A hearty country-style breakfast set up in the main lodge at Huka is a wonderful start to the day, whether it’s planned as full of adventures or for relaxing in the gardens by the Waikato River. Guests can look forward to fresh eggs, free range bacon and local tomatoes, mushrooms and greens, along with fresh juices, steaming pots of loose-leaf tea and espresso coffee.
A light à la carte lunch menu is available for guests and may be enjoyed fireside in the main lodge or on the sun-drenched terrace overlooking the gardens and Waikato River. Local organic and free-range produce including chicken and beef are complemented by fresh greens, lodge baked bread and fine wines.
Dinner starts with a relaxed drink in the lounge, and proceeds to a finely balanced menu bringing fresh local flavours to the plate. Guests can look forward to regional delights like Te Matuku oysters, Matangi Beef, Mount Cook Alpine Salmon and Southland lamb on the daily-changing menu.
Begin the day with an espresso or pot of expertly brewed leaf tea, or enjoy fresh drinking water drawn from the Waikato River. As the day progresses, world class wines, premium spirits and local beers are on offer, and as the dusk draws in and fires are lit French Champagne or a fine whiskey are enjoyed in traditional lodging style.
The bar at Huka Lodge is stocked with premium spirits – many of them locally distilled small-batch labels – perfect for the base of a range of cocktails and mixed drinks. A fresh gin and tonic marks the start of an enjoyable evening, while a fine scotch served over ice may be best enjoyed fireside.
A vast underground labyrinth housing some 4500 bottles of wine, the Wine Cellar at Huka Lodge is an attraction in itself, prompting some dedicated time to peruse its collection of fine vintages. The wine cellar is also a wonderful venue for private or special occasion dinners for two or up to ten guests.
After a delicately balanced dinner, many guests retire to the bar or lounge to enjoy a digestif or nightcap. The friendly team at the bar is always ready to help with a drink, with a selection of premium liqueurs, spirits and hot beverages available.
Tristan Abbott is the Executive Chef at Huka Lodge. Tristan was born ‘just up the road’ in Auckland, New Zealand, and pursued a career in cooking as a teenager. Tristan started working at award-winning fine dining Bowman’s restaurant as a pastry chef before quickly trading up to the city’s hatted restaurants of the time, Baduzzi and The French Café. He moved to Australia to work at Spicers Peak Lodge in Queensland
before progressing to the award-winning Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island where he worked with Baillie Lodges’ Asher Blackford. As luck would have it, Tristan moved to France on the eve of the pandemic and worked across Michelin star restaurants in the regions and in Paris. Tristan kept in touch with Asher and on returning to the antipodes was thrilled to take up the Executive Chef role at Huka Lodge.
The challenges of a lodge chef are unique: not only does the five-course menu change daily, but so do all key ingredients, right down to the vegetables, ensuring there is no repetition for the duration of a guest's stay.Sarah Nicholson Cuisine
Huka Lodge delivers the kind of understated elegance that befits such an august establishment.Madelin Tomelty Luxury Travel
A five-course meal in the Wine Cellar or Trophy Room is an extraordinary experience. The team choose fresh and local produce for the menu and each plate arrives presented like a work of art.Andrea Block New Idea
Taupō's seasons offer reason to visit year-round. Summer brings long warm days and mild nights – perfect for outdoor adventures – while the cooler seasons offer snow sports and time for red wines and crackling open fires.
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With easy access to both lodge-based activities and the range of adventures on offer around Taupō, guests at Huka Lodge can choose to try fly fishing, whitewater rafting, sky diving, tennis, yoga and pétanque.
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A stay at Huka Lodge is refined and relaxed, with the intimate main lodge and guest suites providing luxurious interiors and opening on to verdant gardens and the deep turquoise Waikato River.
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