The Rata Room

The Rata Room restaurant

The Rata Room is NMIT's training restaurant for cookery and hospitality students. Its primary aim is to provide a realistic environment to prepare students for careers in hospitality. The launch of the Rata Room has taken regional differentiation in cuisine to a whole new level. The restaurant has been built around the concept of developing and reflecting the regional uniqueness of Nelson and Marlborough through the food and wine and also by partnering directly with local cultural communities. It's also NMIT's training restaurant for its cookery and hospitality students.

The restaurant forms part of the new state-of-the-art Hospitality and Wellbeing building which acts as a hub for all things to do with food and wine for the region. We source our ingredients locally and showcase local wines. In addition, local artists, iwi, potters, musicians and winemakers are invited to get involved so the restaurant becomes a small snapshot of Nelson and Marlborough's cultural diversity.

The Rata Room features a range of events from Bar and Cocktail evenings, coffee mornings, lunches and dinners, including degustation dinners with wine and food matching. There are plans for more community interaction with workshops and seminars run by suppliers and partners, as well as master classes with visiting chefs and seasonal activities based around food and wine. In addition, winemakers Seifried Estates and Kaimira Estate Wines have sponsored the restaurant, and their wines will be showcased through various wine courses.

Download the Rata Room dates for 2012. If you would like please add your email address to The Rata Room data base.

Private bookings and group functions for the whole restaurant are welcomed. The Rata Room can cater for up to 45 seated dinner guests, or for 100 guests for a cocktail and canape event.

Rata Room students and staff can also work in with other function venues, both at NMIT and externally. Please contact us to discuss any of these options.