Restaurants in Northland & The Bay Of Islands
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Kamakura
The flashest option in Russell by a long way, this restaurant has a breezy beach-house feel. The Pacific Rim menu gainfully plunders Asian and French styles to produce beautifully presented, delicious meals. In summer it hosts a monthly artisan market (www.artisanmarket.co.nz).
reviewed
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B
Pimarn Thai
As gaudy as every good Thai restaurant should be – there’s plenty of gold and glass bling on the walls and around the necks of the serving staff. The lengthy menu features all Thailand’s blockbuster dishes, including a tasty pad thai.
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Parua Bay Tavern
A magical spot on a summer’s day, Parua Bay Tavern is a friendly pub set on a thumb-shaped peninsula, with a sole pohutukawa blazing red against the green water. Grab a seat on the deck, a cold beverage and a decent pub meal.
reviewed
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Only Seafood
A superb place for local seafood, with dishes ranging from the simple (catch-of-the-day with lemon and parsley) to all manner of creamy, spicy concoctions. The fat Pacific oysters served with soy, wasabi and pickled ginger are sublime.
reviewed
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Pear Tree
Lovely views of the basin from this homestead are this restaurant’s big drawcard, ably matched by the food.
reviewed
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Waterfront Cafe
It’s a sausage-roll-and-custard-square kind of place, but it’s Russell’s best weekday breakfast option.
reviewed
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à Deco
Northland’s best restaurant, with an inventive menu that prominently features local produce: Northland scallops, Tutukaka tuna, Waimate mushrooms, Kaipara flounder, Dargaville kumara (sweet potato) and the native flavours of horopito and manuka. Art-deco fans will adore the setting – a wonderfully curvaceous marine-style villa with original fixtures.
reviewed
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Sahara
Nothing about the cuisine or fit-out screams North African desert, but the incongruity of the name is nothing on the surprise of finding such a stylish restaurant in little Paparoa, 6km east of Matakohe. Housed in a lovingly restored bank building, Sahara offers a small but stellar menu with a focus on local produce.
reviewed
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Thai Chef
While we’re on the superlatives, this is quite simply the best Thai restaurant we’ve found in the upper North Island, Auckland included. Dishes have names such as 3 Alcoholics and Bananas with Hairy Legs. The Sexy Little Duck is irresistible.
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Gallery & Cafe
It’s worth a stop after 14km at the Gallery & Cafe high above Helena Bay for excellent organic fair-trade coffee, scrummy cake, amazing views and a gander at some interesting Kiwiana art and craft. Is there anything that corrugated iron can’t do?
reviewed
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Waikokopu Cafe
The setting is a cracking start – by a pond, backed by bush and overlooking the Treaty Grounds. The locale is matched by Kiwi icons on the menu – the ever popular ‘fush and chups’ and the Rainbow Warrior, ‘French toast sunk in maple syrup, bacon and banana’.
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Ake Ake
Has a swanky restaurant (lunch $14 to $26, dinner $26 to $31; open lunch Tuesday to Sunday, dinner Tuesday to Saturday), a pétanque court, and offers vineyard tours ($5, 11.30am Saturday and Sunday) and tastings ($3, free if dining).
reviewed
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Schnappa Rock
Filled with expectant divers in the morning and those capping off their Perfect Days in the evening, this cafe-restaurant-bar is often buzzing – not least because of the excellent coffee. Top NZ bands play on summer weekends.
reviewed
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Funky Fish
Brightly decorated with murals and mosaics, Funky Fish is a highly popular restaurant, cafe and bar with a wide-ranging menu, although the fish dishes are the standouts. Bookings are advisable in summer.
reviewed
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Mangonui Fish Shop
You can eat outdoors over the water in this licensed and deservedly famous fish-and-chip shop, which also sells smoked fish and seafood salads. Grab a crayfish salad and a cold beer, and all will be right with the world
reviewed
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G
Nectar
Oozing boho cool, Nectar has strong fair-trade coffee, hip staff, chilled-out grooves and urban views from the back of a fabulous old building. Breakfast couldn’t be sweeter than the passionfruit muesli sundae.
reviewed
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Swiss Cafe & Grill
Unpretentious but excellent, this waterfront restaurant has a wide-ranging and eclectic menu, which includes pizza, nicely prepared fish dishes and Swiss comfort food such as schnitzel and homemade strudel.
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Pure Tastes
Occupying a small canvas-and-glass corner of the Paihia Beach Resort, this first-rate restaurant serves interesting, beautifully presented Pacific fusion food using mainly Northland ingredients.
reviewed
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Waterfront Cafe & Bar
The best cafe in the Far North, Waterfront has an inventive menu, water views, friendly service and old-world charm. For breakfast try the market fish on spinach with citrus hollandaise.
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Pizza Barn
In Waipu even the pizza place has a tartan logo. Pizza Barn has popular platters, light fare and hunger-assuaging pizzas that go well with cold beer as this cool place morphs into a bar.
reviewed
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Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club
This venue plays host to the nicely named Moocha’s, where standard eats (burgers, fish and chips, ham steaks) and a good children’s menu mingle with mounted fish and garrulous locals.
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Bob
Hey Bob, nice coffee. How would you describe yourself? Deli? Cafe? All that fancy produce spices up the standards – like the kransky sausages in the big breakfast. Nice one, Bob.
reviewed
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Morrell’s Cafe
Perhaps this is where Hokianga’s hippies ended up. This bright-yellow cafe and craft shop serves up tasty snacks in a former cheese factory near the north end of the forest.
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Blah, Blah, Blah…
The number-one eatery in Dargaville (admittedly that’s not saying much) has a garden area, hip music, deli-style snacks, a global menu (dukkha, nachos, steak) and cocktails.
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Salut Bar & Brasserie
A grand setting for a boozy lunch. Grab one of the booths scooped out of dark chocolate leather and settle in for delicious fresh dishes such as the tuna carpaccio salad.
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