This was a fluke discovery on the drive from Wellington back up to Matarangi. We were exhausted and…read morehungry and wanted to recharge in Thames before tackling the winding road to Matarangi. Unfortunately, because it was a Sunday night, almost everything was closed. Driving down the main drag, we saw a couple cars full of people parking and walking to a nondescript entrance. "The Cumin." Hmm.. I ordered the Rogan Josh and hubs ordered the chicken madras. We split the cumin basket (3 different kinds of naan). Had I known this restaurant was here, I would have driven down from Matarangi every day during my stay! The lamb was incredibly tender, the sauce was complex with layers of flavor and spice that blended so nicely together. The naan was perfectly chewy. Honestly, it's some of the best Indian food I've ever had. Service was excellent and friendly, prices were the lowest we've seen (especially for the quality of the food), and the restaurant itself is nicely put together. I highly recommend!

Butter prawns spicy with garlic cheese nann exceeded my expectations...I was in my happy place,…read morestaff friendly accomodating me a table for one while working in Thames I can highly recommend to all in fact a must...I cant wait to go back A1+

Great setting in this cute town of Thames. Fresh food, baked goods and pressed juice. We split…read morethe Turkish chicken sandwich, side salad and brownie - we felt plenty satisfied all for $25NZ. Friendly service with both indoor and outdoor seating. A perfect stop for a bite or drink while staying near by or on your way thru.

Delicious. Can be a bit of a wait when busy, and limited hours. Pastry items all tried have been…read moreexcellent.

Not at all hard to find in the small town of Thames at the edge of the Coromandel Peninsula. It…read moredoesn't look like much at all; low-scale and simple, but apparently quite the favorite with the locals for their excellent fish and chips. It is located on the oldest existing wharf in the area and it allows for stunning views of the water and trees. It was just the place for us to have dinner after our drive from Auckland. At this type of restaurant you order and pay at the counter; About 30 minutes later, someone comes and yells out the order number on your receipt and you receive your meal wrapped in paper at the table. The food came so hot that it maintained it's temperature throughout the meal. Both the fish and chips (fries) were absolutely delectable; definitely among the best we've ever had. As far as we were concerned, there was no necessity for sauces to accompany the meal, but if you wanted, you would need to count on paying a few extra $$. An interesting phenomenon we noticed was the extreme low-tide, which left the boats in the small marina stuck in the mud. Apparently, when the tide comes in, the water level easily rises 12-15 ft. and laps up to the side of the wharf. It appeared to us that Kiwi parents are very comfortable letting their kids balance on the 6" wide ledge, but the thought of a 5-year old tumbling down to the mud below nearly made my heart stop a few times. All in all, we highly recommend this place for a simple but delicious meal for a reasonable price and a view that can't be beat.

This lonely vegetarian outpost on the vacation-y peninsula east of Auckland was probably the most…read morestereotypical vegetarian spot I've seen in New Zealand, from the menu to the overheard conversations about digestive enzymes to the sign asking you to literally pay forwards someone's meal. I found it expensive enough paying for my own on my increasingly limited vacation budget, but the corn-based fritter I ordered, while largely inscrutable in composition, was nonetheless satisfying. I ordered some feijoa juice not knowing what it was (apparently it's South American, but New Zealanders seem to like it as I've seen it elsewhere), an intriguing concoction to be sure. If I were looking to eat something before visiting some of the remote beaches, I would want to stop here rather than taking a chance on finding something good elsewhere.

I LOVE Cafe Sola! Fabulous menu and fresh ingredients, a…read moredelight for a vegetarian like me to find. I recommend the Corn Fritters and the Ginger Crunch. A double whammy of goodness with an espresso (short black thank you) in a takeaway cup with a chocolate covered espresso bean perched on top. Mmmmwah! Bustling, busy, and a darling little outside seating area that's mostly for locals I'm guessing as they don't advertise it! Don't pass through Thames without getting your lunch here. As good a cafe you'd see anywhere in the world, I'd sit SOLA up there with London or Santa Monica for sure.

