North Island Restaurants

Food info sections | Eating locally

The North Island proves to be a veritable haven for the adventurous foodie. Like neighbouring Australia, many parts of New Zealand, including the North Island, have been heavily influenced by the eating patterns of its settlers. Restaurants in the North Island draw inspiration from Asian, British and the Pacific menus, while retaining some of the habits of its Maori inhabitants, New Zealand cooking style is truly one-of-a-kind. This is reflected by the fact that dishes like beef bourguignon have become part of the local menu.

Sample some local beer or wine, or try some traditional Maori food for a true taste of North Island.

Several dishes are based on local ingredients that have been harvested from the surrounding seas and agricultural landscape. Lamb, venison, crayfish, salmon, lobster, and varieties of shellfish such as bluff oysters, mussels and scallops are extremely popular in restaurants in the North Island . Native vegetables and fruits like kiwifruit, kumara (sweet potato), and feijoa (similar to guava) are also favoured and make a great snack after shopping in North Island.

North Island Restaurant Guide

Trends in eating and cuisine

In the last two decades, eating out has been gaining acceptance, and you’ll find some of the bigger chains here. Some of the more cosmopolitan New Zealanders prefer European food. For the most part though, home cooking is still preferred. Dinner, or ‘tea’, as it is popularly called is the main meal of the day.

The North Island food makes up a diet that is highly meat-based, though there has been a marked decrease in red meat consumption. Wine and beer are the alcoholic beverages of choice. In fact, the Kiwi wine industry is becoming increasingly popular for its new world wines like the pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and syrah. In the North Island, Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Kerikeri and Queenstown are popular for their wine.

North Islanders also have a penchant for beer. Many beer varieties are produced by conventional methods, while others are brewed with modern technology. Boutique beers are also gaining popularity. Among non-alcoholic beverages, coffee is a clear winner.

The long summer days afford a perfect opportunity for outdoor picnics, casual barbecues, and street-side cafés. A takeaway of fish and chips also scores high on the popularity scale. For a truly Maori experience, partake in a traditional Māori hangi. Check out typical Māori destinations such as Mitai and Te Puia in Rotorua.

A year-round outdoor culinary experience, the hangi is usually reserved for large gatherings. Food is cooked in an underground pit that has been filled with hot stones. Typical hangi food includes pork, lamb, seafood, chicken, pumpkin and kumara (sweet potato). The food is placed on top of these red-hot stones, sprinkled with water and sealed with vegetation. Finally, it is filled with earth and left to steam for several hours. The smoky flavour rendered to the food by this method proves to be an unforgettable culinary thrill.

Another unique aspect of the North Island is the annually-held wine and food festivals. Some of the venues for these festivals are Hawke's Bay, Martinborough, Auckland, and Canterbury.

What to eat

The North Island’s most favourite dishes have not always originated in New Zealand. However, they have become a part of the culture and are therefore definitely worth mentioning as must-tries.

Some of the popular traditional dishes are the pavlova − a slow-baked meringue with a crisp outer shell and moist inner; colonial goose − lamb leg stuffed with breadcrumbs, parsley, onion, dried herbs, dried apricots and honey, before being marinated in a red wine-based marinade; lolly cake − a cake stuffed with lollies like fruit puffs, coconut and malt biscuits; pork steak "à la Prague" with fresh asparagus and melted cheese; hokey pokey − a Kiwi flavour of ice cream consisting of plain vanilla ice cream and small but solid lumps of sponge toffee; ANZAC biscuits − a kind of sweet biscuit made of flour, desiccated coconut, rolled oats, sugar, butter, and golden syrup; marmite − a salty and savoury paste which is actually a by-product of beer brewing, and Lamington − a cuboid of sponge cake, coated with chocolate icing and desiccated coconut and often served as two halves with a layer of cream or strawberry jam between.

Can't get enough of the North Island cuisine? Try some more restaurants in New Zealand to satisfy your palate.