Saints Cafe, Restaurant & Bar is a vibrant dining destination nestled in the heart of Hanmer Springs, offering a distinctive blend of contemporary cuisine, warm hospitality, and unique dining experiences. Open daily from 11am to 9:30pm, Saints welcomes guests for everything from casual brunch to special occasion dinners, with bookings highly recommended especially during peak times. The venue is renowned for its stonegrill—an interactive, truly unique dining experience where your meal is served cooking to your table on a super-heated natural volcanic stone, transforming dinner into memorable theatre. Beyond the stonegrill, the restaurant offers an extensive menu spanning breakfast and brunch classics, fresh pizzas, seafood specialities, and contemporary à-la-carte dishes that showcase quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation. The wine list features carefully curated local New Zealand selections, complemented by a diverse range of craft beers, ciders, and spirits. Saints prides itself on accommodating dietary requirements with gluten-free and dairy-free options throughout the menu, and maintains a dedicated kids' menu ensuring families are warmly welcomed. Whether you're seeking a leisurely brunch, a casual dinner with friends, a special celebration, or an adventure at the stonegrill, Saints delivers an experience that captures the welcoming spirit and culinary creativity that defines Hanmer Springs hospitality.
Tucked away in the heart of Hanmer Springs, Saints Cafe, Restaurant & Bar has established itself as a culinary destination where casual dining meets genuine hospitality. Open daily from 11am until 9:30pm, this welcoming venue caters to everyone—from families seeking a leisurely brunch to couples celebrating special occasions, and adventurous diners eager to experience interactive stonegrill cooking. Bookings are highly recommended, especially during peak times, as Saints has earned its reputation as a must-visit spot in the Hanmer Springs dining scene.
What sets Saints apart is its signature stonegrill experience—a truly unique interactive dining adventure where your meal is served cooking to your table on a super-heated natural volcanic stone. This isn't just about eating; it's about participating in the preparation of your dish. Whether you choose the iconic Prime Fillet beef eye fillet, the Challenge (a hearty 400gm premium aged rump steak), tender venison medallions, or a succulent pork fillet wrapped in bacon, the stonegrill transforms dinner into memorable theatre. Guests select their preferred sauce—mushroom, peppercorn, garlic and herb butter, gravy, sweet plum, or smoky BBQ—and watch as their protein cooks to perfection, filling the table with aromas and anticipation. It's the kind of experience that guests remember long after the last bite.
Saints' menu reflects a sophisticated approach to casual dining. Brunch and lunch offerings showcase contemporary creativity: the Saints Brekkie delivers a full Kiwi breakfast experience with eggs, sausages, bacon, hashbrowns, mushroom and tomato; Eggs Benny features poached eggs on English muffins with hollandaise; and Saints Pancakes are light, fluffy and served with berry compote, cream and maple syrup. The lunch menu shines with dishes like the Smoked Steak Sammy (in-house smoked 150gm Ribeye with fried egg and aioli), the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich (vegetarian ciabatta with halloumi and chutney), and the Keto Chicken & Bacon Salad.
Dinner moves into heartier territory: the Pappardelle Bolognese features a long-cooked tomato and red wine sauce infused with garlic, onion, beef and bacon; Saints BBQ Ribs are slow-braised until fall-off-the-bone tender and glazed in house-made sticky sauce; and the fresh Fish N Chips showcases beer-battered daily catch with house-made tartare. The pizza menu, with options ranging from classic Margherita to the inventive Moroccan Chicken (infused with Moroccan spices, roasted peppers, mushrooms and feta) and the indulgent Meat Lovers, ensures there's something for every palate.
The Mussel Pot for 2 stands out as a customer favourite—freshly steamed Marlborough green-lipped mussels served in their shells in Saints' famous creamy garlic, onion and white wine sauce, accompanied by fresh lemon and ciabatta bread. The Satay Chicken—two succulent and tender satay chicken skewers with side salad—delivers vibrant, layered flavours that keep diners returning. For those seeking Indian flavours, the Saints Murgh Makhani (traditional butter chicken) provides a warming, medium-spiced alternative to standard pub fare.
The beverage program reflects a commitment to quality. The beer selection spans tap options like Export Ultra, Monteith's range and Wayfarer Pilsner, through specialty beers including Tiger and Tuatara Hazy Pale Ale, to craft options from Bach Brewing, Brew Moon and local Tuatara Paraparaumu selections. The wine list features curated local New Zealand wines—Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough and Waipara, Pinot Noirs, Rieslings and Rosés—ensuring food and drink pairings feel thoughtful rather than generic.
Saints actively welcomes families with a dedicated kids' menu featuring classics like American Hotdogs, Mini Hotdogs, Fish N Chips, Chicken Nuggets and Kids Ice Cream Sundaes—all prepared with the same care as adult dishes. The restaurant also goes to great lengths to accommodate gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan dietary requirements throughout the menu, with options clearly marked and upgrades available (such as gluten-free pizza bases and dairy-free cheese). While Saints works hard to prevent cross-contamination, they note their shared food preparation areas and encourage guests with extreme sensitivities to inform the team so they can take every precaution.
What draws diners back to Saints time and again is the complete package: a welcoming atmosphere that feels genuine, menu quality that justifies the price, and an understanding that dining out is about more than fuel. Whether you're settling in for a quiet weekday brunch, celebrating with friends over stonegrill steaks, or treating the family to pizza and ice cream sundaes, Saints delivers an experience that reflects the warm, unpretentious hospitality Hanmer Springs is known for. The venue transforms throughout the day—casual and brighter at lunch, intimate and buzzing with energy at dinner—making it equally suited to solo travellers, couples, families and groups.