Lantern

About Lantern

Lantern is a Southeast Asian restaurant and bar in Papamoa, offering a menu of shared plates, curries, and signature mains alongside an extensive cocktail and wine list. The kitchen also offers set sharing menus for tables of two or more, including a Mini Selection, Full Selection, and a dedicated Vegan Option.

Dishes draw on flavours from across Southeast Asia and beyond, with coriander and chilli used throughout many dishes. Vegan, gluten free, dairy free and spicy options are clearly marked, and many dishes can be adjusted to meet dietary requirements on request.

Lantern also hosts group bookings and events, including an annual charity long lunch supporting Waipuna Hospice with drinks, games and raffles, and offers gift cards and takeaway options.

Lantern: Southeast Asian Flavour and Craft Cocktails in Papamoa

Lantern brings Southeast Asian flavours to Papamoa, pairing a shared-plate driven menu with an extensive cocktail, wine and spirits list. The restaurant and bar has built a name locally for its chef-led sharing menus and inventive drinks programme.

A Menu Built for Sharing

For tables of two or more, Lantern offers set Chef's Selection menus - a Mini Selection featuring wonton crisps, tiger prawn toast, fried chicken and green curry sauce, and a Full Selection that stretches to charred edamame, panipuri, egg noodles with calamari, lamb massaman curry and coconut sago, with a dedicated Vegan Option swapping in massaman tofu curry. Beyond the set menus, the a la carte side of the menu covers snacks like tiger prawn toast, shared plates including a Kingfish Crudo with pickled rhubarb and strawberry ginger couli, a slow Braised Lamb Shoulder, and a Beef Rendang made with grass fed NZ short rib and a 12-hour rendang sauce. A Panang Duck with spiced cauliflower puree rounds out the mains, and desserts run from a Vietnamese Affogato to a Chocolate Fondant with banana orange yoghurt.

Dietary Care Throughout

Many dishes are marked vegan, gluten free, dairy free or spicy, and the kitchen notes that a number of dishes can be adjusted to meet dietary requirements on request - guests are asked to advise staff of any allergies, and coriander and chilli are used throughout the menu.

A Serious Drinks Programme

Lantern's drinks list runs deep. House cocktails include the Feeling Randy Baby (brandy, strawberry syrup, Vietnamese mint) and Purple Rain (Scapegrace Black Gin, calamansi, crème de violet), while the Lantern Classics section features a Singapore Sling built to the original Raffles Hotel recipe. Dessert cocktails, mocktails, a wide selection of New Zealand and international wines, craft beers from The Island Brewery on tap, and a deep spirits list round out the offering, alongside Vietnamese coffee and a Websters loose leaf tea range.

Groups, Events and Community

Lantern welcomes group bookings and events, and hosts an annual charity long lunch in support of Waipuna Hospice, with drinks, games and raffles. Gift cards and takeaway are also available.

Visiting Lantern

Lantern is open Tuesday to Sunday from 12pm until late, closed Mondays, at 20 Domain Road, Papamoa. Bookings can be made online, and takeaway is available for those wanting Lantern at home.

Signature items

• Beef Rendang
• Panang Duck
• Kingfish Crudo
• Braised Lamb Shoulder
• Full Selection Sharing Menu
• Singapore Sling

Menu

Sides

• Sambals & Peanut Sauce — Green chilli sambal, tomato and chilli sambal, chilli crisp, peanut sauce
• 12 Hour Rendang Sauce — Side sauce
• Roti — Side bread
• Jasmine Rice — Complimentary with sharing dishes

Snacks

• Charred Edamame — Soy sauce, sesame seeds (vegan, gluten free)
• Panipuri — Herbs, allium sofrito, spiced tamarind caramel (vegan, gluten free option, spicy)
• Wonton Crisps — Chilli and lime seasoning (dairy free, spicy)
• Tiger Prawn Toast — Sriracha cheese sauce, sweet chilli, green rice flake, sourdough

Desserts

• Coconut Sago — Rice puff, nut praline, milk chocolate fudge ice-cream or mango sorbet
• Chocolate Fondant — With banana orange yoghurt, nori sugar
• Brandy Snap — Apple pie cream
• Vietnamese Affogato — Chilled Vietnamese coffee, condensed milk, vanilla ice-cream, chocolate, macadamia liqueur
• Mini Cheese Tarts — Chocolate soil, makrut lime mascarpone, cinnamon butterscotch sauce
• Duck Island Ice-Cream — Milk chocolate fudge and vanilla ice-cream, chocolate sauce, black rice puff

Mocktails

• Juicy Lucy — Pineapple, cranberry, mango, lemon and soda
• Zuzu Balu — Yuzu tonic, apple juice, lemon
• Kissed by a Rose — Rose water, pomegranate, lemon, mint
• Virgin Ginger Ninja — 5 spice, ginger beer, cucumber, mint, orange

