Tantalus Estate on Postcard

"Tantalus Estate on Waiheke Island offers lamb loin paired with 2014 Évoque Merlot/Malbec/Cabernet, providing a true taste of New Zealand's terroir." - Ashley Day

New Zealand Food Is Making Its Way Onto the Map

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@cntraveler

"Tantalus Estate on Waiheke Island is a popular winery, offering wine tasting experiences with beautiful vistas."

Where to Eat, Stay, and Play in Auckland, New Zealand

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@afar

"Dessert at Tantalus Estate—each accompanied by their own wine pairing."

What to Eat and Drink in New Zealand - AFAR

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@afar

"Waiheke Island's glowingreputationas an arty and bohemian refuge away from New Zealand 's biggest and most cosmopolitan city is being further bolsteredby excellent vineyard restaurants. Accessed by a sweeping, tree-lined entrance reminiscent of Tuscany or the south of France, Tantalus Estate is one of Waiheke's most impressive wineries. Make a reservation for lunch in its sunny pavilion dining room—booking ahead is especially recommended on summer weekends—and partner the vineyard's own wines with local oysters, and innovative dishes including pork belly with chili caramel, refreshing melon, and Vietnamese mint. Downstairs, the Brewing Lounge serves craft beer made on-site by the Alibi Brewing Company."

The Best Restaurants in New Zealand

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@afar

"Waiheke Island's glowingreputationas an arty and bohemian refuge away from New Zealand 's biggest and most cosmopolitan city is being further bolsteredby excellent vineyard restaurants. Accessed by a sweeping, tree-lined entrance reminiscent of Tuscany or the south of France, Tantalus Estate is one of Waiheke's most impressive wineries. Make a reservation for lunch in its sunny pavilion dining room—booking ahead is especially recommended on summer weekends—and partner the vineyard's own wines with local oysters, and innovative dishes including pork belly with chili caramel, refreshing melon, and Vietnamese mint. Downstairs, the Brewing Lounge serves craft beer made on-site by the Alibi Brewing Company."

The Perfect Week on New Zealand's North Island

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Alexandra Murray

Google

An absolutely fantastic spot for lunch, wine and beer tastings. The staff are great and attentive, while the food is absolutely fantastic! Everything was fresh, well balanced and a joy to eat. Special shout out to the oysters which may have been the best ever tasted!

K M

Google

Vineyards were stunning. Dinner was absolutely delicious, every course was a hit. The dining experience was relaxed and service was excellent. Would absolutely recommend to anyone making a trip to Waiheke.

Trudi Cochrane

Google

World class venue hidden on Waiheke Island. The most stunning ambient surroundings, beautifully designed architecture and interior design. Not to mention the most amazing fine dining food by world class chef served by well skilled servers who create a perfect dining experience. Wine made on the property is of exceptional standards also. Many different spaces to enjoy, whether a casual bite downstairs at alibi or private dining venues. Relaxed garden spaces also. I adore this place! Heli pad if arriving by air. Only 10mins from ferry also.

Sarah Cincotta

Google

There are not many times in life that you will be surprised as you get older however the entire experience at Tantalus was a surprise. The team was welcoming, knowledgeable in every detail of the menu and wine, and accommodating. The food was just divine, a surprise in every bite. Thank you for creating a memorable experience in our baby moon.

Lynn Liu

Google

#Winery# The grapes are originally native，the wine has a more spicy and peppery flavor. The service here is really great，you can get the story of every wine. There are three choices of wine tasty，from 20pp to 40pp.

Annie Tan

Google

Wonderful dining experience. The food is cooked to perfection. We chose the a la carte menu instead of the “chef’s specials” for more flexibility. The snapper is so tender and fresh. The service is exceptional. The matching wines are served right on time for each course. The surrounding scenery is as idyllic as it can be, like a scene in a movie. There are many nice restaurants on the island. This is one of the best if not the best.

Kristina Kokonis

Google

The wine and the food at Tantalus was delicious, but what really made it special was the service. I visited the vineyard with my parents, and all of us felt that the hospitality we enjoyed here was some of the best we’ve ever experienced. We had Wendy as our server, and she was absolutely lovely! She consistently went above and beyond for us. If I ever visit New Zealand again, I would love to go back to Tantalus ☺️

Jon Bower

Google

If you have only time to visit one place make sure it's the gorgeous Tantalus Estate. Be sure to make a reservation for lunch, but also, save time to do a tasting at their cellar door, maybe try a few craft beers, walk around their sprawling estate - including a path down through their wetlands. You could spend hours here. When you're all done, take the shortcut through the vineyard gates and check out Stonyridge next door for an altogether different vibe. Really enjoyed their starters, particularly their estate grown roasted honey macadamia nuts - they're so good I wish I could stock up on these to go! You can tell Tantalus takes good care of their staff by just how happy they are and how excellent their service is. Sam served us as we dined and honestly we had no better service anywhere else in NZ!

