8 Best Restaurants in Tauranga, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty

There’s a vintage retro feel at this unassuming café that belies the amazing fresh-baked goods produced within. Expect pastries, breads, cakes, panini, and other sandwiches, and some truly fantastic cakes like the passionfruit curd cake. "Sammies" and lots of vegetarian options are on the menu, the coffee is consistently good, and tea lovers can choose from a list of organic, loose-leaf flavors. The place is loved by the locals and if you eat in you’re likely to get to know them at the big communal tables.

This contemporary steak house in Mount Maunganui has an industrial chic interior with a black, white, and wood design, and a menu that showcases some of beef. Choose from Scotch fillet, Wagyu fillet, or ribeye on the bone; you also get to select your own elaborate steak knife. The fire and embers of the closed Mibrasa oven gives the dishes a charcoal flavor. Meat aside, the menu also features excellent fish and vegetable options, as well as an extensive wine list featuring top New Zealand wineries.

The food and the view will vie for your attention here, as you dine on contemporary New Zealand cuisine. The menu is created largely from local artisan produce, and you can admire Tauranga Harbour from the stunning waterfront location. The quite pricey à la carte menu encompasses starters or starters to share as well as light meals that can be appetizers depending on the size of your appetite, mains, and desserts. From the grill, meats come with a choice of butters and sauces. Reservations are recommended, particularly if you want a spot on the over-water balcony.

The Bayfair Shopping Centre may seem an unlikely place to find one of the area's most innovative restaurants, but this is well worth seeking out. Izakai combines Māori ingredients and cooking styles with Japanese cuisine, so you'll find hāngi-style pork belly and watercress with ramen; squid with horopito (a peppery native herb); and creamed paua (local shellfish) and prawn gyoza (dumplings). The centerpiece of the restaurant is a long curved bar, but you can also sit at high tables near the window or in a more intimate booth-like setting.

The high prices set this restaurant apart from other local options, but then again so does the food: in the open-plan kitchen, nationally renowned chef Stephen Barry fuses quality indigenous meats, seafood, and produce with Pacific Rim flavors. À la carte menu choices range from small tapas to share and appetizers (which can also be requested in a slightly larger portion size) to full main courses. For those who inevitably want a taste of all the desserts, there's a tasting platter. The street-side restaurant looks out onto Mauao (Mt. Maunganui).

The spacious, airy dining area at this restaurant, with its large windows and wicker and wood decor, has been carefully designed to evoke a country picnic—while still feeling as stylish as you would expect from a central Tauranga establishment. Picnicka's menu is designed to be shared, with a range of plates that use local produce cooked over a wood fire, or served fresh; choose from dishes like barbecued cos lettuce, fresh market fish, and spiced lamb skewers.

At the base of Mauao and across the street from the beach, this bustling café is a great place for breakfast or lunch after a climb or swim. Grab a table (there are more outside than in) for a blueberry muffin, blue cheese scone, a falafel, a salad, or a dense chocolate brownie. Or get a huge sandwich and a smoothie to go, and head off to a quiet spot on the trail that rings The Mount.