Third Place Café Rotorua

About Third Place Café Rotorua

Third Place Café on Lake Road in Koutu, Rotorua takes its name from a simple, warm idea: your first place is home, your second place is work or study — and your third place is somewhere you choose to go purely to relax, connect and enjoy. This café sets out to be exactly that for Rotorua locals and visitors, promising the best view, great service, food and coffee from 7.30am every day of the week. Whether you're refuelling after a walk, catching up over flat whites or settling in for a long lunch, the aim is a genuinely welcoming neighbourhood spot rather than just another coffee stop.

The menu is generous and runs all day. Breakfast never closes — the Third Place BIG ONE stacks kransky sausages, potato hash, streaky bacon, creamy mushroom and eggs on toasted ciabatta, while the Roasted Kumara Mumble Jumble, Eggs 'Bene', French toast, vanilla pancakes and waffles cover every brunch mood. Lunch brings Moroccan chicken and Middle Eastern lamb salads, chicken and beef burgers, a prime sirloin steak sandwich, fresh fish, salmon steak and a kids' menu, with gluten-free and vegetarian dishes clearly marked throughout. The coffee list is equally serious, from espresso staples to chai lattes, frappes, real fruit smoothies and thickshakes, with soy, almond, coconut and oat milks available.

Beyond the café floor, Third Place runs an out catering service for functions and events around Rotorua, from seminars to celebrations, with strong feedback from local organisations. Tripadvisor reviewers regularly call out the friendly staff, quality ingredients, tasty light lunches and treats like a homemade custard slice. Open Monday to Sunday from 7.30am to 3.00pm and closed on public holidays, it's an easy, reliable pick for breakfast, lunch and everything in between.

Third Place Café Rotorua: All-Day Breakfast, Great Coffee & Catering on Lake Road

Every café hopes to become somewhere people genuinely choose to be, and Third Place Café has built its whole identity around that idea. The name comes from a simple piece of thinking about community: your first place is home and the people you live with, your second place is work, school or study — and your third place is wherever you go to relax, connect and enjoy. On Lake Road in Koutu, this Rotorua café sets out to be exactly that, promising the best view, great service, food and coffee from the moment the doors open at 7.30am.

The formula suits all kinds of occasions: a fuel stop after a walk, a catch-up over flat whites, a long lunch with friends, or a catered spread delivered into an event across town. The kitchen runs until 3.00pm every day of the week, and the menu is broad enough to cover big appetites, lighter eaters and children.

Breakfast that lasts all day

There's no rushing the morning menu here — breakfast is served all day. The headline act is the Third Place BIG ONE: toasted ciabatta loaded with two kransky sausages, potato hash, grilled vine-ripened tomatoes, streaky bacon, creamy mushroom, caramelised onion jam and two eggs cooked any way you like. Alongside it sits the Roasted Kumara Mumble Jumble — sweet potato with caramelised onions, fried tomatoes and chorizo under a poached egg and hollandaise — and the vegetarian Eggs 'Bene' with wilted spinach, which you can upgrade with smoked salmon, bacon, avocado or ham. French toast dusted in cinnamon sugar, vanilla pancakes with banana and bacon, waffles with mascarpone and roasted poached pear, and a crispy potato hash stack cover the sweeter and heartier ends, while simple eggs or mince on toast keep things easy. An extras list runs from smoked salmon and kransky sausage to gluten-free toast.

Lunch, salads and proper plates

Midday brings the heartier half of the menu. Salads lead the lighter side: Moroccan chicken with toasted cashews and sweet chilli, and a Middle Eastern spring lamb salad with roasted beetroot, orange segments, crispy falafels, feta and kasundi relish. Burgers arrive as a dijon-marinated chicken breast or a classic beef pattie, both with fries, while the toasted focaccia line covers BLT, BELT and BLAT combinations. The Third Place steak sandwich — 150 grams of prime sirloin with caramelised onions, cucumber, beetroot relish and aioli — is a house signature, and a full steak meal with creamy mushrooms, chips, salad and a fried egg answers bigger hungers. Fresh pan-fried fish with mango salsa, beer-battered fish and chips, a Thai-infused salmon steak with coconut basmati rice and chicken fettuccine round things out, and a kids' menu of nuggets, mini hot dogs or beans on toast keeps the small ones happy. Gluten-free and vegetarian dishes are clearly marked throughout.

Coffee, cabinets and cold drinks

Coffee gets equal billing with the food. The espresso bar pours long blacks, flat whites, cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and piccolos, with sweet or spicy chai lattes, dirty chais, hot chocolates and a gingerbread steamer for cooler mornings. Over ice there are frappes, iced lattes and americanos, real fruit smoothies in mixed berry, banana, mango and passionfruit, iced teas, milkshakes and thickshakes. Soy, almond, coconut and oat milks are all stocked, and the loose-leaf sip.tea range spans English Breakfast to ginger kawakawa. Tripadvisor reviewers have praised the coffee specifically, along with a coffee cake and a homemade custard slice from the cabinet.

