Restaurants

One of the best Waiheke restaurants is Te Whau Vineyard Café, 218 Te Whau Dr. (tel. 09/372-7191). Wine Spectator rated it one of the top New Zealand restaurants for wine lovers, and it has an amazing collection of over 500 New Zealand wines. It offers daily lunch from 11am to 5pm, dinner Thursday, Friday, Saturday in summer, and Friday, Saturday, Sunday in winter from 6:30 to 11pm. Main courses average NZ$38.

At Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant, Church Bay Road, Oneroa (tel. 09/372-9050), diners gaze out over rolling farmland to the waters of Hauraki Gulf while enjoying French rural cuisine; main courses are NZ$28 to NZ$38. Stonyridge Café & Vineyard, 80 Onetangi Rd. (tel. 09/372-8822), serves excellent Pacific Rim cuisine in a glorious romantic setting. It serves lunch only -- daily in summer, and on Saturday and Sunday in winter. Main courses cost around NZ$30; reservations are required.

In Oneroa village, you'll find residents amassed for coffee, snacks, lunch, and dinner at Salvage, Ocean View Road (tel. 09/372-2273). The food is reasonable, but I think you'll be far more impressed by my favorite -- Nourish Café, 3 Belgium St., Ostend (tel. 09/372-3557; www.nourish.co.nz). It has a fresh seasonal menu with main courses around NZ$26, as well as a great range of cakes and baked goods. It's open daily 8am to 4pm, with late nights on Friday and Saturday. The expert hosts at Ajadz Indian Cuisine, Artworks, Oneroa (tel. 09/372-2588), offer authentic tandoori and curry dishes from northern and southern India. It's open daily in summer and Wednesday to Monday in winter for lunch and dinner. Vino Vino, behind Green Hills Wines & Spirits, Oneroa (tel. 09/372-9888; www.vinovino.co.nz), is another local favorite for its big Mediterranean platters and full a la carte dining on a huge deck with stunning views.