Definitely an acquired taste, whitebait pizza is an unique flavor that many might like but we were not blown away by. First we realized the restaurant closes at 9PM on most days... and thought that was early until a quick Yelp search shows that most places don't even open past 6PM in Hokitika. Given the lack of options, I'm not surprised that this is a default eatery for most. We had to pick whitebait because that seems to be what all the other reviews point toward. It wasn't disappointing. Having the tiny eyes from the white fish staring at you isn't exactly appetizing. Ultimately, it just wasn't flavorful. The lemon helps. The capers help. It's a white pizza. We kind of wish we got a red sauce pizza instead. I would've given it a 3 star but who wants to go to a 3 star restaurant? What am I saying, you don't have a choice. Nothing else is open. Just come and enjoy it and don't think too hard about it! read more

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Ok yelpers let's be mature about this.. Fat Pipi was good but it wasn't as good as all the hype led me to believe. I was traveling around the entire south island with some friends and Hokitika was our first stop. When you come to Hokitika this place is on everyone's go to list. They are famous for a white bait pizza but it wasn't available the night we went. We ordered a half/half Mariner(seafood) and T-Rex(meat lovers with bbq sauce) and as well a veggie pizza. They put meat on our veggie pizza so we had to send it back and have it remade. Some of you might think seafood pizza sounds weird but it's actually really good! Mariner is a must try if you go! Prices are for sure high but it does match the quality of the pizza. Medium $22 Large $28 Half/Half $32 This was my first time trying Fat Pipi and I did enjoy it. I'm just not sure I would make a trip back if I ever went back to NZ. One Fat Pipi is enough for me! There's a really nice sunset spot in Hokitika right behind this restaurant so you can stop there first and eat pizza after. Or eat it with the sunset. But I was there in the winter and it was a bit too cold for that. 4 stars. Staff is a little edgy, the pizza was good not great. Try if you're around but don't go out of your way for it. read more

Fat Pipi Take-away Pizzas - Trex/Mariner - Pizza Near Me - Hokitika, WTC

Nice pizza pie place in a quiet small town. Friendly place for pizza pie and beer. We got the T-Rex and Cajun Supreme. The T-Rex was pretty good but the Cajun Supreme was by far the best in terms of flavor balance if you can handle the spice. read more

From the front of the restaurant it looks like a cheapie mediocre pizza place but we couldn't have been more wrong! Turns out this place has delicious gourmet pizzas! We like a lot of the flavors but decided to go with the veggie pizza since there is a lack of veggies sold at restaurants in NZ. It was a nice day so we sat out on their patio. Plus the inside was packed. The pizza took a very long time to be made but that is most food in NZ so they don't lose points for that. Plus the pizza we had was amazing and one medium pizza was plenty for both of us. We also ordered a bowl of their tomato soup and it too was very good. I came with a piece of garlic bread which was some of the best bread I have had in my life. It was so light and fluffy on the inside and crispy to perfection on the outside. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

They have a multitude of specialty pizzas, and we picked a vegetarian option (Green Piece) because it sounded nice and lighter on a hot day. It came out looking very nice and colorful. The flavor is just okay; it's not a really flavorful sauce and the cheese doesn't add much flavor to the whole thing. Also, because they use a whole wheat dough, it didn't stay crisp very long. On whole, it's an okay option for lunch because it's casual and the patio/garden is nice, but I felt the taste was missing a little. read more

Fat Pipi Take-away Pizzas - The Green Piece pizza. Pretty but not too tasty. - Pizza Near Me - Hokitika, WTC

It is a popular place both for take out and eat in. For eat in order at the counter, get a number and they bring it to you when it's ready. You help yourself to cutlery, napkins and water. They take credit cards but with a surcharge. They have a large selection of pizza varieties. Many are creative in their ingredient combinations. The pizzas come in two sizes medium ($22) and large ($28). The large is a good size for two people. Large pizzas can be ordered with halves of two different types for $32. We got the mariner which has a variety of seafood- shrimp, mussels, smoked salmon and fish along with capers and red onions and the Greenpiece vegetarian pizza which has a good amount of various vegetables (mushrooms, spinach, olives, zucchini and red onion) and roasted red pepper pesto along with feta cheese over the mozzarella. It was tasty. Their salad is very good and recommended. Beside the indoor tables, there is covered outdoor seating at picnic type tables. They have dried hot peppers and black pepper to add to your pizza but unfortunately no powdered garlic or oregano (which are standard in pizzerias back in New York City where I come from). read more

