Poco.

About Poco.

Poco — the name means 'a little' in Spanish — is a tapas bar and wine room tucked away upstairs in Rotorua's central dining precinct. Inspired by the tapas culture of Spain, it is built around a simple, generous idea: order a little of this, a little of that, and share it all.

The menu is designed to be shared and changes as fresh produce comes in and out of season, with quality, locally-sourced ingredients shaping contemporary tapas and larger Mediterranean-inspired plates. On any given night the kitchen might be serving berber-spiced free-range fried chicken, slow-cooked harissa lamb shoulder over hummus, applewood-smoked venison tataki or smoked kahawai croquettes, with vegetarian and gluten-free dishes clearly marked throughout.

Drinks get equal care: a hand-picked wine list weighted toward New Zealand producers pours by the glass, carafe and bottle, alongside a great selection of New Zealand craft beers, signature cocktails, local spirits and a proper line-up of mocktails, sodas, coffee and tea.

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm until late, Poco welcomes guests for dinner, drinks or anything in between, and also hosts private functions and offers gift vouchers.

Poco Tapas & Wine: Shared Plates and a Hand-Picked Cellar Upstairs in Central Rotorua

Poco. The name is short, and so is the meaning: in Spanish, poco means 'a little'. It is a fitting title for a restaurant whose whole rhythm is built on small plates — trying a little of this, a little of that, and passing everything around the table. Tucked away upstairs in Rotorua's central dining precinct, Poco Tapas & Wine takes its inspiration from the tapas culture of Spain and filters it through Mediterranean cooking and local produce.

The menu is designed to be shared, and it does not sit still. Dishes change as fresh produce comes in and out of season, and the kitchen leans on quality, locally-sourced ingredients to build contemporary tapas and larger plates meant for the middle of the table. The idea, as the team puts it, is simple: relax into the communal way of eating, with a hand-picked wine list, New Zealand craft beers and signature cocktails alongside.

A menu made for the middle of the table

The tapas list runs from small openers to serious plates. Homemade yoghurt flatbread, marinated olives and a roast carrot dip with hot honey and pickled raisins start things off; fried haloumi with tamarillo and apple chutney and chermoula roasted potatoes with black garlic labneh follow. Seafood leans local — smoked kahawai croquettes with horseradish creme fraiche, garlic prawns in sherry butter, and a kingfish crudo dressed with charred mandarin and pickled red chilli.

Heartier options include the Poco fried chicken — free-range thigh in berber spice with saffron lime aioli — wild pork meatballs in dijon cream, slow-cooked harissa lamb shoulder served over hummus, and applewood-smoked venison tataki with blueberry ponzu. Vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are clearly marked across the menu, and there is real depth in them: the butterleaf salad, grilled broccolini with hazelnut romesco and sauteed mushrooms all hold their own.

Cannot decide? Hand the reins over. The chef's menu is a selection of the kitchen's favourite dishes, all to share, for a minimum of two people — with an option to add a shared dessert.

What is in the glass

Wine gets serious attention here. The list is hand-picked and weighted toward New Zealand: Marlborough sauvignon blanc, Central Otago pinot noir, Hawkes Bay syrah and chardonnay, plus rose, orange and chilled reds, and a sparkling line-up that runs to champagne. Many bottles pour by the glass and carafe as well, which suits a long, graze-as-you-go meal. Sweets and fortified pours — tawny port, Pedro Ximenez sherry — round out the cellar.

The cocktail list is equally considered, with signature serves like a smoked beetroot negroni, a saffron and elderflower 75, a pomegranate and sumac margarita and a mezcal Caesar, plus a white wine and berry sangria made to share. Behind the bar, the spirits shelf favours New Zealand distillers — Rotorua's own Pink & White gin among them — alongside the classics. Craft beer and cider come from around the country, and non-drinkers are well looked after with signature mocktails, natural sodas, juice and a proper coffee and tea list.

Afters, and everything in between

Dessert keeps the share-plate spirit: a spiced rum and brown sugar creme brulee with grilled pineapple salsa, and a dark chocolate and espresso torte with burnt honey labneh, plus a cheese selection served with crostini and house preserve. Dessert cocktails — a banoffee crush, an affogato, an Irish coffee — bridge the gap between the last plate and the nightcap.

Poco opens Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm until late and covers everything from a leisurely dinner to a glass of wine and a snack — dinner, drinks or anything in between, as they put it. Reservations can be made online, and the team also hosts private functions and sells gift vouchers. Between the small plates, the generous cellar and the upstairs room in the middle of Rotorua's dining precinct, it is an easy place to settle in, order a little, and stay a while.

