Karahui Wine Bar & Restaurant

RestaurantMartinborough, WellingtonHours

Modern restaurant and wine bar in a historic Martinborough building

About

Karahui Wine Bar & Restaurant is a restaurant and wine bar in Martinborough. Our menu features thoughtfully made dishes like venison, beef cheek, salmon, and chocolate terrine. We offer a curated selection of wines, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages, including local Martinborough favorites and guest drops. Our space is located in the old BNZ Bank, built in 1909, retaining original features like the vault, pressed ceilings, Tōtara wood floors, and exposed brickwork.

Review us
Paul Rogers
a month ago

I understand it’s more of a fine-dining restaurant, but the portions were very small and, unfortunately, the food lacked seasoning and flavour. It felt like one of those places that’s a little too focused on presentation rather than what’s actually on the plate. Radish seemed to be on everything, but didn’t really add anything to the dishes. One big issue for us was the lack of sauce. What little sauce there was disappeared well before we’d finished the meal, leaving us with mostly under-seasoned vegetables and meat. If adding more sauce affects the presentation, perhaps providing some extra on the side would be a good option. Even our side of warm seasonal vegetables, had no seasoning, where was the olive oil and almonds? I think they forgot that part. On the positive side, the meat was perfectly cooked. Overall, in terms of value for money, I think you could get a much more satisfying meal at plenty of other places around the area — with more flavour, more sauce and better portions, while still having the meat cooked just as well. The presentation was nice, but for us it didn’t make up for what the meal lacked in flavour and substance.

Bella Visser
a month ago

The food amazing the prawns 🍤 I could swim in that sauce, the beef cheek melt in your mouth!!!! We will definitely be back to try more food.

Joe Ninety
5 months ago

Food is very good and the service is excellent. The portion size of the venison I had could have been a little larger however it was cooked very well and the presentation and taste of the meal was excellent.

Amir Aridi
7 months ago

Love this place. Came here for my bday dinner while travelling through NZ and it did not disappoint. The beef cheek was tender and rich in flavour, the salmon special with candied walnuts beautifully balanced and textural, and the chocolate terrine with orange gel velvety and bittersweet, as cocoa should be. The service was friendly and delightful too.

Shelly Wilson
10 months ago

Delightful night out dining in the what was once the bank vault. Was great to meet Grant & listen to his stories - working for Gordon Ramsay being one of them. Grants service was professional & friendly in a word, superb. There was a great wine selection & many by the glass. The food was beautifully cooked and presented & we didn’t have to wait long. Deserts were beautiful & enjoyed. Would definitely recommend & encourage you to check it out for yourself. The attention to detail of the interior design is stunning, with an eclectic mix of furniture, art works, lighting, even the restrooms are worth a visit! While the building is old, it has a lovely blend of modern touches without losing the charm & character of the building. Make sure you take a wander. We felt it was great value for money & thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Frequently asked

  • What are your hours?

    Local time · GMT+13

    • MondayClosed
    • Tue – Sat3:00 – 9:00 PM
    • SundayClosed

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