The criteria – Good quality food, great atmosphere, fab service, beautiful location!
Phew – Let’s see who made the cut and you can start planning your culinary experiences.
1 – The Hunting Lodge Winery and Restaurant | 21 min drive
Image: Hunting Lodge
Always a popular choice – not only is the wine excellent but the food is consistently fabulous. Top tip – go for the “trust the chef” menu and the wine matching - it never disappoints!
Lawn Bar. Image: Hunting Lodge
For a lighter lunch check out the Lawn bar and grab a table or a picnic blanket and go for a pizza and a sharing platter and enjoy the fresh air and sun. Hunting Lodge is open Thursday - Sunday – make a reservation here
2 – The Tasting Shed | 19 min drive
Image: Tasting Shed
Offering a seasonal menu of sharing plates with some delicious and different combinations of flavours that always seem to work!
Feasting at 'The Grotto' Image: Tasting Shed
Combine this with their excellent, global, wine list and their advice on the best wine for each dish is impeccable.
3 – Good from Scratch Cookery School | 5 min drive
Why not try a more hands-on experience and learn to make your own delicious lunch? The Good From Scratch Cookery School, just a 5-minute drive or a 30-minute walk from Parihoa, offers ‘farm to fork’ cooking classes.
Image: Good from Scratch
Enjoy a day selecting fresh ingredients, learning new techniques and then savour the delights of your own hard work. Really good fun and a great team.
4 – Solijans Estate Winery | 27 min drive
Image: Soljans Estate
From champagne breakfasts, to summer set lunches this pretty winery and café is worth a visit for a Mediterranean style breakfast or lunch. Great cellar door shop and tastings are also available.
5 – Boric Food Market | 28 min drive
Image: Boric Food Market
Fancy a picnic or want to cook up a feast back at the farm? This artisan food market with deli and café – offers an amazing selection of fresh bread, meat, fish, produce, wine all locally produced. Perfect to stock up the kitchen for your stay.
6 – Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens | 18 min drive
Image: Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens
Pick your own strawberries then head to the fruit ice cream and smoothie shop for their famous hand-crafted gelato or fresh fruit icecream. Super sweet strawberries - delicious!
7 - Bethells Beach Café | 45 min drive
Image: Bethells Beach Cafe
If you fancy a long walk (around 7km, 2 hrs) or a longer drive (45 min) then the quirky Bethells Beach café, a summertime cafe that sits in Te Henga Park at Bethells Beach and is open on the weekends from 10-6 pm, serves great coffee and amazing home-baked scones and cakes with a smile and a great view, the perfect treat after a long walk/drive.
8 - Fish and Chips | 15 min drive
Image: Sand Dunz Beach Cafe
The best takeaway fish and chips in the area are definitely from the Sand Dunz Beach Cafe - a kiwi classic, yum!
9 - Double Parked
A new player in town is Double Parked, named Auckland's most sustainable food truck in 2020, twin brothers Boyd and Cam Steel from Muriwai beach deliver an ever-changing (yet always delicious) menu - keep an eye on where their next park up will be, and treat yourself!
Image: Double Parked
Yum yum yum!
If you can't make up your mind just close your eyes and pick to one of the delicious options below: