FoodLovers Restaurant Guide

Reviews for Elevation – HIGHEST Restaurant/Cafe in AKLD.

by Samuel D.
4th June 2013

This business is a MenuMania SponsorOne of the Business' Favourite Reviews

Awesome food, pizzas are good, reasonably priced considering how far out of town it is. Pizzas are the best thing I have ever eaten. Dylan and Beth are fantastic, friendly and helpful. Never any problems always service with a smile and all those other compliments..

by Rex C.
17th June 2013

This place is amazing!
The meals are fantastic, (hats off the chef!) the staff are great. Dylan, Beth, Deane and Harri you are super and make Faye and I feel like VIP’s whenever we turn up.
I am about to hold a corporate dinner function at Elevation and I am sure service and food will be perfect.
I recommend this place to friends and colleagues for any event.
Oh and by the way the view of Auckland from this height is terrific.

by Paul B.
31st May 2013

Im visiting from australia, and called into the elevation resturante.what a fab place, food ambience views ova the city of auckland, and the fanstic staff member who looked afta us beth..she is an asset to the cafe.friendly obliging courteous and professional.tks elevation and beth.u made our holiday.cheers paul

by Chelsea
26th May 2013

Me and my bf had dinner there last night, the food was amazing and the staff were very friendly and the lady beth who took care of us for the night was extremely helpful and polite that made our night a whole lot better would defiantly go there again

by Karina
14th May 2013

Saturday Brunch @ Elevation has caused a stir!! They say the best compliments come from telling friends, I can say of the 26 of us that attended brunch, everyone I have spoken to said they will be back!! The meals fantastic, the staff great, Dylan you are a super star!! But the views!! If it was a mastercard ad…Priceless!! Breathtaking scenery a MUST TO GO BACK TO!! Thank you! the only thing I am sorry about is taking so long to get there and see you soon Karina

by nanbaj
11th May 2013

I celebrated my daughter’s birthday in February at Elevation…….The place was amazing and great A+ food, during the party when some guests wanted other dishes, the staff arranged and made the dishes without any fuss…..would recommend people to go to this place.

They took extra care of the children when we were busy dancing.

by Casey
24th April 2013

My name is Casey and my husband and I had our wedding reception here.
I was very fussy in choosing our venues (some may say bridezilla at times) but this place was amazing. They went beyond my expectations, and the call of duty. They did all od the setting up, arranged it all perfectly and didn’t blink an eyelid when I was very particular about details.
They were very accommodating with all our requests, eg changing the menu items, colour coordination of things etc. they were even ok with me increasing the guest number 2 weeks out (73 guests in total).
Food was great, only heard awesome things from guests. Even my sometimes fussy family.
And of course the view was amazing, everyone enjoyed the sunset and the city lights later were great for the party on the deck. Fulfilled everything we needed. SO pleased with our choice!
Thanks Dylan

by Renee H.
22nd April 2013

Last week we held our corporate dinner function at Elevation and i cant rave enough on how great the food and the staff were. Dylan was exceptionally helpful, the food was cooked to perfection (each of the 3 x course meals) and i had staff members come to me and say that they cant remember when their steak was cooked to perfection like it was that night and would love to go back there again (hats off the chef, he is fantastic). Thanks so much Dylan for the wonderful experience you gave us and also for all your efforts it making sure the event went without a hitch. A++++++++ and i will be recommending your place to other colleagues for future events.

by Dean Q.
13th February 2013

Average describes this place best.
I was there on a sunny weekend afternoon recently.
The indoors area reminds me of a school cafeteria and needs brought into the 21st Century.
The deck is a nice place to enjoy food and drink, no doubt about it.
The service was slow.
The food was good but a bit pricey for what it was.
Has the potential to be an awesome spot but I think this place makes its living off day trippers rather than repeat business from us locals. I guess that’s their excuse for having an average business?
If you carefully read some of the one post wonder reviews with a 5 star rating- they read like an advertisement for this business. I find it disappointing that these reviews are probably written by staff or owners of this place as they are completely out of synch with every other review!

by Julie B.
7th February 2013

Last Wednesday my family and I had a fantastic dinner at Elevation. View was stunning and so was the food, to top it all off the young lady with the English accent serving us was polite, friendly and really made sure our night was enjoyable.
Very highly recommended.

by Michelle R.
11th January 2013

Amazing views and “thee meat of all meat pizzas” (I think $26) was so yum, I was even starting to compare it to the pizza’s id had in Italy.

However, I do have to agree with a few of the other comments made, ie:

The place felt a little run down; I think a fresh lick of paint, new artwork, menus that aren’t falling apart and smart uniforms for staff would see this place do a lot better! After all, it offers one of the best views in Auckland.

My main issue was the fact I had called twice – both times to inquire if I could make a reservation on the balcony (as I wanted to secure a spot outside). Originally it was for 2 – and he said I couldn’t book. Then I called back and said it was for 4– but he said they don’t take reservations, ‘just to walk in’…

Well, I arrived with my party in tow and the first thing I am greeted with was: “do you have a reservation?”

I kinda wanted to storm out. But the others took over and we ended up walking in. I said that I’d like a table outside, so they told us to sit and wait for one to clear out, which was fine.

When the table cleared away, the same manager told us our table was ready and walked off – so we had to take all of the cutlery, glasses of water and menus out to the table ourselves.

But to be honest once outside, in the sun, surrounded by those views, I really couldn’t care less about all of that. At the end of the day, the pizzas we had were so delicious (and they all came out together) we kept raving about them to anyone who would listen.

I just wonder if they know what kind of gem they are sitting on, and how amazing it could be!! It’s almost a shame.

by Heidi L.
14th December 2012

We went to Elevation for a family lunch and they were very accommodating considering it was a late booking for a large group.

