Let's toast the Kaikoura coast
Kaikoura has it all: spectacular scenery, wildlife, adventure and some equally as fantastic food and drink offerings. In part one of two, Neat Places recommends a road trip to the top of the South to check out these cool joints.
Hislops Wholefood Cafe
33 Beach Rd, Kaikoura. Hours: Wednesday and Sunday, 8.30am-4pm, Thursday to Saturday,
8.30am-8.30pm
What happens when two brothers, one steadfastly religious and the other the founder of a hippy commune, live side by side? You’ll find the answer at Hislops. This grassroots, organic restaurant is as much about the story behind it as it is the fresh and organic ingredients.
Started by Paul and Elizabeth Hislop, their venture aims to deliver the quality organic produce Paul grew up with from his uncle’s hippy commune in southern Kaikoura. Hislops has had quality, nourishing ingredients at its core since before such produce became a fad. From milling its own grain for organic bread to grinding its own paste for turmeric lattes, and serving Paul’s brother-in-law Nick’s locally brewed Honey Mead.
Enjoy delicacies from a lengthy menu. Most dishes are accompanied by Hislops’ famous fresh salads, and there are more than enough raw cakes and sweet treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. Spark up a yarn with Paul or Liz about their stories of the beginnings of the cafe and the early receptions to their food ethos. Serving Allpress coffee, fine wines and breakfast, lunch and dinner – Hislops is a destination.
Beach House
39 Beach Rd, Kaikoura. Hours: 7.30am to 3.30pm every day
Room after room of dining tables and comfy seats, games, bright rays of sunshine and the smell of delicious cooking: It’s easy to feel like you’re visiting a family bach when you stop into the Beach House.
Aptly named for its proximity to the coast and location on Beach Rd, it serves standard cafe fare and an array of nostalgic baked goods. From generous slabs of lolly cake, to scones, cakes and biscuits – there is sure to be something for the whole family or travelling party. Dine inside or out, soaking up the sunshine in the courtyard or streaming through the many windows, or if the weather is colder, get cosy by the fire. Either way, add an element of competition to your meal by picking up a pack of cards or board game – just like you would at the bach.
Donegal House
Schoolhouse Rd, Kaikoura. Hours: Monday to Sunday,
11.30am-late (lunch noon2pm, dinner 5.30pm-8.30pm) Donegal House is a family pub with a rich history,which is proudly on display. Still owned by descendants of the Irish emigrants who fled the great famine, this is a fitting destination for the whole family. A hand-painted family tree has pride of place in the courtyard, and black and white photos line the walls – this is a treasure trove of the Irish settler family’s memories, and the perfect place for an event of your own.
Wholesome pub meals with daily specials, standard beers, and wines are on the menu, but it is also the sprawling gardens, water features, ample outside seating, live music, campervan facilities, motel rooms and venue hire, which gives Donegal House its neatness. With views of quintessential farmland and mountains, this is a place to soak up the surrounds at one of the coolest Irish pubs in the country.
A popular spot for large family reunions, birthdays and weddings – the owners are proud of Donegal events, which often continue long into the night. ❚ Discover more neat places around town at neatplaces.co.nz ❚ Download the free and offline Neat Places smartphone app