The following collection of edible delights compiled by K\u0101rena and Kasey, which traverses towns, cuisines and price points, places Te Moana \u0101 Toi among the very best and most interesting places to eat in the country.<\/p>\n
Three words that sum up the food in Te Moana \u0101 Toi\/ Bay of Plenty: Coastal, simple, growing.<\/p>\n
My most controversial food opinion about Te Moana \u0101 Toi\/ Bay of Plenty: Everything closes very early.<\/p>\n
Everyone has a dining out pet peeve. Mine is: People who are rude to the staff.<\/p>\n
The local dish I crave most: Maket\u016b horse mussels. These are a delicacy to me and, if I\u2019m honest, I\u2019d choose them over oysters every time. Growing up, I remember asking Mum if supermarkets were allowed to sell undersized mussels because the only ones I knew were the giant horse mussels we\u2019d gather and eat at home. Although you can\u2019t find them on your regular restaurant menu, if you book in with Deon for a fishing charter from Muirs Tours he puts on a great kai and will often have these local mussels as part of the h\u0101kari at his whare in Maket\u016b at the end of your fishing trip.<\/p>\n
The most underrated local gem is: The Trading Post, Paengaroa. A small local place not far from Maket\u016b. Set in a small cottage, it is a family-owned Italian osteria. You can order a fresh bowl of homemade pasta or seasonal baking and pastries from the cabinet. The last ones I tried were delicious feijoa danishes.<\/p>\n
A place I\u2019ve been dying to try is: The Grocer, just opened by our chef friend Ian Harrison. We haven\u2019t had a chance to stop by yet but he\u2019s got some interesting items on the menu that we\u2019re keen to try, like the surf \u2018n\u2019 turf with scallop and nduja risotto, and the \u201cNot a Pig\u2019s Head\u201d with pulled jowl, rolled cheeks, crispy ears and apple.<\/p>\n
Celebrating with a group? Book a table at: Picknicka in Tauranga. They cook a lot of their meat and seafood over a wood-fired grill, which gives everything a beautiful smokiness. The menu changes often but always feels considered, and it\u2019s one of those places that works equally well for a birthday dinner or a long lunch with friends.<\/p>\n
Pub or bar of choice: Palace. This tavern in Mount Maunganui has delicious smash burgers but is also a good place to stop for a casual drink.<\/p>\n
The BYO I keep going back to: Thai Thani P\u0101p\u0101moa, this has been our family\u2019s go-to Thai spot for over a decade. All the classics done well. We like to order a spicy tom yum gong, red curry duck, green curry chicken and a chicken phad thai.<\/p>\n
For a late-night food fix you\u2019ll find me at: Rita\u2019s \u2013 a pizza bar in Mt Maunganui that\u2019s open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays (more about that further down).<\/p>\n
Got visitors from out of town? I\u2019m taking them\u2026\u00a0A little bit further afield but if we have any international visitors we love to take them to a h\u0101ngi and concert in Rotorua. There are so many great options, whether you want a casual buffet or something more curated and multi-course. You can definitely find something that suits you depending on your budget.<\/p>\n
M\u012btai M\u0101ori Village does a great classic h\u0101ng\u012b buffet, Te Puia has a beautiful modern restaurant with traditional and fusion dishes on the menu and Te P\u0101 T\u016b does an excellent multi-course feast served to your table. Along with the excellent kai, the performances are amazing and feature so many of the area\u2019s well known kapa haka components and up and coming rangatahi.<\/p>\n
An ideal date spot would be: Alpino. This is a reliable Italian spot in Mt Maunganui and great for share plates or if you just want to order your own plate of pasta or pizza. They also do a great seasonal crudo and the flavours change depending on the season. Not quite a date, but they also have a great kids menu if they have to tag along as well.<\/p>\n
Make sure to order: The Crudo and any of the carbs on offer.<\/p>\n
Clockwise from top left: Alpino, Rita\u2019s, Picknicka, The Trading Post and Palace.<\/p>\n
Te Moana \u0101 Toi\/ Bay of Plenty\u2019s best\u2026<\/p>\n
Breakfast: We seldom eat breakfast but if we must, we are stopping in at Blondie\u2019s for their breakfast burrito.<\/p>\n
Coffee: Baby Afro Coffee Bar. A little coffee window in P\u0101p\u0101moa east. They do a great coffee and have some fun creative hot drinks on the menu too. When I am keen for a treat I love the Nutty Afro, which is hazelnut with some salted caramel.<\/p>\n
Sandwich: Lloyd\u2019s Deli. Lloyd\u2019s makes the kind of sandwiches that remind you how good a sandwich can be. Fresh focaccia baked in-house, quality ingredients and generous fillings mean they\u2019re worth planning your day around. The chicken parm sandwich is deadly, but I\u2019ve never ordered anything I didn\u2019t enjoy. The last chocolate chip cookie I had there was also perfect with a decent dose of sea salt sprinkled on top.<\/p>\n
Noodles: 88 Chinese Restaurant. Excellent Chinese food, our go-to for a wh\u0101nau lunch. They also serve the best yum cha in the Bay with fresh and generous portions.<\/p>\n
Comfort meal: Saltwater. I like to order a mixture of small plates from Saltwater \u2013 I really like the fried calamari and often add on one of the raw\/fresh seafood dishes. Best of both worlds and anything with resh kaimoana is our kind of comfort meal.<\/p>\n
