Bully Hayes Restaurant & Bar

About Bully Hayes Restaurant & Bar

Bully Hayes Restaurant & Bar sits right on the Akaroa waterfront at 57 Beach Road, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, tapas and cocktails seven days a week, year-round, from 8.00am till late. Dine indoors or out with sensational panoramic views of Akaroa Harbour, or head for the sheltered courtyard garden, where a children's play area keeps little ones happy while parents relax.

The extensive menu focuses on fresh New Zealand produce with an innovative mix of traditional and modern flavours, with a large variety of seafood alongside award-winning cooking — the kitchen holds a 2019 Beef and Lamb Excellence Award. Highlights include the famous seafood chowder, battered Chatham Island blue cod, Akaroa sea run salmon, slow-braised Canterbury lamb shank, burgers, 12-inch pizzas and a generous tapas list, at prices to suit any budget. A dedicated kids' menu, set menus for groups and function menus cover just about every occasion.

The bar matches the kitchen with New Zealand wines, Monteith's and Tuatara craft beers on tap and in bottle, cocktails and a large range of non-alcoholic drinks. Happy Hour runs daily from 3.00pm to 5.00pm with discounts on all alcoholic beverages and deals on tapas, and a loyalty app offers everyday discounts on food, beverage and coffee purchases. The restaurant takes its name from Captain Henry 'Bully' Hayes, the notorious 19th-century seafarer of newspaper legend.

Bully Hayes Restaurant & Bar: Harbour-Side Dining in Akaroa

Bully Hayes Restaurant & Bar occupies a hard-to-beat position at 57 Beach Road, right on the waterfront in Akaroa. It opens every day of the year from 8.00am till late, covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, tapas and cocktails, and it does so with sensational panoramic views of Akaroa Harbour from both its indoor and outdoor areas. There's also a sheltered courtyard garden with a children's play area — a rarity for a harbourside dining room, and a big reason families settle in for hours while couples and groups grab a sunny table and stay just as long.

The kitchen works from an extensive menu built on fresh New Zealand produce, describing its style as an innovative mix of traditional and modern flavours, with a large variety of seafood and prices to suit any budget. The cooking has earned a 2019 Beef and Lamb Excellence Award, and the restaurant proudly displays a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

From First Coffee to Happy Hour

Mornings are dedicated to breakfast, served from 8.00am until 11.30am. The range runs from pancake stacks, French toast and eggs benedict to the full works of Bully's Fatty Boomba Breakfast and house-cured Akaroa salmon gravlax with kumara and blackened corn cake. Coffee is poured as a double shot every time, joined by an extensive list of Tea Total teas, iced drinks and hot chocolates.

From midday the full menu takes over: bread boards and dips, soups, burgers and sandwiches, 12-inch pizzas and a long tapas list spanning pork belly bites, Korean fried chicken wings, pan-fried dumplings and polenta fries. Happy Hour runs daily from 3.00pm to 5.00pm with discounts on all alcoholic beverages and deals on tapas — an easy excuse to order a platter and watch the harbour. The bar pours New Zealand wines, Monteith's and Tuatara craft beers on tap and in bottle, cocktails and a large range of non-alcoholic drinks.

What to Order

Seafood is the headline act. The Bully Hayes Famous Seafood Chowder — an abundance of New Zealand seafood served with garlic, olive and herb focaccia — is the dish diners come back for, and one reviewer rated the tempura prawns "as good as you will find anywhere". Battered Chatham Island blue cod arrives with homemade tartare and seasoned fries, while the Akaroa sea run salmon comes honey and soya-marinated on fried sticky rice with a mirin, soy and ginger sauce.

Land-lovers have plenty too: a large Canterbury lamb shank braised with red wine and herbs that "fell off the bone" according to one guest, crispy duck pancakes, a ribeye steak sandwich on char-grilled Turkish bread, and the unapologetically Kiwi Bully's Kiwi Burger stacked with beetroot, egg, gruyere and onion relish. Larger groups can order from dedicated set menus, and function menus make celebrations easy to arrange.

Who Was Bully Hayes?

The name comes from Captain Henry "Bully" Hayes, a notorious 19th-century seafarer whose escapades — including his recorded stints as a part-time "blackbirder" who tricked Pacific Islanders into indentured labour — were gleefully written up by the newspaper reporters of his day. It's a colourful piece of history behind a warmly run modern restaurant.

