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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 that (mostly) stay under NZ$30. 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.
Though this café shares premises with a property brokerage office, it's not your usual pie and sandwich workplace diner. At lunchtime, people from all over town descend on the Local, and you are unlikely to get a table to yourself if you don't make a reservation. However, there is usually space on the long communal table. Noodle bowls are a specialty here: choose your preferred type of noodle and add anything from tofu, portobello mushrooms, marinated beef, pork belly, or prawns, just for starters. Sliders (small burgers) are another menu favorite; the smashed avocado and feta slider is a popular vegetarian choice. It's about a 15-minute walk from the center of town, or a short drive.
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.
At this buzzing corner café, surfers—here for the great coffee and organic, free-range food—cram the couches and Formica tables beneath walls decorated with hanging plants, surfboards and Raglan beach scenes. The menu is huge and the meals hearty, starting with breakfast at 8. Dishes hail from around the globe: Mexico, Thailand, and more. The dinner menu (Thursday through Saturday only) is seasonal and plates are designed for sharing. There's also a selection of organic beers, wines, teas, smoothies, and juices.
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