Heavens Bakery has a pretty good selection of pies and special flavor bread loaves. Pie flavors…read moreinclude the standard fare (mince & cheese, steak & cheese etc) but then also have a few out of the ordinary pies like chicken and bacon, chicken and came Bert or the Magpie which is steak bacon and cheese. All of the pies are around $5 so if you're looking for a super cheap pie you'll be a bit disappointed but they are definitely worth the price! They didn't have a big selection of sweet treats but the ones they did have looked pretty yum. It's easy to get to with easy on street parking and nice outdoor seating. Definitely the best option in Taradale!

Pretty good bakery chain, my only gripe is they hardly have any reasonably priced vegetarian…read moreoptions and they need to update the food on offer a little. Lots of seating, play area for the kids, reasonable prices.

Looking for $3 pumpkins? Or how about bags of fresh apricots for $6? Or maybe Feijoa fruit ice…read morecream? Then, you have come to the right place - The Fruit Shop. Their Instagram bio claims it is "Hawke's Bay's best fruit destination"... and I think they are right on track! While I loved the fresh fruit and vegetables at the Hawke's Bay Farmers Market, the fruit and vegetables at The Fruit Shop were more reasonably priced. Plus, real fruit ice cream - and not just the usual strawberry and blueberry, but FEIJOA. Ultimate bonus!!! We literally filled our car with sooooo many goodies from The Fruit Shop and took these all the way back to Auckland. I would highly recommend you stop here next time you visit Hawke's Bay!

Hubby, the freak of nature that he is, been able to eat pastries to his heart's content while…read morestill sporting a six-pack, insisted on a 45 minute drive to sample a custard square he found featured in the New York Times. So we arrived to this cafe, eerily standing right in the middle of an otherwise industrial area. Very cute little oasis of coziness. We were lucky to purchase the last said custard stack of the day + another very homey looking pastry and coffee. While hubby took a trip down memory lane, thinking of his grandma's custard cake and all, I however, have already been spoiled by the cafe culture of this beautiful country and my grandmother can't bake, so was not very impressed, and since I'm the one writing this review, well, three stars it is. If you are a fan of traditional home style baking, you won't be disappointed.

I'm glad I swung by here on my way out of town. I saw the custard squares mentioned in another…read morereview; they were large, flaky, and meringue-y. I skipped the custard and was sucked into a pie (apparently they were voted best sausie roll in Hawke's Bay, FYI), going for the steak and cheese. It was really delicious. I'm no pie expert, but this one had a flaky crust that stayed together while I nibbled, large chunks of tender steak, and no decipherable cheese but I'm sure it was in there. I didn't mind, it was a good pie. I also had a large trim flat white, which was prob one of my favorite in New Zealand, tbh! Cafe Ahuriri is a homey little spot. Their outdoor patio was the setting for a group of about 15 gray-haired women, whom I'd like to think make this their regular weekly get together. Also around the cafe were groups of men in high viz vests, taking breaks from work. It was cozy and unassuming, no pretension but none needed. Definitely a home cooking type of place, not much frills but quality food and coffee.

Good mojo coffee. Tasty lemon muffin and other food looked good too. Cute local cafe and an easy…read morestop on the main road if passing through.

The staff is super nice and friendly. The chocolates are delicious, and that's coming from someone…read morewho is normally not a huge fan of chocolate. The shops are very clean and offerings are well presented. There are different flavors of food items that I don't see elsewhere and am excited to taste when I get back home. The gelato is delicious, being not too sweet and creamy in texture. (I tried the white chocolate pistachio gelato flavor.)

Yelp lists this as a cafe, but the place is also a Chocolate Factory with a museum, gift shop, and…read morechocolate shop. The cafe has standard fare with some interesting ones that are wraps or baked goods (sweet & non-sweet). It's decent food, I liked the muesli cake (or whatever it was called), and you can have your sweets (like my cake) come with a side of chocolate (syrup) and whip cream to top it with. The best way to enjoy this place, especially for 1st time visitors is to also check out the museum and the chocolate shop. The museum gives an informative history of chocolate. The chocolate shop is decent like visiting any boutique chocolate shop, pretty good chocolate. What I liked best is their (recent) offering of fudge (candy, not chocolate fudge). I bought mint chocolate, some coconut flavor, and cookies & creme. They are pretty good, not too thick (unless you eat the whole bar w/o slicing it up), not overly creamy, not too sweet, and not too hard nor overly gummy like Starburst candy, just the right balance of creamy texture and sweetness. And my tour guide told me the fudge is a way for visitors who are chocolate intolerant to still be able to enjoy something there. The fudge is a must try unless you like Starburst style fudge or thick dry peanut buttery type chocolate fudge.

Moana Park is an allergy friendly, Vegan, Boutique winery. Since the owners have food…read moresensitivities they are all about naturally produced wines at this small boutique winery in Hawkes Bay. They are only one of three low allergy wineries and can even qualify as vegan, and they have very low sulfites. We sat outside under a big shade for our tasting which was very relaxed and casual. Like many of the wineries they Farm fruit in many spots around the region and produce a wide selection of wines. We tasted: -Rose-gimblett gravels, Merlot-based-nice -Sauvignon Blanc-very much in the traditional NZ style, with lots of green grass -Pinot Gris-seemed to me to have a bit of an off flavor, -2014 Pinot noir-Hawkes Bay-very nice, 4 years in bottle We also tasted some Reserve wines including the 2014 merlot and theirSyrah from Gimblett gravels Their wines were good and we enjoyed the tasting. The only thing spoiling the ambiance was the cannon going off on regular intervals as their natural means of keeping the birds from stealing the grapes. Worth a visit

I love this cafe! I ordered an iced americano to enjoy while reading the paper on their patio. I…read morewas given a free refill of ice halfway through and it was an unexpected surprise! The service was top notch, if not a little overbearing. As I was relaxing and slowly sipping my drink, I was asked repeatedly if I was doing alright and if my drink was okay. It wasn't a crowded day so I wasn't overstaying my welcome. However, it's been one of the best cafes I've been to in New Zealand. I didn't order anything to eat, but they have a substantial menu.

On our recent road trip, my happy half was driving as I was looking around. She noticed the sign…read more"Beer for Sale" before I did and quickly turned the car around. We stopped and were thankful we did! Zeelandt Brewery prides themselves on traditional styles brewed perfectly. They offer sample tastes for free, plus all their bottles to go. Tom gave us a tour and talk about the brewery and beer. I bought their explorer pack of their 6 main beers, plus 3 special bottles available at the time. These latter ones may rotate, so what you get will depend on what they're making. The brewery is located in a vineyard with beautiful mountains around, they have free parking right outside. Thanks for letting us use the restroom to freshen up as well! Prices are reasonable for the quality of the beer; we also loved the labels!