WHERE I’D RATHER BE: NEW PLYMOUTH
If you’re tempted to visit New Plymouth and not take a nice pair of shoes, learn from my mistakes and don’t do it, okay? With a blossoming gastro scene, and a well-established craft beer scene from way back, New Plymouth is worthy of your good shoes, and a pair of sneakers or beat-up old Docs won’t do it.
As someone who visits New Plymouth every year (in the years that Womad is running, anyway), and so usually sees it from the perspective of kids and tents and just the occasional brew pub, the ever growing food scene here never ceases to amaze me.
If you’re arriving early, you’re going to want some good breakfast/brunch/lunch food in the sunniest spot in town — Monica’s. Anywhere that has kedgeree on the menu gets my vote, but Monica’s is also the lightest, brightest place to sit down and enjoy it, with floor-toceiling windows wrapped right around the cafe. Grab a booth at the side for the best people-watching spot, or one of the high shared tables along the middle if you’re feeling more social.
Back to the kedgeree — Monica’s comes with buffalo yoghurt, a vinegary salsa verde, huge chunks of lightly smoked snapper and a perfectly molten egg. I know I’m going on a little, but it truly was breakfast for a queen.
monicaseatery.co.nz
Need feeding later in the day? Head to the corner of Devon and Glover, where you’ll find three great options — Joe’s Garage, State Pasta, and State Bistro, all run by Jade Lucas and Carl Maunder. They have recently returned home from the UAE, and set up their powerhouse hospo shop in Carl’s hometown.
Choose from diner fare at Joe’s, perfect for the family, or big plates of spaghetti and bucatini at State
Pasta — all the pasta is handmade daily, and paired with both classic and contemporary Italian flavours.
statepasta.co.nz
If it’s a more grown-up evening you’re after, stylish eats are on offer at State Bistro around the corner, which opened just two weeks ago. Grab a seat at the bar and order a gin sour before perusing the bar snack menu. The raw fish salad is akin to a posh prawn cocktail (i.e. delicious), and the tempura prawns with chilli and sesame will have your tongue buzzing afterwards. But if your parents used to fry up fresh paua fritters and serve them with white sandwich bread and mayonnaise when you were a kid, you’re going to want to order the oyster sandwiches, trust me. They’re a very fancy update for adults with nostalgic taste buds. statebistro.co.nz
Worn out from all the feasting? Retreat to the King & Queen Suites, where you’ll find an eclectic range of art, cool furnishings from Spain and Morocco, deep freestanding baths, and a blissfully quiet night’s sleep.