Restaurants

Indigo, Majestic Square (tel. 06/348-7459), is one of the few cafes in town that hints at city style and it's been judged Best Cafe in Wanganui. It has a great setting in the heart of town and very nice outdoor areas. It's open daily from 8am until late. Service can be patchy, but that's not uncommon in the provinces, where good staff are hard to find.

I prefer Big Orange/Ceramic Wine Bar, 51 Victoria St. (tel. 06/348-4449), which operates as a lively cafe by day and a restaurant and bar by night. The lunch menu includes some excellent light meals, but the service is notoriously slow. They're open Monday through Friday 7:30am to 5pm, and weekends from 9:30am to 5pm.

Redeye Café, 96 Guyton St. (tel. 06/345-5646), has plenty of character, although it doesn't seem to appeal to a lot of the older locals, who classify it as noisy with bad service. It's certainly a student haunt that plays no-compromise music, but I wouldn't bypass it. It's open Monday through Friday from 8am until late, Saturday from 9:30am until late. Jolt Coffee, 19 Victoria Ave. (tel. 06/345-8840), has good coffee and a bit more style. It's open Monday through Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday 1 to 5pm (closed Sat).

More popular with the over-35s is Legends, 25 Somme Parade (tel. 06/345-7575), overlooking the river. Although the meals are tasty and the surroundings pleasant, I prefer the grittiness of Redeye. Legends is open Wednesday through Friday 9am until late, weekends from 10am. Vega, Taupo Quay and Victoria Avenue (tel. 06/345-1082), is a popular fine-dining restaurant that many consider the best in town. Stellar, 2 Victoria St. (tel. 06/345-7278; www.stellarwanganui.co.nz), offers tasty meals for a good price (especially pizzas and desserts) Monday 3pm until late and Tuesday through Sunday 9am until late.