Fodor's Expert Review The Bay House

Tucked among flax bushes beside the wild, foaming surf beach at Tauranga Bay, this busy little restaurant serves as fine a menu as you'll get anywhere in the South Island. The chef prepares top-quality local beef, lamb, and seafood dishes, and there are seasonal specialties like the whitebait (a local fish delicacy). the kitchen use local touches like harakeke seed, paua, and kūmara (native sweet potato). You'll find an extensive, mainly South Island wine list. It's worth the extra driving and, if you're heading south afterwards, you can follow the signposted shortcut toward Charleston to save going back into Westport.