Catering for Rotorua events

Beyond the café floor, Third Place runs an out catering service for functions and events around Rotorua, from seminars to celebrations. The feedback speaks for itself: the community liaison at Alzheimers Society Rotorua reported excellent food and service for a large seminar and said they'd have no hesitation booking the team again.

Plan your visit

You'll find the café at 35 Lake Road, Koutu. Doors are open 7.30am to 3.00pm, Monday to Sunday, and the café closes on public holidays — though on Anzac Day it opens early at 7.00am. Orders can be placed ahead through the website, and catering enquiries are welcome by phone or email. Whether it's the BIG ONE after a morning walk, a steak sandwich at midday or a room full of guests to feed, Third Place Café works hard to live up to its name: the place Rotorua chooses to relax, connect and enjoy.

Signature items

• Third Place BIG ONE
• Roasted Kumara Mumble Jumble
• Third Place Steak Sandwich & Fries
• Salmon Steak
• Eggs 'Bene'
• Waffles

Menu

Lunch

• Moroccan Chicken Salad — Seared Moroccan-seasoned chicken on greens with toasted cashews, sweet chilli & aioli; half portion available (GF, DF).
• Middle Eastern Spring Lamb Salad — Warm spiced lamb strips with roasted beetroot, orange, crispy falafels, feta & kasundi relish; half portion available (GF).
• Chicken Pasta — Fettuccine with mushroom, chicken, onions, garlic & spinach in a cream sauce.
• Chicken Burger & Fries — Dijon-marinated chicken breast with bacon, lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese & aioli, served with fries.
• BLT — Bacon, lettuce & tomato with aioli in toasted focaccia, served with fries (DF).
• BELT — Bacon, egg, lettuce & tomato with aioli in toasted focaccia, served with fries (DF).
• BLAT — Bacon, lettuce, avocado & tomato with aioli in toasted focaccia, served with fries (DF).
• Fresh Pan Fried Fish with Salad — Pan-fried fish fillets with mango salsa, fresh garden salad & vinaigrette (GF).
• Fresh Fish & Chips with Salad — Beer-battered fish with hot chips, garden salad & homemade tartare; half portion available (DF).
• Salmon Steak — Thai-infused grilled salmon with coconut basmati rice, lemon hollandaise & cucumber, radish, pickled ginger & edamame salad (GF).
• Third Place Steak Sandwich & Fries — 150gm prime sirloin in grilled focaccia with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, caramelised onions, beetroot relish & aioli (DF).
• Third Place Steak Meal — Prime sirloin with creamy mushrooms, chips, garden salad & a fried egg.
• Beef Burger & Fries — Beef pattie with lettuce, tomato, cheese, aioli & onion relish, served with fries.
• Kids Menu — Choose chicken nuggets & fries, mini hot dogs & fries, or baked beans on toast (V option).

Sides

• Hot Chips — Served with aioli or tomato sauce; small or large.
• Hot Wedges — Served with sour cream; small or large.
• Curly Fries — Served with aioli sauce.

Extras

• Sautéed Mushrooms — Gluten-free side of sautéed mushrooms.
• Hash Browns (2) — Two golden hash browns.
• Avocado Quarter — Fresh avocado quarter (GF).
• Fresh Tomato (Large) — One large fresh tomato (GF).
• Smoked Salmon — Smoked salmon add-on (GF).
• Streaky Bacon (2) — Two rashers of streaky bacon (GF).
• Roasted Tomatoes (2) — Two oven-roasted tomatoes (GF).
• Ciabatta Bread / Toast (2) — Two slices of toasted ciabatta.
• Creamy Mushrooms — Creamy mushroom side (GF).
• Baked Beans — A side of baked beans.
• Potato Rostis (2) — Two crispy potato rostis (GF).
• Savoury Mince — Savoury mince side (GF).
• Kransky Sausage (2) — Two kransky sausages (GF).
• Gluten-Free Toast (2) — Two slices of gluten-free toast.
• Spinach — Wilted spinach side (GF).
• Eggs (2) — Two eggs, poached, scrambled or fried.

