The Rocks Cafe & Shop 5

About The Rocks Cafe & Shop 5

The Rocks Restaurant & Bar, also known as The Rocks Cafe and Shop 5, is a Southland dining spot inside Courtville Place on Dee Street in Invercargill. The team describes turning eating out into an art form, specialising in steaks, fish, chicken, pork, venison and lamb across separate lunch and dinner menus.

The lunch menu covers seafood chowder, salads, burgers, pasta and risotto alongside seared ribeye and pan-fried salmon, while the more extensive dinner menu adds entrées, shared boards, and a longer list of mains such as fillet mignon, rib eye, surf and turf, lamb rump and a blueberry and port venison dish. A dedicated finger food and set menu is available for functions and larger groups by prior arrangement, and the bar runs a full beverage list of tap and bottled beer, cider, craft beer, soft drinks and juices.

The Rocks is closed Mondays and Sundays, open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm, and Saturday from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm. The venue also closes over the Christmas and New Year period each year.

The Rocks Restaurant & Bar: Steak, Seafood and Southland Dining in Invercargill

Tucked inside Courtville Place on Dee Street, The Rocks Restaurant & Bar — also known as The Rocks Cafe and Shop 5 — has built its reputation on turning eating out into an art form for Southland diners. The kitchen specialises in steaks, fish, chicken, pork, venison and lamb, spread across separate lunch and dinner menus designed to suit both a quick midday meal and a longer evening out.

Lunch built for variety

The lunch menu ranges from lighter options like toasted breads with garlic butter and a rich seafood chowder loaded with fish, mussels and prawns, through to heartier plates such as the Rocks Lunch Ribeye with smoked buffalo cheese sauce and caramelised onion, or a bourbon glazed pork burger with rustic Texas slaw. Salads, a chicken and portobello fettuccine, and a salmon and prawn cutlet risotto round out the midday offering, alongside a weekly changing gourmet pizza.

An extensive dinner menu

Come evening, the menu expands considerably. Entrées include a seafood delight of crumbed prawn cutlets, popcorn squid and fish goujons, warm marinated olives with toasted garlic and chorizo, and camembert and broccoli cheese bites. Mains lean into the kitchen's steak and game strengths — a fillet mignon with manuka smoked bacon, a rib eye finished with kikorangi blue cheese sauce in a puff pastry vol au vent, a surf and turf with a regularly changing seafood component, and a standout blueberry and port venison dish with maple kumara and a roasted cashew crumb. For those after seafood, the Sicilian fish bowl brings together prawns, mussels and market fish in a herb tomato and chorizo broth.

Sharing and functions

For groups, The Rocks offers a rummage board and an antipasto board loaded with cured meats, cheeses, seafood and house-made spreads. The venue also caters specifically for functions, with a dedicated finger food menu — including hot options like rosemary and garlic lamb koftas and cold options like smoked salmon blinis — plus a set menu available for large groups by prior arrangement.

Drinks and dietary care

The bar runs a full beverage list, from tap beer and cider to bottled and craft beer, including Emerson's Pilsner and London Porter, plus a range of soft drinks, mixers and juices. Across the food menu, dishes are clearly marked for vegetarian, vegan-on-request and gluten-free or gluten-free-on-request options, though the kitchen notes its deep fryers are not gluten free and asks guests to flag any allergies with their server.

Hours and getting there

The Rocks is closed on Mondays and Sundays. It opens Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 2pm and again from 5pm to 9pm, and Saturday from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm. The restaurant also closes over the Christmas and New Year period each year, so it's worth checking ahead if visiting over the holidays. Reservations can be made directly through the website, and the team can also be reached by phone or email for functions and general enquiries.

Signature items

• Seafood Chowder
• Sicilian Fish Bowl
• Fillet Mignon
• Rocks Rib Eye
• Blueberry and Port Venison
• Rummage Board

