The Gables Osteria & Enoteca

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#3 of 18 Restaurants in Russell₱₱₱₱, Italian, Seafood, Vegetarian friendly

+64 9-403 7670+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Mon

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Tue

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Wed

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Thu

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Fri

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Sat

12:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

1,166 reviews

#3 of 18 Restaurants in Russell

Travelers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

₱407.00 – ₱1,086.00

CUISINES

Italian, Seafood, European, British, Contemporary, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

19 The Strand, Russell 0202 New Zealand

+64 9-403 7670

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Is this a British restaurant?

Yes

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About

New Zealand's oldest operating Restaurant. The Gables Osteria & Enoteca in a stunning waterfront setting.

PRICE RANGE

₱407.00 – ₱1,086.00

CUISINES

Italian, Seafood, European, British, Contemporary, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Waterfront

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4.5

1,166 reviews

Excellent

786

Very good

271

Average

Poor

Terrible

Concerto

2 contributions

Historical character on the Russell waterfront

Dec 2019 • none

This is the most charming restaurant in Russell. Built in 1847 on whalebone foundations it just oozes character. The food is absolutely delicious and we enjoyed a relaxed dinner overlooking the water with twinkling lights in the distance. The goats cheese pannacotta and the duck liver parfait were outstanding entrees. The crispy skinned gurnard was a generous service and perfectly cooked. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful and service could not be faulted. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the Bay of Islands.

Written January 8, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Foodie4food

Auckland242 contributions

Worth booking ahead

Jan 2021 • couples

With summer stunning views and an evening sunset ambience that is so Russell and so unique . DO book ahead for a window seat ! or if you are a group or family outside and across the road at one of the large tables even closer to the water but with a definitely more relaxed feel. Good menu and wine list To sit inside in the windows wide open and enjoy the view with their stunning fresh local oysters a warm pretzel roll and a glass of chilled bubbles is a simple yet beautiful thing and my favourite way to enjoy the summer break The whole snapper is a meal for 2 people but do try the crispy potatoes and roast courgette with capers and and my pick the Adffogato and one of the local cheeses all superb! I like that wait staff recommend sides with meals for hungry looking teens ( I overheard this at the next table and I’m sure it wAs appreciated , nothing worse than leaving a restaurant with young adults saying they are “ still hungry “). An iconic local restaurant that wins hands down in Russell as my most romantic pick because if the view doesn’t win you the food and attentive service will ! Highly recommend and if you found this helpful please give me a thumbs up

Written January 12, 2021

Mark E

Redlands43 contributions

Exquisite seafood

Feb 2020 • none

Fresh seafood in a lovely old restaurant (Established in 1847) in the quaint seaport town of Russell, the oysters were in the bay that morning! The ambiance was terrific and the only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars was the service. The waiter seemed preoccupied and required prodding to take his attention away from his cell phone. Other than that, The Gables is worth a visit.

Written March 5, 2020

LandC46

Auckland265 contributions

The Review “Rip-off” mirrors our experience. Not a happy one.

Feb 2021 • couples

The Ripoff review came too late to help. But we must echo it. Sadly this return visit of ours (after a happy experience several years ago) was marred from the outset by an unhelpful encounter with the management regarding our online booking. This booking could not be found and we were sharply informed that it had to be our fault! Just as well we had decided to check the night prior to the booking date. We were grudgingly offered alternative times because our preferred time of 7pm was allegedly already fully booked. However the following night showed this claim to be spurious as many tables were clearly free at that time. Our waitress offered a meagre service. The pork dish was almost inedible due to toughness. The single piece of cheese serving was dry and seemed to have been left out too long. The accompanying fancy dry “crackers” seemed more focussed on style than something pleasant to eat. Oh, and I know that sometimes any venue marking of a special event can these days seem formulaic, it would have been nice if there had at least been a verbal acknowledgment from the servers.

Written March 4, 2021

Dennis J

Hamilton641 contributions

Not quite what we hoped for.

