At The Regent Room, dining is something to savour. Set on the ground floor of the Regent of Rotorua boutique hotel on Pukaki Street, this award-winning restaurant serves contemporary New Zealand cuisine built on fresh local produce and seasonal inspiration. The kitchen is led by Chef Alan Haslem, and the menus span sharing plates, tapas, tempting desserts and cheeses — from fresh morning flavours to the final, lingering notes of dessert.
Service runs all day: breakfast is served daily from 7am with barista coffee, loose-leaf tea and made-to-order plates like eggs Benedict or pancakes with maple syrup; lunch follows from 12pm in a bright, relaxed room; High Tea runs daily from 12pm to 3pm (24-hour booking notice required) with delicate sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and sweet pastries paired with tea or bubbles; and dinner begins at 6pm, when the creative à la carte menu is joined by a five-course degustation and a plant-focused degustation for vegetarian diners.
The Regent Room's accolades include multiple Rotorua Hotel Restaurant of the Year awards and Beef & Lamb Excellence awards. The bar matches the kitchen, with a boutique wine list highlighting exceptional New Zealand vineyards alongside international labels, plus a cocktail menu that leans into classic flavours with a modern touch.
Practical touches round it out: a dedicated children's menu, groups and private dining for events and celebrations, takeaway coffee, tea and herbal tisanes with reusable Keep Cups for purchase, and pre-show dining, matinee High Tea and post-show drinks for audiences at the nearby Sir Howard Morrison Centre — bookings recommended on performance nights.
On the ground floor of the Regent of Rotorua boutique hotel on Pukaki Street, The Regent Room Restaurant & Bar has built a loyal following around one simple idea: contemporary New Zealand cuisine, done exceptionally well. The kitchen is led by Chef Alan Haslem, whose menus showcase fresh local produce and seasonal inspiration — from the first flavours of breakfast to the final, lingering notes of dessert.
The room changes character with the hours. By day it's a bright, relaxed space for long lunches or quick catch-ups; as evening falls it takes on an atmosphere the team describes as not to be missed. Whether you're staying overnight or joining for a single meal, dining here is meant to turn an ordinary visit to Rotorua into a great one.
Breakfast, served daily from 7am, is a leisurely start: barista coffee or loose-leaf tea, seasonal fruit, fresh pastries and cooked favourites like eggs Benedict or pancakes with maple syrup, every plate made to order. Lunch follows from 12pm with fresh, flavour-forward dishes that make the most of local ingredients.
High Tea is a daily ritual as well, served from 12pm to 3pm with 24 hours' booking notice — delicate sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and sweet pastries, paired with delicate tea or bubbles.
At 6pm the evening begins, with bookings recommended. The à la carte dinner menu is rich in creative contemporary dishes, with sharing plates, tapas, tempting desserts and cheeses alongside the mains. For the fullest expression of the kitchen there's a five-course degustation that ventures into the mind of the chef, and a plant-focused degustation offering the same journey through vibrant, vegetarian dishes bursting with flavour.
The Regent Room's accolades include multiple Rotorua Hotel Restaurant of the Year awards and Beef & Lamb Excellence awards. Behind them sits a consistent philosophy: cook with local, seasonal produce and treat dining as something to savour rather than rush. Guests regularly single out the friendliness of the team — one reviewer gave a particular thumbs-up to the organic eggs at breakfast.
Groups are well catered for too. Groups & Private Dining options make the room a fitting stage for celebrations and events, and a dedicated children's menu keeps younger diners happy, with meals designed to please all palates.
The bar earns its side of the name. A boutique wine list highlights exceptional New Zealand vineyards alongside international labels, while the cocktail menu leans into classic flavours with a modern touch. Coffee, tea and herbal tisanes are also available to go throughout the day, with reusable Keep Cups for purchase.
The restaurant's position is a gift for theatre-goers: The Regent Room serves pre-show dining, High Tea before matinees and post-show drinks for audiences at the nearby Sir Howard Morrison Centre, with bookings recommended on performance nights.
The Regent Room serves breakfast daily from 7am, lunch from 12pm, High Tea from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from 6pm, on the ground floor of the Regent of Rotorua at 1191 Pukaki Street in central Rotorua — handy for the lakefront and the city's Eat Street, as hotel guests often note. Gift vouchers, for award-winning dining on its own or combined with a boutique stay, make a thoughtful present for anyone who appreciates good food and great company. If you're planning dinner or a show-night visit, book ahead; if High Tea is the plan, remember that 24-hour notice.