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Huhu Cafe

4.5 (55 reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Huhu Cafe Photos

HUHU CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Outdoor seating
Good for kids
Good for groups

Recommended Reviews - Huhu Cafe

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Menu
Jonathan S.

This is the main restaurant you can see off the main road about 2-3 minute drive from the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves. We came here for lunch after our tour of the Glow Worm Caves. We ordered the house special Roasted Cauliflower and Thyme Soup with Rewana Toast with Smoked Butter and the Pasta with Chicken. The soup had a really good flavor and the Rewana (Māori Bread) with the smoked butter was very good. The pasta always a thick fettuccine like noodle with a ring of pesto around it. The pasta also had good flavor, but is slightly more bland (tends to be the norm for food in New Zealand) for American taste, so I did crave a little stronger flavors. A little salt and pepper helped bring out the flavors more. The prices are a little pricy for a casual cafe, but they do get a lot of business from people coming/going to the glow worm caves. There wasn't any other service by the wait staff or there than taking and delivering our order. We had to wave down the waitress (who was very nice) to get more water. Once finished, just go up the cash register to pay. This is not a bad place to grab a bite to eat, but there may be cheaper options in Otorohanga.

As of April 2018
Rachel E.

One of our favorite restaurants when we went to NZ! We came for lunch right before going to the Waitamo cave. Pretty pricy though and in a rush so ordered an appetizer and entree and shared. Super fresh crisp and perfect fish and chips! Cider was a great pairing! Also got the chive croquettes which were like fried mash potato balls - surprisingly delicious. Nice patio too and attentive waitstaff. They made sure we got out in time to make it to Waitamo for our time!

Smoked fish & potato cakes in mustard aoili
Barbie S.

Gourmet all the way! Clean, bright spacious upstairs restaurant with spectacular views. PROS: Kumara fries Smoked Fish & Potato cakes Outside covered seating Views Service CONS: small parking lot

Peanut Butter Parfait.  Excellent!
Benjamin S.

Probably the best restaurant I went to in New Zealand though I wasn't in Auckland or Wellington much. Huhu is close to the Waitomo caves and my best friend and I had gone to the caves, checked into our hotel, and then asked the receptionist where to go for dinner and she said this was the best place. She was right! I kind of wanted greasy pizza for some strange reason, but so glad we came here instead! I had heard from several Kiwis that the beef is grass fed in New Zealand and it's true. I had the 7oz New Zealand Sirloin with blue cheese dressing. It took a few bites to get used to the taste of the meat since I'm used to the dreadful practices in the US of raising beef on corn and unnatural substances so I had to adjust my palette. Like I said, after a few bites, I was good to go. The steak was cooked to perfection. It was buttery, crisp on the outside and very easy to chew and swallow. The dressing on the salad that accompanied the steak is by far the best salad dressing I've ever had in my life. I could have just had a big bowl of salad with that dressing and would be writing a 5 star review. For dessert I had the Peanut Butter Parfait which has a really unique presentation and was fantastic! I felt really full after eating this meal. Service was also really great and the atmosphere of the place is not fine dining, more casual kitchen feel. Why go anywhere else if you're in the area for dinner?

Anchisa P.

- Stop-by restaurant on the way to Waitomo cave - Ok to good food but not particularly memorable. - We shared a fish and chips dish and a lamb stew rice with yogurt - The fish and chips was perfectly battered and fried - Lamb stew rice was good but the seasoning was a bit overpowering / yogurt provides a nice contrast

Lorabelle S.