Cons:
Attention to detail could improve the overall ambiance of the place – some cutlery were not clean, a tarpaulin was dumped in the corner of the deck, and the foyer area looked like a storage area.
The wait for our dessert was long and sticky date pudding dessert was hard.

Pros:
Our table was ready and waiting for us as when we arrived.
The staff were friendly and looked after us well. Good service!
Awesome location with fantastic views. The view itself is worth a stop.
My family enjoyed their pizzas and generous portions of thai chicken curry very much.

It was a pleasant experience overall and we will definitely go back to try other food in their menu.

by Lee S.
11th December 2012

My wife and I where married there end of November and it was amazing. The day and night views where stunning as well. The views along with the service really made it a great day.

We held both the wedding and reception here which made things a lot more simple and with Piha beach down the road a great spot for photos.

Management where very helpful and organised through out the whole process.

by Debbie V.
5th December 2012

My husband and I had our wedding there last weekend. I can not fault it the setting was beautiful the food was wonderful as was the service. They made our day so special for us, I would highly recommend this to anyone. Our friends are still talking about it.

by Holly B.
12th October 2012

I don’t normally complain however I would go so far as to say this was the worst service I have ever received from a restaurant.

We had been here a few years ago and loved the views so thought we would return for our anniversary.

We had booked however arrived to find our table not ready.

Thought the menu was a bit fragmented but ordered two entrees to start, which came one at a time. both dishes were ok, though under seasoned.

Then our main arrived- while we were still eating our entrees!! Unimpressed. Pizza was ok, however base was slightly undercooked.

Waitress came over to clear our plates and ask how our meal was. We asked for the dessert menu only to be told the kitchen was closed?!?!? But we were still dining? Our booking was at 8pm and it wasn’t even 9.30?

Very unimpressed, we left, complaining to a very disinterested Maitre D’.

Views still amazing but that’s about all this place has going for it. The service was inexcusable- mainly a kitchen based problem I imagine.

Also the waitresses skirts were so short we were faced with their underwear every time they leaned to clear a table. Not romantic.

If you’re looking for a venue for a special night I would not recommend here.

Disappointed.

by John
30th September 2012

Well, where do I start!
The place when we walked in was full, told to find our own table, waited over 10 minutes to get services, then a other 10 min to order 6 ice chocolates drinks, that came quickly .
Then the worst of all, when we went to pay and noticed that we where charged $6.50 each for the drinks on the menu they where $6 only after we paid did we notice the differences.
When we ask the Asian manager he said their prices are ex GST. If that was the case the drinks would be $6.90 not $6.50.
We then looked at the menus and no where did it say prices are ex GST , we told the Asian manager that and he said he would tell the owner and then would not give our money back only once we came right out and said you are stealing our money did he get all upset and give our money back. We are not worried about the $3 that we got back, but if this is happening to 40 people a month this man or restaurant is stealing a lot of money from people that trust this place.
Please be careful !!!

by Kelly G.
26th September 2012

I just had to write and let you know that on Sunday 16th September I was dinning with a party of 10. We had a very helpful, warm natured and efficient waitress by the name of Maddy (Madeliene). She was very attentive and had a thorough knowledge of the menu to be able to help the adults as well as the children with what she thought was great to eat on the menu. We never had to ask to have the water topped up as Maddy kept the water flowing. She made our visit (for me, the first time) a pleasure. So, on that note, thank you Maddy, we will be back. Also loved the view!! Kind Regards Kelly G

by mark
15th September 2012

We have stopped there a few times on the way back from the coast so decided to try an evening meal…the food was great as was the service..the only complaint was that the room was cold and they had not lit the fire and there was only one heater.
would go again but would make sure they had the fire going…stunning city views

by Samara V.
26th August 2012

Lovely service, the VIEW’S THE BEST of course.. Ordered a light meal bread and dips and garlic bread pizza.. was a generous amount also

The Chef seems Indi or Sri Lankin.. but don’t count on it, the Asian guy- waiter was lovely

Must go here for the view dining

by Vicki
26th August 2012

Between our party of three none of the six dishes we ordered were up to scratch. Our entrees were, the chicken wings which were nicely flavored, but cold, the bisque which was unbalanced, unseasoned and worst of all the seafood wasn’t fresh and the shrimp cocktail which was so drowned in sauce it was indelible. For our mains we had the seafood pizza which was very disappointing as the frozen seafood resulted in a very soggy pizza, the roast veggie salad was so over seasoned all I could taste was cracked pepper and had a very small amount of feta. Worst of all though would have to be the fish and chips where there were ants throughout the salad, the fish was frozen and the batter so thick that it wasn’t cooked through. A very disappointing lunch and we will not be returning.
Just as a side note the menu on their website was not current.

by Cynthia
23rd August 2012

We were first time diners at Elevation – Saturday night – the lights of Auckland were brilliant. Four of us all had different mains and thought they were great. It was a bit cool temperature wise – a heater was offered before we asked. Very pleasant service.

by Juku
13th August 2012

Pro: Great view
Con: Coffee not very good

If you go out to Piha, it’s definitely worth stopping there just to take in the stunning view. We just had some coffee, which was a bit more expensive but also unusually large. Unfortunately the flavour of the coffee wasn’t convincing.

by Matt
8th July 2012

Went into Elevation today. I have been there three times previously and had solid experiences for its price category. Today I was extremely disappointed. Not sure what’s going on here but felt like the place was under new management.

We had to wait to be seated which took a little too long – only to be given menus and told to sit where ever we liked. I would have liked to be escorted, given menus, given water, fussed over etc. (Particularly if this is now a ‘restaurant’ charging $20-30 a plate) During our visit the waiters were incredibly blind when we were waiting to be served.

