Where to eat in Palmerston North – an insider's guide

Where do you go for a deep-fried midnight feast, a splashy restaurant dinner or an exceptional sandwich to start the day in Palmerston North? Luke J Barnett of Sublime Coffee has the answers.

Geographically speaking, Palmerston North is wholly provincial, but it’s far more cosmopolitan than you might expect when it comes to its culinary outlook. 

For Luke J Barnett, the owner of Sublime Coffee, Palmerston North (also called Te Papaioea, Palmerston North, Palmy, P Town or Swamp City, depending on who you ask) has always been “The Big Smoke”. He grew up in neighbouring Tararua and so the largest city in the Manawatū always seemed comparatively metropolitan.

He moved there a decade ago and, after “dropping out of uni like any good barista”, fell into the hospitality industry. He’s been there ever since. Two years ago he took over the reins at Sublime, one of the city’s most formidable coffee stops. The cafe, in the heart of Palmerston North, on Cuba Street opened in 2016 as the local outpost of Sublime Coffee Roasters in Nelson which was founded in 2005. The focus is much the same at both offshoots: excellent coffee and excellent hospitality.

A decade in Palmerston North has given Barnett plenty of time to assemble a tasty lineup of local favourites. From early-morning caffeine and sandwiches to late-night feeds best eaten after a night on the town, and everything in between, these are Barnett’s picks for eating and drinking your way around Palmerston North.

Three words that sum up the food in Palmerston North: Iterative, siloed, familial.

Everyone has a dining out pet peeve. Mine is: Sticky tables.

The local dish I crave most: Half a kilo of Korean fried chicken from Chicken Union. 

The best restaurant in Palmerston North is: Little Savanna.

Why I love Little Savanna: It’s hard to go wrong here. Each item on the menu, which is heavily South African-influenced, hits the mark. Pair that with exceptional, fun service (I like a bit of banter) and you’ve got a solid dining out experience that also won't break the bank.

My go-to order is: Their menu is filled with barbecue (braai) meat options, and so being a bit of a meat glutton, I cannot help but be pulled towards their “combo” section of the menu. In contrast to the admittedly lowbrow sounding name of that section of the menu, the selection itself is not at all lowbrow! The 300g scotch fillet served with calamari, slaw and chilli chutney is a personal favourite.

When I’m craving something cheap and cheerful I head to: The Local Cafe and Eatery, which is a bustling, naturally lit cafe that offers some of the best bang for you buck bacon and eggs in town.

The most underrated local gem is: Pacha's Kebab Cafe. It’s a tiny Turkish place that has been owned and operated by the enigmatic Pacha for longer than I've been kicking around Palmy (finely aged locals will remember his institution of a kebab caravan that was parked at the square for 20 years before 2012). The smells, decor, energy and Pacha's banter is a portal to another world.

Celebrating with a group? Book a table at: Orlando Country just outside of town. Palmy's little slice of country club, complete with golf course and more sharing options on the menu than any party of 10 could ever finish.

Pub or bar of choice: Brew Union is perfect for after work drinks, a sit in meal and anything in between. They serve quality craft beers (their own as well as a selection from independent makers across the country), pizzas, burgers and a myriad of other staples. It's always high energy and the staff there match it to a T.

For a late-night food fix you’ll find me at: Golden Takeaways. In the middle of the night it might as well be a Michelin star establishment. Back in the day chicken nuggies and a fish burger almost always topped off a night out.

Got visitors from out of town? I’m taking them to: If I'm showing my rural family the wonders of the city then Global Kitchen whose tagline is “the world on a plate” is the place to go. They serve dishes from all over the pale blue dot. An entree of Fijian ika mata with a side of Quebec poutine while you wait on your indulgent Argentinian beef short ribs goes; very hard. If you've saved space for dessert, an Italian affogato adds a bit of energy back into the eventing.

When I'm showing my city slicker contemporaries a good night, I’ll make a booking at the Fat Farmer which has that unique "my family has owned a sheep and beef station for three generations" feel to it.

An ideal date spot would be: Tony's Pizza where you can order a full pizza or pizza by the slice. By the slice is helpful because it doesn't saddle a first date to a whole 18" of commitment. Throw in a cocktail and a blast on their in-house PS2 nostalgia machine and you'll be certain to know if this other human is the one. 