Jan 18-2018 This was a cute place. We parked our car in the parking lot of the Glow Worm Cave. And we walked through a forest trail (waitomo village walk 15 minutes) to get to the main street safely (where all the other stores and lodging is located). There are signs before walking into the forest about poison, so don't go crazy touching things... Also, there are these fan-tailed birds that flew pretty close to us. They are friendly, but mostly just using us! They are flying around us to catch the bugs that were disturbed by us walking by and waking the bugs up. Back to the restaurant... Huhu Cafe is actually on the second floor (first floor is held for events) and their patio has a nice view of the grassy mountains. It was a rainy day today, but still beautiful. The staff was helpful and polite, but not talkative. They do have WiFi, but you gotta ask for it. It doesn't have it posted on their walls that I saw. It was a nice medium sized open concept restaurant. I shared the lunch menu as of 01-18-2018. I got the bacon and mussel fritters with tomato jam, aioli. It was delicious. If you don't like mussels, I wouldn't suggest getting it because it has a strong taste of mussels. I couldn't taste the bacon and the mussel taste even hid the onion. The tomato jam tasted like the sweet chili sauce I use for Filipino lumpia. Yummy!! My husband got the chips and ketchup to share. He got the crispy buttermilk chicken [tenders] with the honey mustard mayo. It was pretty tasty. It looked like it was breaded with cornmeal and it gave it a sweet taste. My husband didn't care for the sauce because he doesn't like mayo at all. But I tasted it and it was sweet because of the honey, barely could taste the mustard. I looked like they used stone ground mustard with honey and mayo. I even say it was good even though I don't like mustard. The prices were a bit much, but it was a cafe located near the the Glow Worm Cave tourist attraction. So it make sense for the prices to be high. I would check it out. :)

Harrissa pumpkin and sweet potatoes with hummus - amazing
Sam E.

Huhu cafe! What can I say? This super cute diner located on the second floor near waitmo caves is one for the few restaurants in the area with the next closest restaurant being a while away. We were greeted but a friendly staff member who seated us and with the diner kitchen seen through the cut out window, the friendly chef waved making this place seem cozy and sweet and like your everyday neighborhood joint. Don't let the diner facade fool you! This place serves up some amazing food that you would not think would be found at a diner. They have vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options from mains to desserts. We ordered the harissa sweet potato pumpkin hash with hummus which was out of this world. Every bite was a punch or flavor and with humongous portions, it's impossible to leave hungry. The dish was filling and rich is bold flavors. I dare to you put the fork down before you finish every last bit of it. My partner ordered the lamb curry with coconut rice. The dish was an extremely large portion with amazing spiciness and a rich brown gravy style sauce which it stewed in. It's placed on top of sweet succulent soft coconut rice and the tastiest garlic roasted crostini ever.

Dining space and bar
Jae V.

We stopped here to eat after seeing the glow worm caves. The restaurant was empty and our food was served quickly. I had the fish of the day which was pan fried and served with gnocchi. My companions also enjoyed their dishes. Good experience and recommend it!

Yanna I.

Fantastic restaurant in the North Island of New Zealand. My food as well as all of my friends' food was very fresh, tasty & flavorful. After the rocket salad and garlic bread, i had the toffee pudding for dessert. I can honestly say that may have been the best dessert I've ever had, it was so good! Highly recommend, staff was very kind and helpful. Beautiful views of green New Zealand were also a plus!

Menus
Emily B.

After a magical tour of the glow worm caves we stopped here for lunch based on the great Yelp reviews! It was so good we got both lunch and dinner for take away to take back to our Eco / villa rental in Cambridge! The Fried chicken and grilled eggplant for lunch and both lamb dishes , curry and chips to take back to dinner with a salad . Sooooo good! The staff was friendly the view lovely on the terrace and food amazing!

Pumkin & Cheddar Risotto Balls with homemade tomato sauce and salad
Ankan J.

The only nice restaurant in waitomo village, this place is a must. However the high rating is not because this is the "only" show in town unless you want pub food but basically it has all the key ingredients for a successful restaurant. The ambiance of this place is great - full bar, unique menu, great deserts and coffee / expresso selection. The staff is the friendliest but it maybe because i am in a town of 50 people. The food was great and on could be on par with a restaurant in NYC. Tons of vegetarian options even though two of the salad options were not available on the day we went. Overall, highly recommended for dinner after your adventure filled day in Waitomo.

