With the long-awaited reopening of the Sarjeant Gallery – in its original 1919 building in Queen’s Park – nearly upon us after four years of redevelopment, Whanganui’s art scene is about to get even more visit-worthy. This is hard to imagine, given its already vast proliferation of galleries and studios and its status as a UNESCO City of Design. We suspect this is going to prompt a trip for many of you, so we’re doing the responsible thing and arming you with a guide to places to eat between mooching in galleries, checking out the street art, meandering the majestic awa and buying more arty treasures and artisan treats than your suitcase can possibly hold.
SHOP & EAT
Without a doubt, some of the best food in town can be found at Whanganui River Markets, so if you’re in town on a Saturday this is a non-negotiable stop. Established 19 years ago with just eight stalls, it’s now not only a great place to eat or buy provisions, but also a meeting place where locals catch up weekly. An integral part of life in Whanganui, it’s a real village square, with the bonus of stunning river views. Here are some highlights – but there are plenty more (over 120 stalls in total, including non-food ones).
Floaters was the first food stall to join the markets all those years ago and still serves up fresh, hot fry bread dripping in butter and golden syrup to queues every weekend. Masala Dosa serves a South Indian fix of soft comforting dosas along with the mandatory sambar and coriander chutney for a tasty brunch option. Hit up the lovely couple at Mogu Japanese Street Food for some Kansai-influenced street food such as okonomiyaki and takoyaki, as well as fun korokke with curry sauce, mini yaki onigiri, yakisoba and lots more. They are just back from Japan and full of renewed inspiration. Their food is also available from their truck Wednesday to Friday lunchtime and on Uber Eats.
Most weekends the crew at Kirk’s can’t make the hot-from-the-oven pizza-by-the-slice fast enough to keep up with the relentless demand. Try a slice and you’ll understand why. Devine Treats bakes the sweets of your dreams; think chunky Black Doris plum friands, lemon slices generously slathered with zesty homemade lemon curd, galaktoboureko (a sublime custard set in a crispy, buttery filo shell) and doughnuts that people return for over and over again. Litza Devine is Greek and makes everything from scratch; some weeks she also treats market-goers to the option of her delicious souvlaki with homemade tzatziki and Greek salad. Wedge is all about cheese – something we applaud wholeheartedly. You can buy chunks of luscious Over the Moon cheese to take home, or choose three to have with crackers in a ‘picnic box’. It also sells haloumi fries and burgers but the things everyone talks about are the exceptional arancini balls. With flavours such as kimchi and cheese, wild mushroom, tomato and basil and a new broccoli and blue, these guys aren’t shying away from bold flavour and we love it.
Of course, you need to make sure you bring your shopping bag to load up with prime cuts of meat from Market Butchers, locally roasted Havoc coffee, Monty’s Surprise Apple Juice, cinnamon buns, Doyenne du Comice pears, walnuts, avocados, pumpkins, kombucha, and whatever is in season when you visit. whanganuirivermarkets.nz
DAYTIME DINING
The Burrow (theburrow.co.nz) is one of those food businesses that has morphed as it’s grown over the years. Annette Jones was raised on a farm with skilful home cooking at the fore and grew up to be obsessed with all things culinary. Often frustrated by the lack of more exotic ingredients in Whanganui she decided to do something about it, initially bringing in superfoods but soon expanding into all kinds of imported pastas, sauces, cheeses, condiments and more. In 2020 she added a cabinet and now locals flock to the shop looking out over the river for her coffee, cakes and house-made pastries (her mum is still in the kitchen most days churning out cheese scones and her daughters and nephew work out front). Next door she also has a shop that sells fabulous gifts and homewares, Italian clothing, French soaps, Portuguese candles and other treasures, and very soon you’ll be able to walk through to a gorgeous riverside bar, serving up wine, cheese and platters from the deli, right on the water. Aucklanders will love that one of her display fridges is from Zarbo and the gorgeous black and white image on the wall is from La Cigale, both former icons of Tāmaki Makaurau’s food scene.
