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Discover editorial Gisborne stories, local perspectives, coastal culture, beaches, lifestyle, opinion pieces and in-depth articles that capture the atmosphere, character and everyday life of Gisborne.
Discover Gisborne Through Local Stories
Gisborne is more than a collection of attractions. It's a place shaped by beaches, surf culture, vineyards, local characters, hidden coastal roads and a pace of life that feels different from much of New Zealand.
Browse by category to discover local guides, beach recommendations, food experiences, wellness ideas, events, accommodation and stories that capture the atmosphere of the city.
Whether you're planning your first visit or looking for inspiration for your next weekend adventure, you'll find practical advice, local insights and detailed articles designed to help you experience more of Gisborne.
Tatapouri Bay Café: Peak Gisborne Summer
Tatapouri Bay Cafe, Tatapouri, Gisborne NZ. Location: 516 Whangara Road, Tatapouri, Gisborne Distance from Gisborne CBD: Approximately 12 km, a 15-minute coastal drive Phone: 06 868 3269 Website: www.tatapouri.co.nz/cafe Coffee & Food: Locally roasted Far East Coffee, baked treats, bagels, light café fare and real fruit ice creams. Seasonal offerings may vary. Best for: Beachfront coffee, relaxed weekend mornings, ocean views, sunrise yoga, live music and a proper taste of th
8888 Cafe Gisborne: Menu, Hours & Café Guide
Cafe 8888, Gisborne NZ. 8888 Cafe, Gisborne: From Morning Coffee to Long Lunches Location: 88 Grey Street, Gisborne 4010 Website: www.instagram.com/8888_cafe Hours: Tue - Sun 7:00am - 2:00pm Closed Mon Menu/Delivery: Uber Eats Cuisine: Café / breakfast / brunch / lunch Best for: Coffee, breakfast, brunch, lunch and casual catch-ups Also known as: Four Eight Cafe 8888 Cafe is a popular café at 88 Grey Street in Gisborne, serving coffee, breakfast, brunch and lunch from Tuesday
Top 5 Best Pies in Gisborne
The famous Gisborne Pie Sandwich In Gisborne, pies are not merely food. They are breakfast, lunch, emergency recovery systems, surf-trip fuel, tradie currency and, occasionally, a personality trait. No guide to Gisborne’s best pies would be complete without acknowledging the legendary Pie Sandwich. Created by boys attempting to carb-load at the Gisborne Boys’ High School canteen back in the day. It was exactly what it sounded like: a hot pie wedged between two slices of butte
Morrell’s Artisan Bakery: One of Gisborne’s Best
Morrell's Artisan Bakery, Gisborne NZ Morrell's Artisan Bakery Address: 437 Gladstone Road, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 06 867 8266 Hours: 6:30am - 4:30pm, 7-days There are bakeries you visit because you need bread. Then there are bakeries you visit because someone in Gisborne told you: “Get there early.” Morrell's Bakery sits on Gladstone Road doing something increasingly rare in modern New Zealand: making proper artisan baking without turning the experience into performance art. N
Wrights Vineyard & Winery: Gisborne's Hidden Gem
Wrights Vineyard & Winery, Manutuke, Gisborne NZ. Location: 1093 Wharerata Road, Manutuke, Gisborne Phone: 027 656 8222 Website: www.wrightswines.co.nz Hours: Mon Closed Tue - Thu 12:00pm - 2:00pm Fri Closed Sat 12:00pm - 2:00pm Sun Closed Tucked away among the fertile vineyards of Gisborne, Wrights Vineyard & Winery offers the kind of wine experience that feels increasingly rare. There are no crowds, no tour buses, and no rush. Instead, visitors discover a family-owned winer
Matawhero Wines Gisborne: Cellar Door & Winery Guide
Matawhero Winery Cellar Door & Luxury Vineyard Accommodation, Matawhero, Gisborne NZ Matawhero Winery: A Gisborne Pioneer Location: RD1/189 Riverpoint Road, Matawhero, Gisborne. Phone: 06 867 6140 Wine tasting: Yes Food: Gourmet platters Cellar Door Hours: September: Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm October-November: Wed-Fri 12pm-3pm; Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm Other months: Hours vary, contact Matawhero directly Bookings: Recommended Best for: Wine tasting, long lunches, couples and vineyard stays Fo