Hot Drinks

• Espresso — Classic single espresso shot.
• Long Black / Americano — Espresso topped with hot water.
• Macchiato — Espresso marked with a dash of milk.
• Piccolo — Small, strong milk-based espresso drink.
• Flat White — Smooth espresso with velvety steamed milk; available in multiple sizes.
• Cappuccino — Espresso with steamed & frothed milk; available in multiple sizes.
• Latte — Milder espresso with steamed milk; available in multiple sizes.
• Hot Mocha — Espresso meets chocolate; available in multiple sizes.
• White Hot Mocha — White chocolate mocha; available in multiple sizes.
• Hot Chocolate — Rich drinking chocolate; available in multiple sizes.
• White Hot Chocolate — Creamy white chocolate version; available in multiple sizes.
• Chai Latte — Sweet or spicy chai; available in two sizes.
• Dirty Chai — Chai latte with a coffee shot; sweet or spicy.
• Gingerbread Steamer — Gingerbread-flavoured steamed milk; available in two sizes.
• Kids Fluffy — A frothy milk drink for little ones.
• sip.tea Loose Leaf Tea — English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green, Berry, Peppermint, Ginger Kawakawa, Chamomile & more.
• Hot Shots — Lemon ginger honey, Tahitian lime, blackcurrant & honey or cranberry & lime with hot water.

Cold Drinks

• Iced Coffee / Mocha / Chocolate / White Chocolate — Dairy-based iced coffee & chocolate classics.
• Iced Frappes — Blended coffee, mocha, chocolate or white chocolate frappes (GF, DF).
• Iced Latte — Chilled espresso with milk over ice.
• Iced Americano — Espresso over cold water.
• Real Fruit Smoothies — Mixed berry, banana, mango or passionfruit (DF).
• Iced Teas — Lemon, mango or peach.
• Cold Shots — Lemon ginger honey, Tahitian lime, blackcurrant & honey or cranberry & lime; with cold water or sprite.
• Milkshakes — Chocolate, vanilla, lime or strawberry.
• Thickshakes — Extra-thick chocolate, vanilla, lime or strawberry.

All Day Breakfast

• Third Place BIG ONE — Toasted ciabatta with 2 kransky sausages, potato hash, vine-ripened tomatoes, streaky bacon, creamy mushroom, caramelised onion jam & 2 eggs.
• Mince on Toast — Toasted ciabatta served with savoury mince and 2 poached eggs.
• Roasted Kumara Mumble Jumble — Roasted sweet potato with caramelised onions, fried tomatoes & chorizo, topped with a poached egg & hollandaise (GF).
• Eggs 'Bene' — Toasted ciabatta with wilted spinach, 2 poached eggs & hollandaise; add smoked salmon, bacon, avocado or ham (V).
• French Toast — Three pieces of French stick dipped in egg & cinnamon, fried, dusted with cinnamon sugar & served with berry compote, maple & whipped cream (V).
• Potato Hash Stack — Homemade crispy potato & parmesan hash cakes with avocado, grilled tomatoes, tomato salsa & salad greens (V, GF).
• Vanilla Pancakes — American-style pancakes with 2 rashers of bacon, fresh banana, maple syrup & whipped cream; half portion available.
• Creamy Mushrooms on Toast — Mushrooms & onion in creamy white wine sauce on ciabatta with roasted vine-ripened tomatoes, portabello mushroom & a poached egg (V).
• Waffles — Two waffles with berry compote, maple, mascarpone, bacon & roasted poached pear; add fried chicken.
• Eggs on Toast — Toasted ciabatta with your choice of 2 eggs; add bacon or hash brown (V).

Frequently asked questions

Where is Third Place Café located?

At 35 Lake Road, Koutu, Rotorua, New Zealand.

What are the opening hours?

Monday to Sunday, 7.30am to 3.00pm. The café is closed on public holidays.

Is the café open on Anzac Day?

Yes — on Anzac Day the café opens earlier than usual, from 7.00am to 3.00pm.

Do you cater for events and functions?

Yes. Third Place offers an out catering service for events such as seminars and functions around Rotorua. Enquire by phone or email.

Are there gluten-free or vegetarian options?

Yes — the menu marks gluten-free (GF) and vegetarian (V) dishes across breakfast, lunch, sides and drinks, with soy, almond, coconut and oat milks available for coffee.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes. Kids can choose chicken nuggets & fries, mini hot dogs & fries, or baked beans on toast.

Can I order ahead?

Yes — orders can be placed through the Orders page on the café's website before you arrive.

Tips

• {"body":"The café closes on public holidays — but on Anzac Day it opens early at 7.00am and trades through to 3.00pm.","title":"Mind the public holidays"}
• {"body":"The full all-day breakfast menu runs right up to the 3.00pm close, so late risers can still order the BIG ONE.","title":"Breakfast all day"}
• {"body":"Place your order ahead through the Orders page on the café's website before you arrive.","title":"Skip the wait"}
• {"body":"Tripadvisor reviewers have singled out the coffee cake and the homemade custard slice — worth asking what's in the cabinet.","title":"Cabinet treats"}
• {"body":"The out catering service handles events like seminars and functions around Rotorua — call 07 349 4852 or email to enquire.","title":"Planning an event?"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids menu with nuggets, mini hot dogs or baked beans on toast","dietary":"Gluten-free and vegetarian dishes marked on the menu; soy, almond, coconut & oat milks available"}