Cuisine: A La Carte, New Zealand
Price Point: Mains from $15 - $35
Ranked: #2 of 15 restaurants in Taupo
At Waterside you’ll soon discover their reputation for great casual dining and fantastic meals to meet everybody’s needs.
Take in the stunning views of the lake and mountains while you enjoy being looked after by their friendly staff, why not try one of their creative cocktails or specialty coffees.
Fantastic outdoor dining in summer and a fireplace to keep you warm in the winter.
A Taupo restaurant you will want to visit!
Where great food meets the lake!
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Waterside Restaurant
3-5 Tongariro Street
Taupo 3330
Open Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday from 11a.m til late
Phone: (07) 378 6894
Website: www.waterside.co.nz
Sample Menu *may not be current
Click on menu to enlarge.
Reviews
Yvonne Bancroft - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 3 September 2019
Had a wonderful dining experience at the Waterside Restaurant . We were greeted warmly on arrival and the staff were friendly and informative. The food was generous and delicious. We started with french onion soup and pork wellington both of which were very tasty. For mains we both had fillet steak which was cooked to perfection. There was no need to order side vegetables as they were included and also cooked to perfection. In all a very positive dining experience and we can thoroughly recommend the Waterside Restaurant as a great place to dine
Judy Wilson - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 25 July 2019
We had an amazing dinner at Waterside. The service was great from the moment we arrived. I’m gluten free and the the gf garlic bread was absolutely amazing! We had the lamb and pork belly for mains. Both were delicious, meat cooked beautifully and veges fresh and crunchy. If we were being, the pork belly could have been a bit crispier. When it came to dessert, the waiter took my request to the chef and they adapted a dessert for me. Great atmosphere, food and service. Would definitely recommend Waterside!
Holly Morrison - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 18 July 2019
Fabulous food, fabulous service, fabulous restaurant. We were a group of four dining out on a quiet Monday night and honestly, we were not disappointed. The fire was going inside, making the place toasty and warm, and from the moment we walked in the door, we were well looked after. The waiter recommended the jalapeno poppers as a starter and, wow, were they good!! Thanks Waterside, we'll be back
Carol Milligan - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 27 May 2019
Each item of food we had was outstanding. Very delicious and generous servings. The entrees were very filling, so I would recommend sharing with others if you plan to have a main and dessert. The holoumi sticks and won tons were amazing, as was the chocolate pate. The location is great and the service was excellent. A popular place, it quickly filled around midday. I would definitely return another time.
Lisa McGuire - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 20 April 2019
What an awesome restaurant, highly recommend this establishment to all believe me you won't be disappointed with the food
Kylie Peters - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 23 March 2019
Incredible view of the lake and the food was fresh and delicious. Loved the starters - best onion rings we have had in Taupo. Friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere. This wasn’t our first visit and it won’t be our last.
Carrie Robinson - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 21 January 2019
My boyfriend and I dined here and it was wonderful! Even though at times the staff were a little slow to tend to us (because they were trying to train up new staff for the summer season which we totally understood) those who came to tend to us were really lovely with lots of smiles! It also gave us more time to relax in between courses! The food was awesome, we really loved their crispy pork and salmon mains- highly recommend! Their cheesecake special and freakshakes were as we were told quite intense, but we loved them too! Really big portions as well, so recommend sharing entrees or sharing plates (we had the beef balls which was my favourite and the calamari which was hot and crispy) to start unless you have a pretty big appetite! Would definitely recommend dining here, and would definitely definitely come back. It was a really nice place to eat, thanks for the lovely start to our holiday!
Brittany Young - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 13 November 2018
Fantastic food with good size portions for my 4 hungry males! They were extremely impressed with the Freaky choc shakes - Yum yum!!! Our service was great & the atmosphere really relaxed. Even as locals we certainly appreciated the beautiful scenery. We would happily come back here again. Thanks to the staff for a memorable meal.
Yonine Lund - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 7 October 2018
Really lovely dinner at Waterside.The staff were friendly, helpful and efficient and the food was delicious! Was totally impressed with the crack of my creme brulee! Would definitely eat here again and recommend to others! Thank you, Waterside for a lovely evening :-)
eve jones - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 28 June 2018
Four of us ate there. All meals were amazing. Best steak ever. Lamb was tender and perfectly cooked. Fish delicious with tasty sauce. Service so friendly and welcoming. Will definitely recommend to others. Try the rhubarb crumble. Delicious!
Margaret Beck - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 18 June 2018
Everything was perfect from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. Our waitress was fantastic!! The food was amazing, we had breads and dip to share as well as the chicken wings (which were out of this world), and then for mains I had the Pork Ribeye and that was to die for, my partner ordered the Steak Eye Fillet and he really enjoyed that as well, the steak was cooked a little over but it was still delicious!! We would definitely come back here again, and First table was such a great idea!!
Shevanna Sullivan - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 12 May 2018
LOVE - 3 of us girls had a feast!
The entrees/starters were so appealing we had to order 5 between us! and enjoyed every moment of it, the prawns were delicious and the sauce for each item was a perfect match. The drunken chicken with blue cheese sauce was our favourite. When mains came we were already so full but managed to finish! i had the steak which was cooked perfect and the dish had the ideal accompaniments.