Millton Vineyards: A Gisborne Wine Legacy
Millton Vineyard & Winery, Manutuke, Gisborne NZ Location: 119 Papatu Road, Manutuke, Gisborne Phone: 021 502 534 Visitor Status: Cellar door closed. No tastings or public visits. Website: www.millton.co.nz There are wineries that make good wine. And then there are wineries that change the way an industry thinks. For more than four decades, Millton Vineyards was one of the most distinctive names in Gisborne wine. From its vineyards at Manutuke, James and Annie Millton built a
Top 5 Best Bakeries in Gisborne
Every Gisborne local has a bakery. Not necessarily one they think is the best. The one they actually go to. The bakery they stop at before work. The one they visit after dropping the kids at school. The one they trust when they're buying pies for the rugby team, lunch for the office, or a loaf of bread for dinner. Ask ten Gisborne locals where to find the city's best bakery and you'll probably get ten different answers. That's because each bakery has carved out its own identi
Why Locals Love Waikanae Beach Café
Waikanae Beach Café, Gisborne NZ Waikanae Beach Cafe Location: 285 Grey Street, Awapuni, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 824 1129 Hours: Mon - Fri 6:00am - 5:00pm Sat - Sun 7:00am - 5:00pm Website/Menu: www.waikanaebc.com There are cafés where the coffee is the main attraction. And then there are cafés where the view competes for your attention. Waikanae Beach Café belongs firmly in the second category. Situated just steps from one of Gisborne's most popular beaches, this much-loved loc
PBC Café Gisborne: Menu, Hours & Café Guide
PBC Cafe, close to the CBD in Gisborne NZ Why PBC Café Earns a Loyal Following in Gisborne Location: 38 Childers Road, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 0210 918 2768 Website/Menu: www.sites.google.com/view/pbc-cafe Hours: Mon - Sun 8:00am - 2:00pm Cuisine: Café / breakfast / brunch / lunch Delivery: Available via Uber Eats Best for: Big breakfasts, brunch, coffee and generous lunches PBC Café is a popular Gisborne café at 38 Childers Road, known for strong coffee, generous portions and a
Curbside Kitchen Gisborne: Menu, Hours & Café Guide
Curbside Kitchen, Whataupoko, Gisborne NZ Why Gisborne Locals Love Curbside Kitchen Location: 9 Ballance Street, Whataupoko, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 06 863 3916 Website/Menu: www.curbsidekitchen.co.nz Hours: Mon - Fri 7:00am - 2:30pm Saturday 8:30am - 1:30pm Sun Closed Cuisine: Café / brunch / lunch Best for: Coffee, brunch, lunch and casual catch-ups Setting: Neighbourhood café in Whataupoko Seating: Indoor and courtyard/outdoor options Family friendly: Yes Dog friendly: Outdoo
Raglan Roast Gisborne: Hours, Coffee & Café Guide
Raglan Roast, Inner Kaiti, Gisborne NZ Why Raglan Roast Gizzy Feels So Gisborne Location: 116 Wainui Road, Inner Kaiti, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 06 281 0476 Website: www.raglanroast.co.nz Hours: Mon - Fri 6:00am - 3:00pm Sat - Sun 7:00am - 3:00pm Parking: Available Seating: Indoor and outdoor Best for: Early coffee, takeaway coffee, casual catch-ups and coffee on the way to Wainui Beach Raglan Roast Gisborne, also known as Raglan Roast Gizzy, is a laid-back coffee spot at 116 Wai
Mr Clifton's: Why Coffee Lovers Keep Returning
Mr Clifton's, Gisborne NZ Mr Clifton's Location: 126 Grey Street, Gisborne 4010 Website: www.facebook.com/MrCliftonsCoffee Hours: Mon - Sat 6:30am - 2:00pm Sun Closed Not every café tries to be everything to everyone. Some places focus on breakfast. Some focus on brunch. Some focus on atmosphere. Mr Clifton's focuses on coffee. And in doing so, it has quietly become one of the most respected coffee destinations in Gisborne. If you're the type of person who believes coffee sho
