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Throughout western North Island, provincial city restaurants and small, tourist-town cafés feature an overall sophistication you might not expect away from major urban centers: think wholesome and hearty fare, local organic produce, good espresso and loose-leaf teas, high-quality New Zealand wines, plus local craft beers. Counter food is generally fresh salads, paninis, filled rolls, sweet or savory pies, and homemade soups.
Dinner menus in the higher-end restaurants include the chef's latest creations using high-quality New Zealand eye fillet of beef (beef tenderloin), fish, lamb racks, pork fillets, and chicken. The best chefs change menus regularly to focus on fresh regional and seasonal ingredients. You will also find Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Japanese, Mexican, Turkish, and Italian restaurants, even in smaller centers. "Smart-casual" is about as formal as attire gets.
This spot out in the country offers food up there in quality with the best urban-chic cafés. The contemporary New Zealand–style menu has a mix of smaller and larger plates. The drinks menu features popular New Zealand wine varieties and craft beer. Dinner is available Wednesday to Sunday, but lunch is only on the weekends.
Head to Nero for fine dining in a charming old Victorian-style villa on a quiet inner-city street. Chef and owner Scott Kennedy describes the cuisine as contemporary New Zealand, along with a touch of fusion to celebrate cultural diversity. Choose warm and cozy indoor seating in winter, or restful alfresco in the garden in summer. Nero consistently wins restaurant awards and has received New Zealand's prestigious Beef and Lamb Excellence Award.
A buzzy microbrewery, right in the center of the city, Brew Union serves a flexible menu of small plates, wood-fired pizzas, grills, salads, and burgers. Along with house-brewed beers, there are regular taps serving ales and ciders from craft brewers across New Zealand as well as a full selection of other beverages. So pop in for a pint with the locals, or bring the family for lunch.
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.
