The Courtyard

Family
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The Courtyard is family. The eccentric, peculiar people we meet on journeys and adventures, linked by unexplained idiosyncrasies and familiar minds. Collective thoughts and shared hearts. So however you came to end up at The Courtyard, you will be with family.

The Courtyard Restaurant and Garden Bar is fast approaching five years open this summer and has fast become the secret local "place to be" for an exceptional dinner or a spritz or two in the sunny garden bar. Situated on Ocean View Road, down the stairs from the viewing platform in central Oneroa, the venue is a little tucked away but a delightful discovery.

Owner/Operator Brent Mills, returned home to NZ after 20 years of owning restaurants in Bali and Sydney, and working in globally acclaimed restaurants throughout the world including New York. Mills brought with him a unique innovative style of entertaining and dining to Waiheke. 

With a large Mediterranean influence, the extensive menu boasts house made pastas, cheese and charcuterie plates, fresh seafood dishes, and some interesting twists to some international dishes, like the eggplant parmigiana. Don't go past the classics like the NZ Ribeye steak, hung and air dried for 30 days.

Armed with a clear vision, Mills has turned an under-utilized space into a clean and bright dining room, and garden bar. The carefully curated menu showcases his passion for interesting and innovative dishes, using quality fresh ingredients. The wine list is curated by Simon Kelly from Lubrication Wines who says "We picked the wine list to compliment Brent’s unique style. It's a little daring and adventurous, and features some of the world’s best vineyards. We hope it will challenge diners to try something new".

Mills changes the menu weekly and adds seasonal specials, to ensure the local regulars always have someone new to try, and to keep him on his creative toes.