The Boardwalk Beach Bar & Bistro sits right on the water at 8 Hardinge Road in Ahuriri, Napier, and has long played the role its team claims for it: your local in Ahuriri. The formula is simple and appealing — as the venue itself puts it, the menu will tantalise your taste buds and the view will relax your soul. Open seven days a week, it works equally well as a spot for a casual drink by the water, a relaxed family meal, or a bigger celebration with friends.
The menu stretches from casual burgers and sandwiches through to a dedicated Steak House Selection from the Grill, with dessert and coffee on hand for those calling in for a lighter stop. A separate kids menu means younger diners are properly looked after, and the kitchen is set up for everything from a quiet meal for two to a dinner party for forty, with group and reduced menus available for larger bookings.
The bar is well stocked too: a cool glass of Heineken, Monteith's or Tuatara for beer drinkers, pours supporting local vineyards such as Clearview Estate and Oyster Bay, a full cocktail list, and bucket deals made for sharing. Regulars can go further with a Napier Bars membership, a coffee rewards card that earns a free coffee, and Napier Bars gift cards available in-venue. A live surfcam on the website even lets you check the beach before you head down.
The first thing you notice at The Boardwalk is the water. Perched on the beachfront at 8 Hardinge Road in Ahuriri, Napier, this beach bar and bistro makes the most of its spot by the sea, where the view does half the work of a good night out. The team puts it simply: the menu will tantalise your taste buds and the view will relax your soul. Open seven days a week, it has settled comfortably into the role the owners claim for it — your local in Ahuriri.
The Boardwalk is relaxed rather than fussy, and the menu follows suit. It stretches from casual burgers and sandwiches — the kind of food that suits a long afternoon watching the tide roll in — through to a dedicated Steak House Selection from the Grill for heartier appetites. If you are only calling in for a lighter stop, dessert and coffee get their own moment too, and there is a separate kids menu so families are properly catered for rather than just accommodated.
That range is deliberate. The Boardwalk pitches itself as the place for everything from a quiet meal for two to a dinner party for forty, and the kitchen backs the claim with group and reduced menus for larger bookings. Whether you want a low-key weeknight dinner or a big table for a birthday or work do, the same beachside setting serves both. Reservations can be made online, and the team takes calls on 06 834 1168 for anyone who prefers to organise things the old-fashioned way.
For many regulars, the drinks list is as much of a draw as the food. The beer lineup runs to the familiar and the flavourful: a cool glass of Heineken, or something from Monteith's or Tuatara. Wine drinkers are encouraged to support local vineyards, with Clearview Estate and Oyster Bay named on the list. Add a full cocktail list and the venue's bucket deals — drinks served in shareable buckets — and the bar has an answer for most occasions, from a sunset drink to a full evening with the group.
The Boardwalk is part of the wider Napier Bars family, and that shows in the extras. Members of Napier Bars earn benefits on every dollar they spend and enjoy a full range of events and discounts. Coffee lovers can pick up a rewards card in any of the group's three bars and claim a free coffee each time it fills. Gift cards are available too — a Napier Bars gift card can be organised with the waiting staff — and the venue is one of three associated dining spots in the region, alongside The Station Bar & Bistro on Station Street and The Duke of Gloucester in Taradale.
One quirk worth knowing before you visit: The Boardwalk runs a live surfcam streamed from its website, so you can check the beach conditions from home before heading down. Weekend visitors get an earlier start, with doors opening at 8am on Saturdays and Sundays compared with 9am on weekdays; everything wraps up at 9pm nightly, seven days a week.
Weekday or weekend, table for two or party of forty, the formula stays the same. Good honest food from burgers to the grill, a well-stocked bar with local pours and cocktails, and a stretch of Ahuriri waterfront doing the rest — which is exactly what you want from a neighbourhood beach bar and bistro.