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It might be way out in the bush, but this restaurant could stand proud in any big city. Dine inside or out, beneath the trees, and watch the chefs in the open kitchen adding wood to the pizza oven or creating contemporary cuisine with organic-farmed beef and lamb and vegetables straight from the garden. For flavor and innovation, try the chef’s choice of three seasonal tasters. This is a great option for family dining---there’s so much space and a little playground---and it’s actually only about 10 minutes away from either town, Waihi or Paeroa. Accommodation is available too, from $180 per night.
25 Waitawheta Rd., Waikato, 3682, New Zealand
Known For
- Spicy chicken pizza (and other pizzas)
- Sharing platters
- Vegetarian salads
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. Apr.--Oct. (approximately)
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$$$$ | Flaxmill Bay |
In addition to great food, this restaurant has a community-hub feel thanks to live music sessions, poetry readings, film nights, and a summer sculpture symposium. The dinner menu reaches beyond standard café fare, and there's also a great range of classic breakfasts and fresh baked goods. Be sure to check the on-site shop Eggstras for quality deli items to take on your journey. The café is about 1 km (0.6 mile) from the Whitianga ferry landing, with a free pick-up service if you don't fancy the 10-minute walk.
1049 Purangi Rd., Whitianga, Waikato, 3591, New Zealand
Known For
- Scallops, chowders, and other seafood
- Tasty desserts
- Community art and music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and May–Sept.
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There’s a vintage retro feel at this unassuming café that belies the amazing fresh-baked goods produced within. Cabinets are crammed with pastries, breads, cakes, panini and other sandwiches, and some truly fantastic cakes like the passionfruit curd cake. Salads and lots of vegetarian options are on the menu, the coffee is consistently good, and tea lovers can choose from a list of organic, loose-leaf flavors. The place is loved by the locals and if you eat in you’re likely to get to know them at the big communal tables.
50 9th Ave., Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, 3112, New Zealand
Known For
- Great coffee
- Classic Kiwi sausage rolls
- Local vibe
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Like many places to eat on the peninsula, this casual café does a roaring trade with mussels and seafood. But lots of Kiwi café foods are also here, like full breakfasts, salads, and pies, while the dinner menu serves all the classics. Quiches, cakes, and sandwiches are handmade every day, and the coffee is fair-trade. You can enjoy your food and drinks indoors or alfresco. Nothing is deep-fried.
22 Wharf Rd., Coromandel, Waikato, 3506, New Zealand
Known For
- Fish and mussel chowders
- House-baked cakes
- Fair-trade coffee
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A delightful blend of cuisines can be found here, from authentic curries from Sri Lanka and India to modern New Zealand classics, including seafood specialties and quality steaks. There’s also a breakfast menu, and local and imported beers and wines from the bar.
62 The Strand, Bay of Plenty, 3120, New Zealand
Known For
- <PRO>refreshing mango lassi</PRO>
- <PRO>relaxed ambience</PRO>
- <PRO>house-baked desserts</PRO>
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed 2--5
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Salted-caramel, white-chocolate, and creme-custard donuts are among the decadent favorites at this central Whakatane café. However, sandwiches and savory pies are other options from the cabinet, and you can order from a full breakfast and lunch menu for something cooked freshly on site. The small lemon meringue pies are snapped up quickly, too, but you'll always have something to choose from in the house baking line. Indoor and outdoor seating is available.
93 The Strand, Whakatane, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Known For
- Central location close to shops
- House-made cereal for breakfast
- Great coffee
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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Jasmine vines cloak the front porch of this adorable 1890 miner's cottage. Folks come here for breakfast and lunch every day of the week, and you might have to wait a bit during holiday time, but locals think it's worth it. For breakfast, "The Classic" (bacon, sausages, eggs, fried potatoes, tomato, and toast) will set most people up for the day. At lunch you'll find hearty salads and seafood chowder, a staple for regulars. Cakes are seriously good, as is the coffee.
20 Victoria St., Whitianga, Waikato, 3510, New Zealand
Known For
- Classic breakfasts, including a great eggs Benedict
- Seafood chowder
- Lots of locals
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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Recently reopened just to the south of Coromandel Town, this restaurant is well sign-posted but also easy to spot by the historical mussel barge at the main entrance. It sets the tone for a place that makes the local delicacy the star of the show, including delicious half-shell mussels or mussel pots served with bread. They come naturally, or you can have them flavored with garlic butter and white wine sauce or spiced up with a green curry. Seafood souvlaki is recommended and includes scallops and prawns skewered alongside the mussels. Fish-and-chips, steak, and a salad selection are among the other items on the menu.
20 309 Rd., Coromandel, Waikato, 3581, New Zealand
Known For
- Fresh mussels in all varieties
- Seafood souvlaki with scallops, prawns, and mussels
- Both indoor and outdoor dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.--Wed. No dinner
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$$$ | |
Mediterranean food and ambience are the focus at this quiet restaurant tucked away on the edge of town. The finest local produce, organic where possible, is matched with quality international and local craft beers and wines.
31 Orchard Rd., Waihi, Bay of Plenty, 3610, New Zealand
Known For
- House-made ice cream
- Angus beef cheeks
- Mediterranean-style risottos
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.
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This café’s small shared plates feature an eclectic fusion of Asian and classic European flavors with a strong Kiwi touch. Try the tea leaf salad, Burmese-style, with roasted soy beans, peanuts, kawakawa (a pepper-flavored native plant), cabbage, and tomato; ostrich and beef cheek; or the braised octopus with nectarines. Sit inside in candlelight or under the trees in the buzzy garden with the locals.
