Reviews of Piku Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Cocktail Bar. (Restaurant) in Havelock North (Hawke's Bay).

Piku Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

298 Reviews

202 Comments

Restaurant

Japanese restaurant

15 Joll Road, Havelock North 4130, New Zealand

Description

Information of Piku Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Cocktail Bar, Restaurant in Havelock North (Hawke's Bay)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

Map

Open hours of Piku Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

Popular times

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Reviews of Piku Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

S.

This is one of the best Japanese restaurant in the hawks bay, if you haven't already tried it. Then this is a must. the food will blow you're mind. Book ahead so you will not be disappointed, if you are not vaccated, then order take-aways to be picked up before 6pm. suggest on a nice night drive up to the peak and watch the sunset. If you also liked this restaurant and this comment helped, give it a thumbs up to help other's.

D.

As always this place never fails to impress me. If you're in Havelock North and want a beautiful Japanese meal go here. Amazingly presented and tasty!

B.

Had a great night. My daughter offered to organise for me a 21st for her little sister. We had a party of 20+ people to cater for. Management and staff did a fantastic job. All courses came out hot, with each course coming to the tables in good time. Prices for this magical food was very respectable, I recommend everyone to take the time to experience this great local restaurant.

L.

A lovely restaurant & lovely staff. Delicious vegan foods available on their vegan menu. But sure to ask for it, as it's not included in their normal menu. Two to three choices available in the light to medium finger food options. Edamame beans with miso very nice. I also had the vegetarian spring rolls as pictured, that were made vegan & no honey in the soy dipping sauce. A very light refreshing meal.

D.

As a Japanese I appreciate that this establishment is not a traditional Japanese izakaya but a more contemporary fusion restaurant. Nevertheless it did not lose its Japanese character and I enjoyed the dishes very much. I will definitely visit here again. Thanks also to the charming front of house staff who spoke Japanese, for her service.

k.

Delicious food!! Great costumer service!! Authentic Japanese restaurant in Hawkes Bay👍🏻

A.

Amazing food...super fast service..friendly staff..great atmosphere. Very popular so bookings are a must

R.

Since travelling to Japan almost 6yrs ago I have eaten at dozens of Japanese restaurants across NZ, many of which have been great but none as good as PIKU. We were recommended by a colleague to try this place and it was well worth it, not just for the food but the entire dining experience, the staff and service were exceptional. 100% we will be back and tell anyone we know who visits Havelock North 👍

H.

We didn't manage to get a table in the main restaurant unfortunately, but we got a high table in their bar area next the buzz of outdoor seating. We got the tofu bao buns which were tasty, but unfortunately the bao bun halves weren't that big and had broken apart before we even took a bite. The vegetable and pork belly grilled skewers were good, but the pork belly was a little dry and needed more sauce. The 'knock-out' chicken had a really good hot spicy sauce which was toned down with a blue cheese dip, which seemed like a strange combo but it worked. Staff were friendly and service was ok.

M.

OUTSTANDING!! The best Japanese food I have ever eaten. Wow! The prawn skewers with sesame seeds were so fresh. The wagyu beef with Japanese mushrooms was so tasty and the beef cheek dish was so tender. The desserts were great too but the main dishes were the best!

W.

The most authentic Japanese cuisine I've had to date. Everything is soft, flavorful and goes down smooth. Pricey (debatable - the actual sushi isn't too much more expensive than, say, St Pierre's) but worth it.

S.

Unexpected little find for lunch. Amazing food, great atmosphere and great service. Food was fresh and exciting, and flavors were great too. Would highly recommend and definitely return the next time we're in town.

M.

I absolutely love this place, deliciously devine food ....a must place for exceptional dining

M.

I would give them 10 stars if I could. Stunning food from start to finish. Lovely staff, where the little things mattered. Thank you Kim for the birthday candle on hubbies dessert. Priceless xxx. We will be back

J.