Palmerston North’s best… 

Breakfast: Boho Cafe hidden away in Awapuni. The most well-endowed big breakfast in town and if you ask nicely they can whip up a lovely keto version for you. 

Coffee: Coffee HQ. The owner and barista Ray might be the closest thing Palmy has to a coffee influencer. He's at least one of the top baristas in the swamp.

Sandwich: Dilly Deli – a new spot down Cuba founded by the couple that brought you Beaver and Bear (a go-to for Canadian cuisine). Order one of their New York deli sandwiches and a fancy-ass cold brew to wash it down. 

Pie: If you’re feeling hoity-toity, Wild Flour has top notch gourmet pies. Though, they are often limited in numbers. If you're in need of a classic mince pie, Knead Bakery has the perfect innie to outie ratio. 

Fish and chips: Milson Takeaways. Consistently yum, good portions. A well-oiled family fish and chippy. I’m there for crumbed fish, half a scoop of chips and a cinnamon doughnut to dip in some T-sauce (barbaric, I know, but it's actually delicious).

And the best place to unwrap and eat them is: Anywhere on the backroad behind the airport. Park up and watch the world arrive. 

Bread: BABCO Bakery. A loaf of robust vollkornbrot on a Saturday morning makes for the best side piece to a jar of Pam’s hazelnut spread. 

Baked treat: Alexandre Patisserie. I tend to order the “armadillo cwasont” to share with my son – we are simple men. 

What defines a great croissant? Buttery smooth and flaky pastry with a generous helping of whatever filling your little treat touts. 

For a serious sweet tooth, head to: Munchkins for the Cookie Monster fudge. Anything with cookies and cream gets my goat. 

The place to go if you want to feel virtuous/ healthy: Munch is an all-inclusive eatery which means they’re entirely gluten free, coeliac safe and nut free. They also have vegan, keto, soy-free and dairy-free options. Also lots of salads and other wholesome things to try.

A splurge that’s worth it: Nero Restaurant. They serve things like lamb rump in a herbed pistachio nut crumb and confit duck leg with blueberry jus from their 1918-built dining room. Indulgent enough to make the emperor himself blush.

The dairy with the best lolly selection: Limbrick Maxi Market has all the candy your aching sweet tooth will desire. 

A little local treat that always cheers me up: A croque monsieur from Alexandre's and a can of the white Monster Energy from the dairy down the road. 

For the best produce, I stop in at: Totally Fresh. For some reason shopping for fruit and vegetables while listening to their in-store classical music makes me feel extra healthy.

For outstanding people watching, go to: Barista, which is a cafe on George St. There are always people galore and they serve great food to chew on while doing your best not to seem like you're staring.

The place I’m most likely to bump into someone I know: Anywhere on George St. Out-of-towners think The Plaza or Broadway St is the place for food in Palmy. In reality it is George St, filled with locals who are in the know. You can't swing a cat down there without hitting someone who knows your face.

The place I go to avoid bumping into anyone I know: Coffee on Ascot – an oasis of food and coffee on the opposite side of town to George St.

A local spot I wish we could bring back from the dead is: Libre, a Mexican bar which closed in March. They opened in 2020 and were beloved for their authentic Mexican cuisine and award winning cocktails and are very-much missed (though rumour has it these cocktails can be found at Brew Union).

A restaurant I would love to relocate to Palmerston North: Last Place Bar in Hamilton. They do the best smash burgers around and their live metal, rock and thrash metal music would pair wonderfully with the Palmy’s surprisingly popular music scene re: Swampfest. 

The place I return to again and again: Dilly Deli – breakfast and lunch sandwiches are hard to say no to when I've accidentally left last night's leftovers on the bench again.

Why I love eating in Palmerston North: Big city features without big city problems. We have high-end restaurants that you can park in front of or get a reservation at within the next week; an absurd amount of takeaway options that are within a five-minute drive of anywhere in town; wide-ranging family-owned and operated ethnic foods; staples of any New Zealand town alike, plus an ever expanding coffee culture that's already punching above its weight with our local roasters and competitive baristas.