cazador

four of us dined at cazador on a friday evening for a late setting. it is obviously a really well run and much loved restaurant but it wasn't our lucky night. two of us ordered a special of rabbit confit for main. we imagined a flavoursome utterly tender dish. what we got was something quite different. the rabbit meat was quite dense and clumpy and much cooler than the surrounding sauces and vegetables. the waitress could see we were not enjoying our meal..and suggested we order something else from the menu..it was very gracious of them but that is always a difficult situation when dining with others as they finish their mains well before you get your second offering. we persevered with the dish but much of the meat was left uneaten. at the end of the evening the chef came out and apologized..a dish such as this is prepared well in advance and then reheated at the time of the order..unfortunately the order got pushed through too fast for the meat to come back to the right temperature and tenderness. i really appreciated the chef's honesty and the way that the staff handled the situation..we will be back but will book a little earlier in the evening.

we dined at cazador for the first time this week. food was fabulous. my pheasant was superb, as was my husbands veal necks & pig trottlers papanelle.
service was exceptional, and nice touch on giving us complimentary glass of liquor at the end of the meal in celebration of my husbands birthday.

we'll be back, and i have already passed on our recommendations to our friends.

we had the best experience here, celebrating 4 friends birthdays so a group of 11 and everything was so smoothly run. the staff are exceptional and very lovely. the food was equally as good and enough to feel full but not sickly full. i would recommend this place - and would definitely recommend the set menu, so nice to try all the different types of meat on offer! the dessert is a must as well. i will definitely be back!

went to cazador for the first time tonight, and it was fantastic!
the pheasant was delicious and the dessert - genius! we ordered and shared between four the chocolate mousse, figs, ricotta, meringue w goat curd and baklava.. and each dessert was incredible! if i could give it more than five stars, i would. fantastic service too.

i have been a patron of cazador for 10 years, after being away for a while came back with a friend for dinner recently. going to cazador is like being let in on a secret, a truly unique place unlike many of the new places in the central city you tend to forget as soon as you finish your meal. this restaurant is not for vegetarians, children or people offended by taxidermy, which makes it an excellent venue to have a night away from the kids. the restaurant is changing hands to the owners’ son and his wife. the new blood has introduced changes which enhance the experience without compromising the food and service. our waitress was attentive, very knowledgeable of the menu and answered all of our questions. new tables, a new look menu and glasses which complement the original quirky décor which makes the place unique. the presentation of the dishes has also changed to a more contemporary look. my old favourites are still on the menu (the flatbread, pork, venison and baklava) and my friend was suitably impressed with the food and fantastic service.

the service was very good, food was average. my partner had the venison which was great but some pieces of the venison was chewy. i ordered the duck, which was a bit over done.

but overall it was a pleasant meal.

very good dining experience. good food and atmosphere. we will be back.

very nice evening with great food.

had a fabulous night. the service and food more than met our expectations. knowledgeable and friendly waitstaff. a short but satisfying wine list. and food that is excellently prepared. decor might not be to everyone's taste but it is a game restaurant!

i've eaten at cazador a few time and the meals have been great every time. the flat bread wrap entre is amazing, so is the baklava. it's hard to chose between the mains, but the venison meatballs are also a favourite.

i loved this place - cool and weird decor, lovely atmosphere. we had them cook our game food and it came out beautifully tender and with a lovely smokey flavor. dessert was the best i've had in auckland (i liked it better then the french cafe). we will be back with our next catch.

highly recommendable -excellent service and excellent friendly staff, excellent food.

had entree: kalamari, mains- braised duck and stoneys venison, desserts: chocolate mousse and chocolate/mango sorbet- all perfect.

a great dining experience - thanks cazador !

we have been going to this restaurant for 24 years and it is still as good as the first time we went.went to australia to live some time ago but every time we come home we go to the cazadore the food is the very best 24 years proves that, there are some restaurants that don't survive 24 weeks we wish where we live on the gold coast that the restaurants were as good.all the very best to our friends at the cazadore.
george & sue

have been here twice now (the first time on the recommendation of a friend). great food and great service. the venison shanks are to die for! the waitress we had couldn't have been more helpful or looked after us more and i thought the food was reasonably priced. if your a person that's into trendy, snobby restaurants then this won't be your thing. it's good wholesome food without the pretentiousness.

we were lucky to get a reservation 10 days out from a birthday celebration, and i greatly appreciated the maitre d' checking with another larger group before confirming they could take my booking after all. the attentive and friendly service continued on the night too. we were running quite late but were assured it was no problem, and made to feel very welcome. it is easy to relax in the unpretentious and fun dining area (taxidermy and old photos dominate the decor). without having to ask, champagne flutes appeared for the bottle we had with us, and whether she had remembered from my booking or was guessing from the bubbly, the waitress offered birthday wishes. menu explainations, recommendations and even lessons in how to pronounce certain farsi words were happily given, though it was still a difficult decision as everything sounded delicious! we eventually opted for a shared appetiser of persian bread - tasty morsels of layered pastry, cheese and herbs - and mains of duck, pheasant and wild rabbit with vegetables for the table. each dish was succulent, rich and flavoursome in its own distinct way. unfortunately the ice cream based desserts were off the menu due to a freezer malfunction, and no one had room for the weightier selections, but we were happy to linger over coffee and a shared plate of turkish figs, and even received complimentary limoncello to round off our meal. we enjoyed our memorable evening at this charming restaurant and all agreed it is excellent value for money (as mentioned, it is byo). we will definitely be back!