Owner Leonardo Baldi said Redford was keen to come back for another meal and to collect a T-shirt promised to him by Mr Baldi. "He's a really humble man, I think his agent called to make the booking because they wanted to keep it under the radar.
"It was pretty awesome because we also had Karl Urban in here the week before ..."
Mr Baldi said he and his staff had a good chat with Redford.
"He is planning a trip to Italy and asked me and one of my staff where he should go. He said he really loved it here and asked for one of our T-shirts. I didn't have any clean ones so he said he'd come back. It was really neat, people here recognised him and were giggling at their tables," Mr Baldi said.
Last week he also took a tour around Ohinemutu and visited St Faith's Church.
St Faith's Church welcomer Ann Somerville said she was at the church welcoming people with Jenny West at the door and "just happened to welcome in one of the most famous people in the world".
Redford was accompanied by his wife and Rotorua's own Temuera Morrison.
"Temuera ... said, 'I have Robert Redford with me', and I thought he was kidding until he came in and it clicked into place. He was showing him the features of the church in his usual aplomb, particularly the Galilee window.
"I've been a fan from way back, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of my favourite movies ever and the contribution he has made to art and film, with the Sundance Film Festival is amazing."
Ms Somerville said he was "absolutely the most famous person" she had met and he was happy to have a photo with them. She said she was too star-struck to talk to him further.
"They were very lovely, particularly his partner, and it was little bit of thrill for us. It's so great they chose to visit St Faith's, such an icon of Rotorua."
