Eat your way around Porirua

Titahi Bay has a community hub in the form of t bay café. The quaint little café attracts plenty of locals. A full breakfast and lunch menu is complimented by a cabinet packed with fresh baking. The Turkish eggs are one of the most popular menu items. It’s served with garlic yoghurt, spiced Turkish sauce, chilli oil, and hazelnut dukkah. From Thursday to Saturday you can order delicious Neapolitan-style pizzas. It’s also fully licensed so you can choose from a wide selection of beer and wine.

Eight converted shipping containers on the edge of Porirua Harbour create a great café destination. Not only can you get a great brunch and coffee fix, but you can get your bike fixed, too. Get Fixed Bicycle Café has a focus on community and sustainability. Pull up a beanbag and sit with a view of Porirua’s sparkling harbour, grab a menu and order some food. The coffee is from a locally owned Ripe roastery and is fair trade and organic. The menu has all the usual dietary options catered to, plus kombucha on tap. It’s also fully licenced. There are also community workshops, bike repairs and servicing.

This well-appointed Thai restaurant in the heart of Porirua’s city centre offers a feast both for the eyes and the stomach. The restaurant’s traditional setting is as intricately detailed as you might expect. Tuck into Tuk Tuk’s tantalising menu. The classic Thai green curry delivers all the tasty goodness you would expect. The Tom Yum soup and Pad Thai are also standouts among the large array of dishes on offer.
With the surrounding decorations and fit out including bamboo, ornate furniture, and tuk tuk proudly in the window, the restaurant creates an authentic Thai experience.

A proven local favourite near the city centre, Local Authority is a cosy café that packs more than a punch. Among its beautifully ornate brunch dishes, you’ll find a tempting range of loaded toasts and toasties. When it comes to popular picks, you simply can’t go past an all-time classic, the smashed avo on toast. There are lots of smoothie options if you’re looking for something lighter.

To accompany your food you can’t go wrong with a Local Authority coffee. Made with local beans from Flight Coffee, it’s a guaranteed good brew. With a community feel and cosy interiors, you’ll quickly understand where the café’s name came from.

Plimmerton might not be the first place you’d associate Polish cuisine with but Torpor Bistro is a reason why you should start to. The last in a line of shops on Beach Road, the restaurant exudes a cosy neighbourly feel from the outside. Inside it has a touch of chandelier elegance. 

Those clued up on Polish cuisine will feel at home. The menu features the classics like pierogi, bigos and golabki. You can pair your meal with Polish vodka, or go all out and ask for the vodka tasting paddle. Topor Bistro is a true hidden gem. Na zdrowie!

If you’re looking for some snacks after some time on Plimmerton Beach, head one block back from the waterfront. Super tasty pizza, coffee on-the-go and sweet slices should entice you through the doors at The Big Salami. The pizzeria offers a fantastic section of toppings along with calzone, hot pies, paninis and pastries. Single pizza slices are available too if your appetite is smaller.

If you’ve still got room for dessert afterwards, go old-school with a banana split and all the toppings. On sunny days sit back and relax in the outdoor courtyard, or watch the world go by in window seating inside on gloomy days.