The menu is different. Another ‘cafe and restaurant’ with an identity crisis. A number of Asian dishes now appear. Prices were all over the place. The menu was confusing and uninspiring, let alone falling apart. Most dishes now appear in the $20-$30 range. $24 for a burger – must be one big and amazing burger! I was curious so ordered the burger – only to be told it wasn’t available.

There was a lot of commotion around the kitchen so we asked how long would food be served. I wasn’t happy with the response. I was not in the mood for pizza and nothing else on the menu tickled my fancy, along with the bad service, so I left.

In summary, very confusing walking into ‘cafe and restaurant’ Elevation today. If you want to be a ‘restaurant’ charging $20-30 a plate, the service, feel and food (and stock levels!) has to look/resemble ‘$20-30 a plate’. It still feels like a cafe charging $10-20 a plate.

Maybe I was expecting the unpretentiousness and hearty cafe/pub style food I had previously enjoyed, which led to my disappointment. Not sure if I’ll return in a hurry.

by Peter
30th May 2012

It is sad to see how much potential this place has, but they just don’t know how to make it happen.

It has amazing views and I have to say some staff members were really nice but the venue itself is so outdated and dirty. It should be closed for few months and completely renovated. Food was OK but looking at the dirt all over it made me vomit.

Please invest in the property and you will have one of the best restaurants in Auckland!!!

by Claire R.
10th April 2012

I had my wedding there just over a year ago, the venue is amazing, the view over the city is just to die for. However that can not be said for the staff or service. When we first booked Elevation we had a wonderful manager who took care of us and promised to make our day wonderful. A few months later we made contact with Elevation to find out he had left so started dealing with another manager. We went through everything again and he promised to have it perfect. A few days before the event we found out that the manager we were dealing with wasn’t even working on our wedding night and that he would pass on all the information to the “3rd” manager. As we now know there are various managers who work different nights during the week and have very poor communication.

So as you can guess things weren’t done as we had asked. Table clothes not ironed, drinks served at the wrong time, lunch was still being served when we had people waiting to get in to set up. We were over charged for meals that were not served. Our deposit was not deducted from our total and when asked for a refund took us MONTHS until we threatened legal action to get it returned to us. One of the managers burnt our HIRED table runners which he did not pay for or apologise for.

Overall the food was reasonable and the view was spectacular but the service was appalling. I would not recommend this as a venue for functions.

Comment from Supa B. of Elevation – HIGHEST Restaurant/Cafe in AKLD. 15/04/2012    Hide »

Hi I have been the only function manager for Elevation for just…    More »

Hi I have been the only function manager for Elevation for just over a year and a bit now.
Since my time I have organised over 20+ weddings, b days, anniversaries, just fun parties, etc and have had 100% more than satisfied rates. Some have been so much fun they asked if they can give us a 10 out of 5 star rating.
I guess a lot has changed since you were here over a year ago.
We have been amazingly re-furnished and now have super amazing friendly staff, food and the view continually astounds me every time I see it.
Unfortunately you must have been here before my tenure as I don’t remember you but I’ve been the only manager here since January 2011 unless you’ve mistaken this place especially in relation to the refund which doesn’t sound like the owner at all. Whatever the case your experience is historic and is not a correct current reflection of this place and I want people to know I am passionate and put a lot of hard work into giving the customer exactly what they want on their special day; see previous comments regarding more current accurate reviews.

I would actually like to talk to you so that I can learn from the mistakes of the past manager and make future functions even better.

by Di O.
28th March 2012

We recently booked out Elevation for our wedding and reception. The staff were amazing – nothing was too much trouble. I must have emailed the manager a million different things and he was always receptive, friendly and happy to do whatever we suggested.

We had platters which were awesome. The staff helped with decorations and setting up furniture which was a huge help. We had a subsidised bar and this was no trouble at all.

I would recomment whole heartedly Elevation – they were fantastic!

by Kirstin
11th March 2012

Me and some friends hired the place out on saturday night for a birthday party. The manager and staff were all very helpful and friendly they even decorated the place for us! Yummy wedges and a wonderful view of the city lights.

by Hazel
8th March 2012

Recently visited Elevation for an evening meal & were very happy with the service & quality of food. The complimentary entrée was a lovely touch. The décor needs an upgrade but the view has to be seen to be believed even on a wet cloudy night when the scenery is forever changing. Wouldn’t hesitate to return & have already recommended to friends.

by alltogethernow
30th January 2012

Our recent experience proved so disastrous that we were compelled to join MenuMania. Elevation provides spectacular views, without a doubt. However, the service was a blight upon the landscape. We were the only customers on a weekend afternoon. After a less than welcome greeting, we were seated. We decided on a few drinks and fries to start. After twenty minutes (and no additional customers and 3 staff doing not much), we enquired about the status of the fries. We were informed they’d forgotten. Poor, especially considering how the cafe was sparse.

When they finally arrived, our drinks were empty and the waitress didn’t bother to ask if we wanted more. Another couple who had since arrived were waiting for some time, too, ignored and without drinks for a substantial period of time-terrible, too, as they were dressed up and out on a date.

We were passed by and not checked on once, however the deal breaker had to be one of the staff members pontificating a mere meter away at a table with what must have been one of her friends. For the next fifteen minutes, we heard her wax lyrical about her spiritual growth, her meditations, and where she practiced said growth-all the while two tables sat waiting for service.

When we expressed how disappointed we were upon paying (fries not comped), she stated that you couldn’t judge a place on just one visit. We’d also visited that day as we were considering Elevation for our wedding reception. Even when we told them this, there were no attempts to rectify the dismal service.

