Union Square Bistro & Bar sits inside the Martinborough Hotel on Memorial Square — the village green at the heart of Martinborough's wine country. Part bistro, part bar, part gastropub, it is where locals and wine-trail visitors meet, from morning coffee to late evening.
The kitchen paces the day across several menus rather than closing between services: brunch runs until 2pm daily, the gastropub menu starts at 11:00am, and the bistro menu takes over from midday. Wednesdays are the early start, with doors open from 8:00am, and every night runs 'to late' — with the team happy to open earlier for a pre-booked table or appointment.
Pizza is a point of pride, served dine-in or takeaway with gluten-free bases available, and delivered on Friday and Saturday nights within about three kilometres of the square. Sit-down dining ranges from baked camembert and chicken liver parfait to beef eye fillet, grilled Akaroa salmon and Moroccan lamb sausages, while younger guests have a dedicated children's menu with a juice box included in every main.
As the dining heart of the Martinborough Hotel, Union Square also anchors weddings, events, conferences and festive season functions, with group set menus and gift vouchers available. The website proudly displays Cuisine Good Food Awards badges — a Top 100 listing in 2018 and a Top 200 in 2025 — and a bar and garden bar give diners room to settle in over a glass of local wine.
On the village green that Martinborough locals simply call The Square, the Martinborough Hotel has long been the town's meeting place — and Union Square Bistro & Bar is where that tradition plays out daily. Part bistro, part bar, part gastropub, it serves the wine village's visitors and locals from morning coffee to late evening, with menus that shift from brunch plates to proper bistro cooking as the day goes on.
Union Square paces its kitchen across the day rather than closing between services. The brunch menu runs until 2pm daily — think poached eggs with streaky bacon and toast, Belgian-style waffles with bacon, whipped cream and maple syrup, and muesli bowls. From 11:00am the gastropub menu takes over, and from midday the full bistro menu is on. Wednesdays are the early-bird day, with doors opening at 8:00am for breakfast; on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays service starts at 11:00am, and weekends begin at 9:30am. Everything runs 'to late', and the team will happily open earlier for a pre-booked table or appointment.
The pizza list is a destination in its own right — dine in or takeaway, with gluten-free bases available. The Margherita keeps it classic with mozzarella, pomodoro, basil and pesto; the Italian stacks prosciutto, sun-dried tomato and basil pesto; the Spanish brings chorizo, grilled peppers, olives and feta; the Calabrian turns up the heat with spicy pepperoni; and the Hollywood goes luxe with smoked salmon, capers and dill crème fraîche. A Chef's Daily Special rotates, and on Friday and Saturday nights the kitchen delivers within about three kilometres of the square given two hours' notice.
For sit-down dinners — especially groups — the dinner set menu lays out the kitchen's range. Entrées might be tempura prawns with Mississippi Comeback sauce and coconut sambal, chicken liver parfait with crostini and grape jelly, or baked camembert with quince jelly and candied walnuts. Mains include beef eye fillet with pommes gratin and creamy mushroom sauce, grilled Akaroa salmon with cauliflower purée and caper-sage butter, Moroccan lamb sausages with creamy mash and braised red cabbage, and portobello mushrooms roasted in garlic butter over creamy polenta. Table sides — Makikihi fries, brussels sprouts with bacon lardons, cauliflower au gratin and Portuguese salad — turn dinner into a share-the-table affair. Younger guests get their own menu, with mains that include a juice box and all-day desserts like chocolate brownie and ice cream sundaes.
The room leans relaxed rather than formal — an easy setting for a family lunch, a long dinner with friends, or a glass of local wine at the bar after a day of cellar doors. Dietary needs are well handled: gluten-free pizza bases, vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes across the menus, and a kitchen that flags allergens and will adapt dishes on request.
Because Union Square sits inside the Martinborough Hotel, the bistro doubles as the venue engine for the wider property. The hotel offers accommodation and conference facilities, hosts weddings and events, and the kitchen produces special menus for Christmas Day and work functions. Group set menus, gift vouchers and a virtual tour of the space round out the offering, and the bar and garden bar give diners a place to settle in. The website proudly displays Cuisine Good Food Awards badges — a Top 100 listing in 2018 and a Top 200 in 2025 — recognition of the kitchen's standing well beyond the village.
Winter hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 11:00am to late, Wednesday from 8:00am, and weekends from 9:30am. Brunch ends at 2pm, so late risers on the wine trail should aim for gastropub or bistro plates instead. Bookings are recommended for weekend dinners, and a public holiday surcharge applies. Check the Facebook page for the latest menus, events and specials before you go.