3 Best Restaurants in Thames, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty

Named for the origins of one of the owners (the other is from Thames) this café is as cool as you would expect being that it's Melbourne inspired. The high stud ceiling and communal courtyard create a welcoming space to enjoy a diverse menu with dishes ranging from falafel to bao buns and paella. There's also a great selection of pastries and cakes. Café Melbourne is part of The Depot, a restored heritage building home to a number of small specialty stores worth browsing post coffee.

The tropical-inspired courtyard of this restaurant adds a welcome splash of color to Thames, and the menu has a lot of good options. Choose from small sharing plates or tacos with creative fillings like lamb tzatziki or crispy cauliflower.

Within one of the few hotels remaining from the gold rush days, you'll find classy pub grub in a convivial atmosphere. The Grahamstown Bar & Diner (GBD) is the main restaurant bar, serving everything from lunch to bar snacks and pizzas to evening main courses. On weekends, it gets pretty packed late night thanks to music gigs. Down the back is a more casual bar with pool tables; upstairs, there are some basic but clean and excellent-value accommodations.