Out and about in Hamilton

Jumping on the top five bandwagon...

I’m a fourth-generation Hamiltonian, train advocate, and blogger and have had a side hustle helping women into their own small businesses (often catering or food production)  for over 15 years. In my day job I work with migrants and former refugees, and as a result have discovered all kinds of treats in the unlikeliest of places – central Hamilton. 

FIVE PLACES

Coffee:  Hamilton is surely the coffee capital of New Zealand now, with excellent espresso on every other corner.  But for people watching, great food and coffee, and interesting interiors you can’t go past Cream Eatery on the ground floor of Panama House, a gorgeous deco building that has been cleverly restored, or the River Kitchen which is located on Victoria Street – they specialize in using local produce and are situated in a building that was originally Susan’s great grandfather’s butchery. 

Bread:  pretty hard to keep this to just one, but for something different, try Kurdish Naan Bread In Holland Road in Fairfield

Pastries:  Authentic South American empanadas and biscochos that are made on sight – morsels of calorific deliciousness! La Rosa

Roadtrip: Don’t fall off your chair here, but for something different, spend a day in Te Awamutu. (yes really).  A tonne of great op-shops and boutique stores, as well as several brilliant cafes, all with their own vibe. Red Kitchen has fanchy schmancy meals to heat and eat at home and a rather beautiful kitchen shop, Central Cafe has neenish tarts, club sandwiches and old fashioned cheesecakes like your Nana made, along with an eclectic collection of 50s car memorabilia to look at.

Ethnic food like never before:  there’s a truckload of interesting options around Hamilton now, including specialist Filipino, Chinese, Korean, Malay, and more recently a French-Creole place.  But for fun, and conveniently next door to Cream, the Garden Place Noodle Bar is small but always pumping.  You can even watch the noodle maker pull noodles and make dumpling dough in ginormous quantities for free entertainment while you wait.    

And because I’m from the Waikato and might not be able to count, I have to add a couple more -  Hoops and Scoops for handmade icecream and incredible donuts (shops in Hamilton and Te Awamutu as well as a roving food truck), Café Centrale for authentic Italian (try the gnocchi), and check out Alexandra Street for bubble tea, Asian baked goods, and quirky skincare shops.