Phenomenal fish and chips- a must-eat in Kaikoura. Everything is so fresh, flavorful and the fried…read morefish texture is light and not oily Recommend getting your food to go (everything wrapped in pieces of paper versus in paper boxes) to eat onsite because it's a funner ambiance!

My wife and I visited Coopers Catch during a recent trip to Kaikoura. We ordered the Blue Cod and…read morethe Whitebait Fritter. The Blue Cod was fresh and flaky in an airy crisp breading and paired with large soft fries and flavorful malt vinegar. We also tried the Whitebait Fritter; this omelet was airy and enjoyable. The Blue Cod was some of the best fish and chips we had ever had so we visited a second time before the end of our trip. Coopers Catch is a must stop in Kaikoura.

The fish was good, the fry, just ok. The oil that they use to fry was either old or they overheated…read moreit. It permeated the crust and produced a semi foul flavor. Maybe they don't change the grease often enough...

Got the seafood basket. Was okay. Too much breading on the seafood. You have to pay extra for…read morecondiments, cups and cutlery.

We enjoyed our experience here. Friendly staff. Would recommend the craypot chowder and anything…read morefrom the dessert cabinet

This place is amazing! Our group absolutely loved the ambiance and the service was delightful. We…read morestarted with the garlic bread and after each of us took a bite knew the meal to come would blow us away simply because of how delicious the appetizer was (the flaky sea salt was such a perfect touch). The tiramisu is the "best" our group had ever had. Hands down. We couldn't recommend this place enough and wish all the best to the owner John!

Nice and tasty fish and chips, good atmosphere and cool view on the sea side. Relaxing at night…read more Friendly staff

Nice atmosphere, nice Macs on tap. But the kitchen failed to deliver 2 pizzas and a fish and chips…read morein what seemed like an hour. Had to leave due to to ravenous visitors and kids in particular. Might be good, but be wary of whether the kitchen can keep up with orders during tourist season. Often the best choice when Kaikoura is busy is to have a snack, enjoy the view and move on to some town that can handle the traffic.

Grilled blue cod We were thrilled to find a fish and chip…read moreshop that actually offered grilled fish instead of the usual battered and deep fried offering. The fish was delicious - it was wrapped in alfoil and baking paper and had been grilled with tomato and onion keeping it lovely and moist! Thank you for being open and Happy Easter!!

Decided to have fish and chips after reading all the reviews. Chips, scallops and mussels were…read moredivine. Not greasy and cooked beautifully. Ordered crumbed fish which was a huge mistake. Processed fish and wasn't nice at all. Staff were friendly. Wait time was 10 minutes. If you learn from our mistake and not order crumbed fish then you are on a winner.

We kept seeing PJ's meat pies in supermarkets New World and PAK'nSAVE and noticed they originated…read morein Hanmer Springs--so we had to try the original shop. The small walk-up hut is located right across the road from the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools, with plenty of free street parking and a few outdoor picnic tables with umbrellas. We visited on a day when the special was Silverside, which the cashier described as "like Spam, but much better." I ordered the pork belly with apple ($9.30 NZD). The crust was perfectly flaky, and the pork belly was tender and moist. The only downside was that I couldn't taste any apple. A nice surprise, though, was the three pieces of crispy fried pork skin (chicharrones) on top. The cashier was extremely friendly--he's originally from Switzerland--and took the time to explain the pies and daily specials. Prices range from about $9-$10 NZD, and note that they close at 3pm daily. If you're in Hanmer Springs, especially visiting the Thermal Pools, PJ's Pies is an easy walk and definitely worth trying.

