Marlborough Sounds, Family Restaurants

  • Le Cafe waterfront
    Le Cafe chocolate cake
    Le Cafe 1

    Le Cafe

    Le Cafe, in Picton is perfectly located on the seashore, overlooking the stunning Marlborough Sounds and picturesque Picton harbour. Right across the street is plenty of grass to run around, and a playground. The cafe is informal and spacious, with in or outdoor seating and toys/books for the little ones. Our menu is varied and delicious, and we happily serve children's portions of whatever you require. We're open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. Fully licensed and great coffee and cakes!

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  • Forrest

    Forrest Wines

    The atmosphere at Forrest Wines is relaxed and family-friendly, with toys for children of all ages. You may even catch a glimpse of one of the friendly winery dogs. A selection of picnic nibbles are on offer, including cheeses, antipasto and smoked mussels – and even better – there’s a toy box in the tasting room.
    The landscaped gardens include willow trees and a duck pond, with picnic benches and beanbags for relaxing on.

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  • Dodson Street Beer Garden

    Dobson Street Beer Garden

    A great place to stopover, family-friendly pizzeria (great kids menu options), outdoor garden for the kids to roam and enjoy.  Serving lots of tasty food, cakes and coffee too.

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    Railway Cafe & Ice Creamery - Blenheim

    At Blenheim Railway Cafe & Store we invite you to come & experience our award winning ice cream as well as enjoy our delicious and scrumptious food.

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    The Mussel Pot

    Located in the heart of Havelock – this is a unique and wonderful family restaurant. We guarantee fresh Marlborough mussels harvested in local waters, live to our door all year round. Come in and enjoy the popular choice of whole-shell mussels, steamed open in a choice of flavours or our half-shell mussels grilled with a choice of toppings. This is what New Zealand seafood is all about ! In winter the mix of atmosphere, warmth from our raging fire and friendly staff will help you enjoy the tastes that await you and with the emphasis on the local seafood and quality Marlborough wine the idyllic settings in our garden in the warmer months will make your experience with us a memorable one.

    Our mussel chowder is to die for and the kids can choose from their own menu. Smoked salmon, smoked chicken or grilled blue cod are just a few other specialities we have on the menu all year round.

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  • Oxleys

    Oxley's Bar and Kitchen - Picton

    Sitting in a prime position in the heart of Picton, Oxley’s is a place to go when you want a good old-fashioned Kiwi welcome, with fine food and drink to match.

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  • Bight Cafe2

    Bay of Many Coves Bight Cafe

    Join us at the jetty, for a vibrant taste of classic Kiwi hospitality.

    Our love of the outdoors takes us right to the water’s edge at the Bight Café. Friendly and fun, it literally is a breath of fresh air. Everyone is welcome here. What better way to experience the Kiwi way of life and have a yarn to the locals.

    For some, it’s a place to soak up the unique atmosphere of the Marlborough Sounds over a craft beer or discover our signature seafood dishes. Not only do we aspire to serve you the very best fish & chips in the world, but many say that our superb seafood chowder is the perfect reminder of our exceptional ocean produce.

    Or, perhaps, the Bight is just a great way to relax over another coffee and enjoy that magnificent view.

    The Bight Café closes at five o’clock in the evening.

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North Island

South Island

Map of New Zealand
  • Central Otago
  • Auckland
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Christchurch
  • Dunedin
  • Coromandel
  • Gisborne
  • Fiordland
  • Hawkes Bay
  • Marlborough Sounds
  • Manawatu
  • Nelson & Golden Bay
  • Northland
  • North Canterbury
  • Queenstown
  • Rotorua
  • South Canterbury
  • Taranaki
  • Southland
  • Taupo
  • Wanaka
  • Waikato
  • Wellington
  • West Coast
  • Whangarei
  • Bay of Islands
  • Tauranga
  • Gisborne
  • Hamilton
  • Napier
  • Kapiti
  • Palmerston North
  • Whanganui
  • New Plymouth
  • Arrowtown
  • Te Anau
  • Akaroa
  • Ashburton
  • Hanmer
  • Kaikoura
  • Methven
  • Mt Cook
  • Oamaru
  • Tekapo
  • Timaru
  • Abel Tasman
  • Motueka
  • Nelson Lakes
  • Blenheim
  • Picton
  • Catlins
  • Gore
  • Stewart Island
  • Central Plateau
  • Invercargill
  • Cromwell
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Westport
  • Glenorchy

Our favourite destinations…

Auckland

New Zealand’s economic heart and biggest city is also an exciting family visitor destination, situated on a sunny harbour with city beaches just minutes away from the CBD. Orientate yourself by heading down to Viaduct Harbour, wandering the waterfront, checking out the super yachts or enjoying the waterfront restaurants. Nearby is the must-visit Sky Tower along with excellent and kid-friendly museums and tons of exciting activities!

Wellington

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital. Here you will find New Zealand's parliament buildings, including the 'Executive Wing', more well-known as 'The Beehive' due to its distinctive shape. Another icon to look out for is the Wellington Tram, which was the main means of public transport between 1878 and 1964.

Christchurch

With a population of around 400,000 Christchurch, in Canterbury, is the South Island ’s largest city, yet much of it has the feel of a small town. Perhaps that’s why it’s known as the Garden City but with the expansive Hagley Park, Botanic Gardens, Port Hills, River Avon and numerous beaches the city certainly has an open, relaxed feel that’s hard to beat.

Queenstown

With its well-deserved reputation as New Zealand’s activity adventure capital you’ll never run out of activities and things to do in Queenstown, but you may run out of time! With breathtaking scenery, activities and festivals, cafes and restaurants, skiing and snowboarding, shopping and wineries, this lakeside alpine resort rates as one of the world’s top vacation destinations for all ages and seasons.

Rotorua

Rotorua sits on the shore of Lake Rotorua, one of sixteen lakes in the area formed by hundreds of thousands of years of eruptions from the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The area is renowned for its geothermal activity and top of any activity list is to see the bubbling mud pools that are around the region for yourself. The Waimangu Volcanic Valley offers a first hand insight into the devastation caused by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera and is a great place to discover steaming volcanic craters and bubbling, spitting  pools of mud!

Nelson and Golden Bay

The Nelson and Golden Bay regions, at the top of the South Island, boast enviable sunshine hours, glorious sandy beaches, safe swimming spots, lots of wildlife to look out for, and Abel Tasman National Park - an absolute must to explore, on foot, by kayak, your own craft or watertaxi.  Nelson is home to a vibrant arts and crafts community with a fabulous Saturday market, and is close to award-winning wineries and family-friendly bike tracks to take you around the coast.

Hawkes Bay

Napier was rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake and is now known as NZ's Art Deco City.  The Art Deco influence has created a unique city – nowhere else can you see such a varied concentration of art deco style. With over 2,200 sunshine hours a year, Napier is a year-round holiday destination with countless activities to entertain the kids – there's days of entertainment on Marine Parade alone, plus numerous other family-friendly trips and activities.  Add to that the beaches, walks and flat cycle paths, outdoor cafes and entertainment, and you have a perfect holiday destination!

Northland

Beautiful, unspoiled beaches, fishing, historic gum fields, kauri forests – the Far North has it all. With subtropical temperatures, it's often known as ‘the Winterless north', with warm, humid summers and mild winters.
Gateway to the Bay of Islands, Paihia is a pretty, lively beachside town and a perfect base for your family holiday. It’s your start point for Bay of Island adventures including day cruises, sailing, kayaking, swimming with dolphins and reef or wreck diving.