This started off as a blog post about where to go, what to do and all the highlights of Hawkes Bay, a very underrated corner of the North Island, New Zealand. However, it quickly became very apparent that this was far more centric of where to eat and drink.
Brave Brewing Co.
We stepped off the plane, it was Friday afternoon and after a drama with the rental car and a certain person losing their drivers license (me), it was near 3pm by the time we pulled up outside Brave Brewing Co. in the middle of Hastings town. We would have probably eaten pretty much anything, but, we didn’t need to. There was the menu. We quickly realised this wasn’t any ordinary beer joint and the food here was not going to leave us eating just ‘anything’. Top notch Tater Tots, succulent fried chicken burger and insanely tasty Corn Chowder were pretty much exactly what the doctor ordered for a Friday afternoon and exactly what this place delivered. The ‘made on-site’ craft beers on tap couldn’t be more local if they tried and the décor was my kind of simple. Minimalist, friendly and unassuming, this place pretty much goes to the top of the list. Oh and this is the place with all the condiments. They just need Alderson’s.
bravebrewing.co.nz 408 Warren St, Hastings, 4122 
Wright & Co.
Just off the main street in the town of Havelock North is Wright & Co. We hit it up in the morning for brunch and were so happy with our choice, because there was many others we could have made. The menu was exciting and while it had a few of the staple Saturday brunch items on the list, it was the ones you don’t see every day that caught our attention. Since we haven’t long returned from Asia, it was the “breakfast curry bowl’ that provided the wow, following up on presentation and flavour. Just like Khao Soi, our fave Chiang Mai dish, just in Havelock North. Props to the brave chef. Mike chose that one, I went with the more simple flavours of House toasted granola, but I was happy with that and I polished it off nicely with a decent coffee in an elegant and beautiful setting. Great start to the day.
wrightandco.nz 10 Joll Road, Havelock North, 4130, Hawkes Bay 
Bare Knuckle Backyard BBQ
Open only on Friday and Saturdays, Bare Knuckles BBQ is awesome. Totally different from the swanky American BBQ joints of Auckland that we’re used to. Local, literally a couple of gazebos, some strings of lights, a fire pit and wooden tables all in a gorgeous rural setting – not a city light to be seen. 5 minutes from Hastings, this place comes alive on the weekend to serve all your fave BBQ fixtures – ribs, wings, brisket, pulled pork and coleslaw. We went all in and shared the ‘I-want-it-all BBQ sampler tray’ for $40. Nom Nom. I reckon this place is about the experience and the guy who owns it is a character. He was cool.
bareknucklebbq.co.nz 1091 Riverslea Rd South, Hastings, Hawkes Bay 
Godzone Brewing
A little off the beaten track, but well worth the drive, Godzone is a unique brewery and hop farm that we ventured out too ‘coz Mike likes his beer. We met Godfrey the owner and brewer who set up this place with his wife and kids and he’s pretty choice. This place is basically a caravan, yurt, pizza oven and a couple of hanging baskets and that’s all it needs. I was driving so opted for a plunger coffee which hit the spot and Mike worked his way through a couple of the beers. He had the Creation Pale Ale and one from another local brewer that sounded pretty interesting. We shared a wood fired Rosemary and Garlic pizza and oohlahlah it was damn good. This place isn’t flashy or top 50, but it’s cool, it’s different and it’s our kind of kiwi.
godsownbrewery.co.nz 3672 State Highway 50 
Hawkes Bay Farmers Market
Sunday mornings in Hastings and there’s only one place to be, the Farmers Market. Held in the Hawkes Bay Show grounds every Sunday, your breakfast requirements are all sorted here with a bacon butty (oink oink), and a hot cup of Bay Espresso coffee (that’s the good stuff) to wash it down. We loved the vibe of this place – a little classier than our local Avondale markets and all the fresh produce and local goods to be found. I reckon we could have had our whole weeks food requirements sorted here if we’d been sticking round for longer. I liked the music, the atmosphere and the fresh baked goods were awesome. Defintely more fun than a café.
hawkesbayfarmersmarket.co.nz Hawke’s Bay A&P Showgrounds, Kenilworth Rd, Hastings 