hippopotamus restaurant & cocktail bar

had dinner here with my wife what a restaurant . food was the best i've had in years. well done to the chef. staff have changed not very polite what a shame

my husband and i have been here twice already. both times we have had an amazing experience. service was top notch and they really make you feel special. the food is exquisite and probably some of the best i've ever eaten. we had the chateaubriand and it was really worth every cent. the taste, portion size and presentation could not be faulted. we shared the crepes for desert. it was really interesting watching them prepare it in front of us. compliments to the chef. we will definitely be back.

if i could give this a higher rating i would. recently taken here for my birthday. we had the six course degustation with matching wine and a couple of days later we are still talking about how amazing the meal was. the service was quite simply perfect. the food, like the setting, is like artwork. the wine was exquisite and having the explanation of each wine's background made the experience even more enjoyable. thank you for an amazing night!

we were extremely lucky to get 2 chances in quick succession visiting this restaurant. the reason i say extremely lucky was that on our first visit we came away thinking we were not "good enough" to be seen in their place.frankly i felt the staff were arrogant bleeps. im delighted to say i couldn't have been more wrong. what comes across at first as arrogance is old fashioned service coupled with a genuine pride in their establishment and menu. the staff are knowlegable of their food and wine list and the food is fantastic.the flavours are stunning. on both occasions my wife and i came away feeling "replete". full but not uncomfortably so. the view is fantastic. the decore is pure decadance the extra touches that stand out in my mind are the fact that they could easilly fit another six or so tables in but want to respect the privacy and intimacy of their guests. we will be back for more

the hippopotamus is a beautiful and elegant setting for an afternoon tea. the kitchen staff were very accommodating to our group's dietary requirements which was a plus.
silver service (pouring tea at the table) is offered here, however we were overlooked sometimes and had to call upon wait staff to top up our teas.
overall it was a pleasant experience.

i took some of my family to the high tea. it was an amazing i can't wait to go back again and try more teas. everybody loved it such a relaxing way to spend a stormy wellington afternoon.

lovely evening amazing staff amazing food amazing wine. would return for sure!

the good, the pretentious and the disapproving.....lovely setting for a silver service meal.  its meant to be pretentious and doesn't disappoint.  french accented food notes for every dish from and disapproving french table staff.don't expect to find a cheap and cheerful quaffable wine.  take the amex and enjoy a magnificent selection.  but you need to know your stuff or you may end up with something less than you expected for more then you are willing to pay.the food - not delicious.  catch of the day main was dreadful.  the monk fish was watery, and the vegetables pale and boring (brussel sprouts?  i know it's winter but surely there are better veges around).   i know the french scorn salads and vegetables, but this is not a french restaurant.the salmon entre was delicious but a bit of wasabi does not make a sashimi (carpaccio?). all in all i would go back for the setting and the great bar/wine selection, but not to eat.as for breakfast - you pay and pay and pay.  take your own vogels and coffee.

we decided to go the restaurant as we stayed at the hotel. the atmosphere was amazing! the staff was extremely helpful and friendly. we chose to have 5 course degustation menu. it is a blind choice and the chef chooses what to cook. the only thing is they could probably check preferences in taste as there were few things which i didn't really like but i am happy that i tried them so next time i know what i should not order :)
it was very interesting dinner, lots of different flavours.the waiter explained us every dish with detail. didn't have enough space in my tummy for the desert :) so it was kindly packed to take it away. very happy with the dinner, if you like french food or want to try something new this is the place to go. it is expensive but it is worth it!

amazing. i think this is the best restaurant in wellington. the views are beautiful and the food is delicious. i would highly recommend hippopotamus for special occasions.

i love this place - the view is lovely, the furniture beautiful, the service really attentive and not snobby and the food is to die for. the only thing that stops me going back more then i do is the price - not that quality like that shouldn't be paid for but i am an ordinary joe so have to keep it in check. i've dined there about 4 times so far this year and planning to go again soon - it is such a treat and so decadent - i always look forward to going there and know i will have a wonderful time. i recommend it to everyone - they seem to treat everyone the same there and there is no them and us so to speak. if you want a really special treat - this is your place - enjoy!

we went there to celebrated our daughter's birthday in feb.

the food, service, venue, atmosphere etc.. was excellent.
particularly impressive waitstaff - we were served by a female waitstaff who had non native english accent - she was very knowledgeable and paid attention to everybody. 4 people.

strongly recommended.

this the best restaurant in wellington by far. as usual we were spoilt by timothy & stefan. i tried laurent's signature 'salmon sashimi' and it was sublime. the duck perfectly cooked. however, i had dessert envy as my partner chose the cinq textures de chocolat - i'm having that one next time. we will be coming back again but not soon enough.

with high expectations since the many reviews we heard about this restaurant, i was looking forward to a great dining experience with my family. however, my experience was on a downhill decline as we were greeted by a rude host or manager that informed us that our table has been given away as we were late. we had decent reasons for being late but were too stunned to explain our predicament amidst the loud accusations and rude remarks.

we were given a table after a slight wait and wasn't spoken to by the manager after that, unlike his manner and attitude towards other tables that night.

i would not write off the restaurant altogether as the food was decent and flavoursome, kudos to the chef. the waiters and waitresses were very polite and attentive to our needs.

overall, the food was good and ambience was good but my first encounter with the manager was enough to deter me from returning to this restaurant. i was only wanting to have a good experience at a fine dining restaurant, irrelevant of my status (we made sure to dress up as well) and the colour of my skin.

one of wellington's best!
i've dined here for lunch, dinner and high tea and it is definitely one of the city's best restaurants. the staff are warm and attentive. i've celebrated my mother's 60th here as well as my 40th and both times we had a wonderful time. i am allergic to dairy products and am gluten intolerant and nothing is ever a problem for the staff. a really terrific restaurant. if you get the chance to go make sure you do.