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Bistro Lago Menu

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Bistro Lago occupies an elevated position at Hilton Lake Taupo, looking across greenery towards the lake from the historic Terraces Hotel building. It is a public restaurant rather than simply an amenity for hotel guests, serving locals and visitors through breakfast, lunch, dinner and bar hours every day. Sweeping balconies make the outlook part of a summer meal, while leather furnishings and open fires give the room a more intimate winter character. The setting supports both a casual afternoon visit and a longer dinner shaped around the restaurant's regional focus.

The kitchen describes its food as drawing from lake, land and ocean, and the current lunch menu makes that idea tangible. Mānuka-smoked Fiordland wapiti tataki is paired with malt, Sichuan pepper and beetroot; Hokkaido scallops come with Hawke's Bay bacon and a kombu-shiitake dashi. Braised lamb shank carries black-garlic and kūmara purée, while market fish is set against watercress risotto and lemon beurre blanc. A grill section adds ribeye, striploin, eye fillet, kingfish and brick chicken with a choice of classic sauces.

Lunch is not confined to formal plates. Poke bowls can be built around beef tataki, yellowfin tuna, spicy salmon or kimchi chicken, with sushi rice, quinoa or mixed leaves. Black Angus beef and chicken burgers sit alongside a blackened-snapper wrap, each served with fries. Plant-led options have been given equal thought: grilled brassicas combine hazelnut hollandaise, tonkatsu, oyster mushroom and candied tofu, while choy sum and sweet-potato dumplings arrive in a chestnut-and-coconut velvet sauce. That breadth lets the room accommodate light lunches, full meals and diners with different priorities.

The surrounding menus make Bistro Lago useful well beyond a standard lunch or dinner. The bar pours cocktails, zero-proof drinks, New Zealand wine and craft beer alongside snacks and casual dishes. Desserts draw on regional produce, from Hawke's Bay apple tarte tatin to topfen mousse made with Hōhepa quark and rhubarb. Families have a separate children's menu, while the book-ahead Timeless High Tea connects the present restaurant to a 1947 Terraces Hotel menu. Together, those strands give the venue a sense of place without limiting it to one occasion or style of service.

Address: Hilton Lake Taupo, 80–100 Napier Road, Hilltop, Taupō 3330, New Zealand

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Bistro Lago Menu

Breakfast

Served from the breakfast à la carte menu. Dietary codes: h – healthy | d – dairy | g – gluten | se – seeds | sf – seafood | p – pork | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Green Smoothie Bowl
$18

ve, n, h | coconut yoghurt, berries, banana, avocado, spinach & maple syrup

Coconut Rice Pudding
$24

ve, n, h | coconut yoghurt, granola & oats, citrus fruit

Buckwheat Waffles
$22

v, h | coconut yoghurt, banana, maple syrup

Healthy Kiwi
$24

v, d, g, n, h | two poached free range eggs, avocado, feta cheese, coriander, multigrain bread

Venison Black Pudding & Rewana
$28

d, g, p | fried free range eggs, caramelised aged balsamic apple & onion, rewana bread

Heritage Breakfast
$32

d, p | two free range eggs (cooked your way), breakfast sausage (pork or chicken), manuka smoked pork bacon, potato hash, grilled vine ripened tomato

Benedict
$24

d, g, p | two poached free range eggs, baby spinach, focaccia, hollandaise sauce, tararua range back bacon

Florentine
$32

d, g, sf | two poached free range eggs, baby spinach, focaccia, hollandaise sauce, ora king salmon bites

Latest Harvest Fruits
$18

v | kinloch honey

Lunch – Starters & Salads

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | m – mustard | se – seeds | sf – seafood | a – alcohol | p – pork | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Housemade Breads
$15

g, d | whipped butters

Potato & Leek Velouté
$19

ve, a, n | mushroom pesto

Pear & Organic Blue Cheese
$26

v, d, n | pear, candied walnut, endive, chardonnay vinagrette

Choy Sum & Sweet Potato Dumpling
$28

ve, n, se | chestnut & coconut velvet

Mānuka Smoked Fiordland Wapiti Deer Tataki
$32

a, n | pōkeno winter malt, sichuan pepper, fire roasted & pickled beetroot

Hokkaido Scallop & Hawke’s Bay Candied Back Bacon
$39

sf, p | smoked sunroot artichoke puree, legumes, fermented kombu & shiitake dashi

