Stumbled upon this hidden gem while driving to the French Pass from Blenheim. Had to try the green muscle platter which did not disappoint. A good sampling of every which way muscles can be prepared. 10/10 would recommend a visit read more

The Mussel Pot - Muscle Platter for Two - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

We had no initial intention of dining in Havelock, while on our way to Nelson for the evening, however during a kayaking tour we learned Havelock is the Green Mussel Capital of the World! when in Rome...right?! We were encouraged to try the Mussel Pot Sampler. DELICIOUS. So much variety on one plate; the largest, juiciest mussels we've ever had. The variety included: smoked, marinated, creamy white wine sauce, bacon & cheese, garlic & herb, spicy tangy zing, fried, croquettes, with a side of fresh homemade bread. My husband and I split the platter and were equally well stuffed. Along with dinner, we enjoyed reading the table booklet all about mussels & the area's history. The town of Havelock is a quaint town, factoring in this delicious meal, this is a don't miss pit stop! read more

The Mussel Pot - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

The most tender calamari I have ever eaten! The warm mussels were also incredible. Stop by on your way through town.

We decided to stop in Havelock for lunch as they're famously known for being the green mussel capital of the world (or so their sign proclaims). The Mussel Pot is located right next door to Coffee Hypnosis. We dropped in on a Thursday for lunch and everyone was outside eating on the shaded backyard/patio. Staff is friendly and it has a relaxed laid back vibe. Interestingly, a couple behind us got charged $1.00 for an extra side of ketchup. Seems excessive when they're making a killing on mussels already. You pay inside once you're done and ready for the bill. - Grilled mussels ($21.50 NZD) - 13 to 16 grilled on the half shell topped with bacon and cheese (worked nicely), garlic and herb butter (this was my favourite) and sweet chili, coriander and ginger sauce (not so great). We got 15 grilled mussels on our platter. Pretty good. - Fries with tomato sauce ($6.50 NZD) - pretty dinky portion and the fries needed to be cooked longer. Not crispy enough. The garlic and herb butter turned out to be a good dipping sauce. Green mussels are the star here but technically, you can go the grocery store and get the same amount for 1/10th of the price. If that's not an option, then come to TMP. 3.5 stars. read more

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Mussels for lunch! After reading all the reviews, my husband and I stopped here to try the green lip mussels. We chose to have them steamed - 1 in a chilli, garlic, oregano and tomato sauce and the other in coriander, ginger, chilli and coconut cream. It was very delicious but we found the coconut cream a little too rich for our taste - coconut milk might have been a little better. We also ordered some of the house made bread which was very good. The mussels were cooked perfectly and the prices were reasonable (about $20 per kg - which is around 20 mussels). read more

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We were starving on our way down from Picton after taking the ferry from Wellington. This place just so happened to be in what seemed almost the middle of nowhere (as many places along the road in beautiful New Zealand!) and man oh man, what a gem to find! Green mussels are their specialty - see below. My husband got a pound of them and devoured them immediately! They have a really cool story about mussels printed out on the menu as well which I always appreciate when restaurants provide you with something to read! ;) The only reason this place is a 4 not a 5 is because my own dish, a pasta dish with bacon, was not my favorite. I can't exactly place what was off about it, but it was not my favorite alfredo pasta that I've had. Scenery around this place is magnificent as well (but then again, so is all of New Zealand!) read more

The Mussel Pot - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

The Mussel Pot cafe was in a beautiful setting. The mussels, fish and chips and mussel chowder were delicious, and the service was prompt and friendly. Very happy customers! read more

Really never had mussels this good. They didn't need any fancy preparation. The information was super helpful to any mussel lover. Service was uneven but friendly, typical of New Zealand. No tipping culture can lead to painfully long meals. FYI 1/2 a kilo is more than enough for one! read more

