Home
About
FAQ
Disclaimer
Tell A Friend
Add To Favourites
Coffee
Brunch
Lunch
Dinner
Dessert
Atmosphere
Service
Value
Overall
Search for anything in Enjoy Waikato:
|
The Narrows Landing  Reading some of these reviews it seems that it's a lottery as to what you get when you visit The Narrows - but I'm proud to say that on every occasion I've been there, and that's a combination of private functions and for dining, we've been bowled over by the service and the quality of the produce (most of which I'm told is local and in season) every time.
The wine list is exquisite and if you recognise that yourself then you don't really need a waitress to tell you the same, and the meals (in particular the eye fillet) has been spectacular with portions on the very generous size.
On one occasion while dining there with family who had a very young child with them, the staff were extremely accommodating and made us all feel very much at home, which when you bring a push chair to a restaurant is VERY unusual.
Thumbs up for ambience, service, and quality of food!Review by Greg, 4 January 2010.
Think you can do better? Everyone's a critic... if you disagree with the review, or think you can write a better one, then submit it here now.
|
Other Reviews for The Narrows Landing
cafe-surfer, 14 December 2009 (2 stars). There is no doubt that the Narrows has spectacular scenery, a spacious restaurant and an endless carpark. We went there for a conference recently. All was good..mostly. The service was very polite but didn't seem to know much about how the food was prepared.
One thing that stood out was the rather miserly dishing out of the food. It was I thought a buffet but people dished out small portions inelegantly from plates. The food on the whole tasted very nice with the exception of a potato-sundried tomato mix in which the tomatoes were distinctly off. I queried them politely on this but the servers had little knowledge of the dish.
Overall a pleasant experience but they need to get a little more generous with their food. Someone had warned me of the small portions beforehand.
| Anonymous, 2 December 2009 (1 stars). I recently attended a wedding at this place. The wedding itself went well but the experience was tarnished for various reasons.
Being a wooden building it is very noisy especially with children running around, crying at 5am and in the middle of the night in the upstairs apartment. It would pay to make sure no one is up there if staying below or expect the same.
The owner was arrogant and rude when dealing with complaints, actually disputing where the noise was coming from, why the couple left etc. and making comments such as "we've bent over backwards for you" and arguing with the bride and groom, which was completely out of line given the circumstances.
I will never return.
| | Tania, 11 January 2009 (2 stars). I attended my friend's wedding on Saturday. The entire venue was booked out including rooms for guests and the apartment for the bride & groom. The gardens are beautifully kept, the venue itself is very well maintained and welcoming. Whilst the wedding party were off taking photos in the lovely garden areas we were well looked after by the staff with plenty of food and beverages making the rounds, this excellent service continued throughout the evening. I found this service to be the best I have experienced at a wedding. It is so unfortunate that all of this hardwork was completely undone thanks to the overreaction and ridiculous behaviour by the Owner the next morning after he saw empty beer bottles and spilt beer on the kitchen counter in the apartment. The beverages were brought up to the room BY STAFF after the reception finished. The remaining guests (some from the UK and first time visitors to NZ) and bride & groom left the venue very upset & disappointed after a wonderful wedding. Considering the amount of money the Owner received from this booking, who really cares about some empty bottles!!! | | Dougb, 11 March 2008 (1 stars). Went for lunch as part of a work function, had 20 staff to please. No-one was happy with their meal - the taste of it or the time it took to get there. EVERYONE had PRE-ORDERED 1 WEEK in ADVANCE yet the meals were cold and as a result not that appetising. To be honest - I believe the fault lies with management. Good management could make this restaurant go a long way. Nice building, nice setting, management needs to deal with the level of service. I was quite embarrassed I had suggested we go there. | | Gourmet Diner!!, 29 February 2008 (4.5 stars). We just love the Narrows and have been regular diners there on many occasions over the years. Everything is great! The food is usually very good, the setting is