I am a massive believer in tasting the local food when travelling so it might seem a little strange to be reviewing a Greek restaurant in New Zealand. To be fair, we did sample a traditional MΔori Hangi at Te Puia Rotorua, before we branched out and truth be told, Greek is my very favourite cuisine. I have visited Greece four times and have eaten my way through mountains of spanokopita, devoured countless souvlaki, gorged on oodles of dolmades, munched many a saganaki and gobbled down way more than my fair share of delicious, sticky loukoumades in various tavernas both there and abroad. The Hubs first spotted Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga when we were walking home from No.8 Bar & Restaurant where we had dinner on our first night and he knew it would be right up my alley. So how did our NZ Greek experience measure up? Read on for all the details …
Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga Overview
Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga occupies a prime position on The Esplanade directly across from Buffalo Beach in The Coromandel Peninsula which was the second stop on our road trip through New Zealand’s North Island. Even better for us, it was only a 4 minute walk from our accommodation at the Beachside Resort Whitianga which meant that we could leave our hire car from Airport Rentals at the resort and enjoy a few bevvies. While I have been talking up the Greek, the menu also features some Italian classics to provide variety. The dining room is quite spacious and some outdoor seating is available. When we spotted Al Camino on that first night we had to check out the menu to make sure it was to our liking but unlike practically every other restaurant I have visited in my entire life there was no menu board posted out the front. Undeterred we popped inside to investigate further. We were initially ignored while waiting patiently and had to practically crash tackle a staff member to assist us. When we finally got someone’s attention we were treated like an inconvenience and this did not bode well with me. Despite this negative first impression, we chose to return the next night based on the strength of the menu. We ate a little later than the peak dinner time so I was surprised to see the dining room quite busy. We were seated promptly and given a table right at the back. It didn’t take The Hubs long to peruse the drinks menu because as soon as he spotted Estrella he was sold. I ordered a Kiwi Sauv Blanc while we perused the menu in a little more detail than we had the previous night.
What We Ate
We had a big lunch after our Cathedral Cove Kayak Tour so we looked for something light to satisfy without over doing it. The mezze platter for 2 seemed like the perfect place to start. If you are not familiar with eating mezze style you are missing out. It’s the perfect introduction to Greek cuisine as it let’s you sample lots of bite sized serves of different dishes. Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga had a unique take on the mezze platter and among the dolmades, feta and spanakopita I was expecting there were also some rather strange additions like pickles, falafel, chorizo, brie, crackers (what no pita????), picked onions and prawns. The Hubs loved the sausage pieces and my favorite was the spanakopita which was cooked perfectly.
I’m a sucker for a souvlaki and we shared a mixed chicken and lamb. I thought they were a little stingy on the tzatiki but I guess we could’ve/should’ve ordered extra. I’ve never had zucchini on a skewer before but there is a first time for everything! The flavours were authentic and we could certainly taste the lemon, garlic and oregano in every bite. The meat was tender and the lamb had a pink blush in the centre exactly like it should have. I prefer my chips chunky cut but it didn’t stop me scoffing these fries. The side salad could hardly be considered Greek given it didn’t have any feta or olives and was more a token effort than a true accompaniment.
All things considered we had a pleasant night at Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga. The service was better (not brilliant, but better) on our second visit and the food had more positives than negatives which is always a good thing. I would have loved to share a link to the full menu but Al Camino does not have a website (why???), you can however check them out on Facebook here. If you are visiting New Zealand for the first time you should definitely read my New Zealand Essentials post and bargain hunters should check out all my tips on scoring a bargain flight before making a booking.
Do you like Greek food? Are you tempted to try Al Camino? I would love to hear you thoughts in the comments below.
Until Next Time …
Disclaimer:Β This post is not sponsored. I paid in full for my meal at Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga and as always, all opinions are my own.
