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

There are many dining options across the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty. You can buy everything from fruit from roadside orchard stalls and take-out fish-and-chips joints to cafés serving sandwiches and espresso coffee, right through to fine-dining affairs. Even when restaurants are formal in appearance, diners and hosts tend toward a relaxed country-casualness. Restaurant owners make a point of using the region's abundant resources: the fish is likely to have been caught that morning from a nearby bay, and shellfish are from local mussel and scallop farms. A huge community of artists lives in the region and their work is likely to be for sale even though it adorns restaurant walls.

Dinner service begins about 6 pm in the winter and around 7 pm during the summer months, though many places have "all-day menus." In peak season most places keep serving until at least 9 pm. For many restaurants reservations are a good idea, especially in the summer around the Coromandel. In winter, phone ahead to check if the restaurant will stay open.

Breadhead

$ Fodor's Choice

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.

Café 4u

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.

Surf N Sand

A classic New Zealand take-out experience, this is the spot to get a quintessential Kiwi-style beachside lunch or dinner of fish, shellfish, chips (fries), and burgers. When the fish (battered or crumbed) and chips are done well, they’re not too greasy or fatty. You could even wash them down with a bottle of the very sweet Lemon & Paeroa (the iconic Kiwiana soda made not too far from the Coromandel).

Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty

Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty

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