Absolutely exceptional service and food. Enjoyed every meal we had and the atmosphere was super kick back. I will definitely return! So worth it.

Y.

Having an amazing dinner here, Piku could be my favorite Japanese restaurant in New Zealand , both me and my partner are enjoying the food so much, will recommend more friends to come. By the way, it seems Saturdays are always busy so be aware to book the table early, we are lucky to come in at 8:30 pm and there was a small table for two was available.

B.

Delicious food, great service & yummmy cocktails. Never disappoints, thanks team. Love your work.

C.

Food and drink where amazing as always such a good place to go in the village would recomend. just couldnt get over the rude remarks and assumptions that the two cocktail makers where saying about customers as they where to walk in there was no need at all, some of the new staff would have been nice to walk back to the kitchen with dishes as had a few sitting but 1st average time out of the many amazing ones,

J.

Shout out to Andrea and the team for their amazing hospitality, we had a great dining experience here. Extensive selection of drinks and the food as good, one of the few exciting dining places to look forward to in Hawkes Bay. 👍

J.

I give Piku five stars. Because they deserve recognition for real hospitality. Greetings on entrance. Attention to detail fresh flowers in clean vases, clean furniture. Consistantly good quality food, well presented. Clean, well appointed restrooms. Quality, professional staff. Its always a pleasure to dine at Piku Havelock Nth. Thank-you.

K.

Wonderful place to try something different. We ordered an assortment of foods, I can't even remember what but overall we probably tried about 15 different dishes and loved every single one! We can't wait to come back and break down the other half of the menu 🙋‍♀️🤤

T.

Absolutely mind-blowing food and experience. Awesome friendly and helpful service. Thoroughly recommend, thank you so much, we will be back.

M.

I had an amazing experience. The new staff was rly kind to us and I am fully satisfied. Def must go to this place when u have a chance!

G.

Absolutely beautiful food! Unfortunately, only one tiny issue that I am only addressing as it was a chilly night, we had booked in advance and would love for it to not happen again 😅 This was a few weeks ago also. As stated, we had booked in advance and on arrival was told our table still had people sitting and we needed to wait a little bit, which was absolutely fine with all of us! The issue was that we ended up having to wait outside in the cold for over an hour. We started with drinks, and then appetizers, and then ended up ordering our mains in case the table was finally ready, however, food was brought out to us and we were finally offered a table only after we had our mains. Would not stop us from coming back though! As service (waiters/waitresses) and food is absolutely beautiful and I recommend to many people to dine here! This is more to bring attention so it does not continue to happen and you are aware, as I am also a previous hospitality worker so am understanding that it can happen ☺ Kind regards!

B.

Beautiful food, second time dining here. Will definitely be back again soon.

K.

Amazing food and cocktails, amazing service. Always an enjoyable experience whenever we go

V.

Mouth blowing flavours ! Need share dishes to appreciate all the flavours available as dishes quite small. Lovely service from reception to table. Indoor/ outdoor dining. Good wine list selection & after dinner coffee's etc

K.

Fabulous food, Asahi beer (my favourite) and a nice coffee. Looking forward to my next visit!

J.

Awesome food great service good value for your $$ s Had a great time thanks

S.

Good sushi. Beef cheek dish was so salty. Price a bit too expensive.

N.

Fantastic food, drink and service. A wonderful place for a meal out.

s.

The food was well presented and beautifully cooked. No long wait time. All staff were very helpful and obliging. We would come again.

K.

Absolutely incredible food. Really seriously good. Great atmosphere and staff as well. Bookings were necessary the night we went. Has a kids menu and highchairs, so we'll definitely be back for lunch with the kids. Highly recommend.

D.

What a fantastic exepierence the staff were fantastic, great atmosphere and absolutely fantastic food and great service from Anya

J.

Food nice but pricey. Service very rushed. I guess if you want to eat and run its OK

S.