Will 100% return with the friendly service and the beautiful view.
Ashleigh Crighton - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 5 March 2018
Fun evening for special birthday
Kevin Rigby - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 5 September 2019
Lovely food - we both had the oysters, mine was natural and my friend had the tempured followed by the Eye Steak which melted in your mouth and the pork belly.
Our waiter was Harman who was friendly and helpful.
Yvonne Bancroft - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 3 September 2019
Very efficient, food was yummy & the waiter was very polite!
Paton Pickering - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 30 August 2019
Great service, great atmosphere and a lovely meal. My salmon was cooked to perfection.
Leola Sharp - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 27 August 2019
Amazing food...the 2 female waitresses were awesome, but the male waiter was rude and arrogant, and wouldnt go back because of his attitude
Becca Robinson - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 24 August 2019
Food was lovely and service was spot on.thanks
Hagger Alan - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 23 August 2019
Excellent service, excellent food. Excellent atmosphere....
Happy to dine here again
Merveen Kara - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 18 August 2019
Cozy restaurant
Food well presented & tasty
Good service
Price with first table is amazing
Tania Walker - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 15 August 2019
A delightful hostess, lovely ambience and delicious shared platter make for a perfect lunch. Thanks Waterside Restaurant, we'll definitely be back.
Cecily Leaf - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 8 August 2019
Meal was delicious, Harman’s service was top class. We will certainly be dining there again. Highly recommended.
Aileen Egan - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 14 August 2019
We were greeted by a friendly server into a warm, pleasant atmosphere on a chilly night. The service was fast and friendly, always checking to see how the food was, and he cleared the plates soon after we both had finished. (Ten out of ten!) The food was excellent and the dessert (chocolate pate) divine! All in all, not perfect, but close!! Thank you!
Joan Berg - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 13 August 2019
The food was great, the kids also enjoyed their meal. Except for the service had to stand for a while before I can be acknowledged upon our arrival , they ignored us and kept busy setting tables as if we weren't there. Poor customer service.
Yvonne Mahlangu - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 10 August 2019
Nice food, nice company
Louise Cuttance - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 10 August 2019
We had a great experience at the Waterside Restaurant. The food was beautiful , we were really looked after by the staff and made to feel welcome. Look forward to returning.
Joy Lincoln - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 7 August 2019
Fabulous service and friendly staff. Excellent food. Highly recommended dining experience.
Lorrayne Tuhou - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 9 August 2019
Fantastic experience dining at Waterside for lunch. The waitress who served us was very friendly and attentive. The food was great and the freak shakes were amazing!
Dave Powell - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 5 August 2019
Lovely evening with friends. Cosy and warm on a very cold night. Everyone enjoyed their meals - all compliments to the chef! Great customer service.
Naomi Wilson - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 3 August 2019
Husband and I loved the food plus service tops
Would recommend for lunch dates
Cathy Shaw - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 2 August 2019
Had a wonderful dining experience at the Waterside Restaurant . We were greeted warmly on arrival and the staff were friendly and informative. The food was generous and delicious. We started with french onion soup and pork wellington both of which were very tasty. For mains we both had fillet steak which was cooked to perfection. There was no need to order side vegetables as they were included and also cooked to perfection. In all a very positive dining experience and we can thoroughly recommend the Waterside Restaurant as a great place to dine
Judy Wilson - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 25 July 2019
Fantastic service, lovely environment and great food, the chocolate pate is a must for any chocolate lover!
Dave Powell - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 26 July 2019
Food was amazing as always. Can’t ever fault it
Elle Hill - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 23 July 2019
We went here on a Monday night, was nice and quiet so our little 1 1/2yr old could run around after she was sick of sitting. Our waiter was attentive to our needs and food was very quick at coming out. We had breads and dip as a starter and it was a nice sized serving. Mains were lamb rack and eye fillet, both were beautifully cooked with vegetables also cooked well as the sides.
For desert the wife had a chocolate freak shake (huge!) and I had raspberry cheesecake (also a big serving). Yum!
Had to walk it off round the block!
Highly recommended Restaurant to all.
Peter Thompson - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 22 July 2019
We had excellent service,staff were very accommodating and helpful restaurant lovely and warm on a cold winters night. Food wonderful and highly recommend Waterside and will definitely return. Thanks for a great evening.
Lois and Roly
Lois Peapell - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 24 July 2019
Great food & service
Jen Markham - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 21 July 2019
Wow what an experience!! A wonderful place to eat - great food - make sure you try a shared platter - they are something else and don't miss out on a freakshake (between 2) for desert. Beautiful location too. - If you are heading through Taupo or happen to live there, make the time to book. You won't be disappointed.
Shelley Simpson - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 19 July 2019
Venue was really nice right in front of the water, made for a beautiful evening view. Our server was really nice and efficient.