Menu

Lunch

• Breads and Spreads — Freshly toasted rocks bread served with in-house garlic butter and vinaigrette.
• Seafood Chowder — Rich and creamy, loaded with fish, mussels, prawns and capers, served with toasted ciabatta.
• Gourmet Pizza and Fries — A changing pizza of the week created by the kitchen team, served with fries.
• Vegetarian Stack — Roasted mushrooms, capsicum, Spanish onion, kumara, courgettes, potato patty and feta with spinach on tomato and basil sauce; chicken optional (GF).
• Rocks Fish of the Day — Tempura battered fish served with salad and fries.
• Bourbon Glazed Pork Burger — Homemade bourbon glazed pork with rustic Texas slaw on a toasted brioche bun and fries.
• Rocks Lunch Ribeye — Seared ribeye with chunky golden fries, streaky bacon, smoked buffalo cheese sauce, caramelised onion, melted tomato and crisp salad.
• Chicken Stack — Butterflied chicken breast marinated in pomegranate molasses and apple cider, on toasted ciabatta with seasonal salad, manuka smoked bacon, feta and garlic aioli (GFO).
• Pan-Fried Salmon — Infused with maple and paprika, on warm coconut rice with roasted red pepper aioli and crisp salad (GF).
• Garlic Butter Prawns — King prawn tails in a creamy garlic and pernod sauce over coconut steamed rice with crisp salad (GF).
• Field Mushroom Melt — Baked portobello with camembert on toasted ciabatta, baby spinach, cashew crumble and tomato basil dressing (GFO).
• Eggs Benedict — Poached eggs on honey cured belly bacon, toasted ciabatta and baby spinach, drizzled with hollandaise (GFO).
• Chicken Salad — Chicken breast strips on salad greens with camembert, roasted cashews, crispy bacon bits, vinaigrette and garlic aioli (GFO).
• Squid Salad — Crispy coated salt and pepper squid on fresh salad greens with bacon bits, cucumber, cherry tomato, lemon and wasabi aioli.
• Rocks Caesar Salad — Garden salad with shaved parmesan, crispy bacon bits, anchovies, boiled eggs and toasted focaccia.
• Chicken & Portobello Fettuccine — Chicken, portobello mushroom and onion in a creamy garlic and red wine reduction with fettuccine, baby spinach and shaved parmesan.
• Salmon and Prawn Cutlet Risotto — Salmon, prawn cutlets, capers, fennel and roasted peppers in creamy white wine citrus arborio rice with shaved parmesan (GF).
• Mussels — Green lipped mussels steamed in a creamy garlic and sauvignon blanc sauce with cracked pepper, lemon and dipping bread (GFO).

Mains

• Fish of the Day — Freshly prepared market fish, with the day's preparation described by wait staff (GFR).
• Garlic Prawns — King prawn tails in creamy garlic and pernod sauce over coconut steamed rice with crisp salad (GF).
• Sicilian Fish Bowl — Poached king prawn tails, gourmet mussels and market fish in a herb tomato, paprika, chorizo, ginger and garlic broth with citrus mascarpone and toasted focaccia (GFR).
• Smoked Salmon — Pan-fried salmon infused with maple and paprika on warm coconut rice with roasted red pepper aioli and crisp salad (GF).
• Dijon Chicken — Chicken breast poached in creamy sweet dijon mustard, garlic and rosemary white wine sauce, on baby spinach and potato mash with crisp salad (GF).
• Pork Loin — Rolled pork middle with Kentucky bourbon and mango sauce, mashed potato, seasonal vegetables and crackling (GF).
• Fillet Mignon — Eye fillet steak with manuka smoked belly bacon, mushroom sauce or jus, and potato of the day with seasonal vegetables (GF).
• Rib Eye Blue Cheese — Seared and oven roasted ribeye with caramelised onion and kikorangi blue cheese sauce in a puff pastry vol au vent, with potato of the day and seasonal vegetables (GFR).
• Rocks Rib Eye — Seared and oven baked ribeye with onion rings, fries, crisp salad and jus or mushroom sauce (GFR).
• Surf and Turf — Eye fillet steak with red wine jus, mash and crisp seasonal salad; the surf component changes regularly (GFR).
• Lamb — Whole rump marinated in rosemary, cumin and garlic, with potato of the day, seasonal vegetables, red wine jus and beetroot relish (GF).
• Blueberry and Port Venison — Sliced denver leg seared medium rare on maple kumara and baby spinach with bacon, red wine jus, port blueberry glaze and roasted cashew crumb (GF).

Drinks

• Tap Beer & Cider — Includes Speights Summit Ultra low carb, Panhead Supercharger APA and a rotating guest craft beer.
• Bottled & Craft Beer — Range including DB Draught, Export Gold, Heineken, Steinlager, Stella Artois, Corona, plus Emerson's Pilsner and London Porter.
• Cider — Orchard Thieves berry, Rekorderlig strawberry and lime, and Monteith's apple cider.
• Soft Drinks, Mixers & Juices — Coke range, lemonade, L&P, ginger ale, Bundaberg ginger beer, and juices including orange, apple, pineapple, cranberry and tomato.

To Share

• Rummage Board — Smoked salmon, Spanish chorizo, salt and pepper squid, battered onion rings, half shell mussels, marinated olives, blue cheese, camembert, salad, crackers and crusty breads with house spreads.
• Antipasto Board — Cold deli meats and cheeses, pickled baby cucumbers, olives, cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, crackers, breads and house-made spreads.