In a former life, Little Curious Bagels (@littlecuriousbagels) used to be the Old Curiosity Shop on the corner of Glasgow and Harrison Streets. That was until Grace Hessell and Joel Arnold took it over in 2022 and transformed it into a thriving neighbourhood café specialising in loaded bagels, fresh home baking and great coffee. Toppings range from house-smoked salmon with whipped zesty cream cheese, capers, red onion, lemon oil and microgreens, to banana, Pic’s peanut butter, honey drizzle and cinnamon on a raisin bagel, and everything in between. Elements of the old bookshop still remain, giving it a retro and welcoming vibe.
Right down by the river, Mud Ducks (mudducks.co.nz) is constantly heaving with happy, chatting groups of locals looking for a quick bite or a more substantial brunch or lunch. Its crowd-pleaser is a doorstop of a bacon butty loaded with haloumi and offset with generous dollops of tangy housemade beetroot relish – but there are lots of other options such as creamy miso mushrooms with baby spinach, crispy shallots and sesame seeds on rye, zucchini loaf and bubble and ‘quack’.
Put aside at least half a day for the Bushy Park Tarapuruhi experience (bushypark.nz) and round it off with high tea at the beautifully preserved homestead. The 89-hectare Bushy Park Tarapuruhi forest is a Forest & Bird project and makes for a stunning walk among native forest giants with a real-life soundtrack of native birdsong thanks to its predator-free status. Sipping bubbles, eating dainty sandwiches and devouring good honest home baking from a pretty, tiered stand in this large Edwardian homestead (built in 1906) is a food experience to be savoured. Make sure you have a wander around the homestead afterwards as it’s immaculately kept and worth a look.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER?
Sour Bros (@sourbrosbakery) started as a stall at the markets in 2018 (where you’ll still find it every week) but these days it also has a home in the ever-growing – and very cool – Drews Ave precinct, not only selling its delicious loaves but also slinging fabulous pizzas made with sourdough bases. All of them are incredible, but the ’nduja (tomato, mozzarella, ’nduja red onion and rocket) is particularly sensational. Take one back to your accommodation, or scoop up a buzzer, relax with a local craftie at The Teal Lounge upstairs and wait until it’s ready. High-Kut Bistro (highkutbistro.co.nz) is a favourite with locals for its reliably well-executed food. It’s a mix of more traditional dishes such as lamb racks and steaks with other fun options such as Korean fried chicken bites. Frank (@frankwhanganui) has a vibe for cocktails and casual bites with the kind of interior and buzz that makes it easy to while away an evening. The same owners also have Mint (mintasfrank.co.nz) a cocktail-serving café that looks up towards the beautifully imposing face of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery. Porridge Watson (@porridgewatson) has been a favourite bar for locals for a few years now (eclectic retro interior, comfy sofas, games, fun times) but now it’s also a place to add to your eating list. Chef Isaac Paurini is putting out some of the best smash burgers you’ll find. It’s hard to recommend a favourite as they are all exceptional, but The Special with its juicy patty, American cheese, mustard, special sauce, lettuce and onion is an absolute banger, and the Spicy Boy with the addition of jalapeño mustard and jalapeños is perfection if you like a bit of a kick.
SOMETHING TO DRINK
The drinks scene in Whanganui is expanding by the month with new openings and exciting collaborations.
If you’ve followed our Top 50 Women in Food & Drink, you will already have read about the bundle of talent and boundless joy that is Emily Wolmarans. Last year the talented mixologist opened Angry Fox (@angryfox), her dream cocktail bar in Whanganui, where she leads an all-female collaborative team that celebrates local distillers wherever possible. The Spicy Marg is nothing short of life-changing with locally grown and house-pickled jalapeños for extra magic.
There are so many facets to the Papaiti Gin (papaitigin.co.nz) experience: time spent tasting with Adrian Rumney and Nikki Oesterle who are both a wealth of information on all things gin; the excellent award-winning product; and the opportunity to create your own gin in a 5-litre benchtop copper still from an enormous range of botanicals, including pears from the couple’s orchard. It’s a fascinating process and enormous fun learning about how to combine flavours for your own unique blend. And you get a bottle to take home. Also a newish player in the Drews Ave scene, The Teal Lounge (@the-teal-lounge) is a great time and a fantastic spot to try local beers by Brews on Drews. It’s a small joint and super cosy, designed by owner Tanya Hayton (an artist when she’s not running a bar). She and her husband Chris already had a huge following with their IPAs, hazies, pilsners, porters and more, but now people have a place to drink them in a cosy booth with friends, and even a pizza from Sour Bros down below.