Shared Plates

• Steamed Vegetables — Seasonal green vegetables, lime garlic dressing (vegan, gluten free)
• Som Tam Salad — Pickled mango, beans, carrot, peanuts, herbs, spicy lime dressing
• Fish Dumplings — Market fish, green curry, young coconut, chilli and ginger (dairy free), 3 pieces
• Kingfish Crudo — Pickled rhubarb, strawberry ginger couli, Cointreau glaze (dairy free)
• Fried Chicken — Curry leaf, tamarind sauce and mango sambal (dairy free, gluten free)
• Balinese Salad — Cos lettuce, peanuts, garlic, heart of palm, coconut lime dressing (vegan, gluten free)
• Rice of the Day — Ask staff for the daily special, egg, pickle, coriander
• Egg Noodles — Savoy cabbage, egg, soy curry, spring onion
• Massaman Curry — Charred broccoli, aubergine and fig sambal; silken tofu option (gluten free, vegan option)
• Braised Lamb Shoulder — House braised lamb shoulder
• Beef Rendang — Grass fed NZ short rib, 12 hour rendang sauce, heirloom potatoes (gluten free, dairy free)
• Grilled Pork Char Siu — Apple and celery achar, ginger garlic oil (dairy free)
• Panang Duck — Spiced cauliflower puree, panang gastrique, sauteed vegetables, pistachio and citrus sambal (gluten free)

House Cocktails

• Feeling Randy Baby — Brandy, strawberry syrup, lemon, Vietnamese mint
• Paddington Bear — Mezcal, marmalade syrup, orange, lime
• Mad Hatter — Vodka, peach iced tea, orgeat, rose water, lemon
• Golden Dawn — Calvados, 5 spice, apple, cinnamon sugar
• Mean Girls — Lychee liqueur, Midori, lime, cucumber, soda
• Mile High Club — Aperol, passionfruit, lemon, Montenegro, bourbon
• Purple Rain — Scapegrace Black Gin, calamansi, lemon, crème de violet
• Passionfruit Spritz — Passionfruit liqueur, passionfruit syrup, prosecco, soda

Lantern Classics

• Ginger Ninja — Ginger wine, 5 spice, ginger beer, cucumber, mint
• Kiss Kiss — Vodka, lemon, foamer, raspberry syrup
• Hot in Hanoi — Chilli infused tequila, mango syrup, lemon, bitters
• Tokyo Drift — Yuzu liqueur, plum wine, sparkling sake, cucumber
• Sting Like a Bee — Bourbon, peach, honey, lemon
• Coco Cabana — Coconut tequila, lime juice, pomegranate juice, lime coconut foam
• Singapore Sling — From the Raffles Hotel - gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, DOM Benedictine, grenadine, pineapple, lime

Dessert Cocktails

• Smooth Operator — Creme de cassis, creme de cacao, frangelico, cream, chocolate
• Vietnamese Espresso Martini — Coffee liqueur, Vietnamese coffee, vanilla vodka
• Drunken Vanilla — Ice-cream with choice of Baileys or Frangelico and chocolate
• Drunken Lemon and Lime — Sorbet scoop with choice of yuzu liquor or Montenegro

Chef'S Selection (Shared Menus, Min. 2 People)

• Mini Selection — Wonton crisps, tiger prawn toast, fried chicken, steamed vegetables, green curry sauce, fennel chutney, rice and roti
• Full Selection — Charred edamame, panipuri, prawn toast, fried chicken, som tam salad, Balinese salad, egg noodles with calamari, lamb massaman curry, rice and roti, coconut sago
• Vegan Option — Charred edamame, panipuri, Balinese salad, massaman tofu curry, steamed vegetables, fennel chutney, rice and roti, coconut sago

Frequently asked questions

Where is Lantern located?

At 20 Domain Road, Papamoa 3118.

What are the opening hours?

Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm until late. Closed Mondays.

What cuisine does Lantern serve?

Southeast Asian cuisine, with shared plates, curries and a cocktail-driven bar menu.

How do the sharing menus work?

Available for a minimum of 2 people; the whole table must order the same selection due to the flow of dishes, with no changes.

Does Lantern cater for dietary requirements?

Yes, many dishes are marked vegan, gluten free or dairy free, and some can be adjusted on request - advise staff of any allergies.

Can I book Lantern for a group or event?

Yes, group bookings and events are welcome, including an annual charity long lunch for Waipuna Hospice.

Is takeaway available?

Yes, takeaway is available alongside dine-in service.

Tips

• {"body":"Chef's Selection menus require the whole table to choose the same option.","title":"Order the same sharing menu as your table"}
• {"body":"Made to the original Raffles Hotel recipe.","title":"Try the Singapore Sling"}
• {"body":"Several dishes can be adapted on request - flag any allergies with staff.","title":"Ask about dietary adjustments"}
• {"body":"Group bookings and events, including the annual Waipuna Hospice charity lunch, are available.","title":"Book ahead for groups"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Vegan, gluten free, dairy free and spicy dishes marked; many adjustable on request; coriander and chilli used throughout"}