Plan Your Visit

Reservations can be made online or by phone, and the team aims to reply to enquiries within 24 hours. A loyalty app gives members discounts on all food, beverage and coffee purchases every day, plus Happy Hour discounts and purchase rewards, and gift vouchers are on offer for hard-to-buy-for friends and family. In winter, the "Made for It" promo invites two people to share a memorable dinner topped off with a complimentary dessert crafted by the chefs.

With everything from a morning flat white to a late seafood dinner overlooking the water, Bully Hayes has staked its claim as Akaroa's premium dining spot — and, as one visitor put it, "the perfect type of restaurant for this location".

Signature items

• Bully Hayes Famous Seafood Chowder
• Bully's Fatty Boomba Breakfast
• Battered Chatham Island Blue Cod
• Akaroa Sea Run Salmon
• Bully's Kiwi Burger
• Eggs Benedict

Menu

Kids

• Kids Breakfast — Junior big breaky with bacon, sausage, toast, hash browns and poached egg (12 years & under), served 8am–11:30am

Soups

• Bully Hayes Famous Seafood Chowder — An abundance of New Zealand seafood, served with garlic, olive and herb focaccia — regular or large
• Bully's Homemade Soup of the Moment — Rotating homemade soup with garlic, olive and herb focaccia — regular or large

Pizzas

• Margherita — True Neapolitan pizza with Bully's tomato base, mozzarella slices, fresh tomato and basil, drizzled with olive oil
• Meat Lovers — Ask your server for the meaty special of the day — guaranteed to satisfy the hangriest of appetites

Breakfast

• Bully's Fatty Boomba Breakfast — Crispy middle bacon, Sicilian chipolata, black pudding, homemade baked beans, caramelised onion relish, portobello mushroom, hash browns and two poached eggs with multigrain toast
• Bully's Classic Breakfast — Crispy middle bacon, Italian chipolata, slow roasted tomato, portobello mushroom, hash browns and two poached eggs with thick cut sourdough toast
• Bacon & Eggs — Two poached eggs, crispy middle bacon and slow roasted tomato on toasted sourdough
• Eggs Benedict — Poached eggs on a toasted English muffin with avocado and hollandaise — choose crispy bacon, cold smoked salmon or portobello mushroom
• Vegetarian Feast — Kumara & blackened corn cake, portobello mushroom, spinach, baked beans, two poached eggs, roasted tomato and hash browns with hollandaise
• BLAT — Crispy middle bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato in a toasted bagel with aioli and hash browns
• Breakfast Omelette – Crispy Middle Bacon — Bacon, spinach, caramelised onion and mozzarella with grain toast and tomato chutney
• Breakfast Omelette – Vegetarian — Mushroom, spinach, tomato, caramelised onion and mozzarella with grain toast and tomato chutney
• Breakfast Omelette – Hot Smoked Salmon — Hot smoked salmon, avocado, spinach and mozzarella with grain toast and tomato chutney
• Akaroa Salmon Gravlax — Bully's cured salmon with kumara & blackened corn cake, avocado, creme fraiche and Mediterranean salsa
• Blueberry Pancake Stack — Light pancakes with blueberries, maple syrup, berry coulis and cream
• Bacon & Banana Pancakes — Light pancakes with caramelised banana, crispy middle bacon and maple syrup
• French Toast — Thick baguette slices fried in cinnamon and orange batter with grilled banana, crispy bacon and maple syrup
• Bagel with Scrambled Egg — Toasted bagel with scrambled eggs, chives and tomato & onion relish; add cold smoked salmon and a lemon wedge
• Toast & Preserves — Brioche, sourdough and multigrain, toasted with butter, manuka honey and Bully's homemade berry conserve

Light Mains

• Braised Lamb Shank — Large Canterbury lamb hind shank braised with tomatoes, red wine, herbs and vegetables on horseradish and parsley potato mash with buttered green peas [GF]
• Crispy Duck Pancakes — Spinach pancakes filled with spiced slow roasted shredded duck breast, hoisin, roasted peanuts and Asian slaw
• Pan-fried Gnocchi and Mozzarella — Kumara and pumpkin gnocchi with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and confit garlic, tossed with mozzarella and basil pesto, topped with shaved parmesan [V]

