Cornerstone Bar & Eatery sits at 107 The Strand, right on the Tauranga waterfront at the heart of the city's nightlife, with outstanding views over Tauranga harbour and an easy two-minute walk from several of the city's newest hotel and apartment complexes. It's built for everything from after-work drinks and quick lunches to corporate and family functions and big nights out.
The kitchen covers the full day: bar snacks and light meals, hearty mains, a dedicated burgers and sandwiches menu, plus kids' meals and desserts. Breakfast runs on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9am to 2pm, and Fridays bring a long-running burger and a beer special (public holidays excepted).
Sports fans are well looked after — a huge array of big screens plays multiple Sky Sport channels simultaneously, covering rugby, cricket, Formula 1, netball and more, with the outdoor area keeping the action going on its own screens. Cornerstone was also the first location in New Zealand to offer Darts Union, an interactive twist on traditional darts that suits novices and experts alike. Add live bands, DJs, poker nights and quiz nights, and there's usually something happening whenever you wander in.
Cornerstone Bar & Eatery occupies a sweet spot at 107 The Strand, the waterfront strip at the heart of Tauranga's nightlife. The bar and eatery look out over Tauranga harbour — a view the team rightly calls outstanding — and the whole thing sits an easy two-minute walk from several of the city's newest hotel and apartment complexes. Locals know it as a big-night-out staple; visitors stepping out of a nearby hotel quickly work out why it's such a reliable first stop.
The formula is a well-loved one: a bar and eatery built for after-work drinks, quick lunches, long catch-ups with friends and full-blown celebrations. Behind the pass, the kitchen turns out bar snacks and light meals, proper mains, a dedicated burgers and sandwiches list, and kids' meals and desserts for the younger set. On Fridays there's a house tradition worth knowing about — the burger and a beer special, public holidays excepted — and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, breakfast is served from 9am to 2pm.
Come for the food, stay for the footy. Cornerstone runs a huge array of big screens showing multiple Sky Sport channels simultaneously, so you'll never miss a minute of the action — rugby, cricket, Formula 1, netball and everything in between, all live and in real time, in a room full of people who care about the score. When the sun's out, the outdoor area keeps the sport going on its own screens and doubles as one of the better spots in town to soak up live music and The Strand's outdoor nightlife.
Then there's the darts. Cornerstone was the first location in New Zealand to offer Darts Union, an interactive, action-packed twist on the traditional game that works just as well for complete novices as for players who rarely miss the mark. It's bookable, which makes it an easy centrepiece for a birthday, a work do or a genuinely competitive catch-up with friends.
The calendar doesn't rest when the final whistle goes. Live bands and DJs play through the week, and poker nights and quiz nights fill out the schedule — the kind of line-up that means there's usually something happening whenever you wander in.
That same flexibility carries over to private events. Function hire is a core part of what Cornerstone does, from corporate functions to family celebrations and birthdays, with the harbour view, the screens, the sound and the kitchen all on hand. Enquiries go through the website or straight to the team by phone or email.
The hours stretch long in both directions. Monday to Thursday opens at 11.30am and runs until late; Friday kicks off at 11am and finishes at 2am; Saturday starts at 9am — in time for breakfast — and closes at 2am; and Sundays and public holidays run from 9am until late. Whichever day you pick, the lights will be on.
Find Cornerstone at 107 The Strand, Tauranga 3110, or phone 07 928 1120. Book the darts ahead if you're set on a game, arrive early on big sporting days for a decent vantage point, and if it's Friday, you already know what to order.