Discovery is the key to great adventures and unveiling the best restaurant, vineyard or bay on the island!  

It’s a Friday night in Waiheke and after a fabulous happy hour at the chirpy and happy Arcadia in Palm Beach we were looking for a fun vibe and great food. 

Arcadia is a cool little establishment in Palm Beach that offers breakfast, lunch, happy hour and nibbles and dinner. 

Rebecca and Daniel took over from the last owners a year ago and gave the old fish and chip take away place a face lift. The food is good, the location amazing and the staff very friendly.

On this afternoon it is raining outside and we’re after a chill and some tunes.

Happy hour is 3-6pm and we venture in to check things out.

The champagne is awesome and so much cheaper than anywhere else on Waiheke that you feel like it is home. 

With no rush to leave we play Jenga and Uno while people stream in and stream out. The owners are awesome and happy to chat and shoot the breeze. I would highly recommend even if you are not staying in Palm Beach just to get away from the mainstream of Waiheke.

After this we pop home and taxi to Oneroa. A previous favourite of mine, Aperitivo bar is wonderful on a Friday and Saturday nights. 

Cosy and warm, you’ll find a guy playing some great tunes and a real buzz. The wines are sensational and on this night we are served by Chris who is very friendly and explains the wine list and nibbles. We settle on a pre-dinner of citrus olives and the Obesidan red. It was a winery that we didn’t make during the day but one we wanted to go to.

After our yummy pre-dinners we head in search of dinner. 

There are many choices in town but it’s getting on for 9pm and many of the trendy places like Thai and Oyster Bar have a low key vibe. 

We venture down off the road and discover The Courtyard. 

What a find.

Great red wines (we chose an Argentinian wine) and great vibe. People are chatting and the staff are European world-class. 

Matt from Belgium, our waiter helps us decide as the menu is tantalising and exciting.

We choose Canadain scallops and cauliflower mash, and with a side of potato gratin.

OMG – the food is amazing. The price is perfect and the food dazzling. 

I’m giving this restaurant 4.9/5 for food, service and location. The only reason, the only reason it drops a 0.1 is because the views are not over the ocean. But truly you don’t need to look outward, if the company is good, then they will take care of the rest.