To be so blase and short-sighted speaks of poor management and a disregard of the customer. Needless to say, we found another venue later that day-they were busy but the service was impeccable and gracious.

by Sue H.
21st November 2011

We recently went to a wedding at Elevation, and were very impressed by the quality of both the food and the service. I am a vegetarian, and even though it was not pre-ordered, the staff made sure I was served with an appetising meal. After the hors d’oeuvre, which were plentiful and delicious, 70 guests were served with their meals in a very short time. The food was hot and very tasty, and the venue is really stunning and very romantic – even on a wet afternoon, such as we experienced! The young waitresses were friendly, efficient and unobtrusive, and the nothing seemed too much trouble for the owner/manager. He even recommended a local marriage celebrant with whom they work closely, and she was great! We had a fabulous time, and I would recommend Elevation as a wedding venue to anyone.

by Sue
11th November 2011

Pleasantly surprised! Over the years of different owners of this venue, with the most amazing location, we had visited on many occasions. On a visit to Elevation earlier this year we had been unimpressed with our ‘cold’ brunch meals, and were not enthusiastic to return. However, as we had an entertainment book voucher, and after reading a couple of positive reviews for evening meals, we decided to go up for a meal. On entering we found that the foyer was not at all inviting, empty and musty smelling (although it would appear that the restaurant may be in the throws of being upgraded). But the meals were good!. Complimentary prawn toasts was a nice touch, and as recommended by other reviewers, the scallops were delicious. The aged eye fillet also delicious and cooked as requested. The two young waitresses did a good job, and we were not left waiting for courses. They did run out of a couple of things, but it didn’t prove to be a problem on this occasion. Overall we were happy we went, and enjoyed our meals and the spectacular city views.

by Isaac V.
11th October 2011

Popped in on the weekend,place was dead for a weekend, and i was about to find out why… ordered a pizza and chicken quesadilla and side of fries, total cost $48.50, meals were very small pizza was over priced and lacked toppings i could count the individual toppings and priced over $20 wasn’t happy, quesadilla Taste was great but again over priced and none of our meals showed any value for money. After we had ordered we over heard the waitress offering the specials of the day ” wish she had mentioned these to us ” , also had a laugh while she poured a bottle of beer over another customer sitting next to us. Didn’t even bother ordering drinks as our 2 snacks were priced over the hill, i would suggest either they drop their prices or give bigger portions ??

Comment from Mary E. of Elevation – HIGHEST Restaurant/Cafe in AKLD. 12/10/2011    Hide »

Hi can you tell me what day and time you came in as I am the owner…    More »

Hi can you tell me what day and time you came in as I am the owner and was here both days and was run off my feet with happy customers.

by Khirri
10th October 2011

My partner surprised me with a night out for dinner at this beautiful restaurant. We had a table right by the window, and had a beautiful view of the night lights of Auckland.

Menus were bought to us, and orders taken in a timely manner. While waiting (which wasn’t long), we were served complimentary chicken entrees, which were very appetising. But what was even more tasty were the scallop entrees. We have eaten scallops at quiet a few restaurants, but my partner and I agreed that these were the best we had ever tasted – we were savouring each tasty bite! My partner ordered the steak – medium, which came out just the way he liked it. I ordered the Thai Prawn Curry, which was absolutely divine! We had the chocolate mousse for desert, and as chocolate lovers, it was just perfect.

All in all, we absolutely loved our experience at Elevations, and will definitely be going back. We are even thinking of having our wedding reception there.

by Dianne
29th August 2011

This place is a hidden gem! We eat out a lot (2-3 times per week) and there have been a few places lately that we’ve dined at in Auckland which we have found disappointingly just “Average”.

Elevation however, put a big smile on my dial and ticked all the boxes! I highly recommend this place, we had an all round fantastic experience when we ate there recently on a Sunday evening and it was well worth drive over from the North Shore. Peaceful and quiet, tucked away amongst the trees and overlooking the city, the view is a million dollars. It has to be one of the best in Auckland, second only to the Sky Tower. The staff were lovely too – friendly and attentive without being intrusive.

My partner and I were particularly impressed by the chilli lime calamari which we shared as an entrée. We both thought that it was the best we’d tasted. For mains we had the eye fillet and fish of the day. The food was really tasty, skilfully prepared and every mouthful delicious, a lot of thought had gone into the dishes we tried.

The only not so great thing was the restrooms which were undergoing renovations at the time of our visit, the single reason why I have given a 4 star rating instead of 5.

I think Elevation’s ‘WOW’ factor makes it an ideal destination for a special night out, an anniversary, romantic dinner or first date and they are available for functions. If you have overseas visitors, a memorable finish to a day out at Piha (and a great way to show off Auckland!) would be dinner at Elevation with its stunning views of the city twinkling at night. It made such an impression on us that we have booked Elevation for our Wedding reception next year!

by Zoe F.
21st August 2011

I hadn’t been to Elevation for 6 years as the last experience wasn’t great. However we decided we should give it a go again since it is only 10 mins from our place in Henderson.

The positive:

-The food we received was amazing! Highly recommend the Thai Prawn Curry!!

-The staff were very friendly.

Things that could be worked on:

-The waitress (who admitted she was new) forgot completely about our starters, however she was very apologetic and helpful. The other waitress however almost seemed over confident and forgot to bring us water when we requested it (something pretty straight forward).

-Our booking made the day before wasn’t recorded and tables were being set up around us like they had just opened. Would be good to have it set up earlier not while customers are arriving.

-The toilets are a bit of a let down and were in need of a restock.

Overall though, the manager is very friendly and I can tell trying to bring Elevation up to a high standard and I hope this feedback is appreciated. Would I go back again soon? Absolutely!

by Danny G.
12th July 2011

Visited 3rd July for my first visit. Really liked the settings, although I can imagine that parking can become difficult when it is busy!

Waitress was very friendly, our order was taken within an acceptable time, we weren’t left waiting like in some places.

