Restaurateur Vincent Michaelsen shares his favourite places to dine in Napier, from sublime bánh mì purveyors to an under-the-radar Turkish dining gem.
Vincent Michaelsen grew up largely on the rural fringes of Napier. “Leaving Napier after high school, I never expected to return, but here I am, living on the same land I grew up with my kids going to the same school I did.”
Since, 2018, Michaelsen has run Vinci’s, a pizza focussed restaurant in the heart of the bustling Hastings Street precinct. After an extensive renovation period – during which they operated as a street-side pop-up for eight months – the restaurant has now fully reopened. “It’s a growing up moment for us,” he says. “But we’re still very much the same chaotic and community focussed pizza joint at heart.”
Alongside the reopening of his own space, Michaelson is energised by the ongoing evolution of Napier’s dining scene – and all its growing culinary diversity. Read on for Michaelsen’s favourite food haunts in Napier.
Three words that sum up the food in Napier: On the up.
My most controversial food opinion about Napier: Napier and dining in general: food doesn’t get better than a good lasagne.
Everyone has a dining out pet peeve. Mine is: “Let me tell you how this works” – a good system should feel natural and hospitality shouldn’t need explaining.
The local dish I crave most: Goldie’s chicken schnitty sandwich which is pretty much a perfect dish.
The best restaurant in Napier is: Central Fire Station Bistro.
Why I love Central Fire Station Bistro: The space is amazing, with its super lux booths and high windows. It’s hard to get this sense of quality elsewhere in the city. I’m not a big fine dining fan and I’m not keen on difficult or obscure ingredients used just for the sake of it. Central Fire Station hits the sweet spot of real food done really well – nothing is superfluous. All round, it’s a really well-executed restaurant.
My go-to order is: If all I ate was their sourdough and house-made butter for dinner, I’d be satisfied.
The most underrated local gem is: Dajko’s Kilim Cafe. It’s a cosy, family run Turkish restaurant. They, of course, do the classic doner kebab but I recommend exploring the rest of the menu which includes things like ćevapi – which are Balkan-style kofte – and mezze platters.
A recent food discovery I can’t stop talking about: The turmeric tonic from Hapī. It’s a concentrated mix of lemon juice, turmeric juice, Mānuka honey and other healthy things in a glass bottle which you can have either hot or cold over sparkling water.
Pub or bar of choice: The Rose Irish Pub in Napier has a really nice community that’s grown around it. Pub culture is back!
The BYO I keep going back to: Delight Plus! They’re a large Chinese restaurant with a classically large menu, lots of tables and bright fluorescent lighting. A great time.
Got visitors from out of town? I’m taking them to: Probably to the town next door – Brave Brewery in Hastings.
An ideal date spot would be: Vinci’s, in the window seat.
Make sure to order: Marinara, with all the sides.
But I’d advise you to avoid the: Queue at the till. Order a litre of wine from the outset so you don’t have to line up again.
Napier’s best…
Coffee: Georgia or Uncle. Both usually host an interesting batch brew, but the best part is the conversations.
Sandwich: Goldie’s chicken schnitty, Sunrise Cafe & Bakery’s bánh mì or Dylan Jeanne’s philly cheese.
Noodles: Mee Goreng at Faith Hope Love Malaysian Eatery.
Fish and chips: The Fisherman’s Shop on Hastings Street. A new spot, from the same crew on Taradale Road. They catch their own fish.
And the best place to unwrap and eat them is: The Bluff Hill lookout watching the ships load up.
Bread: Baked by Central Fire Station, the focaccia has a following of its own.
Baked treat: Any of the pastries at Baked. Almond croissants and cinnamon swirls are classics.
What defines a great pastry? Most of the time, simplicity. A plain croissant is the benchmark. But it’s impossible not to get a little carried away with the treats at Baked.
For a serious sweet tooth, head to: Stuffed for a bag of donut holes. Even better when paired with a coffee.
If you’re after spice, make a beeline for: Rasoi, the best Indian you’ll find anywhere in Napier. I tend to go for something vegetarian and they do a bangin’ paneer makhani
The place to go if you want to feel virtuous/ healthy: Hapī Organic Cafe & Maara.
The dairy with the best lolly selection: Carlyle Street Store, with all the old-school treats.
A little local treat that always cheers me up: A day without a banana is a day in hell. I get mine from Chantal Shop which is right next door to my restaurant.
My favourite grocery shop: Chantal Shop, where you’ll find many local faces and all the organic treats your heart desires.
For the best produce, I stop in at: Veggieland which is south of the city in Meeanee. If all businesses operated with the simplicity and frugality of this family-run veggie store, we would all be living a little more economically, I reckon.
A perfect place to linger over a drink: Upstairs at Rogue Hop. It’s very cosy, has the best beer selection in town, the best negroni in town (in fact, it was the winner of Negroni Week Napier last year) and it feels like you’ve been transported to another part of the world if you sit upstairs.
My favourite local hospo personality: Ella, usually spotted slinging hot slices at Vinci’s.
The place I’m most likely to bump into someone I know: The Hastings/Tennyson Street precinct, where everybody knows your name.
A local spot I wish we could bring back from the dead is: Donut Robot which closed in 2022. The best donut is a fresh one, and these were straight out of the fryer and into your hand. If you’re after a bit of entertainment, their old Facebook account, with its many rants about local council inspectors, still exists. I’d also love to bring back Pacifica Restaurant which closed last year – sadly I never made it while they were open.
A restaurant I wish would relocate to Napier: Cutie Pie Pizza in Haitaitai, Wellington. They’re my pizza heroes.
The place I return to again and again: Home, where the good lasagne is.
Why I love eating in Napier: It’s exciting to see Napier’s dining scene come back to the town centre. The wineries are still doing a great job, and it’s always nice in the many places along West Quay with the docked fishing boats. But it’s the living, breathing city that interests me most, the bustle of people going about their day-to-day lives. I’m excited to be part of that growth and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.