Signature items

• Poco Fried Chicken
• Lamb Hummus
• Applewood Smoked Venison Tataki
• Kingfish Crudo
• Chef's Menu
• Garlic Prawns

Menu

Tapas

• Homemade Yoghurt Flatbread
• Marinated Olives (V, GF) — Lemon, confit garlic, sage
• Roast Carrot Dip (V, GF) — Hot honey, toasted almonds, pickled raisins
• Fried Haloumi (V, GF) — Tamarillo and apple chutney, macadamia praline
• Chermoula Roasted Potatoes (V, GF) — Black garlic labneh, sumac onions
• Butterleaf Salad (V, GF) — Green apple, walnuts, pecorino, sherry vinaigrette
• Grilled Broccolini (V, GF) — Hazelnut romesco, silon
• Sauteed Mushrooms (GF) — Merguez sausage, white beans, Jerusalem artichoke puree
• Smoked Kahawai Croquettes (2) — Horseradish creme fraiche
• Garlic Prawns — Fresh herbs, chilli, sherry butter
• Kingfish Crudo (GF) — Charred mandarin, honey mandarin gel, pickled red chilli
• Poco Fried Chicken (GF) — Free-range thigh, berber spice, saffron lime aioli
• Wild Pork Meatballs — Dijon cream, anchovy, caperberries
• Applewood Smoked Venison Tataki (GF) — Pickled apple, crispy leek, blueberry ponzu
• Lamb Hummus (GF) — Slow-cooked harissa lamb shoulder, cumin, garlic, sumac onions
• Chef's Menu — A selection of favourite dishes, all to share; minimum two people, price per person
• Chef's Menu with Shared Dessert — The chef's share-style menu finished with a shared dessert

Spirits

• Pink & White London Dry Gin — Rotorua
• Pink & White Pink Gin — Rotorua
• Scapegrace Black Gin — Lake Dunstan
• Waiheke Distillery Ruby Red — Waiheke Island
• Victor Kafir Lime Gin — Auckland
• Black Collar Vodka — Bay of Islands
• Black Collar Chocolate Vodka — Bay of Islands
• Waiheke Distillery Kawakawa Summer — Waiheke Island
• Meili Vodka — Montana, USA
• Cardrona 'The Reid' Single Malt Vodka — Wanaka
• Stolen Dark Rum — Trinidad
• Appleton Estate Signature Gold Rum — Jamaica
• Black Collar Rum — Bay of Islands
• Black Collar Spiced Rum — Bay of Islands
• Honest Six Spiced Botanical Rum — Auckland
• Thomson Peat Whisky — Auckland
• Thomson Manuka Smoke Whisky — Auckland
• Scapegrace Dimension VII Single Malt Whisky — Lake Dunstan
• Glenmorangie The Original Malt Whisky — Highlands, Scotland
• Maker's Mark Bourbon — USA
• Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila — Mexico
• Illegal 'Joven' Mezcal — Mexico
• Baileys Irish Cream — Ireland
• Kahlua Coffee Liqueur — Mexico

Red Wine

• Cuvar Iris Pinot Noir 2024 — Marlborough
• Peregrine Pinot Noir 2023 — Central Otago, 375ml
• Matt Connell 'Rendition' Pinot Noir 2024 — Central Otago
• Felton Road Pinot Noir 2024 — Bannockburn
• Beach House Syrah 2024 — Hawkes Bay
• Georges Road Syrah 2022 — Hawkes Bay
• Bostock Syrah 2019 — Hawkes Bay
• Askerne Estate CSM 2023 — Hawkes Bay
• Lados Bideona Tempranillo 2022 — Rioja, Spain
• Elephant Hill Stone Merlot 2019 — Hawkes Bay
• Smith & Sheth Cru Cabernet Franc 2024 — Hawkes Bay
• Black Estate 'Home' Cabernet Franc 2022 — North Canterbury
• Decibel 'Testify' Malbec 2020 — Hawkes Bay
• Two Hands 'Sexy Beast' Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 — McLaren Vale, Australia
• Acustic Garnacha 2020 — Spain

Cocktails

• Toasted Marshmallow Sour — Maker's Mark with toasted marshmallow syrup
• Espresso Martini — Black Collar chocolate vodka, Kahlua, espresso
• Pomegranate & Sumac Margarita — Sumac-infused tequila, pomegranate and lime triple sec, pomegranate juice
• Jack Sparrow — Black Collar spiced rum, Drambuie, coconut, pineapple juice
• Saffron & Elderflower 75 — White gin, sparkling wine, elderflower liqueur
• Smoked Beetroot Negroni — Smoked beet-infused gin, red vermouth, Campari
• Mezcal Caesar — Mezcal, vodka, homemade clamato juice
• White Wine and Berry Sangria — Carafe made to share between two or more

Hot Drinks

• Tea — Zealong pure oolong, black tea, Lady Gatsby, Fire & Ice, chamomile
• Flat White — Coffee
• Latte — Coffee
• Mocha — Coffee
• Long Black — Coffee
• Espresso — Coffee
• Hot Chocolate — Cocoa

White Wine

• Settlement Heritage Sauvignon Blanc 2024 — Marlborough
• Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Blanc 2023 — Marlborough
• Coal Pit Proprietor's Reserve 2023 — Central Otago
• Dog Point 'Section 94' 2019 — Marlborough
• Saddleback Chardonnay 2025 — Central Otago
• Black Barn Barrel Aged Chardonnay 2024 — Hawkes Bay
• Oraterra Chardonnay 2023 — Marlborough
• Peregrine 2025 — Central Otago
• Black Estate 'Skypunch' 2025 — Waipara
• Scout Riesling 2024 — Central Otago
• Red Hut Albarino 2025 — Gisborne
• Beach House Arneis 2025 — Hawkes Bay
• Huntress 'Waikoa' Riesling Sauvignon 2023 — Marlborough
• Decibel Chenin Blanc 2023 — Hawkes Bay
• Elephant Hill 'Sea' Viognier 2022 — Hawkes Bay