Dinner Salads

• Chicken Salad — Chicken breast strips on salad greens with camembert, roasted cashews and bacon bits, with garlic aioli and vinaigrette (GFR).
• Rocks Caesar — Garden salad with shaved parmesan, bacon bits, anchovies, boiled eggs and toasted focaccia; chicken or salmon add-on available (GFR).
• Squid Salad — Crispy coated salt and pepper squid on fresh salad greens with bacon bits, cucumber, cherry tomato and wasabi aioli (GFR).

Dinner EntréE

• Breads and Spreads — Lightly toasted rocks bread with garlic butter and balsamic olive oil dressing (GFR/V).
• Field Mushroom Melt — Baked mushroom melts with toasted ciabatta, baby spinach, crumbed camembert, nut crumble and tomato basil sauce (GFR/V).
• Rocks Seafood Delight — Crumbed prawn cutlets, popcorn squid and fish goujons with rustic tartare, capsicum mayo and lemon mayo.
• Cheese Bites 2 Ways — Crumbed camembert and broccoli cheese bites with tomato dipping relish (V).
• Seafood Chowder — Rich and creamy, loaded with fish, mussels, prawns, capers and chives, with toasted ciabatta.
• Mussels — Green lip mussels steamed in a creamy garlic and sauvignon blanc sauce with cracked pepper, lemon and dipping bread (GFR).
• Warm Olives — Sicilian green, queen green and kalamata olives marinated with wild rosemary, toasted garlic and chorizo, with ciabatta and garlic butter (GFR).

Pasta & Risotto

• Chicken & Portobello Fettuccine — Chicken, portobello mushroom and onion in creamy garlic and red wine reduction with fettuccine, baby spinach and shaved parmesan.
• Salmon and Prawn Risotto — Salmon, prawn cutlets, capers, fennel and roasted red pepper in creamy white wine citrus arborio rice with shaved parmesan (GF).
• Wild Mushroom Risotto — Shiitake, king oyster, black fungus and portobello mushrooms in creamy garlic white wine arborio rice with shaved parmesan; chicken add-on available (V).

Function Finger Food

• Sticky Asian Style Beef Balls — Hot finger food option for functions.
• Crispy Broccoli and Blue Cheese Bites — Vegetarian hot finger food option.
• Rosemary and Garlic Lamb Koftas — Served with minted yoghurt (GF).
• Battered Fish Sliders — With lettuce, cheese and tartare.
• Salt and Pepper Squid — Served with red pepper aioli sauce (GFR).
• Mini Hawaiian Burgers — Crispy chicken, bacon, pineapple and cream cheese.
• Crumbed Camembert Bites — Served with avocado aioli.
• Smoked Salmon Blinis — With citrus and dill cream cheese.
• Beef Carpaccio Baguette Rounds — With horseradish mascarpone.
• Antipasto Skewers — Deli meat, cheese, cherry tomatoes and gherkin (GF/V).

Frequently asked questions

What kind of food does The Rocks serve?

A menu specialising in steaks, fish, chicken, pork, venison and lamb, with separate lunch and dinner menus.

What are The Rocks' opening hours?

Closed Monday and Sunday. Open Tuesday to Friday 10am–2pm and 5pm–9pm, and Saturday 11am–2pm and 5pm–9pm.

Does The Rocks close over Christmas?

Yes, the restaurant closes over the Christmas and New Year period each year — check the website for exact dates.

Can The Rocks cater for functions or large groups?

Yes, there's a dedicated finger food menu and a set menu for large groups, available by prior arrangement.

Are there vegetarian or gluten-free options?

Yes, dishes are marked vegetarian, vegan on request, and gluten free or gluten free on request; note the deep fryers are not gluten free.

Where is The Rocks located?

At 101 Dee Street, Invercargill, inside Courtville Place.

Can I make a reservation?

Yes, reservations can be made through the website, or by phone or email.

Tips

• {"body":"The Rocks closes between lunch and dinner service (roughly 2pm–5pm) Tuesday to Saturday.","title":"Mind the midday closure"}
• {"body":"Finger food and set menus for large groups need to be arranged in advance.","title":"Book ahead for functions"}
• {"body":"The Rocks closes over the Christmas and New Year period each year — confirm dates before visiting.","title":"Check Christmas closure dates"}
• {"body":"The kitchen's deep fryers are not gluten free, so let staff know about any dietary requirements.","title":"Flag allergies with your server"}
• {"body":"The Rummage or Antipasto boards are built for sharing across a group.","title":"Order a board for the table"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Menu items are marked vegetarian, vegan on request, and gluten free or gluten free on request; the deep fryers are not gluten free."}