Travelling to the top of New Zealand’s North Island means going rural, but if you know where to look, there are plenty of greatfar north restaurants.
From fast food to fine dining, we covered the full gambit of options on our recent road trip. However, our top three favourite far north restaurants remained the same. From fish and chips overlooking the water to a cafe overlooking vineyards, eating in the far north is about more than just the culinary delights.
Our three favourite far north restaurants in order from east to west:
- Mangonui Fish Shop
- Cafe at the Karikari Estate Winery
- Pukenui Pacific Cafe
Mangonui Fish Shop
137 Waterfront Road, Mangōnui
Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm
Website
Offering a variety of seafood options, if you ask around, you will discover that Mangonui Fish Shop is the place to go for fish and chips. In fact, many people refer to them as the best of thefar north restaurants, as well as one of the best in New Zealand.
But that’s not the only reason to visit, Set out over the water, the views from the large open windows are sensational. The casual atmosphere created by large, usually shared tables only adds to the experience.
A family-friendly environment, Mangonui Fish Shop is one of those places where you can just be yourself.
You enter at a seafood display counter where you will most often need to take a number. The queue tends to move quickly and includes a mix of customers eating in and those getting takeaway.
If you have never ordered fish and chips in New Zealand before, don’t be surprised when they arrive wrapped in newsprint that contains all of the fish and chip orders for your table. The paper absorbs much of the grease.
Having never fully adjusted to the early eating hours in New Zealand, we arrived very close to closing time, and there was only one other family (behind me in the photo). During crowded hours diners share large tables.
Winery Cafe at the Karikari Estate Winery
109 Matai Bay Road, Karikari Peninsula
Open daily from 11 am to 7 pm
Website
We stopped at Karikari Estate for a late morning tea at their cafe. It is New Zealand’s northernmost winery.
Sitting outside, yet in an elegant atmosphere, we overlooked the colourful flower gardens, immense Carrington Farm, the bright white silica sands of Te Kokata (the Sandspit), and in the far distance the giant sand dunes our girls sandboarded on the day before.
The light meals appeared good-sized, well presented and very tempting, as did their pizza. Our server seemed quite happy for us to enjoy the stunning surroundings with only a cup of coffee (and hot chocolate for the teens) without indulging in meals.
*It is only open in the summertime from Labour Weekend until May.
Of course, there is also a Cellar Door offering daily wine tastings.
Pukenui Pacific Cafe
4 Lamb Road, Pukenui
Open daily from 9 am to 7 pm
Website
This roadside stop on the drive to Cape Reinga is a real gem amongst thefar north restaurants. My salad was fresh, insanely delicious, and reasonably priced. The more traditional cafe food brought smiles to the rest of the family. I think the biggest hit was the fresh organic strawberry milkshakes. A month later and they were still talking about them.
We found Pukenui Pacific Cafe in Pukenui along the SH right next to the Four Square.
Importantly, while they have closing hours listed, they often close earlier if they are not busy. As a result, it’s best to book if you want dinner.
Note that The Te Kao Store, located about 25km north of the Pukenui Pacific Cafe on SH1, is famous for its ice creams, but having just enjoyed the wonderful milkshakes at the cafe we drove past.
Where are these far north restaurants
Practical information on these Far North restaurants:
Late-night options (dining after 9 pm)
Forgetting for a moment that we were outside of a major city, we stayed to enjoy the sunset from the 90-mile beach, which in December isn’t until about 8.30 pm.
This left us with very few options of Far North restaurants that were open.
We asked several locals as we drove around. Should you find yourself in this situation, the only two options we found are both in Kaitaia – McDonald’s (open until 11 pm during the week and 12 am on Friday and Saturday) or Kentucky Fried Chicken (open until 10 pm).
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Which are your favourite far north restaurants?
More from Northland you might like…
Marie Moody
Oh boy, I sure wish I was on a vacation seeing things I’ve never saw before. How wonderful that would be! I mean right at the moment I’d settle for that strawberry shake!!! hahahahaha Thank you for sharing your lovely pictures. I truly enjoyed them… especially the friend potatoes…. yummy, oh and I’ll have one of those strawberry shakes with them, please! hahahaha Have a great day and thank you so much for sharing your pics!!!