Lunch Specials

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | m – mustard | se – seeds | sf – seafood | a – alcohol | p – pork | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Chicken Pot Pie
$34

d, g | cucumber, tomato, kalamata olives, lettuce, oregano & lemon vinaigrette

Grilled Brassicas
$34

ve, d, n | hazelnut hollandaise, tonkatsu, oyster mushroom, candied tofu

Pearl Farm’s Veal Schnitzel
$36

d, g, p, m | warm potato salad, sweet mustard vinaigrette

Bangers & Mash
$38

d, p, g | tauranga griller, potato purée, red onion jus

Fish & Chips
$38

sf, d, g | Catch of the day, steak fries, cucumber, tomato, kalamata olives, lettuce, oregano & lemon vinaigrette

Market Fish
$43

sf, d | Catch of the day, watercress risotto, lemon beurre blanc

Braised Lamb Shank
$48

black garlic & kumara purée, grilled broccoli, horopito pepper sauce

Lunch – Poke Bowl

Choice of Sushi Rice, Quinoa or Mixed Leaves. Vegan & Vegetarian options available – please ask our team for their recommendations. Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | se – seeds | sf – seafood | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Yellowfin Tuna
$38

sf, se, g | sesame soy, avocado, crispy onion, edamame, wakame

Spicy Salmon
$36

sf, d | chilli mayo, tomato salsa, avocado, edamame

Beef Tataki
$38

g | ponzu, fried garlic, avocado, crispy onion, edamame

Kimchi Chicken
$32

d | spicy kimchi, kewpie, cucumber & daikon

Lunch – Burger & Wraps

Served with Shoestring French Fries. Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | sf – seafood

Chicken Burger
$41

d, g | cajun ranch dressing, rucola, parmesan

Blackened Snapper Wrap
$40

sf, d, g | grilled red snapper, blackened spice, lemon aioli

Black Angus Beef Burger
$36

d, g | pohutukawa red cheddar, red onion jam, bbq sauce

Lunch – From the Grill

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | m – mustard | a – alcohol | p – pork | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Brick Chicken
$44
Tairāwhiti Coast Kingfish
$46

200gram

Striploin
$48

250gram

Eye Fillet
$58

220gram

Ribeye
$58

250gram

Lunch – Sides

Dietary codes: d – dairy | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Buttered Autumn Vegetables
$15

v, d

Pomme Purée
$15

v, d

Shoestring Fries
$15

ve

Kinloch Honey Roasted Root Vegetables
$15

ve

Truffle Fries
$17

v, d

Dinner – Starters & Salads

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | se – seeds | sf – seafood | a – alcohol | p – pork | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Housemade Breads
$15

g, d | whipped butters

Potato & Leek Velouté
$19

ve, a, n | mushroom pesto

Pear & Organic Blue Cheese
$26

v, d, n | candied walnut, endive, chardonnay vinaigrette

Choy Sum & Sweet Potato Dumplings
$28

ve, n, se | chestnut & coconut velvet

Mānuka Smoked Fiordland Wapiti Deer Tataki
$32

a, n | pōkeno winter malt, sichuan pepper, fire roasted & pickled beetroot

Hokkaido Scallop & Hawke’s Bay Candied Back Bacon
$39

sf, p | smoked sunroot artichoke purée, legumes, fermented kombu & shiitake dashi

Dinner Specials

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | sf – seafood | a – alcohol | p – pork | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Grilled Brassicas
$34

ve, d, n | hazelnut hollandaise, tonkatsu, oyster mushroom, candied tofu

Bangers & Mash
$38

d, p, g | Tauranga griller, potato puree, red onion jus

Free Range Pork Belly & Crackling
$40

p, d, g | kinloch honey sautéed endive & radicchio, pomme dauphine, xo sauce

Braised First Light Wagyu Beef Brisket
$44

d | watercress risotto, horopito & feijoa chocolate mole

New Zealand Lamb
$46

d | lamb rump & chilli kofta, parsnip, parmesan churro, carrot & star anise beurre blanc

Steamed Blue Cod
$52

sf, d, g, a | shiraz caviar, quinoa & polenta fritter, white wine velouté, lemon gel

Hibachi Charcoaled Pearl Veal Striploin
$52

d, g | oyster mushroom & brussels sprout sauté, croissant potato, hawke’s bay apple beurre blanc

Dinner – From the Grill

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | a – alcohol | p – pork | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Striploin
$48