Had a very enjoyable meal with family. Couldn't make our minds what we wanted to order and left it up to our waiter to make the choices, probably the best move we made all night, the food that was served was absolutely mouth watering, not knowing what was going to be served was great and when it came to the table we were all impressed with the food, looked and tasted great. A great place to dine at and we couldn't fault the food or service. Well done to everyone. A place not to be missed.

K.

Came in for lunch today and thoroughly enjoyed every drop of food and the drinks were great too. The service was top notch and the atmosphere is perfect. Highly recommend and we will most definitely will be heading back soon.

J.

Alor of gluten free food and Great service, cheers max

A.

Absolute favourite restaurant in the Bay. All the food is amazing. If you are normally a meat eater I would recommend their tofu dishes, they work wonders with tofu! Make sure you make a booking, it's always busy.

G.

Great food but I have two issues to raise. We ordered 3 ginger beers which had so much ice that they would have been poured from just one bottle. They should give bottles with remaining drink as we have paid for 3 but only getting 1. Also the Teriyaki Salmon was noticeably smaller than our previous visit a few weeks ago. So while it is a nice place to dine we are feeling a bit ripped off.

J.

Clean and well dressed restaurant Friendly staff. Good fresh food all cooked perfectly, especially the grilled skewered meats. Pork buns are deliciously light and fluffy Fresh fish was clean and fresh. Has a sileni albarino super tropical, pared amazingly with the giant charcoal grill prawns. Another delicious meal.

C.

Incredible place for fantastic drinks, service and food. A wonderful recommendation by our wine tour guide on our visit to the Hawke’s Bay. Highly recommend. Enthusiastic and friendly staff with suggestions and smiles. Gorgeous delicious fresh food, beautifully presented. Honestly one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in a long time.

A.

As a deliver Easy driver Food smells extremely great when delivering to customers.

J.

The sashimi platter was fantastic. Well presented and fresh. However the tamarind green papaya salad was a huge letdown. It had absolutely no flavour at all. Definitely no tamarind, but nothing else either. Not helped by the fact that it used pre-frozen shredded papaya which is tasteless and tough. The lamb was delicious. Service a little "off", as if they didn't want to be there and were just going through the motions, so we felt uncomfortable. Good wine selection.

B.

This restaurant was top notch. An excellent selection of dishes and the food was delicious. Really difficult to pick a favourite dish and we chose 6 all up to share. The Tempura, Pork Belly, and the Macadamia Tart with Miso Custard were all hot contenders for favourite dish amongst our group. Cocktails were fantastic and the service was fast and friendly. Can absolutely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a good dining experience in Havelock North.

R.

100% on all :- service, food etc so worth the visit what an experience

J.

Really authentic Japanese food

A.

Food and service was exceptional. Terrific cocktails to add. No dessert consumed as was pleasantly satisfied after other dishes. Couldn't have faulted any dish. Our favs were: Wagu beef with mishroom, edamame, and fresh prawn spring rolls.

L.

Such an awesome place for a cocktail! Would absolutely recommend ✨

R.

Just want to say a big thankyou to the wonderful team at Piku for making such fantastic food for our daughters 21st. Would recommend that you stop reading this and head down to the restaurant ASAP 😁

J.

OMG this place literally brought us back to Japan!! We were so lucky to get a table at the bar on a Friday night. The food was sooo amazing, the service was top notch, everything was perfect! The food was generous too. We were worried the portion size of the food would be small thinking that this is a fine dining place, but we were surprised by the portion, especially the skewers, omg you have to try the chicken skewer and the pork belly skewers, they were so juicy, so tasty, so flavoursome, both hubby and I really enjoyed the food. We are only here for a weekend and we are seriously thinking about coming back again tomorrow lol

D.

Despite being very busy, our large group enjoyed prompt service and delicious food.

P.

