Wai Kitchen

Time for a café breakfast, and Wai Kitchen hit the spot.
Excellent views, unobtrusive service, great coffee, and the pancakes were fabulous.
We were a bit uncertain about which café we would end up at in oneroa, and we’re pleased with our selection.
Keen to come back to try more of the menu.

A short trip across on the boat and I was starving, as much as I like the boat trip. There was little food going on the boat. I guess most people can hold out for thirty minutes or so. and I’m so glad I did.
We came across this place, not because of its menu, not because of the all the awards it has proudly displaying on the windows, but because of the view. It is truly amazing on a sunny day to sit out on the balcony and just look out into the seas.
I am very familiar with the owners Steve and Sarah Vanderput, they own and operate the Teed Street Larder in Newmarket, a frequent haunt for me getting coffee and morning tea.
The view over looking the sea is breath-​taking and you really do not mind the wait for your food as you sit there and have a conversation with your partner. Once the food did arrive, the conversation stopped and the only words shared were about the food was how great it tasted.
The pancakes above were great, a decent size with a serving of bacon and a generous serving of butter. The only downfall I felt was the syrup. it was meant to be a lemon & sugar syrup. It did not taste sweet or sour. the only taste of lemon I got was from the slice of lemon on the top.
The fritters with mushroom and grilled halloumi with rocket salad looked & tasted equally good.
I can see why this place has won multiple awards with Metro and feel they are well deserved and rate them below.
Food ³⁄₅ — Excellent
Service ⁴⁄₅ — Warming & Friendly
Atmosphere −4÷5 — Best View of Sea
Overall ⁴⁄₅ — Come for the view, stay for the food

Seriously, how good is that deck! Perched above Oneroa with beautiful seaside views — absolute bliss, I tell you. It helped that we visited Wai on an absolute pearler of a day and were lucky enough to score one of the last outdoor tables — there was no way I was missing out on that deck action!
After a quick round of coffee (Three Beans) our eyes diverted to the menu, which was a breath of fresh air — simple and seasonal. I opted for the smoked salmon, eggs (poached) and avo. Nothing new, but delicious all the same. Eggs cooked to perfection, generous serving of avo and good, albeit under-​seasoned, hot smoked salmon.
The service was efficient but not obtrusive and they absolutely nailed my somewhat niggly coffee order (MASSIVE brownie points).
Would happily return next time i’m on the island, even if it’s just for the views alone!

This place has outstanding menu and food is amazingly fresh and tasty. We ordered cauliflower frittata, couscous with Srimp, lamb belly and mushrooms on toast and they were all worth asking for second helpings. Décor is beautiful and refreshing and you can watch the beautiful landscape of this small island in their balcony dining. Service is decent and prices are reasonable for the food quality.

Waiheke Island on a sunny spring morning is at its best. The village of Oneroa is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. Wai Kitchen is an outstanding addition to the many dining options in Oneroa. A crisp clear décor with stunning views over Oneroa beach. The brunch and lunch menus offer interesting twists on traditional fare, eg snapper omelette which was so good, my husband went to personally thank the chef! My asparagus and spring green salad topped with crispy skinned snapper fillet was equally good.
The only slight disappointment giving it four, rather than five stars, was a somewhat sour matre’d and an initial waitress who lacked any sort of engaging chat or enthusiasm. Overall though — fabulous and we’ll be back. Possibly tomorrow!

Excellent Brunch Except for a Sour Host!
We had a delicious brunch here on New Year Day 2014. The food was excellent and the service as well. The only exception was the host/​manager on duty named Steven who seated us. He seemed unhappy to have to be there that morning and had the most unpleasant demeanor that got our experience off to a bad start. He kept a dour look on his face and never broke a smile to anyone the whole time we were at the restaurant. I don’t know what his problem was. He should have called in sick or looked for a job without public contact. Fortunately the young servers were all very cheerful and helpful even though they probably partied till late the night before and still showed up for work.

Aaaah Wai Kitchen was an OK for me.
Got me an order of the buttermilk pancakes and a Valrhona hot chocolate. It was good. Not mind-​blowing, but still good. I would say slightly overpriced.
The place looks much nicer from the outside than on the inside. The interior deco is simple, and the place has great sea views, which is, really, the only reason to find a place to dine on Waiheke.
Service from one particular waitress was good, but the floor manager did seem the push my buttons, just the attitude he had with greeting customers and seating people. So that was a little bit of a downer.
If you’re looking for a light lunch/​snack I would recommend checking out their Bakery/​Café just down the steps below. It’s got a bit more of a casual atmosphere, great outdoor seatings: Beanbags! And I love the décor there.

Wai Kitchen is an award-​winner, and it’s easy to see why just by checking out its location — it has stunning views of the Hauraki Gulf, and even if the weather’s less than ideal and you’re forced inside, there’s more glass than walls, so you can still enjoy the view.
The menu is mostly based on favourites with a modern twist (the roasted fig with sheep yoghurt and honey makes for a beautiful breakfast), with some fancy foreign words thrown in for good measure (if you ask the staff they can tell you the English translation — usually something like «hashbrowns» or «cheese»).
The service can be a bit hit and miss — one time I had a lovely waitress and the next time, a surly waiter who only warmed up after we heaped compliments on the food.

After a long-​winded debate, narrowed down by the opening hours of many cafes around Waiheke, we decided on Wai Kitchen in Oneroa.
We were seated towards the rear of the deck (close to the street) as the remainder of the café was full on a lovely day. I would’ve loved to have been seated on the deck overlooking Oneroa Beach but there’s always next time I guess.
I enjoyed the crab omelette, with a friend having the fresh-​looking grilled squid. The third in the party, who always seems to have trouble ordering, went for the safety option of poached eggs and did not seem as impressed.
Wai Kitchen does a neat job of maintaining island life with the bach-​like interior, while the stunning views across Oneroa make this job a damn sight easier.

Basking in the beachfront views at Wai Kitchen, we are sitting pretty overlooking Oneroa Beach at this chic restaurant. It’s your choice if you want to sit inside or out on the expansive deck. We were here for brunch and choose an order of Pancakes, the Eggs Bene with the Farm Cove Bacon and something a little different on the menu was pan fried chicken livers and pancetta or how about the crab omelette. Local honey and yoghurt fresh fruit smoothies are great. Downstairs is their offshoot, Little Wai, where you can pick up essentials, gourmet takeaways and soothe your coffee fix.