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as part of a foodie weekend we had a lunch at rata due to how many work colleagues had been and raved about it.
due to the prices (which were getting up there for a lunch) we order the tuna tartare to share, the brill open ravioli, beef cheeks, artichoke tirmasu and red wine pears.
the meals were on the small side, but perfect. it was really cool to have meals where there was obviously a lot of thought into presentation, variety, etc.
a really nice lunch treat and whilst we won't come often, i think we would come back.

aaaaa-mazing. wonderful attentive and accommodating staff, who looked after our large table really well. our food was out promptly, and the entire menu was amazing and our table of 8 agreed it was the best meal we've ever had! we'll be back!

my hubby and i had dinner at rata on friday 4th april. we were first time diners at rata and couldn't fault a thing except the water was not cold. our meal all 3 courses was fantastic. our waitress robyn couldn't have been more helpful and she has only been in nz a month. well done to rata. it is sad to see the negative reviews.

being regular patrons of queenstown restaurants we took our family out to lunch on sunday. with all the hype and press that josh emett is enjoying presently we found our dining experience to be disappointing. our greeting was less than enthusiastic by our waitress who definitely didn't want to be working. she was unfriendly and unhelpful. our water was luke warm, we asked for ice twice to cool the water which finally arrived when most had finished their water, we were not offered more water. we ordered the croquettes and hand cut chips to share which were fine then organic chicken and prosciutto terrine for three which was bland, dry and uninteresting and pork belly for one which was reported to be very nice and obviously was as nobody else was offered a morsel to try!
we decided not to stay for desert and coffee and left to go elsewhere where we were welcome customers.
sadly a disappointing experience, maybe evening meals are rata's forte? we feel there are much better options for lunchtime time eating in queenstown.

went here as couldn't get into gantley's. was a little disappointed with this place, perhaps my expectations were too high. i wasn't wowed by the food as i thought i would be given the hype.
the service was good, decor nice. cutlery and dinnerware average.
i had the tarakihi for my main and i could not finish it, it was bland and poorly presented. definitely not a masterchef dish. entree was nice, husband had crayfish risotto which at $32 was overpriced. dessert very nice.
perhaps it was just poor luck i ordered the fish but i think a restaurant like that should not have any poor dishes. saffron in arrowtown far surpassed this restaurant. would not go back again.

high expectations. a stylish and comfortable dining room and the high standard of genuinely friendly service that seems to be ubiquitous in new zealand. entrees of goat cheese and honey profiteroles and a sashimi were true delights. mains, while beautifully presented, just didn't seem to hit the spot quite as well - a perfectly pan-fried fish marred by an overly sweet roasted capsicum sauce, flavours in a side dish of courgettes that seemed to sit separately on the plate. good but not as memorable as i had hoped, given the reputation. maybe it was just that my expectations were too high as there wasn't an empty table in the house.

loved nearly every minute of our experience at rata.

the service was fantastic, and the staff were very knowledgeable- seeing the waitress rattle off the names of every cheese on the very large cheese trolley was particularly impressive, as was her knowledge of local wine.

after cocktails at the bar (the gv and tea was delicious) we had the smoked warehou croquettes, the southern cheese roll, the pork cheeks, the spiced plums and a selection of cheeses from the trolley.

the only things that weren't sensational were the smoked warehou croquettes. they belonged in a fisherman's basket at cobb & co. this may sound harsh- but compared with the rest of the menu they were decidedly average.

the pork cheeks made up for this blip though. they were melt in the mouth perfect- with crispy crackling, baby brussels sprouts and creamy pappardelle. one of the most delicious mains i have eaten for a long time. i nearly licked my plate!

the spiced plums with a divine coconut macaroon finished off the meal beautifully, as did the selection of local cheeses that came with candied walnuts and a fruit paste.

we got chatting to the people at the table next to us, and they were dining at rata for the second time that week. they were melburnians who really knew their food, and were very complimentary about their meals- and gave us a list of other dining establishments to try in queenstown as well as a list of top melbourne dining spots as we are heading there soon. can't wait!

fantastic food and mainly excellent service. my lamb rump with swede, labna and mild harissa was the best lamb rump i have eaten, tender and juicy, just superb. the venison with smoked cauli and crisp kale was beautiful. tomato and ricotta salad was fresh and tasty, with top quality ingredients. the portions are a little on the small side, and we were disappointed that the menu was more limited than that shown on the web site (we had been looking forward to the smoked eel all day!), but otherwise no complaints. the service was professional, pleasant and efficient throughout, but the staff vanished once we had paid, leaving us to find our coats and see ourselves out without being able to say thank you, goodnight etc. it was not late, maybe 10.30pm, and we were thinking of another drink but had no chance of ordering anything more.

it was great to see a proper cheese trolley, and a waiter who knew how to serve from it. that's a rare sight in nz.

this is a belated review, but i want to compliment the entire team at rata. from the greeting at the door and taking our coats (having read a previous review they obviously learn from any mistakes), to the friendly yet extremely well-informed service, to the beautiful, innovative and delicious food, it was a wonderful experience and we still rave about it to anyone who will listen.

we had the pleasure of dining at rata on saturday night. the food was spectacular and service from elisabeth was amazing. the size of the portions was just right and the pace the meal was served was perfect. elisabeth advised us on the wine which was also perfect.

dear mr emett,

in a word..... underwhelming. our booking experience was great, but we walked in the door for dinner and were greeted by a badly dressed blond lady who looked as though she had been moving house all day and not had a chance to freshen up. no one took our coats... we found our own way to the badly organised coat rack and made the best of it.

the restaurant was busy, but even then lacked atmosphere. wait staff were helpful, but nothing special. food was, well, just underwhelming. we dined at many restaurants in queenstown for the week (the bunker, botswana butchery, saffron, amisfield, and gantlys), and our rata experience was a distant last on the list.

whatever wow factor you feel this restaurant carries, we couldn't find it.

we had lunch at rata yesterday, sunday. it was simply wonderful. we found the staff friendly but very professional and knowledgable about the menu and wine list. the stand out dishes were both starters, the chicken liver parfait was as light as air, unctuous and velvety. the gougeres (profiteroles on the menu) were a complete taste blast from the salty goats cheese to the after palate rata honey and rosemary. the mains were good too, venison pie and the gurnard with the aubergine marmalade. yum. both needed a little seasoning (salt josh!!) added but that's ok. we had the the two sisters riesling 2008 which was a stand out. no room for pud!! this is a superb nz joint, we have recently eaten in fine dining places in san francisco, les vegas and even a michelin star restaurant in hong kong, rata is right up there in our view and we will definitely be back.

my husband and i decided to visit rata in queenstown because watching master chef on tv were keen to experience fine food dining. i was especially keen to see the way the dishes were decorated etc. after finally finding the restaurant' not well signposted and hidden amongst a lot of buildings off the street we were very disappointed in the way the meals were presented, very boring and plainly presented, very small portions as well. $115.00 later. also we thought the restaurant was very plain and i could not believe how poor the lighting was in the ladies toilets. we would not go there again.

fantastic from start to finish. great service. started with shared bites and the kingfish and profiteroles were standout. one couple shared the beef wellington - it was superb. i had the salmon - divine. we had a complimentary dish arrive at the table - always a treat. desserts were gorgeous. great atmosphere in the restaurant and the fit-out is impressive. cant wait to go back!

we were in queenstown for corinne's birthday.
rata surpassed our wildest dreams. just magic.
we recommend bites at the bar first - you get into the vibes of the place.

we had the signature beef wellington - ace!

kevyn m