Contemporary New Zealand
A favourite for families and friends with a diverse menu to match, Plateau has the perfect atmosphere for locals and visitors alike, savouring friendships around the table for 13 years.
Award-winning, fine craft beers, Kiwi inspired food and an a la carte experience is just the tip of the iceberg, “what we really value is the complete experience for the customer – great food is always priority, but everything else such as lighting, music, warmth and hosting is just as important”. Plateau has a charm of its own, whether you choose from casual dining, the restaurant or bar, providing an all-round service for anyone. The experience at Plateau is relaxed in all the right places and always something people look forward to.
The team also prides themselves on using the best ingredients, with the menu inspired by locally sourced produce, free range and organic ingredients and Taupo Beef & Lamb. Doing their part in supporting local businesses and looking after the environment, Plateau has gained a strong reputation over the years in helping the local community.
The driving force behind this passionate team are the hands-on owners, Frankie and Kate Walker. Years of hospitality and customer service experience behind them, Frankie and Kate know what it takes to provide great service and have created the unique character that is Plateau.
Meet the Head Chef
New to the Plateau crew is Executive Chef, Reuben Lynn. Previously working at Bistro Lago and The Powder Horn in Ohakune, Reuben moved to Taupo for a change in lifestyle.
What do you love about working in Taupo?
The local following, I love feeling like I’m part of the community and being among the residents and families here. It has a nice, casual feel.
What are your culinary strengths?
Creativity in flavour combinations – I like to experiment with ethnic flavours and how they can add an international touch to our New Zealand cuisine. It’s like my way of travelling and experiencing the different cultures of the world.
Also, I’m always researching and looking for new ideas and recipes. There’s always ways to make improvements or change flavours and I like to try everything.
What inspires your menu?
Our menus are seasonal and we always like to have a range of flavours.
We make sure everything is fresh, such as meat, fish and oysters. Your fish would be swimming in the afternoon and on your plate at dinnertime. Our oysters are shucked and even the smoking is done in-house. We take care to put effort in all the details.
What’s your favourite dish to make?
The market fish – there’s so many ways to get creative with fish and I enjoy that. It also keeps changing because we source fresh and sustainable fish, so there’s more ways to play with it.
What are the customer favourites?
Seafood, especially oysters. We’ve heard our seafood is some of the best in town.
Beef and lamb too, and we love to hear that because we feel proud to support local farmers by using Taupo beef & lamb.
What’s the most rewarding part of the job?
Transforming the raw ingredients into something exquisite, and getting great feedback for all our hard work.
I also enjoy training our younger chefs and passing on knowledge and techniques that help them do better.
What’s the most challenging?
Being organised, juggling so many orders at once, and the 20-minute deadline. It can get stressful with long hours, but it’s all about making that time productive, I make about 50-60 meals a night, and around 100 on a weekend night.