2 Best Restaurants in Raglan, North Island's West Coast

This restaurant is actually a short walk from the beach, but the atmosphere is right, if a little kitschy. Seafood is predominant on the menu (try the seafood chowder or beer-battered fish-and-chips), but there's also an extensive selection of wood-fired pizzas. The menu matches everything with a beer or cider from the Waikato-based Good George Brewery, but you can also order wines and cocktails. Sit yourself down on a swing chair or around one of the wooden picnic-style tables and check out the colorful artwork, surfboards on the wall, hanging pot plants, and "street" signs to other famous surf places like Bora Bora and Waikiki. 

Occupying a 100-year-old shearing shed, the funky, rustic Rock-it serves casual Kiwi fare and local Raglan Roast coffee. The menu is small but wholesome; try the all-day brunch, poke bowls, or burger for lunch, either inside or out on the huge deck. It’s 3 km (2 miles) from town on the way to Ocean Beach. It is open for dinner in the peak summer months.