Nov 2020 • couples

It's a nice place to be in and the view from our table was great The staff were friendly and interesting about the history of the property. However, the "but" is that fish of the day meals were both extremely small and also overcooked, to the point where the fish was dry. When we saw the portion size we had to immediately order a couple of side dishes and the waiter could have told us that would be a good idea. I suspect we just picked the wrong meal on the wrong night.

Written November 16, 2020

BittenByTheBug

8 contributions

Food was lovely save for the plastic in the bread

Dec 2020 • none

Lovely views, gourmet food (try the oysters: wow!) but we found the wait staff lacking. When I informed her there was plastic in the bread, and showed her the plastic which clearly came from inside the bread, she replied with “oh” and took the plates away. She returned with the dessert menu. We did not get an apology from her nor the chef or manager, we were not offered any type of discount or offered a free drink... nothing. If this issue happened at McDonald’s inside a $5 burger management would be falling over themselves to make amends, but a $16 side dish at The Gables may contain plastic and the staff won’t care. Not good enough, especially when we were the only ones in the restaurant until one other customer came in for a solo lunch, book in tow.

Written December 10, 2020

Kiwichicks

Auckland8 contributions

Ripoff

Feb 2021 • none

We reserved a table for 8pm and as we have a dog, needed an outside table. We arrived just before 8pm and were told to wait until a table was ready. After standing around for 15 minutes and witnessing another table being given to someone else, we said we would go for a walk and they replied they would call us when a table was available. Around 9:30 we walked back to the restaurant as we had no other alternatives as other restaurants were full. They had cleared down 2 tables and said they were about to call us. We ordered 2 x pork bellies, and when they arrived after 10pm, we were shocked by the tiny portion size, not to mention that my portion compared to my wife's was vastly different (attached photo is the big portion). For $36 for a slice of pork belly the length and thickness of a fork and the rest of the dish being basically purees and leaves, definitely not value for money. The manager didn't even have the courtesy to apologise for the table issue. We spoke to other locals in Russell who said that they don't go to the restaurant as they are not prepared to pay stupid tourist prices. Don't waste your time or good money. We have been to fine dining restaurants in Auckland which don't rip people off like they do here.

Written February 15, 2021

Miriama_1x

Wellington33 contributions

Taste sensation

Feb 2021 • couples

The food was absolutely delicious - layers of taste sensations. Not only is this the oldest restaurant in NZ, the staff are friendly and attentive. I have a restricted diet, but the chef was able to accommodate my requirements at short notice to produce superb food. Check this place out - it has a gorgeous waterfront position, too.

Written February 9, 2021

Michelle A

Auckland Central37 contributions

Underwhelmed

Dec 2020 • none

I had bought vouchers for this restaurant before we came to Russell as i had always wanted to try this lovely looking restaurant on the waterfront. We were extremely disappointed with the menu selection so ended up with the fish and chips. Very expensive and no better than the fish and chips at a much cheaper place. Service wasn’t great either. Won’t be back.

Written December 26, 2020

Toni-Wayne

Christchurch448 contributions

Lovely dinner

Apr 2021 • none

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here. Delicious food - standouts were the fish which was a perfectly cooked piece of blue nose, the duck and the starter of cured trevally. Service was very good and they have a good wine selection with plenty of local wines to choose from. On the night we were there, it was raining so we had to sit inside, but it would be nice on a warm summer night to sit outside... the views are stunning.

Written April 23, 2021

johnsB7592GU

Poole7 contributions

Loved it

Jan 2020 • none

Visited The Gables for dinner. One of is vegetarian but we didn’t need to have been concerned about this since they catered very well. The vegetarian eggplant meal was superb in flavour and wonderfully presented. The fish dish my wife has she claimed was the best she had eaten in Russell. The cheese board and port were out of the world. The staff were superb the whole evening. Recommend wholeheartedly to anyone.

Written January 30, 2020

dog m

Birkenhead50 contributions

Massive improvement. Well worth it’s rating

Jun 2020 • couples

Having said I would never eat here again after a very disappointing experience a few years ago (poor service and boring food) we were reluctant to give it a second chance but everything else was booked out Gables you’ve certainly upped your game and redeemed yourself Service was attentive and friendly, menu was interesting, dishes arrived promptly without feeling rushed. wine list was comprehensive ( although a little safe) and a bonus was everything was by the glass if you bought two. Quality of the food was very good. Both mains were specials both were really nicely presented and full of flavour but both could have done with a minute less in the pan. But that was the only slight criticism. Gables has been around for 172 years. Unlike our last visit on this showing it’ll be serving up quality dishes for a good while more!

