Amazing food. Highly recommend. We will definately be going…read moreback Four very happy bellies

My wife and I stopped at Kaikoura Bakery for a quick bite to eat. The bakery has a variety of meat…read morepies and sweet pastries. I had a Mince and Cheese Pie. The flakey pastry was delicious and filled with seasoned creamy ground beef and gooey cheese.

Thank you New Zealand cheese Gods!!!! This country knows how to do cheese. The shop is a little…read moresmelly, but it was a hot day and filled with all kind of cheeses. The girl working the desk took us into a room to sample some cheeses till we finally figured out which one we could take to the beach. Prices were very reasonable. Left happy.

Just spotted this food truck by the esplanade and made an impromptu stop. They won the best stall…read morefor 2015's Kaikoura Seafest so I was very keen to try their menu. Ordered the mussels done both ways, crumbed with aioli and garlic butter, along with a whitebait sammie. Added on the fish 'n' chips as an afterthought. View by the sea is phenomenal and the couple behind this place are very friendly. They even provide fleece blankets for those who may feel the sea breeze is too strong. Everything was cooked to perfection and I enjoyed eating here. Ps: spotted them at a food market the next day and tried the scallops & chowder. Scallops were tasty, chowder was a bit too bland & thick. So i guess dont order the chowder.

Stopped in here for breakfast after getting takeaway coffees and thinking the food looked good…read more Decided on eggs Benedict, one with salmon and one with bacon. The salmon was a tiny portion, not worth the $1 more than the bacon one. The bacon one which I'd asked to have crispy bacon had more jellied fat than meat and I quickly took it inside to politely ask if I could please have the fat crisped up, as I'd asked for. The kitchen did this and it was brought out to me very crispy...but missing half the potato hash, half the hollendaise sauce and all of the spinach (I hadn't even touched the plate so obviously the kitchen had just left these items off the new plate). I pointed this out to the lovely lady behind the counter who was a bit shocked and apologised, by this time my partner had finished his breakfast and I'd spent the whole time waiting for mine which was now missing half the food. The lady behind the counter offered to refund me and give us a free coffee each, I thanked her but said a refund for the food was all I would need as the coffee was lovely and we didn't have an issue with it. Just before she refunded me the miserable owner / manager walked over and rudely stated "we don't do refunds". Right...so what do you do in this instance then? She said there was nothing wrong with the plate and I told her that it was missing half the food. She claimed that I was a liar and must have ate it as the kitchen only plated up what was there. Honestly at this point I just laughed at how ridiculous this situation was and asked if half the meal was wearing a Harry Potter-esque invisibility cloak as I was 100% certain I hadn't scoffed half the meal down between walking the plate from my table and the counter. She again stated the kitchen didn't miss half the food and I told her I would like a refund as at this point I just wanted to get out of there. She just smirked at me and stood there - in the end they obliged but I honestly can't believe the cheek of some people. I thanked the lovely lady behind the counter and left. If you want to support a business with a manager / owner that actually cares, can make eye contact and doesn't come across as wanting to fill you in if you complain then I would recommend going elsewhere...Kaikoura has many better spots on offer.

Excellent coffee and an outstanding breakfast. Creative, well prepared, and beautifully presented…read more It's a shame that this cafe doesn't have a 'downtown' location, as it is infinitely better than it's competitors down on the strand. Do yourself a favor and order the eggs benedict - unique and delicious.

Sensational ice cream! This ice cream parlour really does…read moreserve handmade ice cream. We tried the orange and ginger and the hokey pokey and they were both just fabulous! This is small batch ice cream production at its best without the accompanying inflated pricing!!

Satisfied sweet tooth…read more I was looking to satiate my sweet tooth after eating fish & chips at Cooper's across the street, and Poppy's caught my eye. Contrary to the poor service that Yelper Justin M. experienced, the lady behind the counter gave me a generous free sample when I asked. I think it's listed somewhere that the number of free samples is limited to 1, but I was content with my selection of boysenberry (or raspberry?) with cream. They have about 20 flavors to choose from, including sorbets, and prices start at $3.90 for 1 scoop up to $9.90 for 3.5 scoops. There are also other dessert and drink offerings, though I was quite content with my quite large single scoop of the berries and cream in a cup. If you're screaming for ice cream, swing by Poppy's and support a local business!

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!!

Amazing! Quaint little establishment on the end of West End. We had the meat platter for two which…read moredid not disappoint. Excellent service as well. Portion sizes were just right for us

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.