Robert Harris Whakatane
+64 7-308 8997+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
7:00 am - 2:30 pm
Mon
6:30 am - 3:30 pm
Tue
6:30 am - 3:30 pm
Wed
6:30 am - 3:30 pm
Thu
6:30 am - 3:30 pm
Fri
6:30 am - 3:30 pm
Sat
7:00 am - 2:30 pm
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Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
$3.00 – $27.00
CUISINES
Cafe
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
meals, features
Does this restaurant offer validated parking?
Details
About
Beautiful family friendly café in the heart of Whakatane on the Strand. Open daily for Breakfast and lunch, coffee, cold drinks, muffins or specialty desserts. Everything made o site. Spacious sunny terrace and large parking.
PRICE RANGE
$3.00 – $27.00
CUISINES
Cafe
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
FEATURES
Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Street Parking, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Gift Cards Available
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4.0
83 reviews
Excellent
31
Very good
25
Average
19
Poor
4
Terrible
4
batchhen2017
Timaru98 contributions
Sept 2020 • none
I'm a visitor to town so I stopped here as I know RH do Eggs Bennie nationwide through all their cafes. The service was not that friendly, from the man serving, if is he the Manager, no smiling happening here ! I had to return to the counter several times, for salt n pepper, sugar for the coffee, serviettes, none supplied of these in the first service. The traditional eggs benedict always has spinach but there was none of the plate. I was very surprised at the price of $19 plus a $6 coffee, $25 pretty pricey.!! Most cafes are $15 and under for the same dish with spinach. I checked the board, because I thought I'd been charged incorrectly, but that's what the price was. I have travelled all over the country and this is the dearest. Won't be going to any more franchise RH's, too expensive and average service.
Written 7 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathryn P
Thank you for your review. I found a few points very interesting.
The reason for bare tables, with no condiments was because the country was on alert level 2 for corona virus. Hence the no smiiling, wondering which direction people in business were heading.
Secondly our cafe serves an egg benedict, with free range eggs, streaky bacon and english muffins with a serving of hollindaise sauce on top.
If we were to introduce spinach it would be an egg florentine.
As we are part of a franchise, our breakfast is meant to look and taste the same as any other Robert Harris Cafe.
I hope that clarifies your scathing review.
Written 8 January 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
markandsian
Chester190 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
Ordered one sandwich and 2 toasties with a milk shake $30. Good service, clean and good view of the passers by. Toilet clean. Good value, great location. Visited with family for lunch
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suerob77
Shrewsbury11 contributions
Feb 2023 • none
We were aware of the Robert Harris franchise before coming to Whakatane and knew that some were better than others. This one turned out to be the best we have ever visited. We were so glad that we found it early on in our visit as we went there for every breakfast and lunch when we were in town. We'd have eaten dinner there too if they had been open!
The food is superb but that is not the half of it.
The cafe is managed by the Husband and Wife team of Tatiana and Richard. It has a real family feel to it; one day we met Richard's Mum, who was helping out.
What this means is that the service is exceptional. The staff, and Tatiana and Richard work very hard indeed. Food and drinks are always brought swiftly and delivered with a smile. The tables are cleared quickly but with good manners so you don't feel that a waitress is hovering, ready to remove your plate as soon as you have taken your last mouthful.
For breakfast I enjoyed the scrambled eggs, cooked to perfection with the toast and butter produced separately so that you can add as much or as little butter as you want.
The cakes are delicious as are the savoury lunch offerings.
Written 4 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
feipo
Tauranga321 contributions
Nov 2020 • none
Been there a few times, the food was pretty average. We went mainly because it's convenient.
Last visit, ordered chicken filo, the pastry was thick at both ends with very little chicken in it. The chicken was also of the processed type, not nice. It was unusual to have thick filo pastry !! Will never order this again.
Written 28 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathryn P
Thank you for letting me know, perhaps next time you could let me know directly so I could sort an alternative. Our menu is under review, so look forward to offering something different next time.
Written 7 January 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
deborah m
Rotorua59 contributions
Oct 2021 • family
Called 2 days for breakfast. Ordered our cupa first and it was so quick. Eggs cooked perfectly, great bacon, egg bebe a must try and hotcakes with bacon, banana maple syrup. Would also recommend savoury mince on toast. Generous portion. Real nice staff and super clean. We were impressed by it all
Written 23 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RandomDiva
Kawerau30 contributions
Jan 2024 • friends
Despite the whole CBD enduring a power cut while my friends and I had a late lunch here, we were able to enjoy cold drinks and cabinet food, both of which were delicious. And with it being a warm summer day, who needed coffee anyway. The staff were calm in explaining the dilemma and were confident we could find something to delight our palate, they were right.
Written 22 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JohnDeereQueen
Bay of Plenty Region70 contributions
Jan 2021 • none
The Saturday morning ladies behind the counter in early January really made RH worth the visit. They were all super friendly and welcoming on a rainy day. I rate my interaction with staff at a place as to whether or not I return and I definitely will return to Whakatane RH. Thanks for making our visit so enjoyable!