Breads & Dips

• Bread Board — Olive focaccia, pumpernickel ciabatta and olive bread char-grilled, with a trio of Bully's dips, balsamic reduction, EV olive oil and dukkah — small or to share
• Warm Triple Pull Apart Garlic Loaf — Served with garlic and fresh herb infused butter
• Side of Marinated Olives — Garlic and chilli marinated black Kalamata and jumbo green pitted olives

Breakfast Sides

• Crispy Bacon — Side of three crispy middle bacon rashers
• Mushroom Flats — Sauteed portobello-style mushroom flats
• Eggs — Two eggs, any style
• Hash Browns — Four golden hash browns
• Cold Smoked Salmon — 100g side of cold smoked salmon
• Bully's Cured Salmon Gravlax — 100g of house-cured salmon gravlax
• Italian Chipolata — Two Italian sausage chipolatas
• Roasted Tomatoes — Two slow roasted tomatoes
• Bully's Homemade Baked Beans — House batch of baked beans
• Toast — Two slices of sourdough or multigrain with butter

Coffee & Drinks

• Short Black — Espresso, served double shot
• Long Black — Double shot long black
• Americano — Double shot americano
• Macchiato — Double shot marked with foam
• Flat White — Double shot flat white
• Flat White Large — A larger pour of the flat white
• Cappuccino — Double shot cappuccino
• Mochaccino — Coffee and chocolate combined
• Latte — Double shot latte
• Latte Bowl — A full bowl of latte
• Vienna — Vienna-style coffee, double shot
• Iced Coffee — Chilled coffee classic
• Iced Chocolate — Chilled chocolate classic
• Iced Mocha — Chilled coffee and chocolate
• Hot Blackcurrant — Warm blackcurrant drink
• Hot Cadbury Chocolate with Marshmallows — Cadbury chocolate topped with marshmallows
• Spiced Chai Latte — Spiced chai latte
• Golden Turmeric Latte — Golden turmeric latte
• Matcha Green Tea Latte — Matcha green tea latte
• Sweet Slices — A rotating selection of sweet slices available at the bar

Seafood Selection

• Battered Chatham Island Blue Cod — Fillets cooked to order in Bully's golden batter with dressed salad, homemade tartare, lemon wedges and seasoned fries [GF; pan-fried available]
• Akaroa Sea Run Salmon — 180g honey and soya marinated fillet on fried sticky rice with edamame, shredded vegetables and bok choy in a mirin, soy and ginger sauce
• Garlic Prawn Linguine Pasta — Prawn cutlets fried with garlic, chilli and sundried tomato

Teas By Tea Total

• English Breakfast — Blend of Ceylon and Assam Orange Pekoe
• Earl Grey Special — With citrus, lemongrass, jasmine and cornflower
• Japanese Green Sencha — Traditional Japanese green tea
• Japanese Lime — Green sencha with lime, lemon and daisies
• Berry Crumble — Infusion of currants and blackberries
• Pure Chamomile — Pure chamomile infusion
• Pure Peppermint — Pure peppermint infusion
• Mango Star — Rosehip, hibiscus, lemon, mango, blackcurrant and pineapple
• Rooibos Organic Orange Citrus — Red bush tea with lemon and orange peels and lemongrass
• Ginger & Lemon — Warming ginger and lemon infusion
• Nepal Marsala — Cinnamon, orange peel, almond, ginger, cloves and cardamom
• Fruit & Herbal Teas — Fruit and herbal pots for one or two

Burgers & Sandwiches

• Crisp & Spicy Battered Chicken Burger — 200g chicken breast in Bully's herb and spice coating with bacon, tasty cheese, salad, BBQ sauce and garlic aioli in a grilled milkbread bun
• Bully's Kiwi Burger — Prime 180g beef patty with gruyere, bacon, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, egg, onion relish and aioli in a grilled milkbread bun
• Cheese Burger — Prime 180g beef patty with double gruyere, gherkin, red onion, special burger sauce and salad
• Chatham Island Blue Cod Burger — Crispy battered blue cod fillets with sweet chilli, tartare, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and red onion rings
• Ribeye Steak Sandwich — Aged 200g ribeye char-grilled to your liking with gruyere, salad, onion relish and aioli on char-grilled Turkish bread
• Gourmet Vegetarian Sandwich — Spiced kumara and chickpea patty, char-grilled Mediterranean vegetables, portobello mushroom, sundried tomato hummus, grilled haloumi and eggplant relish on Turkish bread [V; vegan available]