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Jesper, The Biveros Effect says
Souvlaki and other food put on a stick before being barbecued are a favorite when traveling. No matter where, it is usually a safe bet when looking on the menu, no matter if it is called Souvlaki or kebab or anything else. What is interesting for me is the different seasonings used in different regions. π
Jitaditya Narzary says
Wow the food looks so good on the picture. Greek cuisine seems to have a way of reach unlikeliest of places. Once I found a Greek restaurant in a remote Himalayan village.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Wow that’s awesome Jitaditya! Did you try it?
Mike says
Greek is one of my favorite cuisines! The souvlaki looks positively delicious. I’ll have to check out Al Camino next time I’m in NZ!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Souvlaki is the bomb! I make it all the time at home ?
Sandy N Vyjay says
The dinner looks spectacular. Though I would not have everything on the plate owing to our vegetarian preferences. Not much in the know about greek cuisine, but wondering if there are vegetarian options there.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Yes Sandy Greek cuisine has lots of options for Vegetarians. Try the Spanikopita ?
Soraya says
Your dinner sounds absolutely delicious! Good to know it was walking distance to your resort, which is super convenient. And good to know that it was still busy even after the main dining period…which means it’s good! Your souvlaki also sounds so delicious! I totally would have ordered the same dish if I went here. Hope the restaurant gets a website soon!!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I love being able to walk to dinner and leave the car behind ?
Ana Ojha says
The food looks incredibly delicious and its pictures make my hungry! I love Greek cuisine but I didn’t understand why they were rude to you on your first visit. We have few authentic Greek restaurant in Ybor City, Florida and I love the way how they serve food out there while dancing and signing!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Yeah I have no clue either ANA. Glad to find another Greek lover although there was no dancing and singing at Al Camino!
Marlene Marques says
This kind of posts always make me hungry! π I think I’ve never tried greek food, but lamb, feta cheese, olives… all things I love, so I think we would get along. Al Camino is a little bit out of my way, but will have it under consideration if I ever in NZ. Thanks for the tip!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Definitely worth considering if you are in Whitianga Marlene ?
Dane says
It all looks so simple but soooooo tasty. I’m waiting for lunch now and looking at the photos is making me so hungry!! I don’t actually eat meat but it still looks incredible.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Lots of vegetarian options there Dane ?
Celma Costa says
This just looks delicious! Will I be right in guessing that the dressing had some yoghurt in it? I like the texture and colour.
I’ve not tasted much of Greek cuisine. We have some restaurants in Mozambique but I suppose the demand is not as high yet. I hope to taste it soon π
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Yes do Celma it is the bomb!
Ami says
In general, I like the Greek pallate with its olives, fresh Mediterranean vegetables and limited oil. I am sure given that I would love these too…though I hope they had enough veg options for me.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Well you can’t go wrong with Spanakopita then Ami ?
WhereMonicaGoes says
I love to try different cuisines especially when I travel. I seem to like Greek food as well, but having not been to Greece, I cannot really say whether I had tried authentic-tasting Greek food or not. Nevertheless, I am always open to try new restaurants and Al Camino seems intersting!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Agree. One of the things I look forward to most when I travel is food lol
Wanderlust Vegans says
I remember working in a restaurant and having to make trays and trays of spanakopita every week. I know the recipe like the back of my hand but I havent made it in years. I might go and make some now that i’m thinking about it only this time with vegan feta.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I have made it at home before a couple of times but mostly I prefer to get someone else to do it for me lol ?
The Nerdventurists says
Greek food is delicious! I could eat spanakopita forever and never be sick of it. I guess a little rudeness is forgivable for such good food, right?
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Yes!!!!! The service wasn’t great but we decided not to sweat it and just enjoy the food. Not the best Greek I have ever had but certainly enjoyable!
neha says
Your platter was so full and there were so many varieties. It looks tasty and healthy too. I will definitely like to try this restaurant
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
It was very tasty Neha even if some of the additional were a little unusual. ?
Iftekhar Idris Asif says
Greek platters are really delicious. I tried a few, but after reading your article I am planning to try more greek platters. can you please recommend some special dishes?
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Dolmades, spanakopita and saganaki are three of my faves ?