The food didn’t take too long, well my open steak sandwich didn’t – the fries on the other hand took about 20minutes by which time I’d eaten the steak sandwich. I also had to remind the waitress, who said “they are coming now” and still took another 10 mins.

I think someone forgot to put my fries on.

However, the portion was excellent and the fries well cooked.

My medium steak was great and really tasty. The portion size for the price was very good, although my only criticism with this is that fries should be included as in many other cafes.

My wife had the chicken quesadilla (sp) and the portion size was also very acceptable for the price

Overall a great first visit for me to Elevation Cafe and I will go back. The stunning scenery and the views of Auckland are well worth it and the food is excellent. I have already recommended Elevation to others.

I just wish they would ease up on the use of pepper!

If, like me, you don’t like a lot of black pepper on EVERYTHING, fries included, ask for no pepper and put your own on!

I will return to the Elevation soon…

by Daniel
27th June 2011

Positive:

1, The waitresses were very friendly.

2, My aged Eye fillet was pretty good.

Negative:

1, not lighting from outside, Scenic Drive is a long, twisty and narrow road, being middle of nowhere this I was very surprised that there was no light-sign.

2, once we parked our car and make our way to the restaurant, there was no lighting either, while it was only less than 15 meters of walk you would still think some light would be helpful and make a decent presentation.

3, once inside it was pretty cold, there as a fireplace but it was nowhere near enough to warm up the place. my mother could not take her thick coat off during the whole meal.

4, the portions are pretty small for the price and the given class of the restaurant, calamari was 16 dollars and only had 3 pieces. though it was not bad, it was not world class either.

5, the plates were not heated so with room temperature so low the food quickly got cold.

6, both me and my wife ordered eye-fillet, I asked for medium-rare and she asked for medium. mine turned out ok and hers was definitely well-done, there was no red whatsoever.

7, my mother’s lamb rack was pretty small too, considering the price.

8, all three mains were steak or lamb rack, but we were nto provided with no steak knife. It was pretty hard to cut using normal knife. I did not ask for steak knives because I figured if they didnt already give us, they probably dont have them.

9, the pizza was quite average, I am not sure if I am expecting too much for 22 dollars.

overall comment:

for a cafe, Elevation isnt too bad, but as a fine-dining restaurant (certainly priced as such), it has many things it needs to work on.

Comment from Mary E. of Elevation – HIGHEST Restaurant/Cafe in AKLD. 27/06/2011    Hide »

Hi my name is Boun and I have been managing Elevation from the 1…    More »

Hi my name is Boun and I have been managing Elevation from the 1 June. I have been trying to improve the quality of service here and have been getting nothing but positive feedback from the customers I have dealt with. Your review has concerned me and I will take corrective action. Can you advise me what day you came to the restaurant so I know which waitress it was you dealt with and who was in the Kitchen as we have never had a bad review on our food.

by David H.
19th June 2011

We had a wonderful time; the fire was cosy, and the staff were friendly and enthusiastic. We had the flat bread with dips to start with, which was delicious. Then we shared an informal pizza meal on the sofa (at our request) and it was tasty, hot, and timely.
Given all the comments made by previous customers about the bathrooms, I’d like to make a special mention of the dried flower arrangement at the bottom of the stairs – which is lovely!

by Bethie
5th June 2011

Friends invited us to dinner here. Stunning view. Empty Cafe. About 4? wait staff around the bar, laughing and chatting. But still, no one even approached our table for a long time. Drinks took so long to get to us. Even water took ages. It’s not like you were busy…! Specials weren’t mentioned. I asked what the pasta special was, waitress didn’t know. She went to check and came back with every special except pasta. Had to go back and check again. Hello? Brought dessert menus to our table before clearing even one dirty plate!!! Didn’t even know how to make a special coffee. Gave two little kids an adult size SOUP SPOON to eat their dessert with. Apalling service, absolutely unbelieveably bad, from wait staff who were just not interested in serving us or doing their job. And not even worth complaining because I doubt whether anyone there would even care. I don’t know how you manage to stay in business if this is how you treat your customers. We spent nearly $300 with you, what a waste of an evening, and a waste of a view. Never again.

by Tracey A.
20th May 2011

We have eaten here heaps of times and the food is great but have just called to book a table for later tonight and was shocked at the response I got. When I asked if they had any tables free the guy said ‘depends what time you want to come … I said about 8 – 8.30 …. he said ermmmm not sure if we will still be open then it depends how the night goes if it gets busy we will stay open so you might be ok but if its quiet we will close. He never asked me how many people it was for and made it sound like they had no bookings and they could be shutting early depending on how busy it gets!! Obviously not his business … he said we should call before setting off to check they are still open !! Decided not to waste my time and have just booked our party of 8 people into another restaurant who were happy to take our booking. I know its winter but come on guys make an effort 8 main meals wine and all the extras … ?? do the maths

by Kim K.
9th May 2011

Spent my Mothers day lunch with my family at this Cafe. Food was amazing everyone of us had different items on the Menu and everything was perfect. I believe this place has new owners. Well they have got a lot of work ahead of them if they want to put this absolutely beautiful view restaurant on the map. Tables were dirty, staff were very slow at taking orders. Drinks arrived at least 30 minutes after we were seated. Very slow at taking orders or drinks coming but the food definitely made up for the lack of service in the dining room. Water should be offered or at least drinks taken on arrival.

by Shannon C.
10th April 2011

Was hesitant to try this place.. but WOW!! We were very impressed. We arrived just after 6 and were greeted warmly, a lovely autumn evening we were given the option if sitting outside which we did as the view was stunning. The waiter a (young salamlian man) was excellent right from beginning to end we tipped him he was so good, the food was absolutely delicious everything perfectly cooked and arrived in no time. We will be going back as we thoroughly enjoyed our experience here. I highly recommend anyone to give this place a try it is worth the beautiful drive. If you are going to sit outside take a jumper it’s definitely worth it.

by hannah b.
14th February 2011

the view is incredible, but unfortunately the managers haven’t capitalised on a good thing. Elevation – due to the location – has so much potential, but its spoiled by inexperienced staff, uncleanliness and sometimes bad food.

