We had an outstanding dinner this evening here, Hello Beasty aside the best meal we have had during…read moreour first five days in New Zealand. Began with a bottled stout beer (too few beers on tap, sad to say). First time trying rewana bread, a Maori sourdough. My garden salad was rich with interesting greens as well as julienned strips of carrot and tomatoes. Nancy was pleased with her salt and pepper squid, almost as good as the first rate calamari of Capetown, the standard by which we judge calamari. My main was Lamb 'N' Vege, tender medallions of lamb shoulder in a stew of cubed potatoes, squash and beets, with a nice gravy. We were too full to think of dessert (Nancy liked the look of her chargrilled broccoli but was too full to do anything but take it home)

Service was excellent. The Thai mussels were tasty every though they were breaded and fried. The…read morelamb shoulder was good and the burger was tasty although the beef was more dense. Good spot in Te Kuiti for dinner that was open to 8:30 pm.

We had an adequate dinner here. Nancy very much liked her arugula salad (I didn;t get a taste) and…read moreher pumpkin risotto. I had whjat purported to be a Thai beef salad, and although the greens where very nice and the beef well prepared, it was not discernibly Thai -- no lime juice, no fish sauce, no spiciness, and no cilantro. Nice salad, but not an accurate menu listing

We stopped here to get a bite to eat after touring the caves. They were completely booked but were…read moreable to take an order for takeout. We ordered the chicken pizza and arugula salad. It was probably the best pizza we've ever had. It was perfectly cooked and had a fantastic flavor with interesting spices and the caramelized pears pushed it over the top. The woman who took our order was very friendly and accommodating, which we had not experienced in several places we've been to, so it was a welcome change. I would happily eat here again.

How can you not love it with a name like that? We stopped by for a late lunch while on a day trip…read moreto the glow worm caves from Auckland. Our tour guide definitely knows food. There is a vast variety of drinks and baked goods as well as sandwiches available. Personally I was unable to resist a square cronut... I ended up sharing it with folks because it was so huge and filling. I also enjoyed a spinach feta Danish with a side salad. Everything was fresh and delicious. The vinaigrette on the salad was spectacular. The ambiance in here is so welcoming and cute. There is indoor as well as outdoor seating. Stop by if you get a chance and don't forget to order a dessert too.

Cute little cafe. Stopped here for breakfast and lunch. Both times the food was excellent…read more Breakfast, we did the eggs and waffle. Chai latte was pretty standard, but good. Lunch we did the nachos all was super delicious. The meat pie and sausage roll were just okay. Service was good and pretty quick. They also have a cute little shopping section with great locally made pieces.

A bit pricey for what you get, but much better quality food than you will find in the area. Decent…read morecoffee & wide assortment of baked goods. Food can sometimes be hit or miss. Broight friends in that ordered gluten free toast and got regular toast. Thankfully, she caught it before taking a bite (allergy). Have had overcooked eggs once or twice, but still worth a stop! Eggs Benedict is one of my favorites!

This looked like a good stop on the way to Auckland from New Plymouth. Plenty of parking, good…read morerestrooms and a good breakfast. I had hot cakes with Bacon. It came in a short time and was good. They have good coffee!

Stopped in for breakfast, delicious food, great service, well priced, highly recommend!read more

So glad we stopped here for breakfast on the way to the Glow Worm Caves! The service was so…read morefriendly, there was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, along with take away and full menu breakfast options! We had a breakfast croissant and the Big Brekkie plate along with some iced mochas! All was delicious. Plus you can buy some snacks, drinks, and souvenirs on your way out! The servers also kept bringing out delicious looking pastries like scones and muffins! Everything was nice, clean and well-kept! If you need some food before your day starts, start here!

I went there last summer and I loved it! I was on my way to New Plymouth and it was a great…read morepitstop, roughly half way from Hamilton to New Plymouth. There is a great vibe and very family orientated. I had my dog and she was allowed to get out and stretch her legs - she even ended up playing frisbee with another family haha. The staff were very kind and helpful and the strawberries were INCREDIBLE!! I bought a kg of delicious strawberries for about $10 and then bought a raspberry frozen yoghurt that was so refreshing after a long hot journey in the car. I also got a cappuccino for the car and I always find trouble finding good coffee but this was excellent! The only thing I have to complain about is that I had to wait a bit because the darling woman behind the cash register liked to talk to every customer, she was very kind!

Our tour stopped here so we can get coffee and food. The ladies didn't stress out with the amount…read moreof people coming in to place take away orders. They were calm, friendly, and made our drinks and heated our food quickly. I ordered one of their Japanese teas, which was really good. I also got their butter chicken pie. One of the couples in my group told me about them and O Cafe is the first time I saw it available. The ladies knew time was of the essence and asked if we wanted our pies heated in the oven or microwave. I appreciated that because of the tight schedule we're on. As for the pie - wow! It was my first butter chicken pie and I'll never forget it. The crust was flaky and the chicken was moist. The butter sauce was yummy. This pie was my gateway pie lol. I knew I had to get butter chicken pie wherever I saw it. I'm addicted and I plan to learn the recipe so I can make it at home. The cafe has plenty of tables and seats. It's a casual, welcoming vibe where you can get good food and coffee.

