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Both Martinborough Colonial Museum and Pinocchio are recommended for visiting. Good beef, duck leg and pork are among the dishes to be ordered at this cafe. Trying tasty chocolate terrine is a pleasant experience here. Based on the reviewers' opinions, waiters offer delicious wine. It's nice to taste great coffee.
Most guests mention that the staff is friendly. Professional service is something clients agree upon here.
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Visitors' reviews on Pinocchio
/ 16
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European, Vegetarian options
$$$$
Price range per person
NZD 18-NZD 45
Address
3 Kitchener Street, Martinborough, Wellington, New Zealand, 5711
Features
Outdoor seating
Booking
Wheelchair accessible
Takeaway
Сredit cards accepted
Wi-Fi
Opening hours
| SundaySun | 6PM-11PM |
| MondayMon | Closed |
| TuesdayTue | Closed |
| WednesdayWed | 6PM-11PM |
| ThursdayThu | 6PM-11PM |
| FridayFri | 6PM-11PM |
| SaturdaySat | 6PM-11PM |
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For starters and entrees, we got:
- Duck liver parfait with toasts: this was ciabatta served with a generous dollop of duck liver. It was rich and creamy, with a hint of wine. I really enjoyed the saltiness of the liver, and there was a delicious sweet aftertaste.
- Snapper ceviche, coconut, avocado, freeze dried mandarins, kumara crisps, hazelnut praline: at first I thought this dish was a little lost because I'm used to my ceviche served with more coconut cream. However, as I tucked in, I realised that every element worked extremely well together, with the sweetness of the mandarin contrasting to the tang of the ceviche, paired with the creaminess of the coconut and avocado. The kumara crisps and hazelnuts provided a good texture, which I really liked.
Mains we got:
- Confit duck leg, parsnip purée, kumara gratin, duck liver parfait, orange, spinach: this is their signature dish. While I regretted having chosen this main due to the reappearance of the duck liver parfait which we had tried in the starter, this thought disappeared in an instant because the saltiness of the parfait was a perfect addition to the wilted greens and sweetness of the orange sauce. The duck leg was very well seasoned and cooked to perfection - the skin was crisp and the meat so tender that it simply fell off the bone.
- Roasted beef fillet, bacon croquettes, asparagus, maple pumpkin, black truffle, mushroom, hazelnuts: The beef was done to medium rare perfectly and well rested. The croquettes were crisp and went beautifully with the creamy black truffle and sweet maple pumpkin. The asparagus was also crisp and provided some different textures which I liked. A good menu staple done well.
Oh dessert. This warranted a picture with my face in it because I needed to be in the photo with the dessert. This was one of the best desserts I have ever tried and it all started with us asking the waitress what a creme fromage was. Upon being told that it was similar to a deconstructed cheesecake, I knew that I had met my perfect match.
- Crème fromage, strawberries, milk chocolate, meringue, pistachios, biscuit: Be still my beating heart. This was up there in terms of taste, quality and presentation with the chocolate tapas platter from Zibibbo. I'm nibbling away when I think, oh hey! I wish there were more strawberries in this dish so that tartness balances out the creaminess and then voila! There is a pile of strawberries hidden underneath. The meringue, pistachios and biscuit crumbs provided a delightful crunch. There was even a generous serving of vanilla bean ice cream, which probably wasn't necessary, but it didn't subtract anything away from the creme fromage.
- Chocolate terrine, caramel, salted peanuts, vanilla bean ice cream: The chocolate was rich and dark and needed the sweetness and creaminess of the ice cream to balance it out. The peanuts added a bit of crunch and salt to the dish, turning it into some delicious form of Whittaker's Peanut Slab.
Pinocchio is a gem in the Waiarapa. If you are passing through, this is a must-do for foodies (and dessert fiends).