Wairarapa… Eat, Drink…Be Merry!
Eat your way around the beautiful Wairarapa region - full of small award-winning food producers who love visitors. Here are some of our favourites:
1 - Saint Sebastian Masterton:
Immersed in the rich valley of the Wairarapa, Saint Sebastian focus on what’s around them. With the incredible produce, livestock, seafood and native flora, their chefs are inspired to prepare the very best for their guests. There is a diverse menu to suit all palates but why not get a few plates and share!
Their aim is simple, to present the best quality, hand-made food to you in a modestly, modern-style for you to enjoy sharing with whoever you are dining with. Saint Sebastian food is served homestyle and is designed for sharing - whatever your dietary requirements. www.saintsebastian.co.nz 2 - Don Luciano, Masterton:
Don Luciano café & Gracias coffee roastery bring a splash of Central American colour to the Wairarapa. Owner, Marvin Guerrero, moved to the region over 15 years ago. He’s from Honduras, the largest coffee producer in Central America.
Coffee production and the art of making the best coffee has been a part of Marvin’s life since he was very young. His Grandfather and coffee lover, Don Luciano (the cafe’s namesake) was a farmer and grew coffee in La Esperanza, in the Intibucá region of Honduras. This is one of the highest altitudes in Central America…where the best coffee beans are grown.
Marvin’s training and interest in the beverage and all its flavour subtleties goes back to when he was 5 and he learned how to brew coffee on a wood stove. At the age of 21 he lived in Italy where he was absorbed by the coffee culture and the finer ways of producing this popular drink.
3 - The Screening Room, Masterton:
Enjoy a fresh approach to hospitality by catching a coffee and a snack, some lunch, a drink, dinner, movie and dessert … it's your call.
The menu is the perfect balance between local and global, taking the very best of both worlds, infusing fresh Wairarapa bounty with flavours from around the world to create dishes that often surprise and always delight.
The menu changes with the seasons, inspired by the generous offerings from local growers. It’s all about creating a delicious experience that makes eating more than simply a meal, creating food you can share, food you’ll want more of and food you’ll come back for. Open for coffee and cake, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, with an extensive wine list, craft beers, delicious cocktails and tapas. 4 - Finom Kitchen, Carterton:
Established in September 2020, Finom Kitchen is the vision of two women, Sarah Webster and Kirsten Berry. Friends first and foremost and self-confessed foodies – both self-trained and passionate about creating moments of connection through delicious food.
Balancing savoury and sweet, Finom Kitchen pairs Kirsten’s flavoursome seasonal vegetarian fare alongside Sarah’s exquisite European-inspired cakes and confections.
Finom (fee-nom) is Hungarian for dainty delicious delicacies and is a nod to Sarah’s partner Gabor who has Eastern European heritage.
Expertly created in-house with attention to detail and a focus on the highest quality, the Finom Kitchen experience is all about flavour and a little indulgence. Meticulous care and passion for creating deliciousness are the staple ingredients in Finom Kitchen.
Inside Finom Kitchen, everything is beautifully curated – like stepping into a painting. Bevelled mirrors, still life displays, fresh flowers and vintage
cookware pop with colour against rich deep blue walls. Sarah and Kirsten complement each other’s styles to create moments of mouthwatering joy. 5 - Clareville Bakery, Clareville:
Mike and Rose Kloeg opened The Clareville Bakery just outside Carterton in August 2013. Creating food they love and sharing it with those of the same passion is the reason for its existence.
Fresh produce, artisanal craftsmanship and hard work is the recipe for the delicious food The Clareville Bakery is famous for. Each handcrafted loaf is created using quality ingredients, time honoured methods, long fermentation and is baked on the stone hearth of the oven. There are no preservatives nor additives in their bread.
They purchased an old church in Clareville that had been operating as a café - closed the doors for 2 weeks and renovated, earthquake strengthened and redecorated the building.
They also made a point of having a full-length viewing window where bakers can greet and interact with customers and customers can see how and where their food is made.
With our awesome team they enjoy the thrill of creating artisan-baked products, exceptional coffee, complemented with an outstanding menu and superb service. 6 - The White Swan, Greytown:
The Swan is an iconic country hotel in the heart of Greytown, with a real passion for the region, celebrating the best of what the Wairarapa has to offer through food, beverages, accommodation and warm rural hospitality.
With an abundance of great events, artisan producers, trails and scenery to explore, Greytown (and therefore The Swan) is right in the centre of it all and proud to share it with you.
People say no visit to Greytown is complete without a drink on the deck; the main bar is perfect for get-togethers and casual meals and the dining room is ideal for something a bit more special or intimate.
The White Swan is named after a ship which sank off the coast near Greytown in 1862, carrying MPs travelling to Wellington for the city’s first ever parliamentary meeting. All passengers and crew survived and were looked after by the landowners of the farm they came ashore on.
So stop in for a drink, lunch or dinner, or stay the night and experience the best of rural New Zealand, from a team of passionate locals. www.thewhiteswanhotel.co.nz 7 - Brac & Bow at The Royal Hotel, Featherston:
The Brac & Bow is a restaurant and bar set in The Royal Hotel, an 1868 historic hotel in the heart of Featherston. It’s the perfect place for people to come together to experience local service, local produce and food you know and love…done well.
The Royal is historic and beautifully renovated to create spaces full of character and charm and offers a wide range of facilities. The hotel marries NZ colonial and Victorian architecture along with the unique industrial and military history of Featherston, with soaring ceilings and ornate detailing throughout. www.theroyalhotel.co.nz/food-andbeverage 8 - Pinocchio, Greytown:
Pinocchio is a family owned and operated restaurant in Greytown, originally established by husband and wife Paul & Elly Ansell in 2014.
Head chef and owner Paul has combined his fine dining knowledge and experience to create a menu that consists of well executed, classic dishes and seasonal flavours combined with eye catching presentation.
Restaurant manager and owner Elly prides herself on delivering warm and friendly service in a relaxed environment with a wine list that features local Wairarapa and New Zealand wineries.
They are proud to have been selected for the Cuisine Top 100 restaurants to dine at in New Zealand two years in a row.
We have a sunny courtyard to enjoy your dining experience in summer months. www.pinocchiogreytown.co.nz 9 - Wharakauhau Country Estate, South Wairarapa:
This luxury lodge offers a ‘Trust The Chef’ concept of casual dining. It is a great way to sample the best from the kithcen and estate, whilst spending time in the wonderful environment that is Wharekauhau.
Relax and enjoy a true destination dining day out. After lunch feel free to stroll the expansive gardens or relax by an open fire in one of the top luxury lodges in New Zealand.
Wharekauhau regularly plays host to A-listers, as well as the rich and famous, among them Prince William and his family during their Royal Tour of New Zealand.
Guests can arrive in style, flying in from Wellington by helicopter. The drive is good too…and considerably cheaper. The lodge is 30-40 minutes south of Featherston, along Western Lake Road. www.wharekauhau.co.nz 10 - Union Square, Martinborough:
Brought to you by Michelin Star chef Adam Newell and Nicola Newell (the team behind Zibibbo Restaurant in Wellington), Union Square is situated in the middle of Martinborough at the historic Martinborough Hotel.
Rated as one of Cuisine Magazine’s top 100 NZ restaurants, Union Square uses fresh local produce to create modern cuisine with a French flavour.
Just some of the reasons you should go and try Union Square are their Garden bar, weekend High Teas, Sunday roasts and the extensive local wine and gin list! www.unionsquare.co.nz www.wairarapanz.com