Gusto Restaurant, Cafe & Bar is a spacious waterfront dining destination at 31 Ocean View Parade in Moturoa, New Plymouth. Sitting right on the water, it pairs plenty of deck space for outdoor dining on fine days with a warm, cosy interior for cooler days and nights — and it opens every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with plenty of parking for guests.
The kitchen is built around top quality ingredients sourced fresh daily, with menus to match the occasion: an à la carte main menu, a kids menu and a wine menu for everyday visits, plus set lunch and dinner menus and a canapés list that runs from manuka smoked duck gyoza and slow-braised lamb cromesquis to natural oysters and Ora King salmon crudo.
Gusto is also an established weddings and functions venue, offering exclusive use of the restaurant from 5pm with packages covering canapés, mains, desserts and a champagne tower. Vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available on request, gift vouchers can be purchased, and bookings can be made online or by phone on 06 759 8133.
Right on the water at Moturoa, Gusto Restaurant, Cafe & Bar is one of those rare New Plymouth spots that works at any hour of the day. It opens every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the setting does a lot of the talking: a spacious dining room looking out over the waterfront, with plenty of deck space for outdoor dining on fine days, and a warm, cosy interior for the cooler days and nights. There's plenty of parking on site too, so arriving by car is painless.
The kitchen's stated philosophy is simple: chefs source top quality ingredients fresh daily to make sure meals are enjoyed — and that guests come back to Gusto time and again. The menu structure reflects that range. Alongside the à la carte main menu there's a dedicated kids menu and a wine menu, so families and wine lovers are both covered. For larger tables and occasions, Gusto offers set lunch menus, set dinner menus and a seasonal Christmas special lunch, which take the guesswork out of group dining.
Even if you only ever encounter Gusto through its canapés menu, you'll get a clear sense of the kitchen's ambitions. The list runs from Mini Lamb Shoulder Cromesquis — pulled rosemary slow-braised lamb, crumbed and fried, served with burnt onion ash aioli — to Angus Beef Tataki on a rosti crisp, and Manuka Smoked Duck Gyoza set on a braised duck fat savoy bed with chilli chive oil and toasted sesame.
Seafood fans are well served by Natural Oysters on a salted ice platter with yuzu vinaigrette and lemon mignonette, and Ora King Salmon crudo spoons cured in Juno gin with fennel pollen, crème fraîche and squid ink. Vegetarian options are equally considered: Mushroom and Truffle Arancini, Beetroot Tartlets with whipped goat cheese and candied maple walnuts, Grilled Eggplant and Halloumi crisp layered on poppadum, and Whipped Feta and Fig Polenta Cakes with rosemary salt. Rounding out the list are mini chicken yakitori skewers with ponzu-maple glaze, tomato, pesto and burrata bruschetta, and Scallop and Corn Espuma with chorizo crumb.
The canapés can be taken as a selection of four per person or folded into the top set dinner menu, and they double as the pre-ceremony nibbles handed around at weddings.
Gusto has built a strong side-line as a wedding and functions venue, offering exclusive use of the restaurant from 5pm onwards. Weddings of 65–100 guests attract no venue fee, while smaller parties incur a hireage fee, and packages include everything from tables, chairs, glassware and white or black tablecloths to staff for set-up, service and clean-down, plus a champagne tower during or after the ceremony.
Two package tiers cover canapés, mains and desserts, with the higher tier adding entrées and inclusive beverages such as tap beer, house red and white wine, sparkling wine, fruit juices, soft drinks, tea and coffee. Vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available on request, and children under 16 get their own meal, place settings and even a dedicated table if wanted. The bar runs until 1am and can be extended to 2am by arrangement. Music options range from a solo musician or two-piece band to a jukebox or DJ, and the house sound system is free for personal playlists. For a truly memorable entrance, a helicopter can land to the left of the restaurant, and all bridal party cars can park by the front door.
For all the wedding finery, Gusto is at heart a local's place: a café for breakfast, a restaurant for lunch or dinner, and a bar for a glass of wine by the water. The photography on its website hints at the appeal — cuisine worth photographing, and a vista that speaks for itself.
Bookings can be made online or by phone, feedback is actively invited, and gift vouchers are available to purchase — an easy present for anyone who loves waterfront dining. Whether you're settling in for a long set dinner with friends, breakfast on the deck, or planning the biggest party of your life, Gusto's combination of fresh ingredients, sea views and open-every-day consistency explains why diners, as the team puts it, come back time and again.