The food was great. The staff were friendly. The sommelier made a very good wine recommendation (a Selini albarino) to match the food. The only issue was the quickness of service. Far too quick, it's not supposed to be a fast food joint, or is it?(not at those prices). Slow the pace down people. 7 courses (including tofu salad and beans accompaniment ), 2 starty type served pretty quick and as soon a finished out come the other 5. (No, we didn't have sushi or surimi). 1st course served 7.30 out by 8.20!! It's a head chef/ management issue.

R.

Tasty & multi choice,will certainly go again.prices good

C.

Amazing!. We've been a few time as it is my husband's favourite place in HB. Everytime we try something different and everything is really really tasty. The staff are super friendly.

C.

Fantastic food and service. Fabulous wine list. Oh, and really good cocktails.

B.

The fastest way to tell if a Japanese Restaurant is the real deal is to try the sashimi. Piku passes with flying colours. A great vibe in a modern atmosphere this place does not disappoint. Staff are friendly and attentive and the whole experience is very enjoyable. I forgot to take photos.

V.

Had awesome time, food amazing. Staff great, thank you Piku!

M.

Nothing particularly special, for the price they do ok, but not very authentic.

S.

Amazing food and amazing service! I'm not the biggest fan of fish and sushi but the share style of the menu allows you to try alot of the different dishes they have! The cocktails were amazing also! In being a meat fan I highly recommend the orange kumura wedges, kara aged chicken, pork katsu and pork belly bau buns!

A.

I ate at Piku for the first time in it's Red Barrel location back in June 2019 and the food and service were both excellent. I have eaten here once since it's relocation to Havelock North village and once again the experience was 5 star. Great staff and it is cozy and modern. Cool place. Food is delicious across the board.

D.

Great food, great service, great time.

A.

Had to eat over in the cocktail bar due to full house in the restaurant. It was the best choice! The waiting staff were amazing, food was prompt, delicious and couldn’t have chosen a finer restaurant. Fully recommend.

D.

Stopped in for a drink, presented with an extensive cocktail menu after seeing the cocktails being prepared and then watching the food coming out we decided to stay, best decision ever! Food and drinks were exceptional.

C.

Absolutely loved it. The pork skewers were too fatty but apart from that I would highly recommend . Outstanding fresh sushi and tapa style plates.

a.

My first visit to the new building. Had been to the original. Interior was very cool. Food was outstanding. Good selection of alcohol and non alcoholic beverages. Our waitress was outstanding. Was attending a friend's birthday dinner. Highly recommend. Thanks very much.

M.

15/10 always a great experience, our local go too

C.

A must try in Hawkes Bay. The Wagyu skewer is delicious! Ben & Jason are great hosts!

J.

The food was EXCELLENT, but the menu is a bit of a tome. Ended up leaving ordering to others as I was struck by decision paralysis with the number of options available (note: this might not be a negative for you!)

C.

Never tried Japanese till now I'm not into fish , raw or otherwise So was pleased to try the tasty Morsel's they had on menu. Group setting seems to be the norm. Quite noisy place Def recommended to others

E.

2nd visit to Piku in the last 6 weeks! It’s amazing! This tine we took whanau visiting from the Coromandel who loved it also. From the Edemame beans to the Karage chicken and then the steamed buns...and the prawn skewers oh not to mention the Tempura Vegatables (egg plant especially). Just couldn’t fault the food and the ambience! Try it! You’ll love it!

S.

Amazing service, prompt, friendly and happy waitresses. Food and drink selection was very large and catered for so many options We had both coeliac and gluten free menus provided. Lovely night, highly recommend

J.

Wonderful menu with beautiful presentation. Great service. Friendly staff. We will dine here again☺

M.

Had heard lots of good things about Piku and we weren't disappointed. A super delicious taste explosion!

D.

Amazing food...highly recommend dessert too. Nice fresh modern. We ate vegetarian with plenty of choices on the menu. Coconut papaya cherry tomato salad was delicious too.

J.

For the price a bit disappointing. Bone in the salmon sashimi. Wagyu skewers not marbled and while tender not so tender as I'd expect. Sauces all a little off and needing something to clear the aftertaste.

