Finding a good place to eat is not easy in Rotorua — at least, not for me. I scoured through the choices of dining establishments at which I considered eating. Number 8 Wire Farm to Plate Restaurant & Bar in Rotorua in New Zealand sounded great to me, as the descriptions of the food appeared to be quite appetizing; and the prices seemed quite reasonable — plus, “farm to plate” implies that the food is fresh — so that is where I decided to dine after a long day.
Number 8 Wire Farm to Plate Restaurant & Bar in Rotorua. Restaurant Review.
I am not sure from where the name Number 8 Wire comes. The exterior of the restaurant did not look impressive; but the interior was quite clean. I was seated at a table near the entrance, with water in a square glass and a small vase with flowers. It was like having the best of dining outside with the best of dining inside.
The server was a young female adult from India. She gave me a tablet, which had the menu electronically on it from which I was to select the item. She was quite nice and friendly as she summarized about her background as to how she wound up in New Zealand from India. The owners of the restaurant seemed like they were also from India; and they were nice as well.
After a long wait, the food finally arrived.
The scallops were seared in a pan. They were served on cauliflower puree with a slice of lemon on the side. This starter was gluten free. $24.00 in New Zealand dollars
The scallops were served with the roe on them. They were delicious. This seemed like the start to a great dinner.
Paired with New Zealand’s “finest Fries” and “elegantly finished with a Mushroom Sauce” as described in the menu, the Butcher’s Choice Scotch Fillet was described on the menu as “timeless perfection”. The French fries were quite good; but they were not nearly the best that I have ever had. As for the steak itself, it was such a colossal disappointment that I did not even finish it because it was tough, fatty, and veiny. I can literally get a better quality steak in a supermarket and cook it better. The mushroom sauce did not help improve matters. $39.00 in New Zealand dollars
Supposedly sourced from the coastal lines of Hawke’s Bay and purportedly grass fed, the Hawke’s Bay Rack Of Lamb was flavorful; but it was also significantly fatty — almost to the point of inedible. It was served with a medley of roasted root vegetables — specifically, potatoes, carrots, and kumara, which is a type of sweet potato. $44.00 in New Zealand dollars
Final Boarding Call
Despite the reasonably good service and the members of the staff being rather pleasantly nice, I unfortunately do not recommend dining at Number 8 Wire Farm to Plate Restaurant & Bar, as the overall experience was disappointing — mainly because of much of the food — but few options exist in Rotorua that would be comparable or better, in my opinion. The ambiance was nice, though.
The entire meal cost a total of $107.00 New Zealand dollars or $67.19 United States dollars — including the surcharge for using a credit card, which is accepted as a form of payment. If the quality of the food was better, I would say that the prices would have been reasonable. With the exception of the scallops, the meal was overpriced due to its remarkably poor quality.
Number 8 Wire Farm to Plate Restaurant & Bar
1139 Tutanekai Street
Rotorua, 3010
New Zealand
+64-021-177-4702
Operating Hours
Open daily from 10:30 in the morning through 10:30 in the evening.
Parking is available along the street.
All photographs ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