On arrival the waitress pointed far across the dining room and outside to indicate our table “you see that one? no not that one, that one behind, yes..no…yes”… rather than simply showing us to it.

The table, though reserved, had not been wiped clean – I had to ask. The cutlery wasn’t sufficiently clean. The menus: splotched ink, tattered and incorrect. The “flat bread with a selection of dips” came out as bread with a bowl containing supermarket pesto (the pungent bitter oily type) and below average tomato salsa (tasted like it came from a can) – placed in the same bowl so that they blended together. Needless to say I ate the bread and left the dip.

I think the chefs take shortcuts, compromising quality and hygiene.

The positive side is that the coffee was good and the view superb. I think the service is getting there but needs some constructive direction. Elevation needs a bit of a shape up – it could be thriving with customers.

by Avi S.
13th January 2011

i have extensive hospitality experience in many roles and in several countries.

went with the in laws for an evening meal. positives first…food was good, view was awesome.

negatives.

head waiter was tweaking like a crackhead (i suspect he was) and made no sense. i had to ask one of the waitresses to have him leave us alone as i was very uncomfortable with him close.

the service was chaotic and poor. the lights were on full noise until well after dark (which may explain our hopped up friends sketchiness).

i had to chase drinks.
the waitresses are nice, pretty young ladies that had no idea of what role they needed to perform. had they had any leadership that would be an easy fix.

the place is a bit shabby, and we had to ask for cutlery to which the waiter replied “oh they’ve taken that away”. that didn’t make sense as there were no tables set in the restaurant.its a small thing i know but i dont like being lied to especially by incompetent freaks.

we eventually became so uncomfortable we had to leave. we still had a half bottle of wine that we decided to take with us as it was paid for. we were told (politely) that this wasn’t policy as they had no byo licence (fair enough) however we werent going to stay and finish it and we werent going to leave it. when i tried to explain why i was told i had a personal issue with the waiter. and his behaviour was explained as due to his mental issues-i dont believe that, as no place that i have been to that charges thirty dollrs for mains would employ a person that disturbed as the dominant personality at the front of house.

i would like to go back for the pizza and the view and the reasonably priced beer but i wont pay to serve myself and be harrassed by drug addled staff.

IN RESPONSE TO THE OWNERS COMMENTS…

apologies to your friend for my mistaking him for a druggy. however as his behaviour is manifestly bizzarre i would consider having someone monitor him and restrict his roles.you are obviously nice people. you just have no concept of customer service.

it was easy to make a mistake re the role of the waiter as he was the only contact we had with your staff. he seated us, got us the grubbiest menus i have ever seen, then attempted to take our orders. where were your staff? where were you? i can only assume you were the bloke in the basketball outfit hanging around in the corner.

your attempt to make our distress our own fault because we didn’t seek YOU out to complain about the bizzarre behaviour of your staff epitomizes the attitude we saw there. for starters where were you? certainly not running the floor like you should have been. the fact that there were well and truly enough staff to keep the few customers happy means no one was doing their jobs-you included.
you assume prior knowledge. why would we have it? do i need to research before i come? not only that but i made a complaint to your waitress-she didn’t explain him nor did she tell anyone else (ie you) to do so.
i make a mean pizza and heinekens are cheap at the moment, even out west. why the hell would i pay restaurant prices when i can get the same food and drink at home cheaper and without the hassle. there has to be a reason to go to you-you dont provide one. first time customers dont want to have to figure out the idosyncracies of your establishment. they just want decent food and good service-YOU are the HOST. it is up to YOU to make them comfortable.
i drive past you twice a day, and will continue to drive past. i feel no desire to spend another dollar or minute in your establishment. they are both too hard to come by these days.

Comment from Mary E. of Elevation – HIGHEST Restaurant/Cafe in AKLD. 15/01/2011    Hide »

Hi, I am the owner of Elevation. The person you are referring…    More »

Hi, I am the owner of Elevation.

The person you are referring to is a personal friend of mine for over 20 years. He is not and never was a crackhead, and I am very offended that you refer to my friend in that way. Yes he has a special condition that makes him act differently to others, but please do not judge him until you get to know him which you will then realise that he has the biggest heart in the world; probably why he showed you so much attention.

I apologize that this attention made you uncomfortable, which you should have mentioned it to the manager or myself who was there that night.

I am surprised that with your years of experience in hospitality all over the world that you could not identify that all he did was clear tables and run drinks, my friend is flattered that you would think that he is a head waiter, he is not even a waiter because his condition makes it hard for him to write. I let my friend come and help out at my restaurant because he does not have a job because people judge him without knowing him.

You should know that our regular customers really like his company once they got to know him and ask for him when he is not around.

Unfortunately in this circumstance he was an annoyance to you which I apoligise again. I have spoke to him about how he should deal with future customers, but DO NOT call my friend a CRACKHEAD!!

I have recently take over ownership and am slowly refurbishing, which you probably noticed with the amazing re-stained deck over-hanging the Waitakere Ranges with views to the Coromandel, and the beautiful garden in the front courtesy of my mum.