Written 19 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James P
Ohope5 contributions
July 2023 • solo
My daily stop in the morning before work. They get my coffee PERFECT every time ! Amazing group of staff always friendly! Always keeps me coming back.
Written 13 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jestaurant-reviews
Wellington58 contributions
Jan 2023 • family
We had a nice breakfast here with family. The staff were really nice and didn't hesitate to refund when they got the order wrong and we got 2 of one meal we only ordered 1 of.
Food was nice and the vibe was friendly. Would visit again
Written 19 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cdn n
New Plymouth2064 contributions
Oct 2020 • none
The food was good, and I thought well-priced for what I got - tender chunks of chicken, with mushrooms and swiss cheese, and some salad on the side, and a pot of tea. The staff never seemed to stop scrubbing things - the floor, the bench, the pots - while this was reassuring due to the COVID-19 restrictions, I am looking forward to the day they can be more relaxed.
Written 15 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
uliveto
Hamilton41 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
Four of us had lunch here before heading to experience the Awakeri Rail Adventures. Very friendly staff, nice food and outdoor dining.
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna Fox
Tauranga895 contributions
Jan 2020 • solo
I stole into this place regularly when I'm in town for work. Smoothies are great along with other options I have chosen during visits. Brownie is 1 of my favs too. Well worth a stop in when your in town
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave P
Hamilton68 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
A very tasty breakfast and good coffee. The outdoor area is great and we'll be back next time we're in Whakatane
Written 26 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jevtash
Whakatāne81 contributions
Nov 2019 • business
Slow service, took 13mins for a ice coffee and they barely had anyone in store. I try to avoid this place as they are consistently slow. I work nearby and only go when desperate. Nothing ever changes. Today one lady was waiting so long so went up to get a refund to find out they never even put her order through! Hence the no coffee and fluffy for her kid. So unprofessional. They barely even said sorry just told her she wasn’t charged.
Written 25 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kiwigurl76
3 contributions
Oct 2019 • couples
My husband and I like to meet for lunch when he has a weekday off and we like to try the different cafes in town.
Today we were undecided where to eat and decided on Robert Harris, being a well known chain, we thought we couldn’t go far wrong.
I ordered a Caesar Salad and my husband the Mussel Fritters. Our lunch arrived quickly, no complaints there.
My salad was a plate full of limp mixed salad, not the lovely crisp vis lettuce you would normally expect in a Caesar salad. Instead a mixed selection of lettuce that didn’t agree with being topped with a hit egg and turned into a selection of limp half cooked leaves.
It was described as a chicken and bacon salad, but in reality had very few pieces of either, I’m sure the egg was poached but it looked more like a flat fried egg. This was all topped off by slightly stale croutons, with no colour and very little crunch! Definitely not worth the $18 odd dollars we paid for it.
My husband was just as unimpressed with his mussel fritters, they are served on a slice of normal whole meal bread, they were stodgy and obviously reheated in the microwave.
We decided that we didn’t want to continue with our lunch as neither of us were enjoying it, so I took the plates back to the counter, I was met by the stoney faced manager Kathryn. I told her we were not overly impressed with the food and she asked me what the problem was?
I pointed out our issues with the meals and she read the description of the salad off the menu, she said it was their twist on a Caesar salad and that obviously explained the limp mixed leaf salad that was dying under the heat of the egg. She obviously thought the poor excuse in front of me was acceptable and I had not read the menu correctly. My husband then pointed out his issues with his fritters, Kathryns reply was to get the price of his meal out of the till in cash and give it back to him, no refund for the salad. All of this was done with the customer service of a hedgehog!!
My advice, if your going to do your own twist on a classic you need to make sure it’s done well.
So if your heading into town for a bit of lunch do yourself a favour and stop at Julian’s Berry Farm and check out their amazing Caesar salad, or Poppies just a bit further down The Strand, we wish we had!!
Written 20 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
496kathrynp
Thank you for your kind words.
I'm sorry that our menu didn't meet with your expectations. There is a reason we do the caesar with the mesculin mix, as its not a popular option. If I had served it with Cos lettuce that was a week old, you would have not been impressed with that either. Stale croutons? That's been noted with our kitchen staff also, as no excuses there.
The poached egg was a lovely free range egg, locally sourced. There is a generous mixture of grilled bacon and diced chicken mixed through the salad and shavings of parmesan cheese. Definately a twist on a classic, but all noted in the menu description. I did also note that you ate most of it!
The mussel fritters are made here, precooked and frozen, then reheated on the grill. Again its to keep the seafood in its safest state. This meal is served with a lovely green side salad and a slice of buttered bread.
I refunded this meal as the gentleman had clearly tried it and decided it wasn't to his liking, not eaten most of the meal before complaining.
Once again i am sorry that our culinary delights were below the bar set by you. Please note that at no stage did I get personal to you.
Kathryn the Hedgehog.
Written 22 October 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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