Diana
That fish and chip! yummm I love to see pictures of food as cliche as it’s now. I still do it just so I can look back and remember how tasty it was that I ate lol. I guess I need to make New Zealand my next spot to visit.
indah nuria Savitri
All those food photos make me drool :). Looks like a great and fun place to be, Rhonda.
Rhonda Albom
You should see the rest of the food. It was wonderful.
Corinne
Rhonda, These all inspire me to hop on a plane. Did I ever tell you I really travel just to eat?
Rhonda Albom
LOL – I used to, but now I don’t eat as much any more 🙂
stevebethere
Beautiful photos especially the Fish & Chips LOL 🙂
Marcia
I’m not sure why but I was surprised to see fish and chips on the menu and served in newspaper.
Amazing that this restaurant has the best fish and chips in the country. All your dishes here looks delicious
Rhonda Albom
It’s a fish and chips shop, and in New Zealand, fish and chips is nearly always served wrapped in Newspaper.
Claudya
It all looks incredibly delicious. You left me craving a strawberry milkshake the most though.
Rhonda Albom
The milkshakes were great, according all the girls.
eileen g
Those milkshakes do look good. So do the fish & chips. I love it when a destination lets you eat casually and well at the same places.
Rhonda Albom
Yep, all the food was great.
Rhonda Albom
🙂
Ruth - Tanama Tales
Some of the restaurants you have described in here remind me a lot of different restaurants located along the Californian Coast. I guess great coastal areas have certain things in common.
Rhonda Albom
I used to live on the California Coast, and I do remember many with great views.
Katie
A little funny how small towns roll up the sidewalk at 7pm max, but that’s travel for you. Great suggestions!
Rhonda Albom
Not the entire town, a few things stay open later, but yes New Zealanders are relaxed and at home rather early.
Eli
Yum food and milkshakes, but that nature scenery is really something… Hope I can visit NZ sometime:-) !
Rhonda Albom
Funny coincidence, we were just talking about visiting India.
Place4Papers
Ocean view is just amazing! I’m sure the milkshakes were very tasty… YUMMY xD
Rhonda Albom
There is something really special about the view from that fish shop. I love eating by one of the open windows.
Trekking with Becky
This was interesting, but the strawberry shakes look amazing! 😀
Rhonda Albom
The girls all agree with you. All three of them found them delicious.
RobRob
Oh, that view at Mangonui Fish Shop is fantastic! I would just keep ordering so I could keep sitting there. I can see why you keep going back!
Rhonda Albom
Isn’t it an amazing place, one of the most beautiful I have seen.
samiya selim
This is super useful for our upcoming trip to northlands in a few weeks time! I think we are staying close to the karikari estate so will be sure to check it out!
Rhonda Albom
At the end of the week I will write my final post in the series, which will be an itinerary. Hopefully that will be useful as well.
Sally@Toddlers on Tour
Whilst all the food looked wonderful it was the settings of these eateries that had me. What better to that food with those lovely vistas.
Rhonda Albom
Agreed. I love the top of the island.
Treat and Trick
What a stunning photos! The fish and chips are my favorite,,,
Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
That thumbnail of the strawberry milkshakes drew me in. It’s great that they’re organic, too. It’s been so long since I’ve had proper fish and chips, so that photo is making me hungry, too. Looks like there’s some great options at the top of the North Island… as long as you don’t wait until too late at night.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – We had three of them at our table, and I am pretty sure they were ordered one at a time. Like you, each girl was drawn in from the one who ordered before her.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
Yum, yum, yum Rhonda. Just sitting there looking out into the bay is so relaxful drinking those pink shakes. What a life!!!!!!!
Have a wonderful Saturday Rhonda. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
You know it, the view from there is so relaxing.
Alissa Apel
The salad and fish and chips look so good!
Now I’m wondering what time they eat, if you’re the last one to get there.
Rhonda Albom
Yep, we eat well when we travel :0
beatravelling
So sad I didn’t go more rural in NZ! NZ countryside over NZ city life anytime 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I actually enjoy both – especially now that I am writing an Auckland book.