If the wine offering in local bars is looking a bit better than the last time you visited, it might be because of the vivacious Joamari van der Walt, a solicitor by day and wine merchant by night. Owner of Joa’s Wines, (@joaswines) an online boutique wine shop selling a range of international and New Zealand wines, she supplies lots of local establishments, designs local wine lists for eateries and runs pop-ups and collabs sharing the wine knowledge she gained when she studied in the Stellenbosch region in South Africa.
The craft-brewing scene is expanding rapidly in Whanganui and aside from Brews on Drews there’s also Roots Brewing (rootsbrewing.beer) where you can rock up at the taproom and sample an exceptional range of its beers (if you’re there in winter make sure you try the Hazelnut Porter and if you’re looking for something really different try the Kawakawa sour which has been a true labour of love for brewer Andrew Henshaw). Across the river is the vibrant, fun Lads (ladsbrewing.co.nz) which not only has great beers on tap, but also a very interesting wine list. It leases its premises to talented Vaughan Campbell of Good Bones Distilling (goodbones.nz) who after a leukaemia diagnosis decided he needed to follow his dream of making small-batch premium spirits. Modifying a 1978 boiler that he rescued from a local sweet factory into a still, he reached out to local bakeries and now upcycles their unsold treats into vodka and liqueurs made solely from ingredients sourced in New Zealand. That’s delicious sustainability.
When it comes to coffee, Whanganui has myriad choices. Aside from The Burrow (theburrow.co.nz), for a good brew check out the Village Snob, the home of Derelict Coffee (derelict.co.nz); you can also get Derelict on Saturday from the Riverboat Museum near the markets). Article (@article.whanganui) is also good for coffee and some light browsing of clothes, curios and arts. ■
WHANGANUI’S MUST-SEE GALLERIES, & STUDIOS
NEW ZEALAND GLASSWORKS
The national centre for art glass in the country. Watch glass artists at work or have a go yourself in workshops varying from 30 minutes to a day. nzglassworks.com
QUARTZ, MUSEUM OF STUDIO CERAMICS
The only dedicated museum for studio ceramics in Aotearoa New Zealand, Quartz exhibits the largest collection of studio ceramics permanently on show in New Zealand. quartzmuseum.org.nz
BROWN & CO
Katie Brown’s latest venture has exclusive works from 30 New Zealand designers which have been handpicked for their uniqueness, rich aesthetic and quality. brownandco.nz
ORPHIC GALLERY
A contemporary art gallery exhibiting the latest in underground talent from around New Zealand. theorphicgallery.com
SPACE STUDIO & GALLERY
An artists’ venue giving both emerging and established artists a contemporary platform so art collectors can discover local and national talent. spacestudiogallery.co.nz
LOCKETT GALLERY
The first of its kind in New Zealand, this is a gallery exclusively showcasing illustrators’ art. It is connected with renowned independent book shop, Paige’s Book Gallery. lockettgallery.co.nz
A PLACE FOR HAMMERS
A jewellery workshop with a gallery at the front. A chance to see leading contemporary jeweller Frances Stachl at work, creating innovative one-off pieces alongside signature ranges like the Roimata bangle and Harikoa and Putiputi Pango rings. francesstachl.co.nz
SUE COOKE
An artist working primarily in the mediums of etching, lithography, collagraph and painting. Her work deals with landscape as a subject exploring concepts of the monument, the power of nature, care of the earth, sustainability and regeneration. suecooke.co.nz
VOSTINAR GALLERY
A spacious gallery, workshop and studio with hundreds of works – oil paintings, ceramic sculptures and domesticware pottery. facebook.com/vostinar.art
85 GLASGOW STREET ART CENTRE
A vibrant arts hub with a café at its heart along with two art galleries, an artist’s residency and studio spaces. 85glasgow.com
RAYNER BROTHERS GALLERY
The recently opened gallery showcases the work of talented brothers Paul and Mark Rayner, alongside a range of funky local art and craft. facebook.com/raynerbrothers
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