The Mains Restaurant

At The Mains restaurant, they say it’s designed to feel like you’re walking into someone’s home. And it does.

That’s fitting, because the lodge (On The Point) began as exactly that. Owner Jamie and her late husband Ron raised their four children on this private peninsula overlooking Lake Rotorua before opening their home to guests as a luxury lodge in 2004. That family history remains an important part of the restaurant right through to today.

Led by Chef BJ Sebastian, they have a curated breakfast and lunch/brunch menu alongside their evening fine dining service. Every evening begins with pre-dinner drinks and canapés before moving into their ten-course tasting menu built around premium New Zealand ingredients, shifting seasonally with the local produce they use.

The setting itself is definitely worth noting. Everything about it feels intentionally elegant and intimate. Tables are dressed with crisp linen, handcrafted L’il Ceramics tableware (made nearby at Muriwai Beach) and candles lit for the perfect level of soft lighting as evening settles across the lake.

Outside, their beautiful gardens, fruit trees and chickens are all part of the working property. They grow their produce where possible, even inviting guests to get involved in gathering dinner ingredients from the grounds if you’re game - a nice, novel way to feel the connection between the whole little ecosystem of the peninsula.

It’s unsurprisingly a popular spot for weddings and culinary events, but equally, a lovely place for a special meal if you’re looking for a novel fine dining experience.