We visited Hanmer Springs and after trying the meat pies at Fairlie Bakehouse, we knew we had to…read moregive PJ's a try as well. We'd seen their pies in various stores and figured this was the original location, so why not? We ordered the pork belly and apple pie. The crust was nice and flaky, though we didn't really taste the apple. We chatted briefly with the cashier, possibly the owner, originally from Switzerland and the service was quick. There were only a couple of people in line, and the pies were priced around $9, which felt fair for the quality. If I had to compare PJ's with Fairlie, I'd say they're equally good overall. It really depends on what you're looking for. PJ's offers only outdoor seating, and you'll want to keep an eye on your food because sparrows and other birds do swoop by occasionally. The selection at PJ's also seems a bit more limited but price-wise they're similar, roughly $8-$10 per pie. Overall, a solid stop if you're in the area and craving a good meat or vegetarian pie.

Dodson's is an expansive German-esque beer garden nestled comfortably on the outskirts of town…read more Parking is to be had in a large lot or on the streets. 20+ taps available at any given moment. Beers are served in 200, 400, and 500mL formats with some strong IPA's, DIPA's, and even a robust stout on tap. Blenheim is quite near to Wellington therefore you'll eye a good number of tap handles occupied by breweries from the area. Food is of the German-fare, but they also have pizza and burgers. The Pork Knuckle served over a hefty bed of mashed potatoes seemed quite revered which the guy gluttonized over since it was just about the heartiest pork knuckle meal I've ever laid mine eyes on. Like woah! I will never forget it! I, on the other hand, went with another favorite in the form of the Fish and Chips (19.5 NZD). Theirs is made with a wheat beer battered Hoki fish, tartare sauce a salad, and requisite chips on the side. Batter was a little cakey, but with the best crunch. The salad was appreciated to bite through this heavy meal while helping the guy some with his massive slab of pork. The fun and laid back atmosphere of this cavernous beer garden with outdoor patio served as a great night cap though it is your typical pub experience in the end with heavy, greasy food and strong beers.

Fish and chips was outstanding! Others got pork schnitzel and fish sandwich. Can't comment on the…read morebeer as I was the DD..

At a rest area in a highway pullout off State Highway 1, this is little more than a food truck…read more Technically, a trailer and it's permanently installed. Nin's Bin is a seafood shack and you will want to ignore appearances. A selection of fresh seafood is on offer including lobster and crabs and crayfish. It's all available in an iced bin for inspection. I have not had the New Zealand delicacy "White bait" and opted for that. It's also the least expensive thing on the menu and since Nin's Bin i cash only, it's the only thing I had enough cash to afford. A few minutes later, my name was called out and I picked up my sandwich. Tasty, interesting and I am glad to have experienced it. Sitting at a bench overlooking a beautiful bay at the absolute edge of the world may have improved the flavor. I wouldn't miss it. [Review 414 of 2024 - 67 in New Zealand - 21447 overall]

Crayfish! This is a little food van hidden amongst the road…read moreworks along Highway 1 just north of Kaikoura - blink and you'll miss it! The menu was limited to crayfish and chips on the day that we stopped - but the crayfish was amazing. It was fresh and delicious and tasted even better for eating it outside with the beautiful views. Nicey but pricey - we paid $96 for the largest crayfish she had!!

We drove 1/2 hour from Peketa because of their website's false advertising that they sold crayfish…read moretails for $65, and whole crayfish for $95. When we got there, they had only 4 crayfish left for between $140 and $250! So we ordered the paua fritters, and they were horrible! It was impossible to eat, very hard and rubbery with no taste other than the onion. I used to prepare California abalone by pounding it until it was so tender you could cut it with a fork, so I wasn't expecting a chunk of black rubbery nothing burger. The only good thing was the young lady who was cooking. She was very personable and easy to talk to, but I wish she had steered us clear of those fritters for $68!

Honestly, I think this makes a great part of the kiwi experience…read more If you drive near past area, be sure to hit up Nin's Bin. Legit amazing lobster. Pricey, but its lobster, so hey, what are you complaining about. We ordered ours with garlic butter (extra $8), and we split a large lobster ($77) between the 4 of us. Not filling, but who fills themselves up on lobster anyway? Definitely a great afternoon snack since its on the road to/from Kaikoura town. Great views inside and outside. Service with a smile as long as your friendly since a nice small family business.