My friend and I hold no hard feeling and if you would like to come back and get to know us we will welcome you with a friendly hand shake.

by wendy c.
30th December 2010

we LOVE it!!!! great local dining, staff friendly, and very helpful, meals are Divine!!!! my husband and I had the aged eye fillet last night, and my husband {very fussy} said that this was the best eye fillet he has ever had!!! and staff were very happy to change the garlic/herb mash and steamed veges {these go with eye fillet on the menu} to a salad, which was what I preferred, and still charged us the same.We will definitely be back!!!! very very happy with the service, not to mention the view is spectacular!!!

by Astrid G.
29th December 2010

My family took me to lunch on the 29 Dec 2010 for my birthday – what a major disappointment! We had to remind the waitress for the first round of drinks we had ordered as they took ages to arrive – she said “oh yes, I’ve forgotten those”! We then waited an hour for our lunch to arrive – the plates were brought out in fits and starts which meant we had to wait for everyone’s food to arrive before we could start eating, the chips were ice cold and the batter on the fish was burned, the sour cream was off – she took it back to the kitchen and came back to tell us that there was no more sour cream due to it “separating because of the hot kitchen” – dont you keep your dairy products in the fridge?! The quesadilla was not worth $19.50 and we never did get the second beer we ordered. The service was shocking and the only good thing there was the view. When we arrived and were shown to our table which we had reserved when we rang to book our lunch and after being shown to our table by the waiter, the waitress came rushing over to tell us that the table was reserved and that we couldn’t sit there – we told her we knew it was reserved – for us actually! The food was at best very mediocre and the service was appallingly slow or non-existent – it’s been a long time since we have had such an unpleasant dining experience. Definitely not worth the trip there!

by Tommy G.
12th November 2010

Wednesday 10th was fabulous, I`d sent a friend there thinking it was jam night and felt bad that I`d got the dates wrong anyway he decided to ask if he could play music to the diners there which he did, and the music was simply beautiful and enjoyed by the diners inside,The place was alive the food looked and tasted divine, the ambience and music exquisite,thank you D, the accoustics fantastic.

by Anon
3rd November 2010

Love it! Went there for the first time with my partner and a client, really enjoyed the service it was so cheerful and classy and professional. Loved sitting by the fireplace and enjoyed entrees. Will be back for sure.

by louise a.
25th October 2010

We had noticed the ‘under new management’ sign, as previously had heard bad reviews. After a day at the beach, we were looking to satisfy our grumbling tummies with yummy eats & good coffee. The day was a stunner & we got a table perfectly positioned on the sunny deck. The 3 off us decided to start with water/coffee, then to share a couple of pizzas, fries and a chicken caesar salad.
The waitress came to take our order, then expecting the water/coffees to arrived soonish, still after approx 25mins still no drinks. 2 tables behind us, who arrived after us – had been given drinks/food before us, although noticing their food also arrived before their drinks.
1 pizza & fries was then given to the table behind us, who arrived after us & the man said, oh thanks, I didn’t realise the pizza came with fries. The pizza doesn’t come with fries, this was our order. The waiter took the fries away, I have no idea where & then the waiter proceeded to take the pizza from their table & give to us!!!!

Unbelieveable.

The other pizza, salad & cold fries, that had been walked throught the restaurant, looking for the correct table arrived & were now cold.
Still no water/coffees. At this point I was over the coffee, as pizza & coffee isn’t really an ideal mix together.

The staff seemed totally disorganised & not at all working as a team. As workers in the hospitality industry, we have expectations, like most people when we dine. This experience was a total disaster. The view/location is fantastic, however I hope the new management have some big ideas on how to train staff to cope with daily service.

Upon leaving, the waiter & waitress apologised for the delays & said we were not prepared for today being so busy. The day was a public holiday & not being prepared is a poor excuse, also, there was no mention/signage of the surchange applying.

As a local resident & a first timer, I will not be recommending this resturant as a place to dine.

by Helyn
19th August 2010

Our work had a very enjoyable evening at Elevation, we arrived after seeing a show in town and were greeted and shown to our table. I had pre booked as their was quite a few of us.The meal was lovely and we all got our meals delivered at the same time.The fire was lit the service was excellent and Mike even took a photo of our group for us. Well done! Would love to go back in the day to see the view although the night view was awesome.

by Mandy
12th August 2010

I was pleasantly surprised as I had read reviews that were quite mixed.

My husband and I went with family to celebrate my mum’s birthday. It was a cold, rainy winters night in June and we were pleased come into the warmth.

The first thing we marvelled at was the stunning view of Auckland City. I had reserved a table but I had forgotten to request one with a view. However I was delighted that our table had a magnificent view, in the corner right next to the large windows.

We experienced very attentive service and enjoyed our food. The wine and coffee was also very good.

We would definitely go back and I have already recommended it to people.

by norma
11th August 2010

I must say I am surprised, even a little skeptical, to read of the bad dining experience of the person who had to wait 15-20 minutes for a table. I’m especially surprised to read that “waitresses and waiters passed us numerous times.” My friends and I go to Elevation often and I’ve never actually seen a waiter there, nor noticed a multitude of scurrying waitresses! Neither have I ever known anyone to wait that long for a table, even in the past, when, admittedly, the service was poor and the restaurant was busy. However, if it’s true, perhaps a simple “Excuse me” after three or four minutes might have solved the problem; but I guess it’s easier, and more fun to spit anonymous venom on a web site. Oh, and that “dirty” toilet door that someone mentioned? That “someone” must have ex-ray eyes! The toilets are downstairs, and there are two doors between the restaurant and the disabled toilet! But still – don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story, eh? Speaking personally, I’d just as soon not share my local with people who want to winge and complain, but I also note that many of the reviews are quite dated. Recently, with a new manager, new wait staff and an excellent chef, dining there has been nothing but a pleasure. The place bubbles with life, the staff is courteous and helpful, the atmosphere friendly and relaxed, and the food is superb. Maybe some of the reviewers should give it another try.

by Kevin
2nd August 2010

Went down to Elevation on last Friday night with my partner on a friends recommendation and I must say that my experience has been very different from the previous reviewers which surprises me a bit.

