17 Best Restaurants in Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

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.

In addition to great food, this restaurant has a community-hub feel thanks to live music sessions, poetry readings, film nights, and a summer sculpture symposium. The dinner menu reaches beyond standard café fare, and there's also a great range of classic breakfasts and fresh baked goods. Be sure to check the on-site shop Eggstras for quality deli items to take on your journey. The café is about 1 km (0.6 mile) from the Whitianga ferry landing.

Like many places to eat on the peninsula, this casual café does a roaring trade with mussels and seafood. But lots of Kiwi café foods are also here, like full breakfasts, salads, and pizza, while the dinner menu serves all the classics. Quiches, cakes, and sandwiches are handmade every day, and the coffee is fair-trade. You can enjoy your food and drinks indoors or alfresco. Nothing is deep-fried.

Mellow jazz might be playing in the background, local art graces the walls, and the retro couches and armchairs are great spots to chill out and enjoy a coffee, which is freshly roasted every day in the café. Snack options include egg and bacon rolls, sandwiches, cakes, and slices. Alfresco dining is available as well.

Homemade slices and scones are among the decadent favorites at this central Whakatane café. However, sandwiches and savory pies are other options, and you can order from a full breakfast and lunch menu for something cooked freshly on-site. Indoor and outdoor seating is available.

At the base of Moutohora (Whale Island) Sanctuary Tours, run by Ngati Awa Tourism, this breakfast and lunch spot is right by the water. The café serves a full Kiwi breakfast menu, with omelets, eggs, and french toast, and also a range of fresh-baked pastries to go with your coffee.

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.

Located right on the beachfront, the views at this coastal chic café are hard to beat. Floor-to-ceiling windows take full advantage of the café's beachside position, so you can watch the waves roll in whether seated inside or out. The menu covers all the New Zealand favorites, from eggs Benedict for breakfast to fish and chips, pizzas, and burgers for lunch. In the evening, you can order the likes of squid linguine or sous vide lamb.

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.

The meat and produce in this café and store all come from the owner’s very own farm, Kairaumati Hereford Stud. The meat is processed on-site, the sausages are made from an old family recipe, and the free-range eggs, honey, vegetables, jams, and pickles are all homegrown. For lunch, there’s a range of burgers (regarded widely as the best on the peninsula), toasted sandwiches, hot chips, muffins, and cakes, plus real fruit ice cream. You can dine in the garden, then pick up some farm-fresh meat and condiments to enjoy later.

This spacious, centrally located café-restaurant can get busy with both visitors and locals. Breakfast kicks off at 10 am with all the standard Kiwi options. Salads, burgers, and fish-and-chips come on the menu for lunch; dinner is still casual but with slightly more upmarket fare with a good range of lamb, steak, salmon, pork, and vegetable dishes on offer. If you arrive during the day, pop into the adjacent Manaia Gallery, which sells jewelry, art, and crafts.

Just off the road but with a backdrop of fruit trees, this is a fitting place to stop for breakfast or lunch in an area known for its fresh produce. A tasty vegetarian choice is the "herbivore" (grilled portobello on a potato rosti stack with house beans and whipped avo). Standard fare like loaded wedges, burgers, and "fush and chups" (a gentle jibe at the Kiwi accent) can be found here, too. Dine inside, or take advantage of the park surroundings and settle at an outdoor table.

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.

Located on a corner of Whangamata's main street, this café is perfectly positioned to catch the morning sun. This makes it an ideal spot to grab coffee or breakfast either outside in the sunshine or inside the airy, wood-accented café. Lunch is served from 8 am to 2 pm, and features the classics (mushrooms on toast and Turkish eggs) alongside more creative options, like the loaded toast with buttermilk fried cauliflower, hummus, and haloumi.

Hidden down a side street (look for the sign on the main street), you'll find this gourmet home-cooking surprise. This café gem serves breakfasts, muffins, scones, cakes, and shortcakes alongside build-your-own bagels and counter "sammies" crammed with choices of grilled meats, haloumi, and vegetables. The focus is on free-range, organically grown ingredients. Set in a 1914 heritage building that was originally a bank gold refinery, they also offer a boutique one-bedroom accommodation, the Refinery Guard’s Cottage, and an adjacent open plan Miner’s Cabin. Prices are from $99 per night.

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.

The covered courtyard of this café is a great spot to enjoy a coffee and cake, or a made-to-order sandwich or roll (choose your own fillings). There's also a full breakfast and lunch menu if you'd like something more substantial.