Bay of Plenty
The sea air might easily be Mediterranean at this new restaurant that has brought quality Italian cooking to the Mount. All the accents are Italian, from…
Must-see restaurants in Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty
Rotorua
Overlooking the village green, this bright and breezy restaurant sources herbs and edible flowers from its own yard. Doors peel back to merge the indoor…
Bay of Plenty
Cobbled together out of shipping containers, but with a very flash louvred roof, this mainly open-air cafe is Ōhope's best. The coffee is first rate and…
Tauranga
Our favourite Tauranga cafe pairs an appealing front deck with hip baristas who really know their way around the coffee machine. A huge array of counter…
Tauranga
Zingy pan-Asian, shared-plate flavours take centre stage at Tauranga's top restaurant. The dark booths are ocean deep, and menu highlights include ginger…
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…
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 Plenty
Winner of outstanding-cafe-of-the-year awards in 2017 and 2019, this pistachio-green cafe runs an all-day menu that blurs the lines between breakfast and…
Rotorua
A spinning wheel and a Mary Poppins–style bicycle lend a folksy feel to Rotorua's best cafe. But there's nothing old-fashioned about the town’s most…
Bay of Plenty
Blending South American and Tex-Mex influences, this dark-timbered monument to meat has windows that peel back, and steak that comes straight from the…
Rotorua
Tutanekai St is closed off on Thursday nights as Rotorua lays out a world of food. Buskers, coffee vans and clothing and jewellery makers are dotted among…
Rotorua
This gourmet 'hamburgeria' slaps together a dozen burgers with global flavours, such as the Saigon Smile (pork crackling, pickled carrot, Vietnamese slaw)…
Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty
Okere Falls, 20km northeast of Rotorua, is a rafting town, so it's not just the fridge full of craft beers that's chilled out here. The food at this store…
Rotorua
This superfriendly cafe is away from the hubbub, with awesome lake views. All-day breakfasts are headlined by a 'mumble jumble' of roast kumara (sweet…
Bay of Plenty
It may not look promising from the outside but this colourful little Indian restaurant serves curries that rival even the lime and orange walls for zing…
Rotorua
Chiselled into the corner of a supermarket across the highway from Skyline Rotorua, Tea & Happiness has just three tables but 100% devotion to plant-based…
Rotorua
The love child of Venezuelan-born owner Sarah, this Latin American cantina, adorned with sombreros, guitars and salt-and-pepper shakers made from Corona…
Tauranga
'Eat, drink, enjoy' at Elizabeth, a hip cafe-bar on the ground floor of a four-storey city-centre office block. Many of the customers drift down from…
Tauranga
Side by side with Me & You, Grindz is one half of a well-caffeinated oasis on otherwise scrappy First Ave. It's a roomy, split-level affair – slick and…
Bay of Plenty
Despite its office-like appearance beneath an apartment block, ritzy waterside Roquette serves up refreshing Mediterranean-influenced fare with lots of…
Rotorua
This unexpected and welcoming find in an industrial complex near Whakarewarewa keeps things simple – ciabatta sandwiches done well and a well-named 'long…
Tauranga
This local legend sells fresh fish as well as frying up arguably Tauranga's best fish and chips – you can pick a fresh fillet yourself and have it cooked…
Patrick's Pies Gold Star Bakery
Tauranga
Winner of NZ’s best pie seven years running. More than 30 types of pie are on offer – mince and cheese is perennially popular but we enjoyed the roast…
Tauranga
In a wonderfully atmospheric 100-year-old boathouse at the end of the Strand, Harbourside is the place for a romantic dinner, with boats as neighbours and…
Rotorua
This slick, barn-like delicatessen-cum-cafe is perennially busy, and with good reason. Breakfasts run from potato waffles to slow-cooked chickpeas and the…
Bay of Plenty
Perched over a swampy back-reach of Ohiwa Harbour (serious oyster territory), this classic roadside fish shack is perfect for a fish-and-chip picnic or to…
Bay of Plenty
Around 2km south of Mauao, this beach-facing cafe is removed from the Mount's occasional bustle. Savvy locals crowd in for coffee in bright morning…
Tauranga
Nourished’s slow-cooked jackfruit burger and salted caramel French toast add real panache to this vegan menu. The colour scheme is probably a little too…
Bay of Plenty
A happy marriage of bakery (Elspeth) and brunch parlour (Eddies), this light-filled eatery entices with an inventive menu – Eddie’s eggs Benedict comes…
Rotorua
Named after the righteous lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird, the hippest spot on Eat Streat plays to a theme with the Scout Sangria and Radley Sour…
Rotorua
The greeting is très français but this little cafe walks a fine line between a traditional crêperie and the kind of cafe that Kiwi retirees gravitate to…
Bay of Plenty
A funky fish cartoon sets the scene for this fresh, fun and informal 'seafood and wine bar'. The menu splashes its way through mostly Asian cuisines –…
Rotorua
Occupying a quiet corner near the lake, this zesty cafe offers nostalgic breakfasts with a modern twist, such as mince on toasted ciabatta with a poached…
Bay of Plenty
There’s a classic beach vibe on the open back deck of Cadera (despite the intervening car park). It's everything you’d expect of a good Mexican restaurant…
Tauranga
Wonder Woman watches approvingly over the scrum of regulars enjoying terrific coffee and scrumptious all-day breakfasts. Order from the blackboard or from…
Bay of Plenty
Join the Kiwi summer tradition of pick-your-own berries, or simply grab a seat on the large sunny cafe terrace at this super-popular berry farm, 6km west…
Bay of Plenty
Don’t come for the decor – it feels a bit like sitting in a community art gallery – but do come to experience seasonal produce creatively transformed into…
Bay of Plenty
At this classic French cafe you’ll be greeted with a bonjour, then a menu of crêpes and a display cabinet of croissants and apple-and-blue-cheese tartines…
Bay of Plenty
This retro-fitted cafe serves up robust homemade burgers, toasties, steak sandwiches and salads, with guest appearances by the likes of pulled-pork pita…
Bay of Plenty
Breezy Bluebiyou is a casual, maritime-styled bistro riding high on the dunes and serving big brunches and a mix of meaty and fishy dishes. The beer…
