Rotorua Restaurants

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Typical steakhouse with that classic rustic Lone Star feel, from the memorabilia on the walls, music, the warmth of timber, open fire and curtious staff.

Favorite Dish: Always great food but it is so hard not to go past the Rockin' Ribeye with pepper and bourban sauce.....just delicious! And the Super Cold Steinlager NZ $22.00 jug!!

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An old Historic building with plenty of atmosphere and great cold beers from the tap. A pub that has stood the test of time and just the type of place Rabbit enjoys kicking back in...ya!

Favorite Dish: Bangers & Mash of course..... typically good old fashioned Kiwi pub grub...simply delicious after a few beers! or you could try the beer battered fish and chips, chef is not shy on portion size either...!! But if that's not you then there is plenty on the menu to select from.....enjoy!

It is nearly impossible to critisize a lot in a Lone Star Café and Bar, and the one in Rotorua is no exception. Perhaps one thing: I was there in winter, and it was rather chilly in the restaurant, with an air draught, until the hot soup arrived and heated me up.

I would not call the food sophisticated, to challenge your palate, but hearty and authentic, and everything comes in huge portions. Many people ask for doggy bags... Especially after having had one of those huge loaves of bread as a starter.

Most salads are overpriced, whereas stuff like nachos and pizza are good value for money. Our vegetarian at the table was not delighted of the poor choice (only some salads on a cold day, and a vegetarian burrito at $24.50) but as he is not very picky at least he got satisfied.

Most mains slightly under $30, so you will not have a cheap evening at the Lone Star.

One of the last things that most travellers want to do is have a meal in the local jail. Normally you would have to do something terribly wrong to make it in the slammer and stay long enough to enjoy the culinary delights that are prison food.

In Rotorua however, you are actually encouraged to head to the local lock-up, which was sold a few years ago in favor of a more modern building. Their loss is your gain now as the Pig and Whistle Pub has taken its place.

Pig and Whistle has the typical pub fare and has a fully stocked bar as well. We tried the nachos and the satay chicken sandwich, and both were good. Sarah had a little trouble with the nachos later that evening though!

If you are headed out in the morning to see the Buried Village, make sure you do not eat breakfast first... primarilly so you can tell me if the scones and muffins at the cafe are half as good as they smelled!

We had just completed breakfast at our B+B, and did not get a chance to eat one, although next time I will surely eat there!

We did have a juice and a drink, but they were not priced badly for the captive audience that we were.

Went here on a busy Saturday, place was full, probably around 120 people there. No tables available, but staff were friendly, offered us a drink and within a short while we were seated. Staff were all fantastic and friendly, drinks came to table fast. Pizza was lovely thin crust, pasta was hot and delicious. Recommend the signature dish: chicken Nuvolari.
A must go to if you are in Rotorua, best service, food and atmosphere we had while we were in town.

The Ronnie's Café has a nice formula, it is a very inviting breakfast self-service with loads of nice-to-see cakes, muffins and salty snacks.
The food aspect is simply great, but unfortunately it is untasty.
The store staff is not very friendly and we got the impression that the place was a bit dirty (our tea cups were not properly washed...)

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If you feel like a delicious breakfast in a very nice place, my suggestion is called Lime Caffetteria.
This nice café is centrally located and serves home-made breakfasts and light lunches. Food is fresh and well prepared, the atmosphere friendly and relaxed.

Favorite Dish: Home made waffle with fruits and yoghourt.