Fish and chips: Bobby\u2019s Fresh Fish Market, Tauranga. They do great fish and chips and you can choose your fish from the cabinet if you like. We like to add on a few pottles of fresh kaimoana too.<\/p>\n
And the best place to unwrap and eat them is: The good thing about Bobby\u2019s is you don\u2019t need to go far to enjoy them. Located right on the waterfront, there\u2019s no need to move. Just sit and enjoy the view over Tauranga harbour. There is also a huge playground right next door if you have little ones in tow who need a run around.<\/p>\n
Bowl of soup: Ramen at Izakai. This ramen has been on the menu since Izakai opened, which probably tells you everything you need to know. Rich broth, noodles, smoky pork belly and watercress, somewhere between a bowl of ramen and a boil up. Izakai\u2019s menu is based on M\u0101ori-Japanese fusion, so there are some familiar Aotearoa flavours presented in interesting ways.<\/p>\n
Bread: Breadhead. I don\u2019t get there often enough, but if I\u2019m nearby I\u2019ll usually stop in for a pastry and a coffee. Their sourdough has a loyal following for good reason, and they have a really good online ordering system for their baked goods so you can get them nice and fresh.<\/p>\n
For a serious sweet tooth, head to: Spongedrop. Danny has been the queen of sweet treats in the Bay for over a decade \u2013 known for her delicious moist cupcakes, but she also bakes a killer cheese scone.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re after spice, make a beeline for: Smart India Te Puke, this is our go-to for Indian and what our dad requests for dinner on his birthday \u2013 the chicken tikka masala is our standard order with a serving of their garlic naan bread.<\/p>\n
The place to go if you want to feel virtuous\/ healthy: Hello Banh Mi in Mt Maunganui. They do great ph\u1edf and fresh rice paper rolls if you\u2019re looking for something on the lighter side. Although I\u2019d be lying if I said that\u2019s what I usually order. More often than not, we are there for the roasted pork b\u00e1nh m\u00ec, made with house-made p\u00e2t\u00e9 and baguettes baked fresh in-store.<\/p>\n
A splurge that\u2019s worth it: Fife Lane, for a piece of wagyu cooked on the grill. Fife Lane has been recognised with numerous accolades, including being included on the World\u2019s Best Steak Restaurants list in 2025. If you are going there, always order a steak. Fun fact: the food is so good Kasey hosted her wedding reception there.<\/p>\n
A little local treat that always cheers me up: My favourite local treat to this day is the sweet and salty pipi you can get in the estuary in Maket\u016b at low tide. My favourite way to eat them is to put them in a pot and pour over boiling water until the shells just pop open. To take it up a notch I like to thickly butter a piece of fresh white bread and sandwich the pipi meat in between.<\/p>\n
My favourite grocery shop: New World Te Puke. It has all the bases covered and is our closest supermarket to Maket\u016b.<\/p>\n
For the best produce, I stop in at: Tauranga Farmers Market. It has all the seasonal goods with many vendors who have been there for years. But to be honest, our community also has an abundance of fresh produce circulating from m\u0101ra kai and lots of fresh kaimoana dropped off by local divers and wh\u0101nau.<\/p>\n
Clockwise from top left: Fife Lane, Spngedrop, The Island, Breadhead, Sachi, Hello Banh Mi<\/p>\n
A perfect place to linger over a drink: Rita\u2019s. In a region where most places seem to call it a night pretty early, Rita\u2019s is somewhere you can actually settle in for a while. Good drinks, Detroit-style pizza, and the sort of place that works equally well for a quick catch-up or an unplanned long evening.<\/p>\n
For outstanding people watching, go to: The Island P\u0101p\u0101moa. All the people watching is happening in the restaurant but it is a huge space which attracts a really diverse crowd from young people catching up after work, multi-generational families, parents with young children going wild on the play area to ladies having a cocktail catch up with the gals. They have some interesting pours on tap and they have a solid menu which has items that keep everyone happy. We love the woodfired pizzas and the tacos.<\/p>\n
The place I go to avoid bumping into anyone I know: I don\u2019t think that place exists for us. Between our aunties, uncles, cousins, hospo folks and friends, we seldom find a place where we don\u2019t run into someone. Even at home there is always someone knocking on the door to stop in for a catch-up.<\/p>\n
The place I return to again and again: Sachi. We\u2019re huge fans of kaimoana, so good Japanese food always scratches the itch. Sachi is one of Tauranga\u2019s newer additions and we\u2019ve found ourselves returning regularly for the quality of the seafood alone. The sashimi is always beautifully fresh, and they do some of the best value kina (uni) gunkan we\u2019ve come across. All the Japanese classics are there, done really well and with excellent produce.<\/p>\n
Why I love eating in Te Moana \u0101 Toi\/ Bay of Plenty: It is simple and it is home. There is a really casual atmosphere around dining in the Bay of Plenty which I love but it also makes me appreciate some of the spaces a bit further afield that are more formal. I like that there isn\u2019t much pressure when it comes to dining out here and lots of the places have been around for many years so you never get the feeling that you are trying to catch up on the next hot spot.<\/p>\n