Top 5 Best Pies in Gisborne
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
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 buttered bread. Cheap, filling and gloriously unnecessary, it became a local institution.
Visitors to Gisborne will soon pick up that pie culture extends well beyond the school canteen.
After weighing up local reputation, customer reviews, loyal bakery followings and the sort of suspiciously passionate pie debates only New Zealanders can produce, one bakery consistently rises near the top.
Best Overall Pie in Gisborne:
Bakery 22
Location: 394A Palmerston Road, Gisborne, 4010,
Phone: 027 390 2277
Website/Facebook: www.facebook.com/Bakery22g
Hours: Mon - Fri 5:30am - 3:00pm,
Sat 7:30am - 2:00pm,
Sun 7:30am - 1:00pm
Bakery 22 has quietly developed a cult-level local reputation for pies. Reviews repeatedly mention:
steak and cheese
butter chicken
cranberry chicken
excellent pastry
consistently generous filling
Tripadvisor reviewers have literally called them:
“THE BEST pies in New Zealand.”
Which is not a statement New Zealanders make lightly.
The key thing Bakery 22 gets right is balance:
flaky pastry
rich filling
strong gravy
not overly fancy
still feels like a proper New Zealand bakery pie
That matters.
Because some gourmet pies forget they are supposed to be comforting first and artisanal second.
Strong Contenders
Makaraka Bakery
Location: 106 Main Road, Makaraka, Gisborne 4010
Phone: 06 867 6551
Hours: Mon - Fri 5:30am - 6:30pm,
Sat 5:00am - 6:30pm,
Sun 5:30am - 6:30pm
If you want:
classic steak and cheese
early morning bakery energy
proper rural Gisborne vibes
Makaraka is absolutely in the conversation.
The pie reputation here is extremely strong among locals, especially among people who take pie quality personally.
The early opening time tells you exactly who this bakery serves: working Gisborne.
Gear Meat Pie Company
Location: 85 Grey Street, CBD, Gisborne 4010
Phone: 06 868 5159
Hours: Mon - Fri 6:00am - 5:00pm,
Sat 6:00am - 4:00pm,
Sun Closed
This place understands one thing:
pies.
Not twelve competing concepts.
Not minimalist cabinet philosophy.
Just serious savoury baking.
If you are chasing:
rich gravy
hearty fillings
proper lunch-level pies
Gear deserves attention.
Golden Crust Bakery & Cafe
Location: 254 Gladstone Road, Gisborne, 4010
Phone: 06 867 9582
Hours: Mon - Fri 5:30am 4:30pm,
Sat 5:30am - 3:30pm,
Sun 5:30am - 4:30pm
One of those bakeries locals quietly rely on.
Strong cabinet selection, dependable pies, and classic New Zealand bakery energy without trying too hard.
Lytton West Bakery
Location: 11 Lytton Road, Riverdale, Gisborne 4010
Phone: 06 868 1596
Hours: Mon - Fri 4:00am - 3:00pm,
Sat 5:00am - 2:00pm,
Sun 7:00am - 1:00pm
Slightly underrated locally.
More neighbourhood bakery energy, less hype, but still repeatedly mentioned when Gisborne people start debating pies.
The Real Gisborne Pie Experience
The correct procedure is:
Buy pie
Burn roof of mouth immediately
Pretend this was unavoidable
Continue eating anyway
This is New Zealand tradition.
Honourable East Coast Mention
If you are travelling north of Gisborne, the famous pāua pie at Café 35 in Tokomaru Bay has developed near-legendary status nationally.
Even international media has covered it. (The Guardian)
Final Verdict
If somebody forced a definitive answer:
Bakery 22 probably currently holds the unofficial Gisborne pie crown.
But the more honest local answer is:
it depends what pie
what time of day
what weather
how hungry you are
and whether you’ve just come back from surfing, roadworks, farming, or a questionable Friday night.
Because pie rankings in New Zealand are never fully objective.
They are emotional.
