The Village Cafe & Bar

About The Village Cafe & Bar

The Village Café and Bar sits on Kitchener Street, the main road through the Martinborough Wine Village in South Wairarapa, just down from the Martinborough square and tucked among the town's unique shopping boutiques. It has been nourishing the neighbourhood since 1999, serving locals and visitors alike from its spot in one of New Zealand's wine country towns.

The kitchen works with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and keeps the menu deliberately broad: kiwi classics sit alongside dishes with a more modern twist. Brunch and lunch run from The Village Big Breakfast, Eggs Royale and Masala Shakshuka to handmade beef, lamb and chicken burgers, battered fish and chips, pastas, noodles and a dedicated kids' menu, with gluten-free and vegetarian dishes clearly marked.

The café side covers a full coffee line — espresso through to iced chocolate — plus a proper tea list, while the bar side pairs with standing offers like the Beer & Burger Combo and the Pie & Drink Combo. The café opens 7 days a week, with its listing showing 8am to 3.30pm, and also advertises lunch and dinner hours on its website and social channels.

Beyond the counter, The Village offers catering for birthday parties, business meetings and wedding parties, and its events calendar has featured gatherings such as jazz afternoons and Father's Day celebrations. Reservations can be made online or by phone.

The Village Café and Bar: All-Day Kiwi Classics in Martinborough Wine Village

On Kitchener Street — the main road through Martinborough — The Village Café and Bar has been quietly doing its job for more than two decades. Its tagline says it plainly: nourishing the neighbourhood since 1999. Just down from the Martinborough square and surrounded by the town's unique shopping boutiques, it's the kind of place where locals catch up over flat whites and visitors refuel between cellar doors. The name fits, too — this is a village that takes food and drink seriously, and the café has become part of its everyday fabric.

A café woven into the village

Martinborough's wine village status makes it a magnet for weekend day-trippers and wine lovers, and The Village Café and Bar sits right in the middle of that rhythm. Being on the main road, a short walk from the square and among the boutiques, means it serves everyone from day-tripping wine lovers to regulars who've been coming since it opened in 1999. That mix of loyal locals and passing visitors shapes the menu: broad, unfussy and generous, with something for nearly everyone.

From big breakfasts to shakshuka

The kitchen leans on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and deliberately keeps its range wide — kiwi classics alongside plates with a more modern twist. Breakfast is generous: The Village Big Breakfast stacks free-range eggs your way with pork sausage, bacon, mushrooms, grilled tomato, hash brown, ciabatta and black pudding, while Eggs Royale pairs poached eggs and hollandaise with a side of bacon, salmon or spinach. The Masala Shakshuka — three poached eggs in onion-tomato masala with garlic bread — is a good example of that modern streak, and lighter eaters are covered with avocado toast, toasted granola or the grilled lemon chicken salad.

Burgers are a fixture — beef, lamb, chicken and a crispy potato tikki for vegetarians, all on brioche buns with fries. Seafood classics hold their own too: battered fish and chips with coleslaw and lemon, and salt and pepper squid with salad. Creamy pastas and soy-tossed chicken or prawn noodles round out the savoury list, and simple pleasures are done properly as well — eggs on toasted ciabatta, or three pieces of toast with a lineup of spreads from marmite to marmalade. A full kids' menu (big brekky, waffles, hotdog + chips, tenders, wings, fish and chips) makes it an easy family call, and gluten-free and vegetarian dishes are marked right on the menu.

Coffee, combos and the bar

The coffee line runs from espresso, long black and flat white through to mochaccino, with an iced range for warm Wairarapa afternoons — iced coffee, iced mocha and iced chocolate among them — plus vanilla or caramel syrup if you like it sweeter. Tea drinkers get a proper list too, from English Breakfast to Tokyo Lime. On the bar side, the café promotes two standing combo deals: a Beer & Burger Combo and a Pie & Drink Combo. Dinner service is advertised alongside lunch, with hours posted on the website and social channels — worth a quick check before an evening visit.

