffee, chocolate, mascarpone mousse, Savoiardi ladyfingers 😍❤️
We were very impressed with the food and the service. We will definitely be back and highly recommend this lovely restaurant!! 😁
Written 8 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.
Craig
Auckland Central6 contributions
May 2024 • friends
Superb hospitality and service that began when we made a telephone booking and continued throughout our meal - including having the doors opened as we left. The food was sublime with large portions (not like many restaurants in the cities that have halved their portions) and vegetables included within the main course (in comparison to restaurants in the cities and offer vegetables and solads as "extras / sides"). Particular mention of the service extended by our server - he was very attentive and helpful.
Written 19 May 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.
iplusr
Auckland5 contributions
Feb 2025 • friends
A pleasant evening out and excellent young waitress. The meal was fine, nothing special or spectacular and nothing to recommend. We ordered lemon curd and meringue dessert, and commented how quickly it came out. We felt it was very basic and perhaps explained the speed it was produced, then we felt diners were being rushed and at 9.05 when we queried the closing time, we were told 9.00pm! Our bad, we hadn't checked the closing time on their website. Didn't realise they operated inhospitable hours.
Written 13 March 2025
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.
Roger6933
Te Puke1 contribution
Dec 2023 • none
booked online , some special. requests re food intolerances , excellent rapid e mail response
excellent. range on menu .
With the 2 days prior warning the chef had organised some gluten free pasta for the seafood marinara!
The waiter was attentive without being overpowering .
Review collected in partnership with www.restauranthub.co.nz
This business uses tools provided by Tripadvisor (or one of its official Review Collection Partners) to encourage and collect guest reviews, including this one.
Written 23 December 2023
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.
Pat J
Auckland133 contributions
Apr 2024 • friends
I was on a Moa Tour visiting the Whirinake Forest and Ruatahuna and our party had a meal at the wonderful Roquette Restaurant in Whakatane. There were 18 people attending and we were all looked after exceptionally well. The menu was interesting and varied with plenty of choices. All meals were delivered at the same time, were piping hot and well presented. Absolutely no complaints. I would particularly like to comment Baru for his care and attention.
Written 21 April 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.
d6Linda
Glasgow23 contributions
Jan 2024 • friends
Fabulous meal at Roquette tonight. What a find!
The food was absolutely excellent and beautifully presented. We had battered fish and a duo of fish which came with a beautiful sauce. Fish all cooked to perfection! And crisp battered prawns on the side. We sat next to the kitchen and watched in awe at all the food going out
If anything, the desserts were even better but the best part of the meal was the service. Flawless and so refreshing to have fabulous, helpful staff esp after fairly poor service in so many New Zealand restaurants. Baru was exceptional! Thank you for a great evening. Sadly only here for one night but this will undoubtedly be our first port of call when back in the area
Written 26 January 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.
paula e
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • couples
I had been looking forward to a special dinner at Roquette mid July.
Entree- We started with sharing the salmon pate and breads. The pate was lovely, the bread too much for the small portion of pate.
Main- There was no enquiry during the meal as to how dinner was going We both ordered 'Savannah' scotch, medium rare steak with mushroom sauce on hash sticks, with a side of seasonal veg. The mushrooms, hash sticks and sauce with the veg were fabulous. Both steaks were seared nicely on the outside but were so tough the steak knives struggled and the meat was blue, not medium rare, I did not eat mine. I mentioned it to the waiter when he came for our plates, who barely shrugged, no apology and gave me a container to take it home in.
Dessert- was lovely, Macadamia crumble with rhubarb and apple with a mango sauce. Lovely.
There was a slight muddle on paying the bill where 2 seasoned veg were charged.
Flavour wise on all courses a straight 10/10. Just the pate portion size and cooking of the steak were a let down.
Written 14 July 2023
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.
Luvinspoonful
Rotorua671 contributions
Dec 2021 • none
Lovely restaurant with fine seating and serve staff. An early bird menu with 6 tasty options is well worth a look and requiring a table vacate by 7.
Fish was fresh and crispy and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The early bird menu includes a house wine and is a great deal.
Kids menu comes highly recommended 😊
The side salad of blue cheese, walnut and pear is sensational!
Written 5 December 2021
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.
Paul Mitcheson
Auckland4 contributions
Nov 2024 • couples
We visited this restaurant on our last night in Whakatane, it was the perfect place after a delightful stay in this great little town. We were greeted by a very friendly member of staff, made comfortable and relaxed straight away. The menu was not too big or too small, with a wide variety of dishes & specials on offer. The food is more refined, definitely Bistro style. My partner had the Lamb Salad, when it arrived he thought it looked like all green salad with sliced lamb over the top but the taste and flavours were amazing (big thumbs up)! I had the Scotch Fillet, it melted in your mouth, so tender, so much flavour, the whole plate of food delicious.
We highly recommend this restaurant. Thanks
Written 28 November 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.
Kiwi-as
58 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
The manager of One88 on Commerce motel recommended Roquette and after checking out the menu online we chose to dine there. It was a Thursday night and the restaurant had many empty tables, which was just as well as we didn’t have a booking. The restaurant has a lovely setting and it gets the last of the sun as it goes down, and a nice quiet ambiance. We were initially impressed with the service – approached and shown to a choice of tables, water brought, and food and drink menus were already on the table. There was a good selection and a waitress took our drink order promptly. A waiter came to tell us about the specials, and as we had already decided what we wanted to eat, we gave him our food order. The steak wasn’t cheap, and I didn’t fancy the two vegetable options that were extras, but it was beautifully cooked and not ordering extras meant there was room for dessert! My husband had the fish and chips and said it was delicious.
The mains came in a reasonable time but we did have to wave a waiter down to order another drink.
I had the lemon meringue stack for dessert and could have easily eaten two; it was that good. My husband had the tiramisu and said it was very nice.
It was early April and the nights were starting to cool down, but we were okay near the open front doors. Another couple arrived and chose to sit at a table in the window near the bar, but shortly after they called the manager over. They then moved to another table in the window on the opposite side of the restaurant and the glass folding doors were opened next to their table. Our mains had just arrived and suddenly it was like being in a wind tunnel and I wasn’t happy at the thought of my nearly $40 steak rapidly cooling. The large table seated next to us didn’t appear thrilled either, and we were just about to call the waiter over when he went and shut the front doors. That made it a little warmer, but as he walked past I said surely if they wanted to be seated in the open, they could have chosen one of the outdoor tables. He sighed and said, “he’s a friend of the manager and a regular customer, he eats here a lot, and whatever he wants, the manager obliges”. The manager then spent the next 20 minutes or so chatting at their table with them.
The location and interior of the restaurant was lovely, the food was faultless, and the service pretty good, but the obsequious fawning by the manager over this guest (apparently a former radio announcer) put a slight damper on what had been a great evening. We will return for the food, but if we spot the regular, maybe we'll give it a miss or ensure we sit well away from him!
Written 6 April 2021
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.
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