lovely and there is a great atmosphere there! The only criticism we have is the time it sometimes takes to serve the food!!!!!! Sometimes the wait is quite long and this has been a bit of a problem for a long time and a bit of a joke amongst our friends!!! We still love going there, often just for desserts only!! Its the closest restaurant to our house and I have recommended this place to many people all of whom have enjoyed dining there!! | | Anonymous, 9 February 2008 (1.5 stars). I was very excited to dine at the Narrows Landing as I had heard such nice things about the great food and beautiful setting of the restaurant. I was unfortunately disappointed, the staff looked unhappy to be there, the manager was rude and seemed to have no customer service skills whatsoever and service was slow as well. The food was lovely when it did arrive, although the hold up was not due to the kitchen more so the untrained staff. Sadly I won't be returning. | | Bevan, 7 February 2007 (4 stars). The food and atmosphere at Narrows Landing was excellent, however unfortunately the service did not match. The staff were not very attentive, forgetting to take wine orders and then completely forgot to deliver the coffees. However well worth a visit for the stunning setting. | revilo, 25 August 2006 (1 stars). Went expecting to be impressed as we had heard only good things about The Narrows, however dinner turned out to be a rude awakening. The restaurant lacks atmosphere and heating as it turns out one tiny gas heater does not cut it, particularly when seated next to the entrance. The table while set for twelve could only comfortably seat eight, as evidenced by the waitress rapidly removing all apparently unneeded dining equipment to 'make some space for the menus'.
The wine list is lovely, pages and pages to make a selection from, however there is no evidence of the waitstaff having the knowledge or the inclination to help a diner with the wine selection. The beer selection is shockingly poor in comparison - a standard selection that looks like an afterthought.
The food, while I have eaten in many places where the food is worth the wait this was not one of those places, dinner was average at best, with my meal being somewhat overseasoned. Dessert came and went and was unremarkable.
Overall a disappointing experience made all the worse for our high expectations. | | Anonymous, 5 May 2005 (1 stars). Very disappointing experience. Will not be back. | Food Lover, 2 August 2004 (1 stars). My experience was so disappointing that I have not been back and I have also told a few friends not to go. I went with a group of 10 for Xmas lunch. We had pre-ordered 12 meals but 2 days before one of us rang to cancel 2 meals (both salad) as 2 couldn't make it. We were told it was okay. Despite the pre-order there was a 45 minute wait for the meals. One of the salads had a piece of hair in it. When we went to pay we were told only one account per table so one lady settled the bill. Back in the office when dividing the accounts she discovered we had been charged for the 2 cancelled salads. She rang to enquire and was told very rudely that nothing could be done about it. What a rogue, if they intended to charge us for the meals they should at least have offered to bring them out so that we could share them. This is totally dishonest and I will never go back.
| Aud, 22 July 2004 (1.5 stars). We had a very disappointing experience at the Narrows recently. We were a group of 8 who arrived at 7 p.m. Not everyone in the group ordered entrees, so by the time our mains arrived at 9:45 p.m. there were a few very grumpy people. There were no complaints about the wait staff, however one waitress did state that because of the location of our table, we were liable to be forgotten! She brought us a large plate of breads, which for them was probably not the smartest move, as we were so full on bread that none of us ordered desserts.
All in all, the food was fine but not outstanding, however the two and three quarter hour wait for our mains was extremely disappointing for a restaurant with such a supposedly good reputation.
| | Hamlett, 18 May 2002 (4 stars). I have been fortunate enough to have had several very pleasant lunches at Narrows Landing (still waiting for that dinner date though...). I can highly recommend lunch there, delicious food, good service and an interesting rural view. | Bridget, 17 May 2002 (4.5 stars). Sophisticated European Dining At Its Finest
Narrows Landing Restaurant is at the high-end of the Hamilton dining scene. Having been disappointed previously at similarly classed restaurants, we were happy to have our expectations matched and exceeded. The food was sublime in presentation and flavour, the surroundings are intriguing and the service was perfect. A perfect place for a special evening.
