The Burnt Place Bar & Kitchen

About The Burnt Place Bar & Kitchen

The Burnt Place Bar & Kitchen sits at 191 High Street in the heart of Hāwera, built around a simple idea: everyone needs a third place — not work, not home, just right. It's a relaxed, welcoming space where great food, good company and unforgettable flavours come together, and where the team aims to make every visit feel like a special occasion, whether you're stopping in for a morning coffee or settling in for a lively night out.

By day, the kitchen runs a vibrant brunch and lunch menu alongside a selection of thoughtfully crafted small plates — perfect for a quick bite or a leisurely catch-up. As the evening sets in, the menu transforms into a sharing-style experience designed to be enjoyed together: small plates to pass around, delicious meat dishes accompanied by carefully crafted salads and vegetable sides, and amazing cocktails expertly mixed to complement the moment.

Reservations are open for brunch, lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday, with the last booking slot at 8pm. Larger gatherings of more than 15 people can be arranged directly with the team by phone or email, and fast, high-quality service is a stated point of pride.

The Burnt Place Bar & Kitchen: Hāwera's 'Third Place' for Brunch, Shared Plates and Cocktails

Walk into The Burnt Place Bar & Kitchen on Hāwera's High Street and you'll quickly understand the tagline: "Not Work, Not Home. Just Right." This is a restaurant built around the idea of the "third place" — that essential spot between the office and the living room where people slow down, catch up and share something good. The team describes it as a relaxed, welcoming space where every visit feels like a special occasion, whether you're ordering a morning coffee, settling in for a long brunch or making a night of it.

A Menu That Moves With the Day

Mornings here belong to brunch. The kitchen's take on eggs benedict sits on a golden rosti rather than bread, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise and your choice of bacon, haloumi or smoked salmon. The full Burnt Place Breakfast loads the table with poached eggs, rosti, bacon, kransky, tomato, mushrooms, toast and tomato relish, while the buttermilk waffles let you pick a lane — berries and ice cream, or bacon and maple syrup. Vegetarians are well looked after too, with a vege breakfast, a corn-fritter vege stack under hollandaise, and simple eggs your way on toast.

Lunch keeps things equally generous: crispy fried chicken and beef burgers with fries, an open steak sandwich layered with angus sirloin, caramelised onions and hollandaise on focaccia, potato gnocchi in a white wine reduction, a Korean fried chicken salad and a lamb flatbread with hummus and tzatziki. Alongside sit the small plates the place is known for — crumbed camembert with cranberry sauce, haloumi fries with kewpie mayo, chicken liver mousse with bacon jam, and arancini balls whose flavour changes week to week.

As the evening sets in, the menu transforms into a sharing-style experience designed to be enjoyed together. Start with plates to pass — pork belly bites glazed with lemongrass and chilli soy, or that crispy fried chicken with Korean sauce — then move on to slow-cooked mains: braised lamb shoulder on kumara puree, braised beef cheek with caramelised onion, BBQ-spiced pork ribs in house-made sauce, angus sirloin with chimichurri or a salmon fillet on spinach risotto. The vegetable dishes and salads — truffle potato mash, hassleback potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnip, french peas and a cranberry-and-almond cauliflower salad — are made to be ordered alongside, not treated as afterthoughts.

Platters, Cocktails and the Long Table

From 5.30pm daily, the sharing platters take centre stage. Bao Down arrives with eight bao buns, kewpie slaw, pork belly bites and fried chicken; Fried n Deep piles up spring rolls, deep fried camembert, prawn twisters and wontons; Bread & Dips pairs garlic bread and pita with chicken liver mousse and hummus. Add a cocktail — expertly mixed, the team promises, to complement the moment — and dinner becomes an event.

Plan Your Visit

The Burnt Place welcomes bookings for brunch, lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Doors open at 10am Tuesday to Friday and from 9am on weekends, with the last booking slot at 8pm each day. Reservations can be made online, and for gatherings of more than 15 people the team asks that you phone or email directly so they can look after the details. Plenty of dishes are marked vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free across the menu, so mixed groups are easy to cater for. Fast, high-quality service is a stated point of pride — the kind that lets you relax and let the kitchen do the work.

