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HIAKAI Wellington Reviews
Top-rated restaurant misses the mark
This restaurant uses local ingredients in new ways. The night's menu is not disclosed in advance. While each course had at least one tasty item, much was just so-so. The wine and beer pairings were uninspired; some of the selections are carried by local supermarkets. Best by far were the non-alchoholic drinks, but when we asked for seconds on one of them, we were told that they were not available. Each course is preceded by an explanation from the server. The music was so loud, it was difficult to hear the server and to carry on a conversation at the table. Wellington has many fine-dining options at a lower price point.
Just wonderful!
Hiakai reinforces the truth that food is so powerful. It brings people together, and showcases history, culture and protects vital lessons from being lost in the past. Monique, through Hiakai brings Te Ao Maori alive and into the present through the language of food and how it speaks to us. It embodies everything we should be working towards. This experience has everything. Value for money is absolute with what you get.. Service is so on point and to watch them in the pass you know they are invested in this journey with you. The venue itself is calm, inviting and encourages you to relax. Last night we were introduced to new flavours and methods of preparation that we will be seeking more of again. Love it and will be heading back again. Thank you
Special Place Special People
Highly recommend, we had waited a long time to get a spot & it was worth the wait. The team was fantastic with Lilly & George looking after us. Its certainly an experience to be savored & enjoyed. The food was really special & unique to NZ & Celebrated Monique's Maori ancestry, culture & cuisine. Its a special occasion restaurant. The surrounding are very cool & the building has been restored/strengthened beautifully. Put this on your bucket wellington list. Thanks Haikai- see you again soon. Geoff Lott- Wanganui
Amazing food and amazing team! But quality of service has been changed
My favourite restaurant in whole New Zealand and been multiple times. It was amazing the first time when we went to celebrage moving into a new flat. But second time we felt bit unworthy as the cocktail pairing was so less that only 3 or 4 sips of drinks was served. 3rd time they didn't add a cocktail to a course and 4th visit instead of a dessert they just served a small glass of dessert wine. Bread was not in the seven course and served as to start for the first 2 visits the now it is one of the 7 courses. I took my friends telling about how great our first experience was but it was not great the other experiences. The way they tell the stories behind the food was also now seems like staged but prior they were so enthusiased to interact with customers. Nowadays it seems like a normal restaurant rather than an experience and more commercial. So I don't think will visit again as they are lowering their standards.
So much promised, so little delivered
I read the incredible reviews, went through the challenge of getting a booking and sat through the experience wondering WHY! Most overpriced dining experience I think Iβve experienced- I gave this a 3 star and thatβs being generous There was a booklet on the table that talked about the MΔori kai to be experienced but it didnβt seem to make the table. No sign of vegetables, lamb and steak served - nice yes though the marrow left a bad after taste. Staff nice, service very slow Would not recommend - attend a hungi and you will enjoy better kai any day!
Connect with users posting reservations for HIAKAI Wellington
AppointmentTrader is a community-driven platform where users can exchange their reservations or leverage their personal relationships with HIAKAI Wellington. Buyers can make informed decisions using automated seller ratings, which reflect past transactions and reliability.
Each posting on AppointmentTrader shows you which user submitted it and along with that provides a trackrecord of that user which indicates how much experience
the user has and how many percent of their transactions resulted in them issuing a refund.
If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to HIAKAI Wellington at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the HIAKAI Wellington page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* PerceptiveWash44, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* PerceptiveWash44 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to PerceptiveWash44 for any questions Peter may have as PerceptiveWash44 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* PerceptiveWash44 now uses their connections at HIAKAI Wellington to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If PerceptiveWash44 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, PerceptiveWash44 receives the $200 reward which is credited to PerceptiveWash44's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at HIAKAI Wellington!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