The Mussel Pot - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

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This was a super yummy spot and seemed to be a great value. We had the platter which had all types of mussels that were so yummy. Least fav on the plate was the pickled. We also had the Thai coconut and the grilled. The favorite for me was the Thai coconut and the wine garlic steamed. The mussels were so large and tender. Make sure your drove takes you to Havelock and stop here! read more

The Mussel Pot - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

Definitely stop in if you're in the Marlborough area or passing through on your way to Nelson. The mussels were delicious! We ordered the sampler, which came with mussel chowder, and mussels prepared several ways: grilled, smoked, battered and fried, steamed, baked, and in a garlic butter sauce. We loved all of them, and decided that as long as we were in the green lip mussel capital of the world, we may as well fill up. We then ordered a pot of mussels in a Thai green curry and coconut sauce and some bread to soak up the sauce. These were a slam dunk, absolutely delicious. A bit creamier sauce then expected, but still had a bit of spice to it. The decor is also great - a bunch of cute green mussel statues march across the roof, and an outdoor eating area houses more statues. Each table is also set with a booklet about the mussels and how they are grown - very interesting to us as tourists who had heard that the area was well known for mussels but knew little beyond that. read more

The Mussel Pot - Exterior....roof is crawling with cute green lip mussels - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

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Seriously delicious. I wanted to grab that pot and drink all the garlicky, creamy deliciousness but thought I might get strange looks. The info sheet on the tables was incredibly educational...learned a lot about mussels and the proper way to care and cook them. Mahalo (thank you) from Oahu! read more

The Mussel Pot - Garlic cream mussels with house sauv blanc - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

Great big chunky mussels. Try the Mussel Pot Sauvignon Blanc. Take the mussel platter to hv the varieties. All delicious. For those that are not a fan of shellfish, they have pasta, sandwiches, burgers and a kid's menu. read more

The Mussel Pot - Steam mussels. - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

Popped in for lunch at Havelock's little gem The Mussel Pot cafe for some world class mussels. The Green Lip's here were enormous and will struggle to find larger anywhere else. A large pot was sufficient for myself and my partner, which was perfect for lunch, however if we were having dinner I would have opted for the chilli, garlic and tomato which smelt wonderful at an adjoining table. A must do if ever in Havelock. read more

The Mussel Pot - Garlic, white wine and herb green lip mussells - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

Holy bananas, these were some huge ol' mussels. When we were driving through Havelock and saw that it was the self-proclaimed "mussel capitol of the world" (in addition to two different people telling us we needed to have mussels in Havelock) stopping in this little historical town was a no brainer. We chose The Mussel Pot based on Tripadvisor reviews and because it looked a bit more casual/less touristy than The Slip Inn. Mussels and beer were the perfect mid-drive break. Husband and I shared a pot of mussels (coconut, garlic, chili flakes), mussel chowder, and a roasted veggie salad (because at this point, I was craving greens). It was a ton of super satisfying food. I had never seen mussels this size - New Zealand green lip mussels with shells about four inches long and what seemed like an ounce of meat in each. Every bite tasted like the sea. Mussel chowder was also tasty as was the salad which contained some elements we saw rather frequently on NZ menus, specifically fried haloumi cheese and roasted sweet potatoes (or kumara). They had a reasonable list of lighter NZ brews with which to wash it all down. Prices were pretty standard based on other seafood that we were seeing and the servers were all very friendly. After driving the winding Queen Charlotte road all morning, stopping in Havelock for mussels is pretty much a must at lunchtime. read more

Amazing mussels! After feasting on some of these local green lips, the small black mussels you find in the states pale in comparison. We stopped here twice, once on our way to Marlborough Sounds and again on the drive back. The waters are known for mussel farming, and I can't imagine a better place to eat the 'other bivalve'. read more

Lovely service and good food. The staff were very accommodating and attentive. Family friendly. The meal sizes were generous and reasonably priced based on the area. Try the taster plate if you are unsure about mussels. Otherwise the other non-mussel items are good too. read more

