zealong tea estate

the first time we came here, we were turned down despite there were plenty of empty tables. the lady in the front counter was quite rude too so that put me off for a while from visiting. then, recently since we have some visitors from overseas - we decided to give this place a try again by booking a tour plus high tea package. the tour was informative with samples of brewed tea given to us. the tour guide was very friendly and service was great, which is the opposite of what we experienced from the front counter person last time. the high tea was beautifully arranged but taste-wise, it came second - i think the scenery saved everything. price is on the high side but it is worth experiencing once and always book as they can get very packed.

the good: sparkling tea was nice and refreshing for the weather. the food was also not bad - fried rice was surprisingly spicy

the bad: the service could have improved alot. we waited for a long time for our table despite having a booking and there being plenty of available tables. the waiter also didn’t bring us a menu for about 15 minutes and we had to ask for the menu. the high tea was a little expensive for $55 - there could have been a little more on the stack for that amount.

went to zealong with high hopes but left in disappointment. my family and friends, a group of 18, went more than an hour before closing asking for a table (or even two, we wouldn’t have minded splitting kids and adults) however we were told that there was no space for us, they were too busy and there was no staff and that usually we’d have to give them more time. usually we’d understand this as we know we are a large group however their excuse not to sit and serve us made no sense as:

1) more than 3/4 of the restaurant was empty, there were 3 huge tables that were there for us to sit and enjoy the evening.

2) we did not ask for high tea nor did we want to eat, we simply wanted a pot or two of tea.

3) their excuse for being short staffed made sense until we went to the foyer where 2 staff members were standing and talking doing nothing and serving no one - more on this, when we asked them a question we didn’t receive a smile and were answered rudely.

4) in these times where the covid pandemic is prominent businesses are going under as they are unable to make enough income - as a group of 18 (4 families) you can understand the kind of extra business we would’ve offered.

staff were rude, unaccomadative, and not welcoming at all.

the establishment like this place trying to located you front of smelly toilet which is doesn’t have any door. come on guys.also one of indian guy running around without any friendly attitude and no smile. unfortunately the guy doesn’t know anything about hospitality 😴😴😴

tea time stopover at this famous tea estate just outside hamilton.

like:
1. tea can be indoors or outdoors - we chose out as the weather was so nice. there were a surprising number of tables taken despite it being a weekday so i suppose you would need a booking if you were coming over a weekend.

2. you have two hours to enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea (altho no one chases you out if it’s not crowded) and they have a nice selection of oriental brews.

3. i liked the selection and combination of sweets and savouries. although it was about $50 a person including the tea which after brewing yields about 4 cups, you did not leaving feeling like you were still hungry. only thing missing was the scones. would have been nice to have an asian versions or spin on that to complete the experience.

4. after that, navigate the surrounding tea garden and it’s many sculptures which depict the process of harvesting and brewing tea and go to the stylish tea boutique where they retail their teas.

almost felt like i was in taiwan or china rather than in nz at this attraction but it does nicely showcase the diversity of nz and its migrant culture and the wonderful climate where a tea plantation can thrive.

ratings 4.0. the tea here are definitely very premium, in quality and price. you can taste the freshness in the oolong, which was also very “clean” and natural (not sure it justify the astronomical price though). the service of the tea room was slow & elaborate, difficult to get service sometimes. the lobster tart though was to die for, it’s as decadent as it sounds & lived up to it, crispy pastry & flavoursome sauce. the petit fours were nice, but that lobster tart was the star.

an amazing place to go to even on a hot summer day for some tea. got placed on the deck on front of the plantation with a wonderful view, the place is very nice, clean, tidy and visually placed well. this place is a highly recommended place for family outing or to go on a date on in the afternoon with some high tea. there was two options $49 pp for just high tea and $57 per person to open a bottle as well. as for the food served for the high tea it was quite nice their dessert at the bottom was delicious! when selecting what tea you want highly recommend their award winning ones, it complements the course very well, my favorite was the green zealong. customer service from the waiters was also wonderful especially in explaining how to poor and drink the tea. 100% would go again whenever i can.

nothing is special about this pretentious place, the tea they serve is hardly decent, needless to mention the mediocre blank tasteless food, unprofessional staff and common looking atmosphere. won’t go again, not recommended .

lovely place. you would come here for the experience, the views and for an education experience on tea. food wise at the restaurant was in my opinion pricey for the standard of food such as a chicken (morrocan/curry style) and rice dish was $32. linguine pasta with prawns $34. one cup of tea per person is $9. of course if you are looking for a day out and for something different or on a special occasion or just bringing someone along who appreciates tea i would then highly recommend.

extremely disappointed with the poor customer service from the manager & the person who "reserved" my table.

i requested to reserve a table for the saturday 31st aug at 11:45am for my family. however the confirmation text i received from the restaurant stated my reservation was for the 30th, so i made 3x phone calls and spoke to the person to corrected the booking to the time i requested.

i drove from auckland on saturday 31st aug and was told by the manager that i didn't reserve a table and the reservation was at 10:30am. i even showed her my phone history as proof of the calls i made to book and correct booking time etc but she still didn't believe me.

she offered for me to either wait another two hours or come back next time. 

what a lovely manager.

if you want a quiet, serene spot a team conference then this place might be good for you. zealong tea estate has two venues for functions like conferences first is the vista which can house 300 guests for cocktails and another one is the pavilion which can cater up to 60 people, both of which offer great views of the zealong property.

we drove up from tongariro to auckland and stopped at zealong to meet friends for their high tea and so worth it!
great price at $45pp, incredible food options with tea influences a d a very decent a la carte menu. great for friends and worth the drive from any direction.

highly recommended!

i visited the zealong tea estate years ago with family and the experience was wonderful. thought it would be the perfect to celebrate a 3rd anniversary with my partner.

the day was absolutely gorgeous and we were very fortunate to get an outdoor table, the view is beautiful - you are able to see rows and rows of tea plants.

i ordered the black iced tea with vanilla bean and it is very refreshing. it doesn’t have a strong, bitter taste but instead has a sweet and fresh flavour. i recommend the iced tea on a hot day, it was perfect after the long drive up.

i ordered the fish of the day for lunch and it was very juicy. the veges had a warm, comforting flavour and the fish was fresh and juicy - the two went great together.

overall had another wonderful experience at the zealong tea estate, food is great, staff are very accommodating and the estate is gorgeous!

great place to rest after a day out in hamilton.
had the high tea and it was awesome!
never thought i would go for a day trip to hamilton, but this place just top it off before headed back to auckland.

first high tea afternoon at zealong did not disappoint. my experience was amazing. ambiance and the tea plantation were topnotch. food were exquisite especially those included in the sweet plate platter. opted for the passion red drink to freshen the warm weather. service was ok. will be back soon.