Slam Club is a bespoke 'fresh, wild and local' cafe, restaurant and bar at 10 West End in Kaikōura, New Zealand. The team serves unique food, craft beer, home baking, coffee and refreshments, catering to all food types including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free — and sourcing ingredients locally wherever possible, which the owners describe as a big part of who they are.
The kitchen is led by head chef Philipp Valentin, Kaikōura's favourite Austrian expat, who arrived in town more than 15 years ago and has been at Slam Club since its doors opened in 2016. He's known for simple, delicious food made from carefully sourced local ingredients: BBQ smoked meat platters, slammed gourmet toasted sandwiches, fresh quinoa salads, a weekly sea-to-plate catch, and his Austrian-style apple strudel.
Beyond the plate, Slam Club is a social gathering spot with a regular quiz night every Wednesday, and it caters for private functions on request. Lunch runs from 12pm and dinner from 5.30pm Thursday to Sunday; bookings are recommended for dinner.
Tucked on West End in Kaikōura, Slam Club describes itself as a bespoke 'fresh, wild and local' cafe, restaurant and bar — and the tagline is more than marketing. Ingredients are sourced locally wherever possible, from the gardens of the cafe's produce growers to the wild meats that roam the natural terrain around town. Craft beer, wine from family-owned vineyards, home baking and fresh bread round out a menu that aims to taste distinctly of this corner of New Zealand.
The ethos even has a mascot of sorts: Jackson's slam bike, a DIY machine handmade and homemade from local up-cycled materials. To slam is to lower, and Jackson slammed the bike flat to ride gravel-rashingly close to the ground — not unlike the club's famous sandwiches, slammed in a hot sandwich press to pack in the goodness. So come gather, be social and enjoy the vibe at the club.
About the only thing at Slam Club that isn't locally sourced, the team jokes, is head chef Philipp Valentin. Kaikōura's favourite Austrian expat arrived in town more than 15 years ago and has been at Slam Club since its doors opened in 2016 — just before the Kaikōura Earthquake. A much-loved local with a big smile and a flair for creating simple, delicious food from carefully sourced local ingredients, Phil leads a friendly staff who, by all accounts, aren't too bad either.
Slammed gourmet toasted sandwiches are where the Slam Club story started. Filled with your choice of game, venison, duck or pork, grilled to perfection and served with roasted potatoes, they were conceived — as Neat Places put it — to make game affordable for people to enjoy and try in an approachable way. Standouts today include the El Gringo, piled with BBQ smoked pulled pork, corn chips, cheese, jalapenos, salad greens and sour cream, and the Quacky Chan, layered with shredded hoisin roasted duck, pickled slaw, aioli, crackle and sesame seeds.
Beyond the sandwiches, the menu leans into smoke and wild flavours. The Breakfast Skillet is a proper fry-up of smoked brisket, bacon, potatoes and mushrooms, topped with melted cheese, a fried egg and homemade relish — with a vegetarian or vegan option available. The BBQ Smoked Meat Platter stacks pork ribs, brisket, chicken wings and pork belly alongside slaw, pickles, garlic bread and the house-made BBQ sauce.
Fresh salads are made daily with quinoa, roasted seasonal vegetables and greens, roasted seeds, sprouts and a homemade vinaigrette, with your choice of pulled pork, wild venison, roast duck or a vegetarian/vegan version. From the Sea to Plate showcases a sustainably sourced catch, inspired by the chef and changing weekly. And no visit is complete without Phil's apple strudel — made the Austrian way, say no more.
Behind the bar there's craft beer on tap and Star Roast Coffee brewed to perfection. The space doubles as an events venue, playing host to a regular quiz night every Wednesday from 6.30pm, and the team caters for private functions on request.
Slam Club serves lunch from 12pm and dinner from 5.30pm Thursday to Sunday, with the kitchen closing at 9pm; it's closed Monday and Tuesday. Bookings are recommended for dinner, and the team suggests checking Google for updated summer hours. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diners are well catered for across the menu.
Visitors describe the friendly glow of the staff, the tastefully designed interior and a warm belly full of delicious food and wine — one traveller from Melbourne only wished the place was in Fitzroy. Whether you come for a smoked meat platter, a slammed sandwich or a slice of strudel with a coffee, Slam Club delivers Kaikōura on a plate.