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I ordered the whitebait pizza because it is not available in my home country. For my taste, it was rather bland. The whitebait is not fishy, and it is laid on top of a yellow batter or sauce of some kind. Possibly made with eggs. The sparse capers were welcome as a source of flavor. The crust's flavor was unremarkable, but it did have a nice cruncht. The pizza keeps well enough for the next day, with the middle parts getting a bit mushy. The pizza was expensive by the standards of my home country, but it seemed reasonable for New Zealand and for having not much pizza competition in the area. The location is great because it is near the ocean. I recommend ordering the pizza and taking a walk to the Hokitika sign. The beach had creative driftwood art. The service seemed pleasant. There was restaurant space to sit on a weekday night during peak tourist season. If I returned to Hokitika, I would consider eating at Fat Pipi again. Would perhaps order a different item. read more

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Location: great! On Main Street, patio leads to the beach, right next to the Hokitika sign on beach. Lots of outdoor seating. Relaxed ambiance. Service: fair. Order, then get number to place on table, rest is self service. Food: half Kung fu chicken, half lickin' chicken, $28 large. Both had good flavors, unique. Would reorder. Crust was thin carbohydrate, not traditional crust. Value: fair. Fed 2 people well :) Good choice for limited options for the area!! read more

On our long drive from Franz Josef to Christchurch, we stopped in the little town of Hokitika for this highly rated pizza place! They seem to be known for their whitebait pizza, but my husband is not a fan of seafood so we compromised on the Lickin' Chicken Pizza. It ended up being not much of a compromise because it was delicious! The Lickin' Chicken comes with smoked chicken, red onion, mushrooms, cream cheese, and apricot sauce. We asked for light apricot sauce and added chili peppers. Delicious on a rainy day like today! One thing to note is that they are not open for lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays. read more

Fat Pipi Take-away Pizzas - Lickin' Chicken!! - Pizza Near Me - Hokitika, WTC

Cycling down the West Coast of the South Island to Franz Josef Glacier, we made a pit stop in the town of Hokitika. Hungry, and in need to refuel, we were pointed to this pizzeria. The locals swear by the white bait pizza. While our experience with white bait sandwiches were flat to enjoyable, we were never really impressed with the little fishes.... we had the pizza pie version. Wow! I don't really have to write too much about it, just grab a seat outside in the back, have a few slices with friends and family, throw back a couple Speight's Ale, and enjoy the view of the beach front. Afterwards, order a second pizza pie! Yes, it's that good. read more

If you're feeling adventurous, don't be. Don't get the whitebait pizza. It sucks. Stick with what you know and love.

They accommodated our group of 25 with great pizza! Every time I come to Hokitika, I make it a point to eat here no matter how many people I am with. read more

Very cool find on our road trip. Great menu with super tasty thin crust. Whitebaite pizza is to die for .. perfect for the foodies on a road trip. (btw, Cafe across the street makes awesome coffee and fantastic breakfasts ...) read more

Fat Pipi Take-away Pizzas - Pizza Near Me - Hokitika, WTC

Uff-da, the "Punk" is one of the top 3 pizzas I've ever had. Pumpkin, caramelized onion, cashews, feta, dollops of pesto- this thing knocked my socks off. If you're in Hokitika and don't go here you're mad. read more

Sooo good pizza. We had the Americano and Chickin Lickin. I've never had something like the Chickin Lickin. Different but really tasty. The staff was also really friendly! read more

The only thing better than the whitebait pizza - which frankly puts fritters up and down the coast to shame - is chatting with Mike the proprietor, a true Kiwi classic. Ask him the name if his current boat. And then order the fabulous whitebait pizza. read more

Best spot in hoki for a feed - make sure you get a spot down the far end of the garden with the view to the beach! :)

Decent pizza for New Zealand standards, but the Italian half smelled weird - like seafood for some reason. The Hawaiian half was pretty good though. Very friendly staff and the kitchen looked clean. read more

No trip to Hokitika would be complete without a pizza from Fat Pipi's - the service, the quality and the product is excellent everytime. The whitebait pizza is divine and Te Papa should get one to display - they are a Kiwi icon. read more

Didn't get a chance. Sign out front said open until 9pm on Wednesday. As we tried to walk in a woman very rudely waved her hand at us and said, "we're closed" even though they were quite busy. Very disappointing. read more