Somerset Cottage Restaurant

Lovely restaurant to go for a special occasion. Meals are delicious. Room for a entree or dessert. Corkage pricey at $15 a bottle though

If you're into cutting edge kitchen histrionics then this isn't the place for you but if you like classic food immaculately made from fresh high-quality local ingredients then it's the best in Tauranga.

We didn’t have a reservation but they found us a lovely table out on the patio overlooking the lavender plants.

We started with a glass of the IPA made locally in Gate Pa and a glass of Ayla Champagne.

We ordered the avocado gratinee with cornbread and crispy lamb belly. The gratinee went very well with the cornbread and if I was going to be picky I would say that there was too much onion.

The lamb belly was covered in breadcrumbs, deep-fried and served with homemade tartare sauce. Very hot and tasty but I don’t think pork belly has anything to worry about.

For the main we had the roast duck, with vanilla and coconut kumara mash and orange sauce. The combination sounds weird but the dish was really tasty. We also had the homemade pate which was divine - so much so we purchased some to take home with us.

We had a bottle of the 2014 Peppoli Chianti which is always a treat. We also had a glass of the Vinotopia Gewurtztraminer with the pate - a marriage made in heaven.

The service was efficient and friendly.

If you are in Tauranga you must give Somerset Cottage a go.

Lovely place to stay and have a meal

Excellent attention. Great wine selection. One of the best places to have dinner in Tauranga. The squid and lamb schank are a speciallity.