Ordering the obvious from the menu at The Oyster Inn, Waiheke Island.
Ordering the obvious from the menu at The Oyster Inn, Waiheke Island.
In their own words: “Deliciously simple, coastal-inspired bistro.”
First impressions: The restaurant door was approximately 10 paces from our on-site luxury accommodation door. Our table for two was on the beautifully lit terrace that looks towards the ocean. All dinnertime commutes should be this romantic.
In the kitchen: Helen andJosh Emett bought The Oyster Inn in 2020. Emett (Onslow and opening-in-October Gilt) oversees a menu that is co-developed with, and delivered by, head chef Valentina Adornato.
On the floor: Innkeeper Sam Horton offered charming and laid-back service - the kind of easy company you want when you’re taking time to breathe a bit deeper, eat well and forget you are taking a ferry back to work in the morning.
The neighbourhood: The Oyster Inn sits smack in the middle of Oneroa village, a 2km walk, or five-minute public bus ride, from the Matiatia Ferry Terminal. The retail strip mixes classic tourist fare (beach wear, local crafts and fancy icecream) with residential essentials (the 4 Square, pharmacy and wine shop).
The menu: From high-end snacks - think Bluff oyster rolls or fries with a seasonal Braemar Estate truffle upgrade - to steak frites and the Sunday roast (porchetta or beef scotch with all the trimmings), this is a restaurant that understands the need to be many things to many people. I eavesdropped on an early birthday celebration (she loved the mussel linguine) and I was certain that no one else in town - or, for that matter, the city - was offering a salt-baked onion starter (see below).
Salt-baked and sumptuous - the best onion on Waiheke Island (and beyond).
Best bite #1: They’re still working on the wording, confided Sam. They absolutely don’t need to work on the recipe. The salt-baked onion was a supermodel in fleecy pyjamas - possibly the most glamorous comfort food I’ve encountered and easily the best vegetable of this reviewing year. Texturally, it reminded me of the onions that sink to the bottom of a slow-simmered pot of corned beef - soft and slightly fudgy. Smothered in suede-smooth cheddar sauce, it could have been boring but for the punchline - tangy powdered tomato and crunchy buckwheat. Our night included a dozen oysters; this dish, in its own quiet way, was equally luxe.
Best bite #2: I have a borderline obsession with seaweed butter, a magical surf-and-turf combination that begs a second mouthful. At The Oyster Inn, it was integral to the pan-fried market fish served with cockles, leek and cabbage. Succulent john dory sat on a slurry of soft greens and briny butter. Slurp the sauce from a cockle shell for extra intensity. I had imagined this might be a lighter dish than the giant slabs of crackling-rimmed porchetta with yorkshire pudding, roast vege and truffle gravy ordered across the table. Nope.
Market fish swimming in seaweed butter, from the menu at Waiheke Island's The Oyster Inn. Photo / Supplied
The jury’s still out: Zero complaints about the food, ambience or service. But how about that Fullers Ferry price hike . . . ???
On the side: Oysters, obviously. They had Bluffies but I have developed a taste for Waiheke’s own. We ordered six battered and six raw Te Matuku Bay oysters - fat, firm and 83c cheaper apiece. The even more budget conscious might consider taking their kai moana via the $14 market fish sausage roll. Whimsical and delicious.
Dessert: There was just no room. Fortunately, back in our actual room (courtesy of an excellent winter bed-breakfast-and-restaurant-voucher deal I’d spotted online earlier that month) the complimentary snacks included fresh fruit and miniature Whittaker’s almond chocolate bars. Never underestimate the capacity of a vacationing stomach after a little lie-down.
Perfect for: Daytrippers who might want to make a night of it.
How much: Not counting the oysters and absolutely counting several drinks since we didn’t have to drive, our bill came to $241.
The liquid refreshment list here is encyclopaedic to say the least but I’m really fond of the way the oenophiles at The Oyster Inn have grouped their wines into sections such as “Crisp, Fresh Whites” featuring riesling, garganega, albarino, chenin blanc, pinot blanc, sauvignon blanc — in fact, all the blancs. Then there’s “Textural Whites”, which includes pinot gris, savagnin from Jura, marsanne, viogner, gruner veltliner, fiano, carricante, trebbiano and an amber chinuri from Pheasant’s Tears in Georgia. One of the greatest wine and food pairings ever invented would be oysters and Chablis, so to see some of the world’s greatest Chablis on The Oyster Inn’s list gets the blood fizzing. Seguinot, Denis Race, Billaud Simon, Malandes – it’s all here but expect to pay between $110 and $390 a bottle. The “Pink” list features agiorgitiko from Greece, six elite rosés from Provence and great local examples from Tantalus, Two Rivers and Butterworth. “Chilled reds” (they’re a thing) include luscious, spicy-light styles from Scout, Bink and Jumping Juice. “Savoury and Juicy Reds” include syrah, shiraz and GSM blends from around the world. If you want gamay, sangiovese, or nebbiolo, that’s where you’ll find it. Aglianico, zinfandel, tempranillo, cabernet, montepulciano, corvina? They’re on the “Full-bodied Reds” list. Between $15 and $28 is what you’ll pay for a glass, so massage your wallet for that, or settle into a negroni, a salted caramel espresso martini or something from their “Gin in the Sun” menu. Now who wouldn’t want a gin in the sun during these winter months, right?