19 Captain Cook Rd., Waikato, 3591, New Zealand
Known For
- Great pizzas
- Selection of fusion dishes
- Dessert platters
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
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The food and the view will vie for your attention here, as you dine on contemporary New Zealand cuisine. The menu is created largely from local artisan products, and you can admire Tauranga Harbour from the stunning waterfront location. The quite pricey à la carte menu encompasses starters or starters to share as well as light meals that can be appetizers depending on the size of your appetite, mains, and desserts. From the grill, meats come with a choice of butters and sauces. Reservations are recommended, particularly if you want a spot on the over-water balcony.
150 The Strand, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, 3110, New Zealand
Known For
- Excellent harbor views
- Grill menu of local, organic cuts
- Several duck dishes
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The meat and produce in this café and store all come from the owner’s very own farm, Kairaumati Hereford Stud. The meat is processed on-site, the sausages are made from an old family recipe, and the free-range eggs, honey, vegetables, jams, and pickles are all homegrown. For lunch, there’s a range of burgers (regarded widely as the best on the peninsula), toasted sandwiches, hot chips, muffins, and cakes, plus real fruit ice cream. You can dine in the garden, then pick up some farm-fresh meat and condiments to enjoy later.
2318 Colville Rd., Colville, Waikato, 3584, New Zealand
Known For
- Pure homegrown Hereford beef burgers
- House-made baked goods
- Pickles and chutneys
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The Bayfair Shopping Centre may seem an unlikely place to find one of the area's most innovative restaurants, but this is well worth seeking out. Izakai combines Māori ingredients and cooking styles with Japanese cuisine, so you'll find hāngi-style pork belly and watercress with ramen (noodles); smoked kahawai with cabbage fritter, Tokoyaki sauce, and pickled red onion; and creamed paua (local shellfish) and prawn gyoza (dumplings). The centerpiece of the restaurant is a long curved bar, but you can also sit at high tables near the window or in a more intimate booth-like setting.
19 Girven Rd., New Zealand
Known For
- Some tables left available for walk-ins
- Fig and manuka honey ice cream
- Interesting cocktail selection
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Fresh flavors right from Asia are blended with the best of local New Zealand meats, seafood, and vegetables at this popular-with-the-locals waterfront eatery. As with current restaurant trends, small plates are made for sharing, so you can enjoy a blast of flavors and just keep ordering until you're full. If the myriad choices look confusing, let the kitchen decide and order a banquet. There’s a lounge bar upstairs, open from 4 pm on, for relaxing into the evening.
59 The Strand, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, 3110, New Zealand
Known For
- Crying tiger grilled beef sirloin
- Steamed buns, spring rolls, and dumplings
- Banquet-style menu options
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This spacious, centrally located café–restaurant can get busy with both visitors and locals. Breakfast kicks off at 9 am with all the standard Kiwi options. Salads, burgers, and fish-and-chips come on the menu for lunch; dinner is still casual but with slightly more upmarket fare with a good range of lamb, steak, salmon, pork, and vegetable dishes on offer. If you arrive during the day, pop into the adjacent Manaia Gallery, which sells jewelry, art, and crafts.
228 Main Rd., Tairua, Waikato, 3508, New Zealand
Known For
- Woodfire pizzas
- Breakfast waffles
- Art and craft store next-door
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The high prices set this restaurant apart from other local options, but then again so does the food: in the open-plan kitchen, nationally renowned chef Stephen Barry fuses quality indigenous meats, seafood, and produce with Pacific Rim flavors. À la carte menu choices range from small tapas to share and appetizers (which can also be requested in a slightly larger portion size) to full main courses. For those who inevitably want a taste of all the desserts, there's a tasting platter. The street-side restaurant looks out onto Mauao (Mt. Maunganui).
6 Adams Ave., Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty, 3116, New Zealand
Known For
- Signature flambé seafood dish
- Multicourse degustation menu
- Dessert tasting platter
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch
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Come to this indoor–outdoor bistro for casual evening dining loosely billed as Italian with pizza, pastas, and risotto on the menu. There's also a great range of Kiwi-modern mains that feature salmon, steak, pork, and the local fish catch. There's a good range of New Zealand wines and all kinds of beers.
711 Port Rd., Whangamata, Waikato, 3620, New Zealand
Known For
- Pizzas
- Thai curries
- Wine menu with a focus on New Zealand wines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch
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One of Thames's newest cafes, this place comes with a good pedigree (having been opened by the team who previously ran another popular dining spot in town) and has quickly gained a local following. Rainbow vegetarian tart with pesto and ricotta, butterscotch scones, and sticky bao buns are available alongside more traditional offerings such as cornish pasties.
501A Pollen Street, New Zealand
Known For
- Hot and tasty soups, including a vegan green velvet variety
- Handy main-street location
- Changing blackboard specials
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Just off the road but with a backdrop of fruit trees, this is a fitting place to stop for breakfast or lunch in an area known for its fresh produce. A tasty vegetarian choice is the "Figotten Shroom" (balsamic mushrooms on a potato rosti stack with spinach and a dollop of fig jam). Standard fare like loaded fries, nachos, and "fush and chups" (a gentle jibe at the Kiwi accent) can be found here too. Dine inside, or take advantage of the park surroundings and settle at an outdoor table.
603 State Hwy. 2, New Zealand
Known For
- Plenty of off-road parking, with room for campervans and motorhomes
- Early closing (at 3 pm)
- Good children's menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner
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The standout restaurant in town showcases local produce, shellfish, fish, lamb, and beef. Lunch easily segues into dinner in the sheltered courtyard or in front of the fire, depending on the season. Service is swish and prices are up there, but you get what you pay for. All-day brunches and light lunches are also served.
31 Kapanga Rd., Coromandel, Waikato, 3506, New Zealand
Known For
- Mussels (steamed or in chowder)
- Other Coromandel shellfish like oysters and scallops
- Signature prime rib steak
