Restaurants in Hawkes Bay
Including the wineries, Hawke's Bay has a number of good restaurants and cafes, but consistency of food and service is often an issue. Wineries are, in the main, concentrated around the Hastings/Havelock North area, while most good restaurants and cafes are in Napier. Of the wineries, Sileni Estate, Clearview, Elephant Hill, and Vidal Estate have excellent restaurants, and Craggy Range Winery's Terroir is not to be missed.
Foodie Heaven -- A wealth of local gourmet-food producers joined forces to create the Hawke's Bay Wine Country Food Trail. Pick up the free map at the visitor center and make your way to some of the tastiest spots in these parts. The choices are endless - handmade chocolates, breads, olives, wine, ice cream, honey, and more. It all culminates in the HB Food Group Farmers' Market, held at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds, Kenilworth Road, Hastings (tel. 06/877-1001; www.savourhawkesbay.co.nz), Sundays from 8:30am to 12:30pm, and behind the Daily Telegraph Building, Tennyson Street, Napier, Saturdays from 8:30am to 12:30pm.
In Napier
In addition to the establishments below, you'll eat well at Provedore, 60 West Quay, Ahuriri (tel. 06/834-0189), which offers modern New Zealand cuisine with Asian and Mediterranean influences. It's open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday, and from 10am until late on weekends, and is a popular meeting place for artistic locals. For good light meals at reasonable prices, try Soak, at Ocean Spa Napier, Marine Parade (tel. 06/835-7888), which is open daily from 9am to 9pm. It's a super place overlooking the pools, to enjoy a long, lazy brunch from the casual cafe-style menu, or an evening meal with a great choice of Hawke's Bay wines. Groove Kitchen Espresso, 112 Tennyson St., Napier (tel. 06/835-8530; www.groovekitchen.co.nz), is one of the town's better cafes and it's open daily 8am until 2pm Monday through Friday, and 8:30am to 3pm on weekends. It also opens for dinner on Friday and Saturday from 6:30pm until late. Loveable Ujazi, 28 Tennyson St. (tel. 06/835-1490), is all about shabby chic, great food, and excellent value for the money. It's considered the place for a hearty brunch, with tables spilling out onto the pavement. It's open daily 8am to 5pm (varies seasonally).
The Village Growers' Market, held at the Sun Dial, Black Barn Vineyards, off Te Mata Road, Havelock North (tel. 06/877-7985; www.blackbarn.com), is a colorful extravaganza of local food products in an idyllic vineyard setting. It's held Saturday mornings from early November through March from 9am to noon. Finish off the morning with a fabulous brunch at Black Barn Bistro.
At Te Mata Cheese, 393 Te Mata Rd., Havelock North (tel. 06/875-8282; www.tematacheese.co.nz), you can see how cheese is made and sample their sheep-, cow-, and goat-milk cheeses. Stay on for a glass of wine and a delicious antipasto platter at their Cheese cafe, which is open daily from 10am to 4:30pm.
Finally, ice cream fans shouldn't miss Rush Munro's Ice Cream Gardens, 704 Heretaunga St. West, Hastings (tel. 06/878-9634; www.rushmunro.co.nz), which is open in summer Monday through Friday from 11am to 7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 7:30pm, and reduced hours in winter.
In Hastings
Your best bets in this area are the winery restaurants. Sileni Estates Restaurant, 2016 Maraekakaho Rd. (tel. 06/879-8768), is one of the most popular, although it's getting a run for its money from the new and very, very chic Elephant Hill Estate Winery, 86 Clifton Rd., Te Awanga (tel. 06/872-6060; www.elephanthill.co.nz), which is open daily from 11am to 10pm. Its menu is inspired by contemporary European cuisine using the finest local products. Vidal Winery Restaurant, 913 St. Aubyn St. E. (tel. 06/876-8105; www.vidal.co.nz), gets top votes among the locals for consistently good lunches and dinners. It's open daily from 11:30am to 3pm for lunch and from 6pm for dinner. Clifton Bay Café, 468 Clifton Rd. (tel. 06/875-0096), is out of town on the way to Cape Kidnappers, but it's worth the trip for terrific breakfast and lunch, daily in summer from 10am to 4pm. Another great find is River Bar Restaurant, Main Road, State Highway 2, Clive (tel. 06/870-0533; www.clivehotel.co.nz), which is bound to surprise with the quality of its food and its warm, lively atmosphere. It sits 10 minutes between Hastings and Napier and has a great local wine list. Opera Kitchen, 312 Eastbourne St., Hastings (tel. 06/870-6020; www.operakitchen.co.nz), is a great spot with local food and wine. It's one of the most popular cafes in all of Hawke's Bay - and for good reason - so expect a crowd. It's open 7am to 5pm Monday through Friday and 7am to 4pm on weekends. Coffee fiends will do well to stop at Bay Espresso, 141 Karamu Rd., Hastings (tel. 06/876-5682; www.bayespresso.co.nz), which is just out of the main town. They roast organic and Fair Trade coffee beans and their busy cafe is open from 7am to 4pm Monday through Friday and from 8am to 4pm on weekends.
