St Heliers Bay Bistro

About St Heliers Bay Bistro

St Heliers Bay Bistro sits on Tamaki Drive in St Heliers, Auckland, serving the seaside neighbourhood from 7am, seven days a week. Its guiding line is simple — 'Eat Together' — and the whole setup is built around that, whether it's a family breakfast, a long lunch by the bay or a dinner that runs until close.

The menu moves with the day. Mornings bring eggs benny on a house-made hashbrown, ricotta soufflé pancakes, shakshuka and acai bowls, with breakfast cocktails, house-made smoothies, fresh juices and iced matcha alongside. From noon the focus shifts to market oysters, crab sliders, wagyu cheeseburgers and beer-battered fish and chips; a 3-5pm grazing menu covers the gap with plates like baked brie and five-spice fried chicken; and from 5pm dinner adds lamb rump, market fish, steaks and gourmet pizza.

There's a takeaway store on site as well — The Store — open daily from 7am to 8.30pm, plus a dedicated kids menu, dessert menu and full beverage list. Menus are clearly labelled for no-gluten, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and nut-free options, with a full allergen breakdown available on request. Reservations and gift vouchers can both be arranged through the bistro's website.

St Heliers Bay Bistro: From Sunrise Breakfasts to Late Dinners on Tamaki Drive

St Heliers Bay Bistro occupies a corner of Tamaki Drive in St Heliers, the bayside Auckland suburb where the water is never far away, and its whole rhythm is built around one idea printed right on the homepage: eat together. Doors open at 7am, seven days a week, and they stay open late — 8.30pm Sunday to Thursday and 9pm Friday and Saturday — which makes it one of those rare places that can plausibly host your breakfast, your lunch and your dinner. You'll find it at 387 Tamaki Drive, with enquiries taken on 09 575 0606 or via [email protected].

A menu that follows the sun

Breakfast runs from 7am to noon and it's where the bistro has the most fun. Eggs benny is stacked on a house-made hashbrown with spinach and hollandaise — add bacon, haloumi or cold smoked salmon if you like — the ricotta soufflé pancake comes with maple butter, banana, mascarpone and caramelised walnuts, and the shakshuka pairs harissa-baked egg with feta, labneh, dukkah and sourdough. For serious appetites there's the big boy: eggs, bacon, toast, sausages, hashbrown, roast tomato and mushrooms on one plate. The morning drinks list goes well beyond the usual, with an espresso martini or peach bellini alongside breakfast, house-made smoothies like the green warrior, freshly squeezed juices, sodas and an iced matcha selection.

At midday the kitchen pivots. Lunch, served 12-3pm, opens with small plates — market oysters natural or beer battered by the half or full dozen, crab sliders with curry mayo and a spiced crunch, salt and pepper calamari, burrata with roasted pumpkin and sage. The substantial end covers the classics done properly: a wagyu cheeseburger with handcut chips, beer-battered fish and chips with house-made tartare, fish pie under a potato top, spinach rigatoni, pan-roasted chicken salad and pan-seared market fish in peppercorn dashi. Steak lovers get a beef cut of the day — eye fillet or sirloin — with handcut chips.

Rather than going quiet between services, the bistro switches to a grazing menu from 3 to 5pm — lighter plates, oysters by the piece, crispy lamb rib with spicy dukkah — and from 3 to 6pm daily there's a standing special pairing oysters with a glass of bubbles. Dinner, from 5pm, brings its own additions: lamb rump with cashew puree and chimichurri, eye fillet or sirloin with red wine jus, enoki mushroom and watercress, and a gourmet pizza list running from a straightforward margherita to a mixed seafood pizza with chorizo, pickled fennel and chilli.

The Store, and the small print that helps

Alongside the restaurant, The Store operates as the takeaway arm, open daily from 7am to 8.30pm for those grabbing and going. Menus carry clear allergen markers — no gluten ingredients, vegetarian, vegan, no dairy, nut free — and a full breakdown is available on request; the team simply asks that you mention any allergies when you order. There's a dedicated kids menu for younger diners, a dessert menu for the finish, and a full beverage list to work through.