The service staff were friendly and attentive and our drinks were promptly delivered to our table.

The Food was excellent….. I had the eye fillet on Creamy herbed potato mash and wild mushroom sauce (mushroom sauce was superb) and my partner had the Fish of the day which was a wonderful Tarakihi on Roasted winter veges with a creamy basil & parmesan sauce. Both our meals were delightful and the view and ambience is beautiful. We will definitely be back.

by Libby
20th July 2010

Took my sister for lunch prior to her heading off on her big OE. What a disappointment. It was a Thursday. We were the only customers (which straight away makes you wonder why!) and were told half the menu was unavailable and pizza and chips were pretty much it. It took ages and was very unimpressed with the pizza. The view is amazing, but not impressed and don’t think I will be back.

by Kimberley G.
20th July 2010

I took my partner to elevation cafe and restaurant as he has never been before. We booked a table that day and arrived just a few minutes off the time we had booked it for. As we walked in I thought phew, there are plenty of tables available anyway if they had placed someone else on ours. We acknowledged our booking and were asked to take a seat by the fire and wait.

And wait we did. For a good 15 – 20 minutes we were waiting on the couch by the fire. Uncomfortably positioned right next to a couple dinning and a straight view into the kitchen where we watched a chef peering out into the half filled restaurant.

We watched the manager and his sidekick both serve a couple that were dealing with their bill. One of them at the time could have escorted us to our seats. We had waitress staff and waiters walk past us countless times and not any of them communicating to us to let us know what has happpened to our table.

I thought at one point the manager was coming over with menues but instead he walked to another table. I was beside myself, not ever have I had to wait that long to be seated in a half empty restaurant even without a booking!

Shocking.

We eneded up leaving and driving all the way back to Titirangi to have a lovely meal at Takahe restaurant.

by Kate
26th May 2009

View is amazing and the food for me has always been an absolute pleasure, what really lets it down is the staff, coffee takes forever, very impolite, I’ve even had my coffee forgotten!

It could be such an amazing place, it is truly beautiful and the inside also has a lot of potential, but the bad service is what holds me back from going there.

by Cinnamon E.
18th May 2009

I am a long term resident of Waiatarua and frequent patron of Elevation. I have read reviews and am wondering if we are referring to the same Elevation Restaurant.

I noticed in one review that the customer was critical about a toilet opening directly into the dining space. If fact the toilets at Elevation are on a lower downstairs level. There is a disabled toilet on the same level but there are 3 doorways, a passageway and a bathroom between this toilet and the dinning area.

Also interesting to note the criticism regarding the kitchen area not being screened from the dinning area. A screen was removed about 2 1/2 years ago when the kitchen was overhauled (I am quite comfortable seeing where my food is prepared).

As for the food, I have also experienced some variation in quality and I believe this may be a consequence of changing chefs. My experiences over the last year has ranged from good to excellent.

Many of my friends regularly visit Elevation for meals, coffee and after work drinks.

by K.Ryan
10th May 2009

We went to Elevation Cafe today for a Mother’s Day breakfast. A group of 7 of us dined and we were all extremely disappointed with not only the lack of service but also with the unexpected dead rodent in the corner of the room, right by our table!!

When we alerted the staff the waitress shrieked and ran off to get management. Upon management arriving with her bright yellow glove, hand up, she proceeded to pick up the rodent, walked outside to the balcony, where said rodent was thrown off the balcony in front of all shocked dining patrons. Upon her arrival back into the restaurant she was casual with her apology i.e. “sorry for the interruption”. This was all that was said on the matter.

Our table was flabbergasted at the brutal disposal of the rodent and the casual attitude given to this.

The staff were very rude and did not seem to care about our distress in finding the rodent and witnessing the way in which it was dealt with.

The staff and service was rather lacklustre in general.

Upon leaving, we thought we would get at least an apology for the experience we incurred, but to no avail.

Needless to say whilst yes the view is fantastic, none of our party will ever be going back to Elevation Cafe.

A great disappointment indeed, especially on Mother’s Day.

by Epicure
8th March 2009

I have to agree with the reviewer above and say that the only thing this place has going for it is the view. We only had coffee there, as the brunch menu did not appeal, but the standard of the restaurant was appalling. Beer bottles and rubbish were in plain view, as was the kitchen. The toilet was right off the dining room, and you could see the door was filthy. The waitresses’ black t-shirts were also grimy. And yes, the coffee was burnt.

by Melissa C.
27th December 2008

Judging from the comment below the person must have been having a very bad day,and with an attitude like that it’s no wonder you thought service,food and anything else you could pick at was beyond rude. My experience happened to be the complete opposite food was superb,coffee and alcohol was amazing, service was fantastic ( i even tipped!!) and to top it all off weather and views were perfect i could not have asked for a more beautiful experience. all in all we enjoyed ourselves, if you haven’t been before don’t let the rude woman’s experience put you off.

by Samantha L.
28th April 2008

The only thing Elevation has going for it is the view, so if you are going you better hope it’s a nice day.

We went on a Sunday morning for brunch and first off I noticed that it was absolutely freezing inside and people were wearing jackets and hats. We were then given a menu, printed on paper only, not even laminated, which contained about 4 options, which granted, were the standard breakfast choices of any cafe. Looking at how steep the prices were I thought I must be in for a real treat but alas….not the case. I found the staff to be very uninterested, borderline rude. First our coffee arrived which was burnt beyond recognition, our breakfast followed quickly…too quickly obviously because everything was cold. The food was completely un-imaginative and most people could have done better at home for about one third of the price…….Chef…have you heard of seasoning?

Overall not a good dining experience considering that the distance to get there is so great, you aren’t exactly just popping down the road…….

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