Really Fresh. Just lemon is good enough so you can taste the fresh mussels. Very helpful and friendly staff. They also have good desserts too. read more

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Delicious food! Great portions. Lovely waitress. We got the spicy mussels with chili, and the creamy garlic ones. Both wonderful. Calamari was delish too. read more

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Great food. Great service. Fresh and super tasty mussels. My partner had the grilled mussels which was very impressive. For me fish and chips which was fresh and hit the spot. Price wise, very affordable and a must visit if you're in Blenheim or just passing through. read more

The Mussel Pot - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

I bet the food would have been good, but they didn't even give us the opportunity to eat there. We called about 5pm inquiring when they were open until they said 8:45, no reservation required on their website. But when we arrived at 7:30 they turned us away because they had accepted a large reservation and said they would be too busy to serve us, this is in spite of them having several available tables inside, and even though we had called and inquired just an hour or so prior to our arrival. When we asked why all they kept coming up with was excuses with no attempt to accommodate us. We were just a small party of 2 and as someone who works in the food service I was extremely disappointed by this response. We ate elsewhere and even though they informed us it would be a wait because it was busy, they did everything to accommodate us and had incredible food! read more

This was a solid little spot in Havelock. My husband had the mussels, which were HUGE. The sauce was garlic and wine, and looked delicious. The mussels were so big and so numerous that he almost couldn't finish them. Almost. The veggie burger was just alright, but it's probably not fair to judge a mussel joint on the quality of its vege burger. The server was delightful, so overall we had a great experience. read more

Best mussles, smoked salmon and fish and chips. Fries, unfortunately, not house made but everything totally fresh and delicious. Service was great, too. read more

Great place to stop in the way from Picton to Nelson. I had the mussels which were super delicious. Husband had the fish and chips that were also good. Sat outside between the cork tree and the grape vines. I highly recommend this place. Also reasonably priced. Now on to Nelson. read more

Got the mussel platter for two - if you ever wanted to see mountains of mussels topped one on top of another, stop here. Generous portion of mussels in different preparations - steamed, grilled, smoked, etc. The mussels are bigger and meatier and a little less flavorful than mussels I've had before - but worth a try! I had a Stoke Amber - a local craft beer - recommended. read more

Place with delicious mussels and very friendly staff. The mussels are really big, but very soft and full of taste. We had 1 steamed pot on garlic, herbs and wine, 1 grilled plate and 1 chowder. Everything was very tasty and cannot choose the favorite meal here. Chowder is very creamy with light taste of seafood and generous portion of mussels inside. All meals are around 20 NZD. If you are on the way through Havelock definitely stop here. read more

The Mussel Pot - Steamed and grilled mussels with chowder in back. - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

Rushed over after we offloaded at Picton. Great mussels cooked in different styles. My personal favourite is the steamed mussels in wine and garlic. It only tastes great when the mussels are fresh. Very friendly staff and nice indoor deco. An alfresco dining area is also available on the side, a great place for lunch on a sunny noon! read more

The Mussel Pot - Mussel fish? - Seafood Near Me - Havelock, MBH

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A true oasis! My family stopped here for a quick lunch on our drive to Kaiteriteri, and at first I expected the vegetarian options to be low at a mussel house and didn't want to go in. Boy was I proven wrong! The roasted vegetable salad was one of the very best salads I've ever gobbled down. A perfect sweet blend of sweet vegetables drizzled with delicious balsamic glaze, I just don't know what can compete. The fries (stolen off my mom's plate) were pretty standard, but they did come with real ketchup instead of tomato sauce which, if you're and American like myself you'll know, made their delicacy status level up big time. Although I myself did not taste the veggie burger, when asked about the experience of eating it my sister simply said "mouthwatering". Seems like one word is enough for that one. Not only was the food superbly tasty, but also ready in record time. Our stop here was definitely time well spent for a family on the road. read more

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