I had never been to Narrows Landing before so I was bounced around in wide-eyed debutante exuberance. Maverick, well above all this, was in nonchalant mode. The structure is modern with outer walls of corrugated iron, and lots (and lots!) of windows. The ancient gums have been left close to the buildings, swaying at lofty heights, and there are garden alcoves and lush lawns surrounding. There are kerosene burners lighting the path, giving a medieval feel and a pleasant smell of smoke. The medieval feel is enhanced on the inside with huge heavy wooden doors, lots of iron and numerous candles. The metal mesh staircase is an interesting look, especially with the candles lighting the way. Copper is a lovely accent in the bar surrounds and the well polished coffee urn.
We sat close to the windows. There is a heater situated above for those who feel the cold. The table was pre-set with water, napkins and cutlery. We had the specials explained and were left alone with the wine menu. This was incredible. Extensive needs to be a bigger word. With a page for each grape, there must have been about 150 different wines. Prices ranged from the high ($500 for a fancy French red) to the reasonable ($30 for a respectable local). It took us a while to choose! We were taking so long, we were brought our food menus as well to peruse.
The food all sounded amazing to me. Innovative combinations of novel ingredients makes my stomach think it’s very large. Stomach needs to be a bigger word as well. Entrées were priced between $12.50 and $18, with choices including Thai prawn and avocado salad, pork fillet on pumpkin and cashew nut noodles and green lipped mussels. We settled on seared emu on a salad of rocket, walnuts, blue cheese, red onion and pear to share ($15.50). The mains are priced between $24 and $28.50. I chose the slow roasted duck, served on a hazelnut risotto with spinach and bacon, and drizzled with a citrus and cranberry sauce ($28.50). Maverick chose the prime eye fillet beef, rolled in herbs and wrapped in prosciutto, served on potato mash with asparagus, red relish and garlic jus ($27). Other mains included roasted venison on vegetable rosti, passionfruit and coriander chicken breast, and house-smoked salmon. Not a lot for vegetarians, one has to say. We accompanied with Alpha Domus Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 ($31).
All of the food was superb. Flawlessly cooked and presented. Our entrée was a perfect start to the meal, tasty and light. The mains were very good value. The beef was perfectly cooked to medium rare and extremely tender. The duck as well was very tender and citrusy with the orange jus. Just sublime. Sides of salad or vegetables come at extra cost ($4.50), but these certainly weren’t necessary to add to or complete the meal. Both of our meals were amply sized and balanced without.
After a leisurely main meal we decided on dessert. The choices weren’t too exciting with Kapiti ice-creams, tiramisu, or fresh fruit or cheese platters on offer. We decided on the mango tartlet, accompanied with raspberry sauce ($10) to share, and a pot of green tea ($3). The tartlet was relatively simple and subtle in flavour, but nonetheless made a satisfying finish to the meal.
Overall we had a lovely time at Narrows Landing. The service throughout was professional and friendly and the surrounds are distinctive and attractive. The food is sophisticated in presentation and stylish in taste. Not the place for everyday dining, but certainly a place to feel spoiled every once in a while. Exclusive dining the way it should be.
Overall: A great place for that special event where you want everything to be right. Even the fussiest diners will have to little to grumble about here.
|
If you would like to add a comment or review for The Narrows Landing, please submit it to us here.
|
|
The Narrows Landing
431 Airport Rd, Hamilton Fully licensed
Cuisine Type: New Zealand/Gourmet Cuisine/European
Open for Lunch, 7 Days, Dinner, Tue-Sat
Tel: 858-4001
Do we have our facts wrong? Please let us know through our Update form.
Average ratings as voted by our readers:
Service
  
Coffee
  
Brunch
 
Lunch
 
Dinner
  
Dessert
  
Value
  
Atmosphere
  
Overall
  
Disagree with the ratings? Click here to add your rating of The Narrows Landing now!
Are you the owner of The Narrows Landing? We welcome owners and managers of restaurants in Enjoy Waikato to have their say too. If you disagree with any of the reviews here, or would like to comment on changes in management (or even a new menu), feel free to contribute them via a comment or review.
|