With the last of the autumn sun still upon us and a long weekend ahead, the most appropriate call to make is to secure plans before the weekend gets underway. With the forecast for sunshine, we suggest setting your sights on Ki Māha for a much-deserved Saturday lunch.
Just a 35-minute ferry ride will transport you to our celebrated island paradise, Waiheke, and there’s no place offering the sort of sensory transportive dining experience like Ki Māha. Located on Onetangi Beach, where a long stretch of white sand and crystal-clear water is the same exacting destination brief that many globetrotters request from their long-suffering travel agents. Except this one is right on our doorstep.
For those in the know, this slice of heaven is less arduous to access and decidedly more elevated and enjoyable than any Caribbean isle.
Positioned with a picture-perfect outlook of the sand and water beyond. But the restaurant itself is where your aesthetic and gastronomic needs will be completely fulfilled.
The stylish interiors evoke the beach clubs and atmosphere of Pampelonne, with the added comfort of an outdoor fire when the temperature calls for it. The service is always impeccable, and the eternally captivating vantage point offers a visual and conversational distraction that, let’s be honest, some lunch companions can require.
The menu is built around modern international flavours and the country’s best produce. Sustainably harvested seafood, ethically farmed meats, fruit and vegetables sourced as close to the island as the season allows.
Start with the Crayfish and Prawn Rolls and Yellow Fin Tuna Tartlet, suitable for pairing with a glass of something crisp and effervescent. After all, we are celebrating the King, and it is customary to do so in a regally resplendent manner.
Follow with an equally monarchical feast of Dry Aged Duck Breast served with oyster mushroom, dates, and a Marmite and cashew cream, then for a table prepared to eat like Kings, the 350g grass-fed Wagyu sirloin, long-fed for 360 days at WX5 plus, arrives with the kind of mineral depth that is revolutionary. Add some truffle fries, and several bottles of Burgundy for good measure.
Rather than letting them eat cake, we suggest a round of affogato for dessert to keep the celebrations alive.
Let the afternoon get away from you, knowing that, unlike some members of the royal family, you’ve made very good decisions. Decisions that don’t involve planes, private or commercial.