On the practical side, tables can be reserved online through the bistro's website, gift vouchers are available for anyone who'd rather gift the experience, and you can follow along at @stheliersbaybistro on Instagram. A surcharge applies on public holidays and to credit and contactless payments, while EFTPOS and inserted or swiped debit cards carry none.

Altogether it adds up to a dependable anchor for the neighbourhood — one Tamaki Drive address covering sunrise breakfasts, lazy afternoon grazing and proper dinners out, seven days a week, with the daily oyster-and-bubbles hour as a reasonably persuasive excuse to linger.

Signature items

• Market Oysters
• Ricotta Soufflé Pancake
• Bistro Wagyu Cheese Burger
• Beer Battered Fish & Chips
• Eggs Benny
• Baked Brie

Menu

Mains

• Fish Pie — With vegetables, a potato top and kumara crisps.
• Spinach Rigatoni — Courgette, edamame, pickled onion feta, garlic, almonds and pumpkin seeds.
• Bistro Wagyu Cheese Burger — Shredded lettuce, burger sauce, pickles and handcut chips; make it a double.
• Beer Battered Fish & Chips — Coleslaw, lemon and house-made tartare.
• Pan-Roasted Chicken Salad — Baby cos, fennel, rocket, poached grapes, roasted almonds and green goddess dressing.
• Pan Seared Market Fish — Peppercorn dashi, kale, fennel, orange and soft herbs.
• Lamb Rump — Cashew puree, chimichurri, charred onion and coriander.
• Beef Cut of the Day — Eye fillet (200g) or sirloin (250g) with handcut chips; bearnaise at lunch, red wine jus, enoki and watercress at dinner.

Drinks

• Espresso Martini — A staple of the breakfast cocktail list.
• Malibu Breeze — From the breakfast cocktail list.
• Mimosa — Prosecco and orange juice.
• Peach Bellini — From the breakfast cocktail list.
• Lemoncello Spritz — A citrus spritz from the breakfast cocktail list.
• Nutty Lover Smoothie — Banana, almond, date, cacao and almond milk.
• Green Warrior Smoothie — Avocado, spinach, apple, banana and coconut milk.
• Tropical Party Smoothie — Mango, pineapple, banana and coconut milk.
• All Berry Smoothie — Mixed berries, maple, banana and almond milk.
• Bay Boost Juice — Carrot, orange, ginger and turmeric.
• Garden Juice — Apple, celery and cucumber.
• Freshly Squeezed Orange — House-squeezed orange juice.
• Freshly Squeezed Apple — House-squeezed apple juice.
• Sodas — Apple & mint, passionfruit, strawberry and iced peach tea; mixable with soft serve yoghurt.
• Iced Matcha — Classic iced matcha, also available with strawberry.
• Matcha Blush — Iced matcha with whipped strawberry cream.
• Ruby Matcha Dream — Blended with matcha ice cream and raspberry.

Breakfast

• Toast, Butter & Seasonal Jam — Toast served with butter and the bistro's house-made seasonal jam.
• Eggs on Toast — Eggs cooked your way on toast.
• Acai Bowl — Acai soft serve, granola, seasonal fruit and peanut butter; option to mix in soft serve yoghurt.
• Crispy Flatbread — Refried black beans, fried eggs, potato crunch and pickled red onion.
• Turkish Eggs — Babaganoush, capsicum salsa, poached egg, rocket and crispy prosciutto on sourdough.
• Eggs Benny — House-made hashbrown, spinach and hollandaise; add bacon, haloumi or cold smoked salmon.
• Mince on Toast — Fried egg, grated parmesan and crispy basil on sourdough.
• Chorizo Open Omelette — Courgette, pinenut, tomato, feta and watercress on sourdough.
• Ricotta Soufflé Pancake — Maple butter, banana, mascarpone and caramelised walnuts.
• Shakshuka — Harissa, egg, feta, labneh, dukkah and shallot with sourdough.
• Big Boy — Eggs, bacon, toast, sausages, house-made hashbrown, roast tomato and mushrooms.

