Park Restaurant is the dining room of Waitakere Resort & Spa, set on a ridge high above 30 hectares of native forest in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. Though it is only a 30–40 minute drive from downtown Auckland or the airport, the setting feels a world away: the restaurant enjoys panoramic views that stretch across the lush Waitākere Ranges on one side and out to the Auckland skyline on the other.
The kitchen serves premium New Zealand cuisine crafted from the finest local, fresh produce, thoughtfully paired with outstanding local and international wines. Breakfast is served daily from 7:30am until 10am, lunch and High Tea run on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm to 2:30pm, and the à la carte dinner menu — created by the in-house chefs from fresh New Zealand produce — is served nightly from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Menus include plant-based options, and a variety of dietary requirements can be catered for.
Beyond à la carte dining, Park Restaurant is known for its weekend High Tea tradition and for occasions of every size: the dedicated events team works closely with hosts on intimate private dining, engagement celebrations, birthdays, club dinners and family gatherings. Bookings are essential — reserve a table online, call +64 9 814 9622 or email info@waitakereresort.co.nz.
Park Restaurant sits on top of Auckland in the most literal sense. It is the dining room of Waitakere Resort & Spa, perched on a ridge high above 30 hectares of native forest in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, a 30 to 40 minute drive from downtown Auckland or Auckland International Airport. Despite the proximity, the resort's own promise holds true: you can feel miles away from the city while still being within it. The views run in two directions at once — the lush folds of the Waitākere Ranges on one side, the Auckland skyline in the distance on the other.
Getting there is part of the pleasure. You leave the city behind, climb Scenic Drive through the ranges (the road name is no accident) and arrive at quiet grounds fringed by rainforest. For the truly flamboyant, there is even a heli-pad on site — the resort notes that arriving by helicopter, after a stunning scenic flight in, is a genuinely special way to begin a meal.
The kitchen's brief is premium New Zealand cuisine crafted from the finest local, fresh produce, and the menus keep evolving — recent launches include a new à la carte dinner menu created entirely by the in-house chefs from fresh New Zealand produce, alongside a refreshed lunch menu and a new dessert list. On the dinner menu you will find plates like the Lentil Salad; at lunch the hearty Steak & Cheese Pie makes a strong case for a weekend drive west; and afterwards the dessert menu tempts with the Coulant au Chocolate Tarte — the restaurant's own advice is to save enough room for one of its sumptuous desserts after the à la carte entrees and mains.
Dietary needs are handled gracefully rather than as an afterthought: menus include plant-based options and the kitchen caters to a variety of dietary requirements, so mixed groups can order without negotiation.
Mealtimes give the day a gentle rhythm. Breakfast is served daily from 7:30am until 10am — worth lingering over with rainforest and city views. Lunch and High Tea run on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm to 2:30pm, and dinner is served every evening from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
High Tea has become the resort's tastiest tradition, and it is easy to see why: an afternoon of high tea accompanied by spectacular views. It is available exclusively at weekends, by reservation, between 12 noon and 3pm, with groups able to request it Monday to Friday. If you are marking a birthday or hosting visiting family, it is a memorable way to do afternoon tea — high above the treetops rather than down a city lane.
The kitchen does not work alone: premium New Zealand plates are thoughtfully paired with outstanding local and international wines. The same care extends to occasions. Park Restaurant's dedicated events team works closely with hosts on everything from intimate private dining and engagement celebrations to birthdays, club dinners and family gatherings, with the aim that every detail is seamless and truly special. The restaurant sits within a full resort offering — Wairua Day Spa, conference and wedding venues and manicured grounds are all on site, and the resort is 100% New Zealand owned.
Park Restaurant is at 573 Scenic Drive, Waiatarua, within Waitakere Resort & Spa. Bookings are essential — particularly for the à la carte dinner — and can be made through the online booking widget, by calling 09 814 9622 or by emailing info@waitakereresort.co.nz. Allow 30 to 40 minutes from downtown Auckland or the airport, arrive with an appetite, and let the views do the rest.