Alexandra Murray

Google

An absolutely fantastic spot for lunch, wine and beer tastings. The staff are great and attentive, while the food is absolutely fantastic! Everything was fresh, well balanced and a joy to eat. Special shout out to the oysters which may have been the best ever tasted!

K M

Google

Vineyards were stunning. Dinner was absolutely delicious, every course was a hit. The dining experience was relaxed and service was excellent. Would absolutely recommend to anyone making a trip to Waiheke.

Trudi Cochrane

Google

World class venue hidden on Waiheke Island. The most stunning ambient surroundings, beautifully designed architecture and interior design. Not to mention the most amazing fine dining food by world class chef served by well skilled servers who create a perfect dining experience. Wine made on the property is of exceptional standards also. Many different spaces to enjoy, whether a casual bite downstairs at alibi or private dining venues. Relaxed garden spaces also. I adore this place! Heli pad if arriving by air. Only 10mins from ferry also.

Sarah Cincotta

Google

There are not many times in life that you will be surprised as you get older however the entire experience at Tantalus was a surprise. The team was welcoming, knowledgeable in every detail of the menu and wine, and accommodating. The food was just divine, a surprise in every bite. Thank you for creating a memorable experience in our baby moon.

Lynn Liu

Google

#Winery# The grapes are originally native，the wine has a more spicy and peppery flavor. The service here is really great，you can get the story of every wine. There are three choices of wine tasty，from 20pp to 40pp.

Annie Tan

Google

Wonderful dining experience. The food is cooked to perfection. We chose the a la carte menu instead of the “chef’s specials” for more flexibility. The snapper is so tender and fresh. The service is exceptional. The matching wines are served right on time for each course. The surrounding scenery is as idyllic as it can be, like a scene in a movie. There are many nice restaurants on the island. This is one of the best if not the best.

Kristina Kokonis

Google

The wine and the food at Tantalus was delicious, but what really made it special was the service. I visited the vineyard with my parents, and all of us felt that the hospitality we enjoyed here was some of the best we’ve ever experienced. We had Wendy as our server, and she was absolutely lovely! She consistently went above and beyond for us. If I ever visit New Zealand again, I would love to go back to Tantalus ☺️

Jon Bower

Google

If you have only time to visit one place make sure it's the gorgeous Tantalus Estate. Be sure to make a reservation for lunch, but also, save time to do a tasting at their cellar door, maybe try a few craft beers, walk around their sprawling estate - including a path down through their wetlands. You could spend hours here. When you're all done, take the shortcut through the vineyard gates and check out Stonyridge next door for an altogether different vibe. Really enjoyed their starters, particularly their estate grown roasted honey macadamia nuts - they're so good I wish I could stock up on these to go! You can tell Tantalus takes good care of their staff by just how happy they are and how excellent their service is. Sam served us as we dined and honestly we had no better service anywhere else in NZ!

Powder W.

Yelp

I can only speak to the setting and the wines as we only came and stayed for tastings and as it was the first of the day, we didn't want to miss out. After now having been to 4, this was our second favorite after Te Motu. Tantalus is completely different from Te Motu but no less appealing. They have the most beautiful setting and have worked hard to make it elegant and comfortable. It is spectacular. To us? The prettiest and most thoughtfully arranged and designed of all that we visited. It is simply stunning inside and out. The wine is also delicious and by far the best value for money, out of all the vineyards, when it comes to the tastings. This is a special vineyard indeed. The staff are first rate and this estate is definitely on to a winning combination.

Cary R.

Yelp

I loved this winery. So many to choose from but do make a stop here. We started with a tasting red and white and was explained in great detail. There's a restaurant as well the food looked amazing but with so many wineries to visit Jay O. and I didn't stay long. Downstairs they have their brewery which also serves food. We sat inside as all outdoor seating was taken but inside was cool and had a great atmosphere. We had a flight of all their beers and ordered their truffle Parmesan fries which came recommended by our tour guide. Man sooooooo good!!!!! I wish we could've tried more of their food options but had to head over to other wineries. We went to about 5 that day in Waiheke and this one was my favorite!

Ashley P.

Yelp

This is a beautiful winery! We visited Waiheke on our honeymoon and stayed overnight, and our Airbnb host recommended this vineyard as well as Mudbrick, so we visited both. Tantalus was the better of the two by far. The atmosphere is amazing; the grounds are landscaped beautifully and the decor inside is cozy but also incredibly modern. I would hire their interior designer for my home if I could! We had a great lunch sharing both the duck and lamb rump. The food tasted delicious but light, and we had very attentive and friendly service. Moving on to the wine tasting, our server was really friendly and knowledgeable. We both tasted the reserve reds and took home a bottle of Evoque 2014, and my hubby got himself a polo shirt as well. The only downside is everything was quite pricey, and we saw the Evoque for sale at several stores in town for $10NZ less, but oh well! When in Rome, right? Plus, we really enjoyed everything about this place.