Rocket, pear, honeyed walnut salad with blue cheese dressing. ($11)
Jonathan S.

Stunning meal at a place that I assumed would be a tourist trap with steep prices and mediocre food (considering the location and it being one of the only places in town to stop for a bite). Was surprised to find quite the opposite! This place is a must-try if you are in the area. Quality produce, beautiful presentation, and delightful flavour abounds. Tried a variety of their dishes and each one was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Especially of note were the rack of lamb and the duck leg. Make sure to save room for dessert as they really do have some wonderful creations. Was quite busy for dinner on a weeknight so making reservations would be a good idea.

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6 months ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

It's ok, the food has the chance of being very tasty but their favors are a bit mild.

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7 years ago

Amazing food, great view, couldn't ask for anything more! I highly recommend the broccoli salad and the garlic bread.

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7 years ago

Dropped by after a trip to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Food was really good and we enjoyed every dish!

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10 years ago

Great food in an unexpected place. Every dish we got was fantastic. You must go if you are in the Waitomo area!

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Page 1 of 2

Review Highlights - Huhu Cafe

This place is simply a gem and our trip to Waitomo would not have been as memorable if we had not checked out Hulu!

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The Nest - Covered balcony

The Nest

4.8(5 reviews)
31.0 km

Nice setting with large interior, coveted balcony and lovely garden area. Right on the main read…read morenext to Alexandra Hotel and Five Stags restaurant. With the awning around the balcony down it looked closed and sign hard to see. Worth stopping to make sure. Very bubbly friendly staff. Delicious banana and fudge muffin and good coffee, but could have been hotter. Recommend it as a good stop off. Opposite is the small heritage and visitors centre. And just along the road is a walkway down to and looping back along the river (45 mins) taking in the remains of the Redoubt (fort)

On our way from Karuma to Waitomo, we stopped for breakfast in Pirongia on Franklin road…read more We tried the first roadside cafe, we came upon (don't remember the name), but we weren't impressed with the menu or the seating. It was only then that we noticed "the Nest" next door. Not a very attractive building, we would have easily overlooked it and we were hesitating to enter. But once inside, we were pleasantly surprised by the cheerful, slightly hipster vibe. The seating areas with ample room for small and bigger groups, comfy chairs and couches for having espressos and a pleasant sunroom. There even appeared to be some kind of picnic area complete with blankets and so on. We ordered our food at the counter and then seated ourselves in the sunroom. With the decor between antique, vintage and eclectic, the statement piece was definitely the giant antique copper / brass espresso machine by Elektra. A real beauty that I wouldn't mind owning myself. The business owner himself served at the counter and was good for conversation and interested in his customers. My husband ordered the scrambled eggs and I had the poached egg with avocado and the most delicious hashbrowns I have ever had. We both had capucinos too. The only thing I would have liked to see is a little more generous servings of bread. Maybe 2 slices per person instead of one. But, I have to say that when my husband asked for extra bread, the owner didn't charge him for it. The breakfast was served on warm plates (YES!!!!), tastefully plated, capucinos presented with coffee art. Both eggs and bread fresh and flavorful. We wanted to come back here the next morning, before driving back to Auckland to catch our flight, but why oh why weren't you open yet at 8 AM??? I had so much looked forward to a repeat of the day before, but alas, it was not in the cards..... Perfect breakfast place!

Photos
The Nest - Flat whites, nest scramble, and eggs benedict with asparagus.

Flat whites, nest scramble, and eggs benedict with asparagus.

The Nest - Smart interior

Smart interior

The Nest - Garden seating

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Garden seating

Waitomo Homestead - Curried vegetable pie

Waitomo Homestead

3.8(8 reviews)
6.5 km

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.

Photos
Waitomo Homestead
Waitomo Homestead - Real ice cream with kiwi fruit

Real ice cream with kiwi fruit

Waitomo Homestead - BBQ pork spring rolls

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BBQ pork spring rolls

Huhu Cafe - coffee - Updated July 2026

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