Whether it's a coffee in the morning, a leisurely lunch with your favourite people or a share-plate feast after dark, The Burnt Place aims to be exactly what it promises: Hāwera's third place, where the flavours are memorable and the welcome is warm.

Signature items

• Eggs Benedict on Rosti
• Bao Down Platter
• Braised Lamb Shoulder
• Crispy Fried Chicken
• Buttermilk Waffles
• Angus Sirloin

Menu

Lunch

• Bruschetta — Tomato, red onion, basil pesto and feta whip with balsamic reduction on focaccia
• Chicken Liver Mousse — With focaccia bread and bacon jam
• Corn & Courgette Fritters — With creme fraiche and sweet chilli
• Chicken Burger — Crispy fried chicken on a brioche bun with tomato sauce, mustard, lettuce, aioli and fries
• Beef Burger — Beef patty with bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce, aioli and fries
• Open Steak Sandwich — Angus sirloin on focaccia with caramelised onions, hollandaise, green salad and fries
• Potato Gnocchi — Parmesan and gremolata crumb in a white wine reduction
• Crispy Chicken Salad — Korean fried chicken, greens, cucumber, red onion and capsicum with sesame seeds, crispy noodles and sesame oil dressing
• Lamb Flatbread — Flatbread with hummus, lamb, tomato, onion, capsicum, cucumber, green leaves and tzatziki
• Cauliflower Salad (vg, df, gf) — Cranberries, almonds, cashews and coconut yoghurt
• Super Slaw — Cabbage, spinach, roasted corn, peanuts, almond and chilli
• Chilled Beetroot Salad — With yoghurt, feta whip and walnuts
• Arancini Balls — Ask for the flavour this week
• Crumbed Camembert — Deep fried with cranberry sauce
• Haloumi Fries — With kewpie mayo
• Crispy Fried Chicken — Korean sauce, yoghurt and sesame seeds; add bao buns and kewpie slaw
• Pork Belly Bites (gf, df) — Lemongrass and chilli soy glaze; add bao buns and kewpie slaw
• Fries (gf) — With aioli or tomato sauce

Brunch

• Eggs Benedict on Rosti — Poached eggs and hollandaise on rosti with bacon or haloumi, or smoked salmon
• The Burnt Place Breakfast — Poached eggs, rosti, bacon, kransky, tomato, mushrooms, toast and tomato relish
• Vege Breakfast (vg) — Poached eggs, avocado, tomato, mushroom, rosti, haloumi, toast and tomato relish
• Buttermilk Waffles — Your choice of berries and ice cream, or bacon and maple syrup
• Three Egg Omelette — Any two of cherry tomato, mushroom, spinach, red onion or cheese, plus bacon, haloumi or smoked salmon
• Vege Stack (vg) — Corn fritter, roasted eggplant, courgette, haloumi, roasted red pepper, poached egg and hollandaise
• Eggs Your Way (vg) — Poached, fried or scrambled eggs on toast

