The Food Guide to Napier: Places to Eat & Food Tours

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The Best Food Tours in Napier

Discover Hawke’s Bay through its flavours on one of Napier’s best food tours. From guided winery visits and cycling between cellar doors to honey tastings, farmers’ markets and artisan treats, these experiences make it easy to sample the region’s standout food and drinks.

Take a Guided Hawke’s Bay Wine Tour

Let’s waste no time in diving into the winery experiences in New Zealand’s oldest wine region. Tours like Prinsy’s Tours, Vines and Views Tours, Hawkes Bay Scenic Tour and others will handle the driving and the cellar door tasting fees. You just sit back, relax and enjoy a gastronomical journey past Hawke’s Bays vineyards to various cellar doors learning about and tasting Napier’s wines.

Hell, you can even tour the wineries in a classic black London taxi with Deco City Discoverer. Or how about a taster tour on a V8 trike with Supertrike Tours.

Cycle Between the Wineries

Combine wine tasting with the mostly flat Hawke’s Bay Trails on a self-guided cycling tour. Napier City Bike Hire & Tours provides bike hire, helmets, bags, maps, route notes, mechanical support and return transport on its winery packages.

Tākaro Trails Cycle Tours also offers one-day winery rides, e-bike hire, shuttles and accommodation pick-ups. Reserve popular lunches and tasting sessions before setting off, particularly on summer weekends, and check whether tasting fees are included in your chosen package.

Taste Honey at Arataki

Follow the journey from hive to jar at the Arataki Honey Visitor Centre. The free, self-guided experience includes observation hives, educational displays and honey tastings demonstrating how flavour and colour change according to the flowers visited by the bees.

The centre is open from 9 am to 5 pm daily, although holiday hours may differ. General visitors can drop in without booking, while organised groups should reserve ahead.

For more food tours, like beer and cider tours and more, check out the 10 Things to Do in Napier for Foodies.

More Food Tours in Napier

• Try local beer and cider on a beer and wine-tasting tour
• Check out the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market
• Take a tour of New Zealand’s oldest winery
• Do a chocolate tour at Silky Oaks Chocolates
• Treat yourself to a high tea experience
• Share traditional Māori Kai at Echoes of Waimārama
• Indulge in Napier’s exquisite restaurants.

For more information on each experience and more, check out the 10 Things to Do in Napier for Foodies.

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About the Best Places to Eat in Napier

Napier’s restaurant scene covers everything from polished seasonal dining to waterfront seafood, speciality coffee and casual bar meals. Choosing where to eat can be almost as challenging as deciding which winery to visit, so we’ve grouped our recommendations into fine dining, cheap eats and restaurants with a view.

Fine Dining In Napier

For a more upmarket foodie experience, Napier has intimate bistros, vineyard restaurants and stylish dining rooms inside some of the city’s most distinctive buildings.

Set inside a restored Art Deco fire station, Central Fire Station Bistro (163 Tennyson Street) celebrates seasonal Hawke’s Bay produce through contemporary New Zealand cuisine with French and Italian influences. Choose from the à la carte menu or leave the decisions to the kitchen with the “Trust the Chef” experience.

For relaxed fine dining, Bistronomy (40 Hastings Street) serves fresh, seasonal dishes with European influences. Diners can choose from an à la carte menu or settle in for a longer tasting menu, while the adjoining Vinotech wine shop provides plenty of opportunities to discover boutique New Zealand wines.

Pair local produce with estate wines at Mission Estate Restaurant (198 Church Road, Taradale). Its seasonal lunch and dinner menus include vegetarian and vegan options, while the restored seminary building and vineyard setting make this a popular choice for special occasions.

For authentic Italian cooking, head to Casa Ahuriri (68 West Quay, Ahuriri). The Italian-owned restaurant prepares traditional recipes with fresh ingredients, homemade food and produce from local suppliers, accompanied by Italian and New Zealand wines.

Another stylish option is Emporium Eatery & Bar (corner of Tennyson Street and Marine Parade), set inside the Art Deco Masonic Hotel. Its contemporary menu is backed by an extensive drinks list featuring Hawke’s Bay wines and cocktails, making it equally suitable for dinner or drinks after exploring the city.

For more refined dining recommendations, see The Luxury Travel Guide to Napier.

Cheap Eats in Napier

Napier has plenty of cafés, bars and casual restaurants where you can enjoy good food without committing to an elaborate multi-course meal.

Look out for the weekly deals at Market St (8 Market Street), including the NZ$25 “Burger & Brew” offer on Tuesday. Its everyday shared menu also includes French fries for NZ$12, edamame beans for NZ$10 and dumplings for NZ$18, while happy hour runs from 4 pm to 6 pm daily.

