Bay of Plenty
The savoury muffins, scones and cakes bulging across the counter may distract you from the menu at this ever-popular cafe. Seating is limited inside, but…
Must-see restaurants in New Zealand
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Huhu combines expansive terrace views and contemporary NZ food. Sip a Kiwi wine or craft beer – including brews from the local King Country Brewing Co –…
Rotorua
Channelling Mexico and Morocco, sociable Abracadabra is a magical cave of spicy delights, from beef-and-apricot tagine to the grande burrito. There's an…
Bay of Islands
Head out to Hōne's shaded lantern-lit courtyard for wood-fired pizza (gluten-free available), cold craft beer on tap and a thoroughly easy-going vibe. An…
Blenheim
Although it calls itself a cafe, that doesn't really cover the sophisticated but concise modern NZ menu on offer here (for example, monkfish, steak and a…
Christchurch & Canterbury
Let chef-owner Giulio Sturla take you on a magical tasting tour with his renowned degustation menus, which champion all things local and seasonal. Dishes…
Dunedin
This thriving market is all local, all edible (or drinkable) and mostly organic. Grab a freshly baked pastry and a flat white to sustain you while you…
Fiordland & Southland
Located in a former Victorian schoolhouse, this excellent 'old-school' cafe puts the emphasis on local produce – free-range eggs, veggies from the garden,…
Te Anau
Housed in a replica settler’s cottage, candlelit and cosy Redcliff offers well-executed, locally sourced food amid nostalgic decor (including old photos…
Hastings & Around
OMG! Baked in a 100-year-old oven, the organic, gluten-free, vegan, paleo-friendly, dairy-free loaves produced at this bakery/cafe are seriously high…
Whanganui
Inside a downtown heritage timber building (a 1901 saddlery, straight outta Dodge City), Honest Kitchen serves cafe wonders – wraps, sandwiches, bagels,…
Hastings & Around
Blur the lines between breakfast, lunch and dinner at Havelock North's best cafe, inside a former post office infused with stylish retro Kiwiana decor…
Wellington
Olive boldly attempts to be all things to all Wellingtonians: breakfast cafe, nocturnal bistro, wine bar, craft-beer joint and live-music venue...and…
Christchurch
Shared plates enjoyed around an elegantly curved bar are divided into Earth, Land and Sea and include innovative and playful dishes harnessing ingredients…
Te Anau
Fantastic food truck delivering Kiwi-Asian fusion baos, rice burgers and salads to hungry travellers and locals alike. Try the Bambi Bao, with wild…
Palmerston North
Brilliant Local specialises in build-your-own meals. For breakfast, that means eggs with additions like potato-herb hash and grilled salmon, and for lunch…
Fiordland & Southland
Looking over Taramea Bay, Beach House is a stylish, comfortable cafe famous for seafood, especially its creamy chowder studded with juicy mussels and…
Wellington
Watch the top-knotted bakers baking through the big picture window, then head inside to taste some scones, biscuits, cakes and lovely loaves, plus simple…
Gisborne
'We cut lunch, not corners' is the motto at Frank & Albie's, a neat little hipster place on Gisborne's main drag (check out the old art-deco leadlighting…
Taranaki & Whanganui
Chilled-out Lahar occupies an angular, black-trimmed timber box in Okato (hard to miss – there's not much else here). It's a lofty space with a few…
Napier
Seemingly always busy when everywhere else is half-full, Hunger Monger is a funky seaside seafood diner with sheepskin-covered seats, quirky tablecloths…
Whanganui
With cheeky signage and a flip calendar of witty quotes not suitable to print, Mischief on Guyton is true to its name. Step inside (or through to the…
Hawke's Bay
Halfway between Waipawa and Hastings, this retro cafe-gallery in a 100-year-old, aquamarine-coloured church serves excellent coffee, smoothies and…
Taranaki & Whanganui
Right on Oākura's black-sand beach, sharing a building with the surf club, Black Sand plates up surprisingly authentic Napoli-style pizzas – all thin…
New Plymouth
Steaming beef pho (noodle soup), crispy Vietnamese crepes (chicken, pork or tofu) and brilliant banh mi – this fun little Vietnamese joint is one of…
Wellington
Italian? Fusion? Wine bar? Loretta is a hard gal to categorise, but she's won leagues of fans with her classy, well-proportioned offerings served in…
Wellington
Mounted trout, salty portraits, marine-blue walls and Egyptian floor tiles cast a Mediterranean spell over Ortega – a magical spot for a seafood dinner…
Christchurch
Overlooking the pastel-coloured New Regent St strip, this elegant restaurant showcases locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Mainstays include modern…
Fiordland & Southland
What's this? A beacon of gastronomic hope, beaming out good vibes along a desolate stretch of highway? This chipper, award-winning cafe grows its own…
Taranaki & Whanganui
This is as good as fish and chips gets. With a lengthy history (since the 1960s), hand-cut chips, a range of fish (including fresh catches of the day to…
Christchurch & Canterbury
This atmospheric Irish bar and restaurant is housed in Methven's lovingly restored old post office. Great food includes pizza, Irish stew and other hearty…
Palmerston North
This eternally popular cafe with a lovely 1917 shopfront zeroes in on breakfast classics, generous cabinet food, and everything from Thai chicken curry to…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
After a day of play in the mountains, there's nothing better than these beast-sized burgers cooked on a custom-made manuka wood-fire grill. A burger’s…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
Bagels, innovative salads, and tasty American and Tex Mex–influenced dishes combine with the best coffee in town at this modern, white-as-snow spot on…
Dunedin
The crafty cooks here sizzle up famously good burgers from a kitchen in a retro caravan parked inside a cool warehouse space. There's tags on the walls,…
Bay of Islands & Northland
This heritage cottage at Waipu Cove covers all the bases, from coffee and breakfast bagels to pizza, gourmet burgers, a small bar and healthy smoothies…
City Centre & Britomart
Rustic Italian influences underpin this bistro-bakery in a repurposed warehouse in Auckland's Britomart precinct, but there's real culinary savvy evident…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Japanese elegance infuses everything at this excellent restaurant, from the soft lighting and chic decor to the delicate flavours of the artistically…
Hauraki Gulf Islands
Decent pies, big breakfasts and salads combine with good coffee and locally brewed beer at this spot with lots of outdoor seating and funky Kiwiana decor…
Wanaka
This curious restaurant is, well, yeah, in a house – a white one – looking as though someone dropped a casual eatery into the lounge room of an art-deco…