Indrani says
I too love Greek food. Their gyros fuelled our many walking tours there. We would just grab one and go on with our sight seeing. π I have not done the islands yet. I will check this out when I plan the visit.
Siddhartha Joshi says
The food looks absolutely delicious! I am sure you loved the food a lot to go back after the first experience π
I haven’t eaten much Greek food here in India, but I do like veggie options in their menu!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
The food was good and kinda made up for the lack lustre service. Greek in India would be an experience I am sure ?
kathy (from walkaboutwanderer.com) says
The restaurant would have completely lost my business in the first instance when they ignored me and treated me as an inconvenience. I have no patience when it comes to customer service. I do love Greek food and I am glad it was a pleasant night. I can always judge a meal by if I would go back there again. Would you go back?
As for not having a website then wow either they are a success by word of mouth or they are really good on their Facebook.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Yes I would go back but honestly it’s not that hard to get service right! The lack of website is strange and they don’t seem active on Facebook either. They so occupy a great position which means they would no doubt get a heap of passing trade.
Shane says
Hmm I would have never thought to have Greek food in NZ, as much as I do love it. This spread looks simply delectable!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Some of the best places to eat are the ones you just stumble upon with little planning ?
Ticking the Bucketlist says
Your post has made me hungry. We hardly have any Greek restaurants in India, and I love Greek food! Did this place have a good vegetarian spread?
Sara Essop says
I love Greek food especially the mezze platters. Your food photos are making my mouth water. It’s a pity that the service wasn’t great though. I think that a basic requirement of being in the hospitality industry is that one should be friendly and service-orientated.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Totally agree Sara. It was a little strange … Luckily the food made up for it!
Abigail says
Greek is one of my personal favorite cuisines! Hence, you won me over with that first photo. It can be disappointing though when small details don’t follow through and you can easily tell that the restaurant is not authentic. But good to know that the service was at least better!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I could eat it for every meal if I had to lol. Agree not as authentic as it could have been but I still found its I enjoyed ?
Melissa says
Well, guess I shouldn’t have read this post when I was hungry. The food pics have me drooling lol. The spanikopita sounds amazing and honestly, I’m always a sucker for some brie π
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I’m hearing brie (but cheese in general) is a weakness. I thought it was strange on a Mezze platter but I wasn’t complaining lol
Swati & Sam says
I think you went back to the restaurant a second time because of the food. It looks yum. It’s heartbreaking when the service is not good in a restaurant which serves good and delicious food. I never go back to restaurants which do not have good service. Hope you had a good time.
Joanna says
I have never been to Greece so I have never tried the authentic Greek food. However, I’ve been to a few restaurants and I was really impressed with the flavours of the Greek food. The Mezze is so good, there are so many things to try out on the platter. I like the souvlaki as well. There used to be a Greek guy making them into wraps in my town, in the market. I remember how juicy and delicious they were. Shame he’s gone.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Greece is fantastic (thus I have been four times!). We have a few good Greek restaurants in Sydney that I love so I can always get my fix lol
Soumya Nambiar says
I love Greek cuisine, actually anything mediterranean because they have such a huge variety of vegetarian options. I wonder why they were so rude to you during your first visit? That definitely would not have had me going back.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I admit it did make me think twice but I really felt like Greek food lol
Violeta says
I like Greek food very much. Luckily, I live close enough to Greece to take a tour whenever I feel like enjoying a nice souvlaki, a grilled octopus or some of those lovely Greek tapas. I might never get to make it to Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga, as flights from Europe to New Zealand are still quite expensive.
Aryane @ Valises & Gourmandises says
You’re right, Mezze are sooo delicious! From what I understand, they’re like the tapas of Greece.
I had them once in Montreal and was charmed! I no longer eat meat and dairy, but at the time I’d tried their chef platter and it featured some things that I never would have ordered willingly, like braised octopus and oysters.
That’s too bad that the service wasn’t great, but at least you seem to have liked your meals!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Love Mezze! Yes exactly like Greek Tapas lol. I don’t eat a lot of meat but I could not give up cheese lol. Love octopus grilled Greek style!