Dinner

• Garlic Bread (vg) — Toasted ciabatta with garlic butter; add cheese or sweet chilli sauce
• Bruschetta (vg) — Tomato, red onion, basil and feta whip with balsamic reduction on focaccia
• Chicken Liver Mousse — Focaccia bread and bacon jam
• Crumbed Camembert (vg) — Deep fried with cranberry sauce
• Arancini Balls — Ask your server for the flavour this week
• Haloumi Fries (vg) — Buttermilk battered with kewpie mayo
• Crispy Fried Chicken — Korean sauce, yoghurt and sesame seeds; add bao buns and kewpie slaw
• Pork Belly Bites (gf, df) — Lemongrass and chilli soy glaze; add bao buns and kewpie slaw
• Salmon Fillet (gf) — Spinach risotto, butter fried asparagus and tarragon white wine sauce
• BBQ Spiced Pork Ribs (gf) — Five slow cooked pork ribs in a house made BBQ sauce
• Braised Lamb Shoulder (gf) — Kumara puree and lamb jus
• Angus Sirloin (gf) — Parsnip puree, chimichurri and beef jus
• Braised Beef Cheek (gf) — Caramelised onion, beef jus, potato puree and crispy shallots
• Cauliflower Salad (vg, df, gf) — Cranberries, almonds, cashews and coconut yoghurt
• Green Leaf Salad (vg, df) — Green leaves, cucumber, red onion and capsicum with sesame seeds, crispy noodles and sesame dressing
• Super Slaw (vg, df, gf) — Cabbage, spinach, roasted corn, peanuts and almonds
• Chilled Beetroot Salad (vg) — Yoghurt, feta whip and walnuts
• Potato Gnocchi (vg) — Parmesan, gremolata crumb and white wine reduction
• Roasted Carrots & Parsnip (vg, df) — Spiced pumpkin seeds and creme fraiche
• French Peas (gf) — Bacon and white wine reduction
• Potato Mash (gf, vg) — Creamed with truffle oil
• Hassleback Potatoes (gf, df) — Rosemary and garlic butter
• Fries (gf, df, vg) — With garlic aioli or tomato sauce

Brunch Extras

• Bacon — Add-on side for any brunch dish
• Kransky — Add-on side for any brunch dish
• Egg — Extra egg add-on
• Tomato — Add-on side
• Mushrooms — Add-on side
• Avocado — Add-on side
• Rosti (gf) — Gluten-free rosti add-on
• Haloumi — Add-on side
• Toast — Add-on side
• Cold Smoked Salmon — Add-on side
• Hollandaise — Extra hollandaise sauce

Platters (Available Daily From 5.30pm)

• Bao Down — Eight bao buns with kewpie slaw, pork belly bites with lemongrass chilli soy glaze and fried chicken with Korean sauce
• Fried n Deep — Spring rolls, deep fried camembert, prawn twisters, wontons and fries with sweet chilli, aioli and tomato sauce
• Bread & Dips — Garlic bread, chicken liver mousse with onion bacon jam, pita bread and hummus

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a booking at The Burnt Place?

Reservations are recommended and can be made online for brunch, lunch or dinner. You can also book by calling 06 278 0562.

What are the opening hours?

Tuesday to Friday from 10am, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am, with the last booking slot at 8pm each day. Closed Mondays.

What kind of food is served?

Brunch and lunch by day — eggs benedict, waffles, burgers, salads and small plates — then a sharing-style dinner of slow-cooked meat dishes, seafood and vegetable sides, plus platters available daily from 5.30pm and cocktails.

Are there vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options?

Yes. Dishes like the Vege Breakfast, Vege Stack and cauliflower salad are clearly marked (vg, gf, df) across the brunch, lunch and dinner menus, and many dinner mains are gluten-free.

Can you host large groups?

Yes. For bookings of more than 15 people, contact the team directly by phone or email and they will help arrange your visit.

When are the sharing platters available?

The platters — Bao Down, Fried n Deep and Bread & Dips — are available daily from 5.30pm.

How do I get in touch?

Call 06 278 0562 or email [email protected]. You'll also find The Burnt Place on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Tips

• {"body":"The last booking slot is 8pm each night, and doors open at 10am Tuesday–Friday and 9am on weekends — weekends are the pick for a long brunch.","title":"Time your visit"}
• {"body":"Sharing platters run daily from 5.30pm — Bao Down, with eight bao buns, pork belly bites and fried chicken, is built for the whole table.","title":"Platter o'clock"}
• {"body":"Groups of more than 15 should phone or email ahead so the team can arrange everything for your visit.","title":"Bringing a crowd?"}
• {"body":"The arancini flavour changes weekly, so ask your server what's in the current batch.","title":"Ask about the arancini"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Vegetarian, vegan-friendly, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes are clearly marked across the menu."}