3 Best Restaurants in Golden Bay and Takaka, Upper South Island and the West Coast

Swing by the Mussel Inn for a quintessential slice of Golden Bay life: music, craft beer, and darn good pub food. Locals come for the live music (most evenings in summer), mussel chowder, steamed mussels, or goat curry, washed down with house-brewed beer and ciders. A favorite is the Captain Cooker—brewed first from native manuka leaves by Captain Cook to combat scurvy on his ships.  With rough sawn timber, handmade furniture, outdoor fire pit, and a big rambling garden, it’s very much a "Kiwi woolshed meets Aussie farmhouse" feel here. 

In the lovely old former Collingwood Courthouse, on the main crossroads into town, this laid-back and popular café makes good use of local produce. Their big breakfast and eggs Benedict will set you up for a trip to the beach or Farewell Spit or Heaphy Track. Look also for the fresh muffins and panini, the pies and pizzas, and daily blackboard special. The coffee is good, too. There are indoor and outdoor tables, but it gets packed in summer.

Set in the old Tākaka movie theater, this place is synonymous with the alternative feel that is Golden Bay. The breakfast and lunch menus are substantial and wholesome, or you can catch an early dinner on Friday and Saturday when they are open until 8 pm. There's plenty of room to find a table, even at the height of summer. Eat indoors or out, and you’ll be joined by all walks of the local community.