The Seafood Collective Mission Bay sits on Tamaki Drive, part of a Kiwi-owned seafood eatery brand that launched in 2018 out of the team behind LJ's, New Zealand's largest seafood store chain. The idea was simple: take New Zealand's love of fresh seafood and turn it into an accessible, everyday eatery experience rather than a special-occasion outing.
The menu leans into modern combinations built around local seafood - squid burgers, prawn tacos, and fish and chips finished with homemade tartar sauce, lemon aioli slaw and their own lemon pepper chips. Fish fillets can be battered, crumbed or grilled, so there's a lighter option alongside the classic fry-up.
Sharing platters are the signature of the place. Whether it's a family outing, a group after a day on the water, or friends watching the sunset over Mission Bay, the platters are built for putting a spread of seafood in the middle of the table so everyone gets a taste of everything. The Seafood Collective also puts together catering packs for larger groups and events.
The branch works within a wider group that sources seafood from around New Zealand's shores and works with consultant chefs to keep the menu evolving, while keeping the focus on approachable, reasonably priced seafood for families and individuals alike.
On Tamaki Drive in Mission Bay, The Seafood Collective brings a modern take on New Zealand's seafood tradition to one of Auckland's best-known waterfront strips. It's part of a small but growing Kiwi-owned chain that started in 2018, founded by the team behind LJ's, the country's largest chain of seafood stores.
The Seafood Collective was built to celebrate New Zealand seafood and make it part of everyday eating, not just a treat for special occasions. The founders wanted to bring quality, reasonably priced seafood to families and individuals, working with consultant chefs to develop menu items that feel fresh and current rather than the standard fish-and-chip-shop fare.
That shows up on the menu in dishes like squid burgers and prawn tacos alongside the more familiar fish and chips - all built from seafood sourced from around New Zealand's own shores wherever possible.
The fish and chips here comes with homemade tartar sauce, a lemon aioli slaw, and the collective's own lemon pepper chips - a small twist on a classic that's meant to set it apart from the standard chip shop version. Fish fillets can be ordered battered, crumbed or grilled, which means there's a lighter option on the menu for anyone not in the mood for fried food.
The burgers and tacos take the same seafood-forward approach in a different format - squid burgers and prawn tacos both feature, aimed at people who want their seafood fix without sitting down to a full fish dinner.
The signature offering across The Seafood Collective's locations is the sharing platter. The idea is straightforward: rather than everyone ordering their own dish, a platter goes in the middle of the table and everyone gets a bit of everything. It's pitched at exactly the kind of setting Mission Bay is known for - a day at the beach, time out on the water, or watching the sun go down over the harbour with family or friends.
For bigger groups, the collective also puts together catering packs, extending the sharing concept beyond a single table to events and larger gatherings.
The Mission Bay branch sits within a small but expanding network of The Seafood Collective locations around New Zealand, including sites in Mt Eden, Mount Wellington and Papamoa. The brand is backed by a leadership team with a background in retail, hospitality and franchising, and continues to look at new locations as it grows.
At its core, though, the pitch stays the same wherever a branch opens: fresh, New Zealand-sourced seafood, served in a way that's easy to share, at a price that doesn't feel like a special occasion.
The Mission Bay branch is on Tamaki Drive, in the heart of one of Auckland's most popular waterfront suburbs - a natural fit for a seafood eatery built around sharing food with a view.