We are ‘guilty’ of having visited The Shed (the restaurant at Te Motu vineyard) quite a few times now and we can honestly say every experience has been great.
Head Chef Bronwen Laight produces fantastically fresh, simple and modern dishes (mid ranged in price) in the most beautiful of settings – overlooking a natural amphitheatre/valley attributed with producing some of NZ’s finest red wines. The front of house, Mark Gitman, who works most days, is also a friendly and welcoming face and clearly expects the same friendly service style from his team.
Te Motu is a little hard to get to if you don’t have a car, as there’s a 10 minute walk along the bumpy, rustic driveway from where the public bus drops you off. However, it’s well worth the walk.
In a nutshell, we love The Shed because it’s unpretentious and has somehow managed to keep a fairly low profile relative to other vineyards on the island. Recent awards and word of mouth will change all that – so get there now whilst it still has that ‘best kept secret’ charm about it.
Finally, in case you are not in the mood for a full meal, Te Motu also has an area where you can have wine tastings and lite bites.
Note: Be sure to book ahead as the restaurant is only small, and opening times can vary.