Cook’n’ With Gas

Was visiting NZ for a few weeks. Had such a terrific meal there I went back before returning home 3 weeks later. We were lucky enough to try their Whitebait special & it was great. Sampled a few different regional beers that were recommended as well. Exceptional service & great food!

Cook’n with gas has been around a long time and for good reason. Our party of 6 dined here recently and had a fantastic evening. Our table was nearer the back of the restaurant and had a lot of space around it so we didn’t feel crammed in and were able to be a little bit noisy. The food was fantastic, all the meat was perfectly cooked and delicious. I had the mussels as a starter and it was a very generous helping and the flavours were spot on. Next I had the mixed grill and wouldn’t hesitate to order it again. Chocolate brownie for dessert was rich and decadent and a perfect finish. I tried most of the other dishes on the menu that other people had ordered and couldn’t fault them.
What made dining at cook’n’ with gas really special was the service. I think it takes a lot to make an impact as a server and NZ has a lot of good but not great service. Our waiter had extensive knowledge of wine and kept us entertained during the evening. Every wine choice he made was superb — it went with our meals and with our individual taste preferences. As a result I now have a few new favourite wines to hunt down!

Very nearly a perfect dinning experience; the staff were certainly aiming for perfection as I arrived here, having the door opened before I got there and for the first half of the meal serving in bulk two wait staff came to tell me about the specials and drinks list!
I got great advice on trying the best oysters I have had the fortune of trying in all my visits to NZ and it was unusually matched with a dark hoppy ale that was supposing terrific! I asked for some tabasco and got that plus Lemon and Cracked pepper too.
Next came my lamb cutlets which were beautifully prepared and was promised a match unique wine; unfortunately the later never arrived, and since by now the restaurant had started to fill I was unable to flag down anyone to point out this fact till long after the meal was done.
Pressing on I tried the chocolate dessert that despite my fears it would be too sweet I was assured that it was the most elegant to try and it delivered as good as I was promised.
Unfortunately again when it came to getting the bill I had to wait 10 minutes to get someone’s attention and again for them to return with my receipts so that I could leave.
Despite these few small missed that seem due to not enough staff or over booking at one time this was a most enjoyable dinning experience.