Why Zephyr Wainui Feels Like Peak Gisborne
Zephyr Wainui, Gisborne NZ Zephyr Wainui Location: 4 Oneroa Road, Wainui Beach, Gisborne 4010 Website/Menu: www.zephyrwainui.co.nz Hours: Mon - Sun 7:30am - 2:00pm Some cafés are defined by their coffee. Others by their food. Zephyr Wainui is defined by its location, its atmosphere and the lifestyle that surrounds it. If somebody asked a local to describe the modern Gisborne vibe in a single café, there's a good chance Zephyr would be the answer. Situated just a short stroll
Verve Gisborne: Menu, Hours & Café Guide
Verve Cafe, CBD, Gisborne NZ Verve Café & Bar: One of Gisborne's Favourite Meeting Places Location: 121 Gladstone Road, Gisborne CBD Phone: 06 868 9095 Menu: Current menu via Facebook Cuisine: Café / breakfast / lunch Best for: Breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee and casual meetings Hours: Mon - Sun 7:00am - 3:00pm Verve Café & Bar is a central Gisborne café at 121 Gladstone Road, serving coffee, breakfast, brunch and lunch seven days a week. It is one of the city's best-known m
Zest Café Gisborne: Menu, Hours & Café Guide
Zest Cafe, Peel Street, CBD, Gisborne NZ Why Zest Café Remains a Gisborne Favourite Location: 22 Peel Street, Gisborne CBD Phone: 021 191 1363 Website/Menu: www.facebook.com/zestgisborne Hours: Mon - Thu 6:00am - 2:00pm, Fri - Sun 7:00am - 2:00pm Cuisine: Café / breakfast / brunch / lunch Best for: Breakfast, coffee, brunch, lunch and casual meetings Zest Café is a popular central Gisborne café at 22 Peel Street, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and coffee seven days a week.
Why Locals Keep Returning to Flagship Eatery in Gisborne
Flagship Eatery, Gisborne NZ Flagship Eatery Location: 14 Childers Road, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 06 281 0372 Website/Menu: www.flagshipeatery.co.nz Hours: Mon Closed Tue - Fri 7:00am - 2:00pm Sat - Sun 8:00am - 2:00pm There are cafés you visit because they're convenient. Then there are cafés you go out of your way for. In Gisborne, Flagship Eatery belongs firmly in the second category. Located just a short walk from the city centre, Flagship has built a reputation as one of the
Top 10 Best Cafés in Gisborne
Gladstone Road, CBD, Gisborne NZ There are two ways to find a great café in Gisborne. You can search online, read reviews and compare ratings. Or you can simply watch where the locals go. In a city that takes both coffee and breakfast surprisingly seriously, the best cafés are rarely empty. They're the places where baristas know customers by name, where surfers arrive still carrying sand on their feet, and where visitors often discover their favourite meal of the trip. Whethe
Gisborne’s Famous Pie Sandwich
Gisborne's legendary Pie Sandwich, Gisborne NZ The pie sandwich is not a bakery menu item. This is important. You do not walk into a Gisborne bakery and confidently order: "One pie sandwich, thanks." The person behind the counter would likely stare at you for a moment before deciding whether you were joking. Because the pie sandwich is not commercially manufactured. It is assembled. Usually in a work ute. Or beside a rugby field. Or at a surf break. Or leaning against a dairy
Smash Palace: The Bar Built Around a Plane
Smash Palace Bar, Gisborne NZ Smash Palace Location: 24 Banks Street, Awapuni, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 021 128 7689 Website: www.smashpalacebar.com Hours: Mon Closed Tue 4:00pm - 8:00pm Wed 4:00pm - 9:00pm Thu 4:00pm - 11:00pm Fri 4:00pm -11:30pm Sat 3:00pm - 1:00am Sun 4:00pm - 8:00pm Most cities have bars. Some cities have live music venues. Very few have a DC-3 aircraft suspended above the outdoor drinking area. Which is probably the easiest way to explain why Smash Palace is
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