This seems like a good place for breakfast or lunch. We stoped for lunch; I had a ham and egg club…read moresandwich, and my wife had chicken and brie. Both were excellent. Good selection of interesting drinks plus a full espresso bar.

Good to come across a real old fashioned cafe. Great array…read moreof food. We just had a muffin which was very nice. Two different types of muffin available - wild berry and blueberry. Huge menu including the amazing whitebait the area is known for Good coffee and a very reasonable price. Will stop in again. Friendly locals!

We stopped by this place on our drive to New Plymouth for a quick bite and this place did not…read moredisappoint! We picked up some pork and cheese sandwiches and I got a steak and mushroom pie as well. If you've had a McRib in the states and like them, expect to be delighted! This is basically a McRib with cheese, delicious! The steak and mushroom pie was one of the best I had while in NZ (although to be fair I only had a couple). The staff were friendly too. Overall just a nice place to stop on a beach drive. They could use more places like this all over NZ!

Our group of 6 loved dishes we tried, meat pies, salmon eggs benedict, muesli & yoghurt plate, &…read moremaybe best french toast ever w/ bananas foster vibes. Can't believe this little town has such great food! Mint Jndian nearby had best Indian food we've ever had in CA or London - ask server for recs!

We made a stop in Te Kuiti for meat pies after going on the Black Labyrinth tour at Waitomo. For…read moremost people in NZ this would have been effortless. For us tourists trying to stay cashless, it was a minor pain in the rear. Seriously. We tramped up and down Rora St and got turned away from at least 5 or 6 places before we found Tiffany's Cafe, which had the magic combo of meat pies in stock + takes foreign credit card. (Wool Press Cafe also takes foreign credit card, but they were out of pies when we got there. And yes, there are ATMs nearby, but we weren't about to change money just for a meat pie.) To fill our bellies, we had steak pies and chai latte. The steak pie itself was decent, with chunks of steak and a savory gravy that was on the salty side. The chai was okay as well: not bad, but nothing memorable. Overall, not a bad place for a quick bite. Especially if you don't have NZD in your pocket.

We had mixed experiences with breakfast here. Limited menu, but Nancy was thrilled with her…read morecreamed mushrooms on toast. For me,. though, it seemed that although the waffle was loaded with yummy berries, plus a chocolate bar and whipped cream and sour cream, the waffle itself was pretty small. And although I asked for Earl Grey tea, I got something else -- fine tea but not what I had ordered Plainly they do their main business serving a buffet lunch to hordes of tourists arriving on tour buses

Our tour stopped by the Waitomo Homestead for lunch after visiting the Waitomo Glowworms Caves. It…read moreseems like this is the only place after you come back onto the main road from the Caves. We stopped here with our tour for our included lunch. This place is quite big with a restaurant, bar, and cafe, and an abundance of tables. There's a main dining area, and a huge area for tour groups that looks like it can seat 500+ people! The outside has some really nice view of the garden and trees--a lot of greenery. Our meal consisted of a buffet that surprisingly had a lot of Asian/Chinese dishes, such as chow mein, fried rice, spring rolls, with some Western dishes, such as Cole slaw, French fries, potatoes, and etc. Prior to coming here, our tour guide asked everyone what "main dish" we wanted to order--steak or fish. He was very adamant and quite insistent against ordering the fish. He mentioned it numerous times stating the fish was very fishy, the meat was mushy, it wasn't fresh, it's previously frozen, generic, and etc. He did convince everyone, but I was skeptical. It's like reading the poor reviews or seeing low average stars on Yelp. How much do I believe it? Also, the steak can vary a lot. How big is it? What type of steak? Can I request medium rare? Will it be cooked all together? Luckily I was able to change my order to the fish at the absolute last second. It got to the last second mainly because he kept asking if I was sure and repeated the same things. YES, I AM SURE! When I saw the steak come out, the service was holding a pan and gave everyone 6-7 slices of steak that was overcooked, under seasoned, and tough. My fish took a while to get to me as everyone seemed to be finishing their meals, but I was quite happy when it came. It was a very nice sized pieces of fish. It looked similar to the ones you get for Fish and Chips. The meat was tender, juicy, and well-seasoned, and the crust was crispy. So.... GET THE FISH! Overall, this was a nice place to stop by to grab something to eat, relax, refresh, refuel, use the restroom, etc before or after your Glowworm Caves activity. The staff was nice, and the restroom was sort of open air, old, but clean enough. I would probably recommend dining outside for the nicer environment.