The steak was amazing but the lamb wasn't very nice and was really tough. My husband had the lamb but ate it all before he told me he didn't like it so past the point of a correction being made. That was his mistake
Overall really nice just wouldn't do the lamb
Dominique Robson - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 18 June 2019
Awesome dining experience from the second we walked in the door until we left. The waiter was friendly and accommodating of our requests. The menu had a great selection and the meals we had were fantastic. The decor was pleasant and the restaurant was roomy and had a very calm vibe. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Rae Brus - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 19 July 2019
We had an amazing dinner at Waterside. The service was great from the moment we arrived. I’m gluten free and the the gf garlic bread was absolutely amazing! We had the lamb and pork belly for mains. Both were delicious, meat cooked beautifully and veges fresh and crunchy. If we were being, the pork belly could have been a bit crispier. When it came to dessert, the waiter took my request to the chef and they adapted a dessert for me. Great atmosphere, food and service. Would definitely recommend Waterside!
Holly Morrison - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 18 July 2019
Great location despite all the work going on out the window.. Fabulous service. Fabulous food overall but wasn't a fan of the cheesecake in the flowerpot. Great idea but the depth made it a bit gluggy.
Te Maari Gardiner - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 16 July 2019
Nice lunch with our great grandson we will be back next time in Taupo
Alison Small - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 17 July 2019
Great experience. Perfect for kids as had great kids menu. service was fast. Thank you first table.
Sally Chudzynski - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 8 July 2019
Great place to go and suitable for a family meal whilst on holiday.
Sam Godfrey - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 15 July 2019
Staff were amazing, food was lovely and we left feeling satisfied after 3 delicious courses. The lamb was divine, the highlight for me, cooked to perfection and a generous portion. Family friendly dining with a little bit of class, perfect for kids who want a giant freak shake and burger and for the ladies who want to put on a bit of lippy for the occasion.
Paulette OBrien - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 12 July 2019
Had an awesome experience at Waterside on Saturday. Went for a lunch date with my two girls, both got combos and man was there a lot of food!! The kids lasagne was amazing and so was my steak sandwich. Had friendly wait staff that came and checked on us regularly.
Melissa Jean Cullen - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 13 July 2019
The service was fantastic, friendly & attentive. The food was good. Great options on the kids menu, which my toddler loved. The highlight of the night was the chocolate freakshake dessert, very impressive, big oohs & ahhs when it came out! My toddler loved it as much as I did! Great night out and kid friendly. Would definitely recommend a visit!
Nicole Hohaia - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 9 July 2019
Freak Shakes!!! WOW!!! So good, Service was super friendly and right on. Food and atmosphere perfect
Mark N Anna Short - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 3 July 2019
Great lunch with a great view
Marion Hill - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 30 June 2019
Loved this restaurant!! The food and service was superb!!! Loved the eye fillet with surf add!!! The freak shake was also a winner!!!!
Charmaine Allen - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 29 June 2019
We enjoyed our dinner at Waterside. It was well presented and tasty. Our only comment would be that we felt a bit rushed by the waiter.
Dianne Wright - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 28 June 2019
Excellent food - we requested changes to the menu and they were very accommodating.
We very much appreciated that the background music was pleasant and quiet.
Would definitely return.
Peggy White - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 28 June 2019
Just wish the had heater on as it was cold
Darrell Hogarth - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 27 June 2019
The restaurant was inviting and the service was exceptional. The food came fast, I had the fish and chips the fish was Devine. Fresh and cooked to perfection. I had a lovely experience and I will definitely go back. 5 stars from me
Liberty Dally - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 26 June 2019
We had a great time! Ordered a lot of food and walked out super full, first table is great! Especially for young couples who haven’t got a lot of spare money to go out for dinner often!!
Jessie Curran - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 26 June 2019
Prompt friendly service. Tasty, generous servings.
Marguerite Leadley - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 24 June 2019
About the food 3/5:
My friend and I had 3-course meal, to start with we had calamari and mushroom the calamari wasn’t that good it was tasteless.
For mains we had fish of the day and salmon is not too bad but nothing special.
Ultimately for the desserts we had chocolate pate and pear crumble, the chocolate was great but the crumble was disappointing they took shortcut in preparing the crumble is just like muesli based.
So overall food experience in this restaurant was average nothing special or wow factor. Won’t dine in here again.
About the service: 5/5
They make up with the service because it was excellent and fast! I can’t complain about it.
Anisa Chua - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 23 June 2019
Great meal and excellent service ,thank you would go again
Cheryl Armstrong - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 21 June 2019
Wonderful dinner at the Waterside.
Delicious garlic bread. Steak and vegetables cooked to perfection.
Staff were friendly and attentive.
Thank you to the team.
Janene Louwrens - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 21 June 2019
Had the greatest platter ever! Food portion was good, service was amazing, definitely would come back!
tiffany Cai - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 22 June 2019
Fantastic service, delicious food, a great dining experience
Dave Powell - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 19 June 2019
No problems
Chris Jacobi - dined at Waterside Restaurant on 16 June 2019
Overview
406 reviews
Lovely food - we both had the oysters, mine was natural and my friend had the tempured followed by the Eye Steak which melted in your mouth and the pork belly.
Our waiter was Harman who was friendly and helpful.