Written June 3, 2020

Alastair McKay

Malvern Hills26 contributions

Over-rated, over-priced, under-staffed

Dec 2023 • couples

My wife and I dined here twice this week. On Sunday night it was virtually empty, and we had good service. The food was good, if expensive given the standard of cuisine. We ended up here a second time on Tuesday night, as we couldn’t get in to the other places we wanted to go. Big mistake. It was fairly full, but not overflowing. Our starters, the fish crudo, eventually arrived, despite clearly having been prepared well in advance. We then faced a painfully long wait for our main courses. It was clear from the many others waiting a long time that there were insufficient staff in the kitchen and that two, occasionally three waiting staff were inadequate for the numbers of customers - despite the restaurant not being entirely full. Eventually, after failing to be able to get the attention of any of the waiting staff, I got up to go and have a word with the one who had seated us. I asked whether it was worth us waiting longer or whether we should try seeking a meal at another restaurant. The waiter said he would check with the kitchen, and returned to say it would be about 10 minutes more, and asked whether that was ok. We decided on balance to wait, as it was now around 8:10pm (we’d been seated around 6:50pm). I asked for a complementary second glass of wine, given our long wait and that our glasses were long empty; and these were delivered. About three minutes later our main courses arrived - clearly ahead of several other guests who’d be waiting longer, but not had the courage to complain. Having asked for my steak to be cooked rare, I was disappointed that it was overcooked and at best medium rare; but there was clearly no point in sending it back. My wife’s fish was cooked well done, to be fair. The fries were crispy on the top layer, but soggier as one went down the bowl. The salad was an unimaginative lot of huge tough leaves, too big to eat whole. Needless to say we didn’t stay for dessert, which in any case had been disappointing on the previous visit. Then, on going to pay the bill, I was unhappy to find that they were charging us for the second complimentary glass of wine. Only when I protested did the young duty manager remove it. My wife’s comment was to express regret that we hadn’t left before the main course, and I couldn’t disagree. Having visited Italy several times, this restaurant’s pretensions to be an authentic Italian restaurant are a bit of a joke, on a number of fronts. Suffice it to say, if you want fine dining, then make the 15-minute drive out to Sage restaurant at Paroa Bay vineyard where we dined last night, where the food was superb, the waiting staff attentive, knowledgeable and conversational, the ambiance relaxed and the view stunning. And noticeably cheaper than this place, which is to be avoided if remotely busy or during holiday season, and only if you’re happy to pay over the odds for the quality on offer.

Written December 20, 2023

winteringsouth

Leamington Spa26 contributions

A terrible experience, we won't go back

Jul 2021 • couples

We reserved a table for two for dinner, and were assured, if we arrived early, we would get the table by the window. We arrived just as the restaurant was opening; we were in fact the first guests. We were led to a table with a partial view over the water, instead of the table we had reserved. When we complained, we were told, quite unpleasantly, and contrary to prior information, that that table was kept back in case a group of three people showed up. After some insistence, we were given the table we had booked. As my husband sat down, a leg of his chair went through the floorboard. This, in itself, was not a problem for us, and we were ready to continue. At this point the woman who had shown us to our table swooped in, and most unpleasantly, with the words "well that settles it", demanded that we move to the partial-view table, saying that the first table was not going to be given out that evening. Needless to say, after such insulting, officious behaviour, we decided not to stay.

Written July 11, 2021

Carmen P

Santa Fe165 contributions

A pleasant evening

Mar 2020 • none

We made a reservation to sit outside, which is a lovely thing to do on a summer’s evening. We shared a freshly caught whole red snapper, which the waitress graciously removed the bones from. When we asked about a particular wine that we ad enjoyed elsewhere but this restaurant didn’t have, the waitress brought over someone else who knew more about wine to help us make a selection. A very pleasant evening.

Written March 5, 2020

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