More than a café

The Village also caters beyond its own four walls: birthday parties, business meetings and wedding parties are all listed among its catering services. Its events calendar has featured gatherings such as jazz afternoons and Father's Day celebrations; no events were listed at the time of writing, and the team points followers to Instagram for the latest.

Planning your visit

You'll find the café at 6 Kitchener Street, Martinborough. It lists hours 7 days a week, 8am to 3.30pm, with lunch and dinner hours announced separately on its site. Reservations can be made through the booking form on the website — date, time, party size and any special requests — or by phone. Current café and lunch/brunch menus are downloadable from the site, and updates land on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Whether it's a big breakfast before a day of wine tasting or a burger and beer to finish one, The Village Café and Bar does what it has done since 1999: feed the neighbourhood well.

Signature items

• The Village Big Breakfast
• Battered Fish and Chips
• Masala Shakshuka
• Beef Burger
• Flat White
• Waffle Stack

Menu

Tea

• English Breakfast — Classic full-bodied black tea.
• Earl Grey Blue Flower — Bergamot-scented black tea.
• Green Tea — Light, clean green tea.
• Sencha Green Tea — Japanese-style green tea.
• Peppermint — Caffeine-free herbal infusion.
• Chamomile Tea — Caffeine-free, gently floral herbal tea.
• Monks Blend — A smooth blended tea.
• Tokyo Lime Tea — Zesty lime-infused tea.

Kids

• Kids Big Brekky — Free-range eggs your way, bacon, sausage, hash brown and ciabatta.
• Kids Waffles — With whipped cream, berry compote & maple syrup.
• Hotdog + Chips — Frankfurter in a hotdog bun with mustard, ketchup and fries.
• Chicken Tenders + Chips — Fried chicken tenders served with fries.
• Chicken Wings + Chips — Wings with buffalo or peri peri sauce.
• Kids Battered Fish and Chips — One battered fish with chips, coleslaw and a lemon wedge.

Pasta

• Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta — Creamy pasta with pesto and cream cheese, topped with parmesan.
• Creamy Tomato — Silky tomato pasta with cream cheese and parmesan.

Sides

• Fries — A side of golden fries.
• Wedges — With buffalo or peri peri sauce; small or large.
• Tomato — Extra side of tomato.
• Bacon — Extra side of bacon.
• Pork Sausage — Extra pork sausage side.
• Black Pudding — Extra black pudding side.
• Mushrooms — Extra side of mushrooms.
• Hash Brown — Extra hash brown side.
• Avocado — Extra side of avocado.
• Halloumi — Extra side of halloumi.
• Potato Rosti — Extra potato rosti side.

Soups

• Tomato & Italian Herbs — Tomato soup with Italian herbs.
• Creamy Chicken Sweet Corn — Creamy chicken and sweet corn soup.

Coffee

• Espresso — A short, concentrated shot of coffee.
• Long Black — Espresso poured over hot water.
• Americano — Espresso lengthened with hot water.
• Flat White — Espresso with silky steamed milk.
• Latte — Espresso with plenty of steamed milk.
• Cappuccino — Espresso with steamed milk and foam.
• Mochaccino — Espresso meets chocolate and steamed milk.
• Fluffy — A frothy steamed-milk classic.

Add-Ons

• Vanilla Syrup — Sweet add-on for any coffee.
• Caramel Syrup — Sweet add-on for any coffee.

Noodles

• Chicken Noodles — Egg noodles sautéed with chicken, capsicum, soy sauce & vinegar, garnished with pepper.
• Prawn Noodles — Noodles sautéed with prawns, capsicum, soy sauce & vinegar, garnished with pepper.

Combo Deals

• Beer & Burger Combo — A delicious burger paired with a refreshing beer.
• Pie & Drink Combo — Your favourite drink paired with a delicious pie.