250gram

Eye Fillet
$58

220gram

Ribeye
$58

250gram

Tairāwhiti Coast Kingfish
$46

200gram

Brick Chicken
$44

Dinner – For Two

Dietary codes: d – dairy

Grassfed Beef Tomahawk
$180

d | triple cooked potatoes, roasted garlic greens, selection of sauces

Dinner – Sides

Dietary codes: d – dairy | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Buttered Winter Vegetables
$15

v, d

Pomme Purée
$15

v, d

Shoestring Fries
$15

ve

Maple Syrup Roasted Root Vegetables
$15

ve

Truffle Parmesan Fries
$17

v, d

Young Diners

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | sf – seafood | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Potato & Leek Soup
$10

ve | toasty bites

Chicken Slider
$20

d, g | crispy chicken, maple syrup, shoestring fries, ketchup

Beef & Cheese Sliders
$20

d, g | 100% pure south island beef, cheddar cheese, shoestring fries, ketchup

Cheese Jaffle
$18

v, d, g | cheddar cheese closed toasty, curly fries, ketchup

Fish & Chips
$22

sf, g | red snapper fillet, tempura batter, steak fries, remoulade sauce

Sausage & Mash
$18

d | your choice of sausage (pork, beef, lamb, chicken), mash potato, green peas

Bar Snacks

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | sf – seafood | n – nuts

Shoestring Fries
$15

d, g | pecorino, truffle oil

Chilli Fried Calamari
$28

sf, d, g | whipped avocado hummus, lime

Chicken Popcorn
$29

n, d, g | dried chilli, garlic, cashew nut, chilli oil

Bar – Burger & Wraps

Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | sf – seafood

Black Angus Beef Burger
$36

d, g | pohutukawa red cheddar, red onion jam, bbq sauce

Blackened Snapper Wrap
$40

sf, d, g | grilled red snapper, blackened spice, lemon aioli

Chicken & Burger
$41

d, g | cajun ranch dressing, rucola, parmesan

Bar – Poke Bowl

Choice of Sushi Rice, Quinoa or Mixed Leaves. Vegan & Vegetarian options available – please ask our team for their recommendations. Dietary codes: d – dairy | g – gluten | se – seeds | sf – seafood

Yellowfin Tuna
$38

sf, se, g | sesame soy, avocado, crispy onion, edamame, wakame

Spicy Salmon
$36

sf, d | chilli mayo, tomato salsa, avocado, edamame

Beef Tataki
$38

g | ponzu, fried garlic, avocado, crispy onion, edamame

Kimchi Chicken
$32

d | spicy kimchi, kepie, cucumber & daikon

Dessert

d – dairy | g – gluten | a – alcohol | n – nuts | v – vegetarian | ve – vegan

Tarte Tatin
$18

d, g | hawke’s bay apples brûlée, butterscotch sauce, vanilla bean ice cream

Topfen Mousse
$18

d | hōhepa quark, baked rhubarb, paper meringue

Vanilla Crème Brûlée
$20

d | silky vanilla bean custard with a crisp caramelised sugar crust

Hilton’s Warm Chocolate Brownie
$22

d, g, n | dulche de leche, vanilla bean ice cream

Basque Cheesecake
$24

d, g | praline, chocolate ganache

Ice Cream or Sorbet
$16

d | two scoops

Hot Beverages

Small | Large

Flat White
Small $7.50 / Large $8
Latte
Small $7.50 / Large $8
Mochaccino
Small $7.50 / Large $8
Cappuccino
Small $7.50 / Large $8
Long Black
Small $7.50 / Large $8
Short Black
Small $7

Soft Drinks & Juices

Coca Cola/ Diet Coke/ Lemonade
$7
Tonic Water / Soda Water
$7
Mac’s Feijoa & Pear
$8
Apple / Orange / Cranberry / Tomato / Pineapple
$8

Cocktails

Aperol Spritz
$22

prosecco, soda, aperol

Seasport
$22

mezcal, pineapple, chartreuse, citrus

Rahim Rub
$22

gin, strawberry, citrus

Aurora
$23

vodka, blueberry, citrus

Madam Ashby
$23

cocchi bianco, apple, coconut

Lychee-tini
$23

absolut, lime, sugar, lychee

Mocktails

Marmont
$17

lychee, raspberry, cranberry

Bordet-O
$17

pineapple, coconut, soda

Vanilla Fizz
$16

vanilla gomme, soda, citrus

Beers & Ciders

Stella Artois
$15

Draught Beer

Panhead Supercharger APA
$15

Draught Beer

Kirin Ichiban
$15

Draught Beer

Emerson’s Pilsner Low Carb
$15

Draught Beer

Steinlager Pure
$13

Bottled Beer

Steilager Tokyo Dry
$13

Bottled Beer

Wine

GL | BTL

Contarini Prosecco DOC
GL $19 / BTL $88

NV | ita

Nautilus Rosé
GL $22 / BTL $118

NV | marlborough

24' Opawa
GL $18 / BTL $88

Sauvignon Blanc | marlborough

25' Opawa
GL $18 / BTL $88

Pinot Gris | marlborough

24' Mt. Beautiful
GL $18 / BTL $88

Rosé | north canterbury

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