9 International Food Destinations in Hastings & Havelock North

Ready to have the time of your life? Good, because there’s no other option when Latin American food is on the menu. Mijita offers tapas style dining, with zingy and zesty plates designed to share with your favourite people in a vibrant and colourful space. Grab a bowl of guacamole and a tasty taco, but make sure to venture outside of your comfort zone and try one of the more traditional dishes. The team at Mijita are just as serious about their cocktails as they are about food, so a margarita or pisco sour is basically non-negotiable.

Bánh mì and beef phở more your thing? Wander down to Heretaunga Street East in Hastings and pop in to OTT in the City for a fresh hit of Vietnamese with a touch of Japanese flavours. In the morning, the menu features brunch classics with interesting twists – think eggs benedict with miso hollandaise and pancakes topped in sweet lychee. Lunch and dinner follows more traditional recipes, including big plates of dumplings (perfect for sharing in a group), yakitori, soulful noodle bowls and more. There’s plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options to keep the whole table very happy.

Who said only the French can live a life of croissants with their coffee every morning? Not on Ya Bon’s watch. This beloved bakery has been around for years now, with a reputation for crafting the finest baked goods in Hawke’s Bay. Head to Cupple in Hastings or their newest café, Ya Bon Table, in Havelock North for perfectly executed pastries, baguettes filled with fresh local ingredients, loaves of sourdough for toast and sammies at home, and so much more. Are we addicted? Oui oui! 

Bringing Asian street food to the streets of Hastings, Funbuns is one of the happiest places to eat in the neighbourhood. The offering is pretty self explanatory: fun and buns. These guys are loud about their obsession with bao buns, with a whole section of the menu dedicated to these soft and squishy handmade delights. The rest of the menu explores bangin’ street food from all over, with inventive variations on traditional recipes. From burrata served with fried bao dippers to gochujang carbonara and cocktail teapots, there’s never a dull moment here.

Few things are more satisfying than twirling pasta around your fork – and Sazio is the place to do so in Hastings. The philosophy at this neighbourhood pasta bar is one we’re all too happy to follow: “Eat with the people you love. Eat well. Eat often. Eat pasta”. The restaurant’s atmosphere matches the warmth and liveliness of Italian culture, with an open kitchen adding extra excitement to the experience. Share a selection of classic starters, from focaccia to caponata with buffalo mozzarella, before moving on to the main event. The menu is concise and well-crafted with a small but superb selection of dishes featuring fresh pasta made onsite daily. Opt for the “Feed Me” menu to enjoy a selection of Sazio’s favourite dishes for the whole table to share.

Originally a pop-up at a local vineyard, Piku has since evolved into an Izakaya-style restaurant and cocktail bar tucked down a laneway in Havelock North. The menu makes for fun dining, with a long list of small plates to choose from (a great excuse to come back again and again to try them all). You’ve got a smorgasbord of sushi and sashimi dishes that hero local and sustainably farmed or caught fish, yakitori, tempura, karaage (of course) and lots of punchy and pickled sides. Piku’s drinks game is strong, with a range of specialty cocktails on the cards – if you’re a gin fan, don’t leave without tasting their house Yuzu Gin made from locally grown fruit and botanicals.

One look at Bambina’s pizza and you know it’s the real deal. Founded by pizza-master Alessandro Buttazzoni, there are no shortcuts when it comes to producing a perfect slice here. Over the course of 72 hours, Alessandro combines flour from Napoli, water, Sicilian sea salt, his own sourdough starter and a lot of love to create magic in ovens imported from Italy. The menu offers two Italian destinations: Napoli or Roma. The round Neapolitan pizzas feature the iconic thin base with a burnished puffy crust – great for sharing or scoffing solo. In the long and expansive cabinet you’ll find rectangular Pizza Romana with over ten flavours available by the slice, perfect for a quick and delicious meal on the go.

While some people binged Netflix series during the pandemic, Dan Meredith took to selling ribs and BBQ trays in his driveway. A few years on, and this lockdown project ballooned into a well-loved food truck before opening a permanent restaurant down Warren Street. Black Betty BBQ is the place for low and slow authentic American BBQ fare. Enjoy hearty plates of melt-in-the-mouth beef brisket, pork ribs and lamb, jalapeño cornbread, sweetcorn mac n cheese and plenty of other hearty goodness to feast on with friends. The burgers have been around since day one (for good reason) and feature juicy fillings sandwiched between Ya Bon brioche buns – with any able to be made vegetarian. All we can say is, come hungry.

This family-owned restaurant brings together Japanese cuisine and Kiwi vibes – which has turned out to be a dream duo. Tu Meke Don operated as a kiosk in Napier for over a decade, before upsizing to a light and playful space in Hastings in 2023. Known for its simple yet delicious dishes, the fresh and colourful boxes of sushi are a popular takeaway option, but the karaage chicken and Japanese curry should not be overlooked. You’ll find Junko, originally from Yokohama, working her magic in the kitchen while her partner Tim delivers top-notch service out front.