Iced Coffee

• Iced Americano — Chilled espresso-style black coffee over ice.
• Iced Latte — Espresso, milk and ice, served cold.
• Iced Coffee — Classic iced coffee, served chilled.
• Iced Chocolate — Chilled chocolate drink over ice.
• Iced Mocha — Coffee and chocolate poured over ice.

Brunch & Lunch

• Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad — Grilled lemon thyme chicken on lettuce, cucumber, red onion & capsicum (GF).
• Toast + Spreads — Three pieces of ciabatta with jam, peanut butter, honey, marmite or marmalade.
• Eggs on Toast — Free-range eggs your way on toasted ciabatta (veg or non-veg).
• Avocado Toast with Egg — Avocado toast topped with an egg.
• Toasted Granola — Home-made granola with yoghurt & seasonal fruit compote.
• The Village Big Breakfast — Eggs your way with pork sausage, bacon, mushrooms, grilled tomato, hash brown, ciabatta & black pudding.
• Eggs Royale — Poached free-range eggs on an English muffin with hollandaise; side of bacon, salmon or spinach (GF).
• Masala Shakshuka — Three poached eggs in onion-tomato masala with a side of garlic bread (GF).
• Garlic Mushrooms — Creamy roasted mushrooms served on ciabatta (vege).
• Beef Burger — Homemade beef pattie with lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles & sauces on a brioche bun, with fries.
• Lamb Burger — Homemade lamb & pork patty with the works on a brioche bun, served with fries.
• Chicken Burger — Buttermilk chicken with tomato, red onion, aioli, ketchup & pickles on a brioche bun, with fries.
• Potato Tikki Burger — Crispy Indian potato patty with grilled halloumi & coriander chutney, with fries (vege).
• Battered Fish and Chips — Two pieces of battered fish with chips, coleslaw and a lemon wedge.
• Salt & Pepper Squid — Salt and pepper squid served with salad.
• Waffle Stack — Waffles with whipped cream, berry compote & maple syrup — add bacon if you like.

Frequently asked questions

Where is The Village Café and Bar located?

At 6 Kitchener Street, Martinborough 5711 — the main road through the Martinborough Wine Village, just down from the village square among the shopping boutiques.

How do I make a reservation?

Use the booking form on their website (date, time, guest numbers and any special requests) or call +64 22 649 0390.

What are the opening hours?

The café lists hours 7 days a week, 8am to 3.30pm, and also advertises lunch and dinner hours — check the announcements on its website or Instagram for current times.

Is there a kids' menu?

Yes — kids' big brekky, kids' waffles, hotdog + chips, chicken tenders + chips, chicken wings + chips and a kids' battered fish and chips.

Are there gluten-free or vegetarian options?

Yes. The menu marks gluten-free dishes (like Eggs Royale and Masala Shakshuka) and vegetarian options (such as Garlic Mushrooms and the Potato Tikki Burger).

Do they offer catering?

Yes — catering services are available for birthday parties, business meetings and wedding parties. Contact the café to arrange.

Are there any deals?

The café runs standing combo offers, including a Beer & Burger Combo and a Pie & Drink Combo.

Tips

• {"body":"Reservations can be made via the booking form on the website or by calling +64 22 649 0390 — handy for weekends and larger groups.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"Listed hours are 8am–3.30pm, 7 days, but lunch and dinner hours are announced separately — check the website or Instagram before an evening visit.","title":"Check dinner hours"}
• {"body":"The combo deals pair a burger with a beer or a pie with a drink — an easy, satisfying lunch.","title":"Grab a combo"}
• {"body":"The café sits among Martinborough's unique shopping boutiques, just down from the square — pair your meal with a wander.","title":"Make it a village day"}
• {"body":"Jazz afternoons and Father's Day celebrations have featured on the calendar — check Instagram (@thevillagecafenbar) for what's coming up.","title":"Follow for events"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Full kids' menu, from kids' big brekky to hotdog + chips.","dietary":"Gluten-free dishes and vegetarian options are marked on the menu."}