E.

Kumara wedges, fish balls and beef cheek excellent. Green papaya salad and the steamed buns with pork both fairly tasteless and disappointing. Our 3 mains came out one at a time, the last arrived 15 minutes after the first.

A.

Unreal - food and service absolutely amazing a definite go to for dinner if in the area. Will not disappoint. Wish i could stay and keep eating.

M.

Food was excellent, the gin was a treat and the owner was an enthusiastic knowledgeable young man, we will definitely be back

E.

Such amazing fooooood!! If you’re unsure of what to get, I highly recommend wagyu balls with satay, prawn spring rolls, and karaage chicken 🍗. So yum 😋.

E.

Blown away! Every bit as good as any Melbourne Japanese joint. Stunning presentation and attention to detail. Every bit was as delicious as you expect from the Japanese quest for excellence.

N.

Good food with a nice range of options. Flexible on changing menu for my vegetarian daughter. Nice decor. Good service. Recommended.

x.

Fresh Sashimi, but a litter bit salty of this seasonal cuisine (fried lotus with meat), This is a busy restaurant especially on Friday, too many creative cocktail should be tried.

D.

Great Japanese inspired sharing plates. There is a welcome addition of a separate cocktail bar which is perfect for the after work crowd. Very noisy though

M.

Lovely food, service, and setting. Came here for my stag night with a couple of friends and we thoroughly enjoyed the shared platter.

J.

Brillant! Best Japanese restaurant, the freshest, most delicious meal in a longtime and good value. A real gem in Hawkes Bay!!!

P.

Food was fantastic but way to much ice in cocktails and they didnt clear entree plates before dishing our dinner which was way to fast 15mins after first course we were in and out in 45 mins sad really for the price we paid felt very rushed

F.

Food is superb and service spot on, pricing is reasonable and loved the cocktails!

N.

Fantastic food, fantastic service, and the atmosphere / decor inside and especially outside is also incredible. Havelock North is so very lucky to have such a wonderful venue.

b.

Great food! I really enjoyed this last minute dining. Will be back when back in Havelock

C.

Wonderful food and Amazing Cocktails. 100% recommend and will be going back there.

K.

Honestly suprise how good the food was. One of the best Japanese place in my list

T.

Great food and service!

S.

Great food. Not cheap but worth it although drinks prices are on the high side Nice ambiance and excellent service

M.

Loved sharing the meal and the varied that we got. It suited everyone's likes

W.

Lovely food and great service.

J.

Great food , we went twice in one week . But the only thing they need to do is served everyone dinner at the table at ones.

S.

Excellent experience at Piku, definitely one of the best restaurants in Hawkes Bay. Great selection of food and beverages. Service was top notch. Would highly recommend 👍

K.

The food here was incredible. Especially loved the spicy tuna maki and kumara wedges with kimchi mayo. Can’t wait to go again!

L.

Piku by delivereasy - SO SO GOOD. Wondered if the fresh amazing taste would still be the same as dine in and wasn't disappointed, in fact ordered again 3 days later.... :)

T.

Very cool vibe, staff are awesome, food comes out quick and is super delicious. Couldn't flaw it. Asahi on tap to ❤️

S.

Its the only one that I know in hawkes'bay and its amazing. You should get one in Napier.

P.

Loved the atmosphere and the food was really nice. Would highly recommend.

M.

One of our fave Sunday eating spots. Great cocktails too!

R.

Great food and great service!

R.

Terrific food, v reasonable prices. Would eat there everyday if I could.

P.

Beautiful food, fantastic selection, good value. Loved the Wagyu meatballs the best!!

D.

Lovley spot for drink and a snack. Awesome cocktail menu and some good beer. Nice Japanese food beautifully presented. Not cheap.

W.

Just a quick stop in for a snack and a vino.

T.

Beautiful restaurant and amazing menu! Will definitely venture back to try more from the food and cocktail menu

T.