Beer & Cider

• Sawmill Aotearoa Series Seasonal Release — Matakana
• Eddyline Crankyanker IPA — Nelson
• Mount Brewing Mermaids Mirth APA — Mount Maunganui, 6.3%
• Sawmill Pilsner — Auckland, 4.8%
• Garage Project Gold Top Belgian Pale Ale — Wellington
• Mount Brewing Co. Lager — Mount Maunganui, 5.4%
• Garage Project Tiny Non-Alcoholic Beer — 0.5%
• Croucher Lowrider IPA — Low-alcohol, 2.5%
• Zeffer Peach & Berry Cider — Hawkes Bay
• The Island Easy Ginger Beer — Ginger beer

Non-Alcoholic

• The Paloma Mocktail — Grapefruit syrup, lemon juice, maple syrup, grapefruit soda
• Lime & Yuzu Spritz Mocktail — Citrus spritz with optional lime gin add-on
• Pete's Natural Sodas — Kola, raspberry kola, lemonade, feijoa lemonade
• Antipodes Sparkling Water — 500ml
• Juice — Orange, pineapple or apple

Sparkling Wine

• Volcanic Hills Blanc de Blanc — Hawkes Bay
• Black Barn Sparkling Rose NV — Havelock Hills
• Swift Marceline Blanc de Blanc 2023 — Hawkes Bay
• Laurent Perrier La Cuvee Champagne Brut NV — Champagne, France
• Collet Art Deco Champagne Brut NV — Champagne, France

Dessert & Cheese

• Spiced Rum & Brown Sugar Creme Brulee — Grilled pineapple salsa, brown butter tuille
• Dark Chocolate & Espresso Torte — Burnt honey labneh, cardamom and orange syrup
• Cheese Selection — Crostini with house preserve

Dessert Cocktails

• Banoffee Crush — Butterscotch liqueur, almond Disaronno, banana mascarpone, shortbread crumble
• Affogato — Vanilla ice cream and espresso, with optional liqueur
• Irish Coffee — Long black coffee, Irish whiskey, cream, brown sugar

Sweet & Fortified Wine

• Micha's Vineyard Cadenza Gewurztraminer — Lake Dunstan
• Volcanic Hills Tawny Port — Hawkes Bay
• Aurum Port Molyneux 2021 — Central Otago
• Taylors 10 Year Tawny Port — Portugal
• Gonzalez Byass Pedro Ximenez Sherry

Rose, Orange & Chilled Red

• Misha's Vineyard 'The Soloist' Rose 2025 — Central Otago
• Black Estate 'Treble' Rose 2025 — Wairarapa
• Tongue in Groove 'Little Stomper' Orange 2023 — North Canterbury
• Huntress 'Kuratea' Pinot Noir 2023 — Marlborough

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a booking at Poco?

Reservations are available and can be made online via the reservations page, by phone on 07 262 6119, or by email at booking@poco.nz.

What are Poco's opening hours?

Poco is open Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm until late, and closed on Sundays and Mondays.

What kind of food does Poco serve?

Contemporary tapas and larger Mediterranean-inspired plates made with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, all designed to be shared.

Is there a set menu?

Yes — the chef's menu is a selection of the kitchen's favourite dishes, all to share, with a minimum of two people. There is also a version with a shared dessert.

Are there vegetarian and gluten-free options?

Yes. Vegetarian (V) and gluten-free (GF) dishes are labelled on the menu, from marinated olives and chermoula roasted potatoes through to lamb hummus and kingfish crudo.

Can I book Poco for a private function?

Yes — Poco hosts private functions. Contact the team on 07 262 6119 or booking@poco.nz to discuss your event.

Are there good non-alcoholic options?

Yes — signature mocktails such as the Paloma and Lime & Yuzu Spritz, Pete's natural sodas, juice, sparkling water, coffee and tea, plus a non-alcoholic beer.

Tips

• {"body":"Reservations can be made online, or by phone on 07 262 6119 — worth doing for dinner and drinks, Tue–Sat from 4pm.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"Poco is tucked away upstairs in Rotorua's central dining precinct on Arawa Street — head up when you arrive.","title":"Look for the upstairs room"}
• {"body":"Tapas are designed for sharing — mix small and larger plates, or let the kitchen lead with the chef's menu (minimum two people).","title":"Order for the table"}
• {"body":"Many list wines pour by the glass and carafe as well as the bottle, so you can match several wines to a long shared meal.","title":"Wine by glass, carafe or bottle"}
• {"body":"Vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are marked on the menu, so mixed-diet groups can order freely for the table.","title":"Check the labels"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Vegetarian (V) and gluten-free (GF) dishes are labelled across the menu."}