In Havelock North
Black Barn Bistro, Black Barn Road (tel. 06/877-7985; www.blackbarn.com), is my absolute favorite place - a stylish bistro set among vines, with a gorgeous outdoor courtyard sheltered by overhead vines. It's open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday noon to 3pm. There's no better place to admire the scenery and sample the fruit of the land. Terroir, Craggy Range Winery, 253 Waimarama Rd. (tel. 06/873-0143), is a big culinary adventure, and the high point of Hawke's Bay dining. Rated one of the top 13 winery restaurants in the world in 2004 by UK Wine Spectator, its French-style rustic menu is guaranteed to impress. It's open daily from noon; express dining 3 to 6pm; and dinner from 6pm to late (closed Mon Easter to Labour Weekend [Oct]). The good-value food and lively atmosphere at the Rose and Shamrock Village Inn, Napier Road and Porter Drive (tel. 06/877-2999; www.roseandshamrock.co.nz), styled after an authentic Irish bar, also gets the thumbs up. The nearby Olive Tree Café, 7 Joll Rd. (tel. 06/877-0222), is a simple spot that serves excellent light lunches and delicious counter food daily. Diva Bar & Bistro, Village Court, Napier Road (tel. 06/877-5149; www.divavar.co.nz), serves lunch, light evening meals, and big bar platters with wine sold by the glass. They're open for lunch Tuesday through Friday and dinner Monday through Saturday (from 5:30pm).
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13 Results
- Cafe
Café Ruba
Set in the grand old Union Steamship Company building close to the river, Cafe Ruba was taken over by new owners in early 2014. They've spruced up the decor, giving it a funky retro look, but they seem bent on keeping the cafe's "mission" intact, which has always been to serve…$$Gisborne - Cafe
Cafe Zest
Simple, fresh foods served by a friendly (if sometimes slow) crew has made Cafe Zest the go-to breakfast and brunch place in Gisborne for quite some time. Head here if you have time to linger (we'd say the mushrooms on toast is worth lingering for). If you're on a schedule, you'll…$Gisborne - Modern NZ/European
Elephant Hil
To misquote the musical "Cabaret": "Life is beautiful at Elephant Hill". The setting is beautiful, whether inside or outside the winery's chic yet commanding glass–and–copper HQ; because of all that glass, you get brilliant views of the vines and infinity pools from your table...even…$$$Te Awanga/Hastings - Cafe
Groove Kitchen Espresso
Primo java and a sure way with breakfast dishes (the eggs benedict are to die for) have kept Groove Kitchen bustling for years. And if you've got a sweet tooth, their ginger cake will hit the spot, if you can snag a slice before it runs out (it's quite popular among locals).$Napier - Ice cream
Lick This
Some 35 flavors of gelato, ice cream and sorbet, plus (new in 2014!), popsicless are the lure at this remarkably good ice cream parlor. And you'll get a bit of a show as you lick: you can watch all the products being made through a viewing window. Dairy-, fat-, and gluten-free…$Napier - Cafe
Muirs Bookshop & Cafe
Upstairs from an excellent book store, this roomy cafe attracts a diverse crowd, who come for the reliably good food and excellent java. That includes paninis made fresh to order, creative salads, soups, sandwiches, and pastries on the sunny little balcony overlooking Gisborne’s main…$MuGisborne - Cafe
Opera Kitchen
The name refers to the nearby Opera House, but the owners and chefs here are much more likely to be haunting the roadside stands and farmers markets of the area then that performance space. They take great pride in sourcing only the freshest of local produce(and proteins, and turning…$$Hastings - Modern NZ
Providore
Set in a converted warehouse, Providore has the soul of a hopping bar (with live music on some nights and killer cocktails), but the finesse of a fine dining establishment. The thing to get here are the tapas and they come in a wide range, change regularly and emphasize seafood (not…$$Ahuriri/Napier - Modern NZ/European
Te Awa
Executive chef Stephen Tindall has cooked his way around the world, training in Auckland and working in top restaurants in London and Melbourne before returning to his homeland. He brings a sure hand and international flair to the table, gaining a following with such labor intensive…$$Hastings - Country/French
Terroir
In October of 2013, the Daily Meal voted Terroir one of the 20 best winery restaurants in the world. That plaudit is just one of many for this rustically lovely restaurant overlooking the Craggy Range lake and winery. Among its most popular dishes are the smoked goats curd (with…$$$Havelock North - Cafe
Ujazi
A colorful, funky little cafe with friendly service, good coffee, outstanding cabinet food, excellent egg options for breakfast and diverse salad choices.$$Napier - Cafe
Verve
This slightly scruffy local haunt is one of our faves. Many think they have the best java in town (and we wouldn't disagree), their breakfasts are hearty, the seafood is excellent, and the live music on Friday nights is an added bonus. Need more? They have well-priced and tasty…$Gisborne - European
Vidal
This legendary winery restaurant is always worth the pilgrimage—yes, the food and, of course, the wine are that good. The food often cunningly incorporates wine into the sauces, usually to wonderful effect (the recent ham hock and chardonnay pie side dish was a wonder, as was the…$$Hastings