Vicente G.

Yelp

Not only are their wines wonderful, but their on-site restaurant also serves delicious food! Coming from the Bay Area, I have some relatively elevated winery standards, and Tantalus certainly delivered. Such attentive service all around too!

Andrea S.

Yelp

I visited this BEAUTIFUL winery in January with friends. The decor of this building is stunning! The outside seating is gorgeous! It helped that the weather was perfect too !! We tried some samplings & decided on what we liked best. I loved the Rose !! We then ordered full glasses of our favorites and appetizers , the Tantalus olive oil & bread and the garlic truffle & herb fries which were so good! The dinner menu looked good but we didn't stay because we were already going somewhere else , but I would definitely return for dinner & for the wine !!

Mark S.

Yelp

Some of the best wines on the island. A step above most of the wineries wrt wine. The views aren't as great but it makes up for it in the taste of the wines.

Ombre L.

Yelp

The food is absolutely amazing and definitely exceeds my expectation, way better than the top restaurants in Aukland. Very creative design of each dish with flavors perfectly orchestrating together. My favorite is the sweet yeast South African bread, which is freshly baked from the oven and matches very well with lover mousse!

Bryson H.

Yelp

Best experience my friends and I had. A really good combination of beers and wine. Debra treated us great! Her knowledge of the wines and beers were great. Glad we tried this place out.

bill l.

Yelp

We had lunch at this winery - I highly recommend it! The food and service were amazing. We did a wine tasting and also recommend their wines. The hostess was very engaging and well informed. Beautiful views from thIs winery.

karabina c.

Yelp

I never complain about restaurants, but I look to yelp for suggestions and I need to warn my yelp community. This place came highly recommended, and I can see why. The food is creative, unusual, well-prepared. The setting is lovely- you are right next to vineyards, the decorations are classy. I was so looking forward to a five star experience. Then we ended up with a server who was not a good fit for us (I could tell that other servers were not the kind who impatiently and tersely answer questions). And then there was the helicopter noise as the beautiful people who flew in for lunch interrupted our potentially five star meal, drowning out our conversation for minutes. And then came the next helicopter fifteen minutes later, after we had recovered from the rude disruption of the first one. This was our most disturbing meal on Waiheke Island. We had much more enjoyable meals elsewhere. If you like pretentious places and enjoy watching and/or being the beautiful people, then maybe this is the place for you. I wrote a complaint to the restaurant but never heard back from them. I am giving three stars because the food is excellent and most of the waitstaff was kind and friendly. I can imagine going here on a non-helicopter meal when the server we got has a day off. We went in March and I waited to post this in hopes that I might cool off. But nope. Still our worst dining experience in New Zealand, all because of the snotty waiter and the helicopters.

Katie D.

Yelp

If you are going to Waiheke you have to go to this place! So relaxing and the service is amazing. Not to mention the gourmet wine and food. It has been my favorite meal of my trip so far and I don't think anything will easily beat it

Sarah S.

Yelp

Wow! My family and I visited the island recently, and stumbled upon Tantalus Estate by chance. We initially entered downstairs, where we were kindly greeted by a bartender that directed us upstairs to the dining room. He offered to start a tab for us, and was extremely helpful. We then went upstairs and ordered some incredible wine and beer flights while we checked in, and waited for our table. There was a bit of a mix-up, when one party arriving before us was forgotten, but the hostess explained the error to us, and was extremely professional when asking us to please wait a few more minutes. The food was incredible, and we were given an appetizer on the house. The service was also remarkable, and each person was friendly, and knowledgable. I would HIGHLY recommend Tantalus to anyone looking to visit Waiheke.

Sarah J.

Yelp

Stopped to eat at the Tantalus estate while on a hop-on hop-off bus tour. The location consisted the most breathtaking views of rolling hills and lush green wineries. The location and scenery itself made the meal. As for the food itself, it took a rather long time for the meal to come but my family didn't mind because the weather was amazing and we were surrounded by beauty at our sunny outdoor table. The meals we ordered were gnocchi, duck, venison, and pork shoulder. After waiting for about an hour the manager came over and said that they were actually out of the gnocchi, my sister ordered the salmon instead. When our meals finally came two of the portions were quite small. I tried everyone's dish and they were all incredibly delicious. My sister was disappointed because she didn't realize the salmon was cured not cooked. Although she did not complain about her meal the waiter noticed she was a bit unhappy and took the salmon off the bill. However, my duck dish was the best meal I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Even though we waited a very long time for our meals - and not everyone was full due to the tiny portions of the entrees- I think it's safe to say that for me personally, this is the best meal I have ever had. A note: If you're young, do not forget to bring your passport - not a drivers license- as a form of identification because they are extremely strict about drinking. My sister is 22 and although she had her valid license, it was not acceptable and she wasn't able to drink.

Tantalus Estate

Tantalus Estate

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