Lyn (aka) The Travelling Lindfields
Last February we did a road and cycling trip around the North Island and spend a couple of days exploring the Coromandel Peninsular. The scenery was beautiful but I can’t remember where we ate.
Rhonda Albom
This is the Awapuhi Peninsula and the northern coast of the North Island.
Jen
Oh that food looks so very yummy! Thank you for giving us great recommendations and for sharing it with us at Photo Friday!
Rhonda Albom
It was yummy, especially the salad 🙂
Kathy Marris
A fabulous roundup of where to eat in the north. I have been up as far as the Bay of Islands and stayed at Pahai. There were a couple of great restaurants along the waterfront that were really good but I can’t remember their names. Such a lovely part of NZ.
Rhonda Albom
We drove through, and ate lunch in Pahai on the way home. It was a delicious Mexican restaurant called the Cafe.
Anda
A nice list of restaurants for those who may visit the area. From your list of restaurants I think I would have liked Pukenui Pacific Cafe. It seems like a more sophisticated one, with good food.
Rhonda Albom
I think the most sophisticated one would be the winery, but your pick has very tasty food.
Lydia C. Lee
How cute is the chippie?!Looks delish too
Rhonda Albom
It was my first fried food in almost 7 months, and I think I enjoyed it the most of our group.
Sarah
P.S. I’m a US expat in Amsterdam 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I think that would be a bit more adjusting than we had, as we still speak English – although a different version of it.
Sarah
I love traveling to eat. I’ve been to New Zealand but want to bring my husband there so will check these places out when I go back 🙂 Thanks!
Rhonda Albom
LOL – I don’t travel to eat anymore (I lost 21kg in the past 7 months). However, I do love to eat when I travel. The salad was mine, the milk shake belonged to the girls.
Tara
I love everything about your blog posts. You have a knack for combining beautiful photos, personal stories, and really practical information. I know exactly where to look if we ever get out to New Zealand. I mean when we get out to New Zealand!
Comedy Plus
Of course I’ve not been there since I’ve never been to New Zealand. I love fish though. A lot.
I loved all the photography too. It sort of reminds me of our long weekend on the coast.
Have a fabulous day Rhonda. 🙂
Vicki Green
The New Zealand far north is beautiful and the food at the restaurants looks fantastic. What a delicious road trip!
Rhonda Albom
It was a great, although too quick, road trip.
Alex J. Cavanaugh
I would eat that salad.
How early is early? Does seem odd that you wouldn’t find a ton of restaurants still open after 9:00 pm.
Rhonda Albom
It’s part of New Zealand’s charm. In the rural areas nothing will be open past 9pm, and most shops are closed by 5.30. Restaurants will close their kitchens by 8pm, or earlier. It is common not to publish a closing time, so they are not obligated to stay open if no one is there. We were lucky Kaitaia is big enough for a McDonalds and KFC – they were the only places open within an hour or more drive from where we were. Eating out isn’t as prevalent in NX as it is in the USA. And when people eat out, it is the event not just a quick meal.
Pinay Flying High
I think my favorite would be the Cafe at the Karikari Estate Winery – the views are stunning! 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I could have sat there all day, if I didn’t have teens on a mission to see penguins.
Lyndall
I haven’t been this far north in NZ yet, but the area and these places all look delightful. I could eat that salad right now! 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I could eat that salad again right now too. I will be sharing a suggested itinerary for the top of the North Island at the end of this series, so watch this space 🙂
Hilary
Hi Rhonda – those all sound positively delicious and it’s only breakfast time here … the views are stunning – definitely they’d all be on my list for when I visit – anon anon sadly! Glorious photos .. cheers Hilary
Rhonda Albom
I hope you are planning to be here a while. Most people seem to land in Auckland and head south, this is the Northern Tip of the North, so be sure to allow enough time.
Paula McInerney
I am Australian, I have to say it – loved the fesh and cheps that you mentioned 🙂 Ok, got that out of my system, I have heard of Mangonui Fish Shop before. I do like the look of the milkshakes I must say.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – somebody had to say it. 🙂