Beautiful food and great service. Will definitely be back.

W.

Great service, fresh and flavour enhanced meals. Highly recommend.

G.

Piku has friendly and welcoming staff, and the food was delicious! Definitely recommended.

F.

The food and service was lovely, but the wine was expensive

J.

Friendly staff. Relaxing decor. Delicious food. I simply can not recommend Piku Izakaya highly enough.

L.

The food is amazing and the staff so helpful when making those important choices.

C.

A great menu and always very fresh. Great staff

S.

soo good!

K.

Love the food here, great place to share plates with friends and family.

J.

Nice meal. Just enough. Not bad prices. Ranged from $15 - $30 per dish.

k.

Always a cool place to be. Great food, Asahi on tap, what's not to like?

D.

Thanks team for beautiful level 3 burgers🤤

P.

Always AMAZING! what a treat and hidden treasure for Havelock North!

R.

Japanese western fusion food, like it

V.

Highly recommend this restaurant..Delicious Cuisine..Cocktails Amazing..Faultless Service Food and Atmosphere..

J.

It's OK got seated by the kitchen door that was not nice. Service was blah ..

S.

Classy and absolutely First Rate from Food to Service. A cool and relaxed Must Visit

I.

Amazing service and food highly recommend their desserts.

p.

The orange kumara chips are absolutely fantastic ❤️

D.

Very lovely ill be back lovely staff didn't have 2 wait 2 long. 🤘

s.

Lovely food ,great atmospere and awesome freindly staff

b.

Very friendly staff. Great food.

S.

Absolutely amazing food and service we will be back.

M.

Great cocktails!

M.

I think we need the photos to entice people in to try their menu not just a description. Pictures should be a must

P.

Excellent food and service. I highly recommend to others

G.

Felt like a Japanese Izakaya. Great lively atmosphere and the food was a treat.

V.

Love the food and the service.

S.

Best cocktails out for sure and food is amazing

A.

Great food, Great service, Great Atmosphere.

M.

Appreciate the separate vegan menu 👍

M.

Must be some of the best food in New Zealand. What an awesime meal

R.

Great food good price. Small building.

M.

Excellent fusion of flavors, lovely food

G.

Awesome food, friendly staff

C.

Fantastic food Wait staff need more training

Z.

Amazing place, great food!

S.

Amazing food and presentation is WOW.

A.

Amazing Japanese fine dining. couldn't fault a thing..

C.

Delicious food and excellent service!

M.

Jonathan works here. We like him.

L.

Amazing food... speedy service!

S.

5 Stars🍴🍴

H.

Delicious food, great service

B.

Oi the cook was not Japanese.

R.

Tasty meal. Highly recommended!!!

c.

Very nice tempura 🍤 prawn.

S.

Beef Cheek was outstanding.

E.

Awesome food and atmosphere!!!

r.

The food and the service is fantastic

R.

Consistent very tasty good

J.

Gorgeous food and service.

H.

Bang on 10/10 food and service.

p.

Great cocktails :)

B.

Good Food, Nice Staff

E.

Super yummy Japanese fusion

L.

Amazing food.

D.

Amazing food love it

m.

Fabulous food and service!

m.

Awesome 👌

N.

Highly recommend the beef cheek

G.

Amazing food and service

K.

Love the food

J.

Yummmmmm!

B.

Great for something a little different

A.

Great food and service

v.

Awesome food

L.

The absolute best!

K.

Tasty as cocktails!

A.

Fantastic food

K.

Very good 👍

v.

Awesome

J.

Beautiful food

A.

Delicious

a.

greatfoos n service.

G.

Just amazing.

H.

Increible great

N.

Great experience

M.

Loved everything

M.

Very good food, great table service with good knowledge of menu.

K.

Really happy with the service, atmosphere and the food and cocktails were amazing! Thanks guys

G.

E.

W.

R.

w.

M.

J.

A.

A.

M.

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