Small Plates

• Market Oysters — Natural or beer battered, by the half dozen, full dozen — or by the piece during grazing.
• Crispy Focaccia — Warm focaccia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
• Crab Sliders — Curry mayo, chives, chilli, lemon and spiced crunch; extra sliders available.
• Salt & Pepper Calamari — With citrus mayo, wild rocket and lemon.
• Bistro Fried Chicken — Chicken mayo, basil and five spice.
• Baked Brie — Seasonal jam, rosemary and toast.
• Burrata — Roasted pumpkin, sage, pesto, pickled butternut, pumpkin seeds and sourdough.
• Crispy Lamb Rib — Spicy dukkah, coriander and pickled daikon.

Gourmet Pizza

• Margherita — Tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh basil leaves.
• Pepperoni — Tomato sauce, mozzarella and rocket.
• Mixed Seafood — Tomato sauce, chorizo, pickled fennel, mozzarella, chilli and parsley.

Sides & Extras

• Hand Cut Chips — Served with aioli.
• Crispy Brussels Sprouts — Red wine dressing, hazelnut and sultanas.
• Charred Broccolini — Lemon dressing and almonds.
• Fresh Leaves — Baby cos, spinach, buckwheat, feta, radish and French dressing.
• Crispy Agria Potatoes — Confit garlic dressing and fried sage.
• House-Made Hashbrown — The bistro's own hashbrown, also a base for the eggs benny.
• Breakfast Sides — Avocado, bacon, sautéed mushroom, sausages, haloumi, roast tomato or cold smoked salmon.

Frequently asked questions

Where is St Heliers Bay Bistro and how do I contact it?

It's at 387 Tamaki Drive, St Heliers, Auckland. Phone 09 575 0606 or email [email protected].

What are the opening hours?

Open daily from 7am — until 8.30pm Sunday to Thursday and until 9pm Friday and Saturday. The takeaway store opens 7am-8.30pm daily.

What menus are served, and when?

Breakfast 7am-12pm, lunch 12-3pm, a grazing menu 3-5pm and dinner 5pm until close, plus pizza, kids and dessert menus.

Can I make a reservation?

Yes — reservations can be made through the reservations page on the bistro's website.

Are dietary requirements catered for?

Menus flag vegetarian, vegan, no-gluten-ingredient, no-dairy and nut-free options, and a full allergen breakdown is available on request — just let staff know about any allergies.

Is there anything for kids?

Yes, a dedicated kids' menu is offered alongside the main menus.

Are there any payment surcharges?

A surcharge applies on public holidays and to credit and contactless transactions. There is no surcharge for EFTPOS or debit cards that are inserted or swiped.

Tips

• {"body":"From 3-6pm daily the bistro runs a special pairing fresh oysters with a glass of bubbles.","title":"Catch oyster hour"}
• {"body":"Breakfast runs 7am-noon, lunch noon-3pm, the grazing menu covers 3-5pm, and dinner service goes from 5pm until close.","title":"Follow the day's menu"}
• {"body":"Tables can be reserved online via the website's reservations page — worth doing for dinner.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"In a hurry? The takeaway store is open daily from 7am to 8.30pm.","title":"Use The Store"}
• {"body":"Gift vouchers are available through the website if you'd rather let someone choose their own meal.","title":"Gift the experience"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Dedicated kids' menu available.","dietary":"Menus flag vegetarian, vegan, no-gluten, dairy-free and nut-free options; full allergen breakdown on request.","payments":"EFTPOS and cards accepted; surcharge on public holidays and credit/contactless transactions."}