Tapas & Small Plates

• Bully's Combo Tapas Platter — Choose any three or five tapas plates to share
• Popcorn Chicken — Ginger, soy and sesame marinated chicken strips, crispy fried, with chilli and roasted black garlic aioli [GF, DF]
• Tempura Prawns — Nine delicately seasoned tempura prawn cutlets with zesty sriracha aioli [DF]
• Akaroa Salmon Ceviche Bruschetta — Akaroa salmon ceviche served on bruschetta
• Beef Cheek Yorkshire Puddings — Braised beef cheek and brisket in rich beef ragout with caramelised onions and horseradish cream
• Polenta Fries — Polenta, feta and herb chips with roasted capsicum coulis and pesto [V, GF]
• Korean Fried Chicken Wings — Buttermilk marinated, fried in Bully's crispy seasoned coating with Gochujang chilli sauce
• Char Siu BBQ Baby Back Pork Riblets — Twice cooked Chinese BBQ style ribs with hoisin, shaoxing and spices [GF]
• Spicy Chipotle in Adobo Pulled Pork Bao Buns — Bao buns with Bully's slaw, slow cooked pulled pork, sriracha mayo and toasted peanuts
• Vegetarian Quesadilla — Slow roasted kidney and black beans, caponata, red onion, spinach and cheese in a pan-fried tortilla with guacamole, salsa and sour cream
• Pan-fried Dumplings — Nine pork and garlic dumplings with crispy shallots, kewpie mayo and chilli jam [DF; vegan available]
• Mushroom Arancini Balls — Sauteed mushroom, assorted cheese and caramelised onion risotto balls in gluten free crumb with aioli and shaved parmesan [GF, V]
• Pork Belly Bites — Crispy pork belly cubes in potato starch coating with chilli caramel and pineapple salsa [GF]
• Three Cheese and Jalapeno Croquettes — Barry's Bay cheese and curd croquettes with jalapenos, panko crumbed, with Bully's green tomato relish [V]
• Patatas Bravas — Crispy agria potato wedges with smoky salsa brava, garlic aioli, grilled cheese and bacon lardons [GF; V available]

Frequently asked questions

What are the opening hours?

Bully Hayes is open 7 days year-round from 8.00am till late. Breakfast is served from 8.00am to 11.30am, and Happy Hour runs daily from 3.00pm to 5.00pm.

How do I book a table?

You can reserve online via the website's reservations page or call +64 3 3047533. Enquiry form messages are answered within 24 hours where possible.

Is the restaurant suitable for families?

Yes — there's a kids' menu, and the sheltered courtyard garden includes a children's play area.

Are there vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options?

Yes. The menu marks vegetarian, vegan-available and gluten-free dishes — for example polenta fries, mushroom arancini, vegetarian quesadilla, vegan-available dumplings and gluten-free battered blue cod.

When is Happy Hour?

Every day from 3.00pm to 5.00pm, with discounts on all alcoholic beverages and deals on tapas.

Can you cater for groups and functions?

Yes — set menus are available for groups, and dedicated function menus can be arranged for events.

Is there a loyalty programme?

Yes. The loyalty app gives daily discounts on all food, beverage and coffee purchases, Happy Hour discounts, and purchase rewards on beverages and coffee.

Tips

• {"body":"Daily from 3.00pm to 5.00pm you'll get discounts on all alcoholic beverages plus deals on tapas.","title":"Time it for Happy Hour"}
• {"body":"Reserve online or call +64 3 3047533 to lock in indoor or outdoor seating with the panoramic Akaroa Harbour outlook.","title":"Book ahead for the view"}
• {"body":"Breakfast runs from 8.00am to 11.30am, so arrive in the morning if you're after the Fatty Boomba or eggs benedict.","title":"Breakfast has a cut-off"}
• {"body":"Members get discounts on food, beverage and coffee purchases every day, plus rewards on beverage and coffee purchases.","title":"Sign up for the loyalty app"}
• {"body":"The 'Made for It' winter promo offers a dinner for two topped off with a complimentary chef-crafted dessert.","title":"Couples: look out for the winter promo"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Sheltered courtyard garden with a children's play area; kids' menu available","dietary":"Vegetarian, vegan-available and gluten-free options are marked across the menu","payments":"Accepts all restaurant association vouchers"}