Start your day with eggs benedict and a flat white on the terrace, then come back at night for a glass of Waiheke red beside the fire, because Fenice runs from 8.30 in the morning until late, seven days a week. It sits in the middle of Oneroa Village, a five minute bus ride from the Matiatia ferry and a short walk from the beach, with flowers spilling out the front and tables that edge onto Ocean View Road so you can watch village life go by.
The kitchen works in seasonal Italian and Mediterranean territory, making everything on site, and the menu shifts with what's good that week. Pizzas come out with a properly crisp base, the Margherita, salmon and capricciosa among them, alongside duck risotto, mushroom ravioli and arancini, with tiramisu and buttermilk waffles drawing just as much attention. Coffee is taken seriously, there are cocktails and a wine list heavy on local Waiheke bottles, and happy hour brings a beer or bubbles.
Walk-ins are welcome, though booking is recommended, and the private Velvet Lounge seats up to 12 for birthdays and work dinners, with a shared set menu if you'd rather not choose. Takeaway runs from noon, and vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free options are all catered for.
Written from 1,038 Google reviews, every one we could get, on 12 November 2026. Rated 4.5 from 1,020 Google reviews.
Fenice is one of the most reliably loved restaurants on Waiheke, and you'll want to book rather than chance it in summer. You'll meet locals who've been coming for years and visitors who eat here three or four times in a week, whether that's breakfast before the wineries or a slow dinner.
Order a pizza, because the base is the best thing on the menu, crisp and light, with the Margherita the pick and the salmon and capricciosa close behind. The duck risotto and mushroom ravioli have their own following, and the crispy eggplant with honey is the happy hour standout, so keep room for the tiramisu.
Service is friendly and quick, and you'll be checked on without being hovered over. It can slow right down when the room fills, though, and there are long waits for food on a busy night, so pick a quieter time if you're in a hurry.
It's small and cosy inside, all rustic Italian decor and low light, with a fire going in winter and a terrace out front where you can watch the village and the beach. The whole place feels like a corner of Italy, and the shabby chic rooms are half the reason you come.
Expect Waiheke prices, so dinner here is not cheap, but the pizzas are generous and the cooking earns the spend. Pasta portions run smaller than the pizzas, and breakfast and lunch are the easier way to eat well for less.
It's a natural for a date, with the low light and the fire doing half the work, and it's just as good for family breakfasts and big group dinners. There's a private room for up to 12, and if it's your birthday the tiramisu arrives with a song.
Price and the wait when it's busy are the two things to plan around, so book ahead in summer and don't arrive starving at peak time. It also gets loud and hot inside on a full night, which makes the terrace the better seat then.
Every fact on this page was checked on 8 November 2026 against Google, Fenice Cafe & Restaurant's own website and 1,038 of its Google reviews. The photo is from the eatout library, not taken here, and no venue pays to be listed or ranked. Something out of date? Tell us
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