We were looking for a place to eat in Thames and our Airbnb host recommended Nakontong Thai (she…read moresaid it's one of her favourite restaurants in town). We dropped in on a Wednesday evening and it was fairly busy. The clientele is mostly Caucasian but the staff at least are Thai. The food came out quicker than lightning! No joke; it took us longer to decide what we wanted than our food to be cooked. The menu is split into appetizers, ancient golden wok, curries, Nakontong snapper, duck, noodle & rice, hot plates, set menus and desserts. The lunch menu has some super cheap $10.00 lunch specials. You choose from four spice levels: mild, medium, hot and very hot. - 3x Jasmine rice ($1.00 NZD) - interestingly, they bring a huge pot of rice around and scoop your rice onto your plate. We weren't sure if you could get refills but we weren't charged for one extra scoop. - Jungle curry ($18.50 NZD) - curry in spices soup with Thai herbs and vegetables without coconut milk. We got this with chicken. It's a much more soupy type of curry but flavour and spices were good. Even drinking the soup on its own tasty. - Spicy curries ($18.50 NZD) - stir fried beef with bamboo shoots and vegetables. They mix red, green and yellow curries! I've never seen this before. My favourite dish of the night. Curry was flavourful and had good depth. We asked for all our dishes to be medium spicy and it was an enjoyable heat level. - Chili tom yum ($17.50 NZD) - stir fried tofu with fresh chili, lemongrass, galanga herbs and vegetables. The tofu was satisfying with a good mix of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. The sauce was a nice balance of sweet and spicy. A little pricey for dinner but this was a solid Thai spot.

STOP THE LIGHTS!!!!! The absolute BEST Thai out there by a…read morecountry mile it is FANTASTIC! Always busy anytime we are in THAMES, flavour galore and quick service and grrrrrrreat for vegetarians! Don't miss this place, it's really the nicest friendliest spot by miles.

Stopped by for an espresso but decided to try my first NZ meat pie. I had the peppered beef meat…read morepie and wow was it tasty! The cappuccino was also quite tasty as well. I would definitely hit this place up again. FYI - We stopped by on a cold morning and there was not heat on so bring a jacket.

This place is really the best! On a family rode trip I drove 30 minutes outta the way just to go…read morehere! The food is impeccable it cant be beaten! The prices are so cheap! The staff are very kind and fast getting food and service!

Quaint spot on the main highway to stop to pickup an excellent, authentic homemade pie. Steak and…read morecheese was so good my husband had to go back for another, while I enjoyed a spinach quiche that really hit the mark. Also a selection of sweets and drinks. Not much room to stop and eat-in, but perfect to grab and go.

The cafe is all part of the blueberry orchard which is the main reason why people come here.I give…read moreit top marks as is a great way to get out of the city, get some fresh air , form of exercise though light and get blueberries for a real cheap price compared to in the shops. Only $10 per kg, and is only a short drive from Auckland on the road to Thames. And of course there is the café where you can sample a selection of blueberry delights and just relax after picking. You can pick for as long as you want, eat them while you are doing so and their hours are quite long during the season. in the café there is a good selection of blueberry delights including cakes, smoothies, ice cream and you can buy more blueberries as well as those you picked. They do also have available sandwiches and paninis. We sampled the blueberry and white chocolate cheesecake......delicious ...and a blueberry smoothie. Nice!!! Can highly recommend to anyone who likes the blueberries, wants some nice relaxing activity and to get out in the sun for a while and eat as much as they want while doing so.

This was a cute unique restaurant. Make sure you walk around and check everything out (including…read morethe bathroom). I have to say that I didn't like my meal though. I got the burger and it just wasn't very good.

My FIL, my young son and I stopped here on the way back to Auckland, and ordered 2 Burgers and a…read moreEggs on Toast. Apparently, poached eggs aren't an option, so Fried were ordered. I had my burger with the "spicy peanut sauce". My FIL and I both agreed our burgers were pretty much tasteless, though the buns were excellent. The Peanut Sauce had almost no taste and certainly no spice. The pattie was tender but had no real taste I could detect. My Sons eggs were overdone, which I am guessing was a result of them forgetting about them in the first instance, which they were very apologetic about and promptly brought my son over a chocolate brownie by way of apology which was an excellent touch! They were frantically busy and were warning of delays, which was very courteous of them and even the best cafes can have a slighly average day. I'd come back again.

More often known as Cafe Melbourne, this is a welcome addition to Thames. Once a bus depot, this…read morelovely old building has been earthquake proofed and beautifully restored. Table service, delicious food, spacious. Good outside seating too, and food bought from adjacent Deli can be taken to outdoor table and coffee ordered from the cafe.