For breakfast, coffee or a light lunch beside Marine Parade, try Roam (189 Marine Parade). The licensed café serves a changing selection of cakes, slices, cookies and its popular cheese and herb scones, with coffees generally costing NZ$5.50-$6.50.

Health-conscious travellers should stop at Hapī (45 Hastings Street), which specialises in nutrient-dense food using organic and locally grown produce. Its café caters to several dietary preferences with plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo and keto-friendly choices.

Coffee enthusiasts can get their caffeine fix at Georgia on Tennyson (42 Tennyson Street), a speciality coffee bar serving carefully brewed coffee alongside light snacks and pastries. It is a convenient stop between Napier’s Art Deco attractions without requiring a lengthy sit-down meal.

For something more substantial but still casual, Mister D (47 Tennyson Street) serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on selected days. The kitchen prepares bread, pasta and pastries in-house, with seasonal menus that mix familiar favourites with more playful dishes.

For some of Napier’s street food experiences, check out the cheap eats in The Guide to Napier on a Budget.

Napier Restaurants with a View

Napier’s coastline and harbour provide plenty of opportunities to combine a meal with sea, marina or vineyard views.

For one of Ahuriri’s best-known seaside settings, visit The Boardwalk Beach Bar & Bistro (8 Hardinge Road). The menu covers seafood, burgers, sandwiches, steaks and sharing platters, while the dining areas overlook the beach and Perfume Point.

Nearby, Madame Social (corner of West Quay and Customs Quay) serves Asian fusion dishes and creative shared plates beside the waterfront. Expect options such as oysters, prawn toast, fried chicken, calamari and fried rice, accompanied by cocktails and Hawke’s Bay wines.

Overlooking Napier Harbour, The Thirsty Whale Bar & Restaurant (62 West Quay) offers seafood, pub favourites, steaks and casual snacks. Grab a table on the deck to watch the boats while enjoying lunch, dinner or drinks beside the marina.

For breakfast, brunch or a relaxed evening meal, Milk & Honey (10 Hardinge Road) combines an all-day menu with views across the bay. Choices range from smoothie bowls, eggs and pancakes to burgers, shared dishes and larger evening meals.

Finally, seafood lovers should try Hunger Monger (129 Marine Parade), a small seafood-focused restaurant in Napier’s seafront area. Its dinner service runs from Tuesday to Saturday, so reserve ahead rather than leaving this one to chance.

© Art Deco Masonic Hotel

Where to Stay: Accommodations in Napier for Foodies

When it comes to gastronomical experiences at your accommodation, Napier has a choice of resorts with fabulous restaurants or self-catering accommodation, should you want to spruce something up with local ingredients.

Although we outline all your options in the 10 Best Self-Catering Accommodations in Napier, here are some of our top picks for foodies.

Art Deco Masonic Hotel – Napier Hotel with Amazing Restaurants

Stay super central in the Art Deco Masonic Hotel, opposite the i-SITE. This upmarket hotel offers a wide range of rooms, including hotel rooms, suites, studios and apartments.

Each room is decorated in the theme of Napier’s heritage and style, with common features like French doors leading out onto a balcony, an espresso machine, and an ensuite with a bath or rain shower.

You’ll also be sharing the building with two award-winning eateries which make up the Napier foodie scene.

Discover what makes Art Deco Masonic Hotel ideal for foodies seeking heritage style and convenient dining, and book your stay through Booking.com or Expedia!

Quest Napier – Stylish Self-Catering Apartments in a Historic Building

Cook in style at the Quest Napier apartments. The contemporary studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments provide the perfect blend of space and privacy that you would expect at home.

Set in a historic building from 1919, the apartments have been refurbished with all the modern luxuries. Each apartment comes with a well-equipped kitchenette featuring a stovetop, small fridge, dishwasher, coffee machine and microwave, plus a seating area and desk with lamp.

All apartments include satellite TV, air-conditioning and free WiFi. The reception staff can arrange dry cleaning and luggage storage services, while the tour desk provides sightseeing advice and travel arrangements.

Secure underground parking is available on site (charges apply), with a fast charge port for electric cars next door.

Learn more about what makes Quest Napier perfect for self-catering travellers and food lovers, and reserve your stay through Booking.com or Expedia!

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Alternative Things to Do in Napier

While food and wine might be the main highlight of Napier, there is actually some other fun stuff to do. Marvel at New Zealand’s largest mainland gannet colony, enjoy breathtaking views from Te Mata Peak, take an art deco tour and much more! Here are a few ideas:

• Hit the cycle trails of Hawke’s Bay
• Visit the historical Māori site, Otatara Pa
• Do white water rafting on the Mohaka River
• Visit the MTG Hawke’s Bay regional museum
• Do a tour of the art deco buildings of Napier
• Check out the views from Bluff Hill
• Do stand-up paddleboarding…

… and more! Check out the 15 Super Fun Things to Do in Napier for elaboration on each activity and more.