Schnappa Rock | Restaurant & Bar

About Schnappa Rock | Restaurant & Bar

Schnappa Rock Restaurant & Bar sits right on Marina Road at Tutukaka Marina in Northland, serving breakfast through dinner from 8am and takeaways from 11am. It's the kind of place where the view, the boats and the kitchen all tell the same story: fresh, local food from Te Tai Tokerau, prepared simply and generously.

The kitchen's philosophy is genuinely paddock-to-plate. Vegetables come from the restaurant's own spray-free garden, tended by gardeners Tim and James using organic practices, while fish is line-caught, eggs are free-range and other ingredients are sourced from around the region — Glenbervie avocados, Dargaville kumara, Ruakaka pāua and Haku kingfish. A published food map lets you trace exactly where each element comes from, and that commitment was recognised with Best Destination Venue at the 2025 Hospitality NZ Awards.

Menus run across lunch, dinner, kids, bar, takeaway and drinks. The takeaway window is a local institution from 11am, turning out beer-battered fish and chips made with the fresh local line-caught catch of the day, beer-battered fish tacos, burgers and a shareable slow-roasted lamb shoulder. The bar pours New Zealand craft beer, a deep wine list with strong Northland representation from producers like 144 Islands and The Landing, plus gins, rums, single malts and sparkling.

From May to October, Tuesday to Saturday nights, the Trust the Chef tasting menu hands the kitchen the reins — a seasonal six- or eight-course journey built around what's freshest, with optional wine matches and the flexibility to tailor to allergies and dislikes. Year-round there's an events calendar of seafood dinners, producer collaborations and wine tastings that has made Schnappa Rock a gathering place for Northland's food community.

Schnappa Rock: Garden-to-Plate Dining at Tutukaka Marina, Northland

On the edge of Tutukaka Marina, where the boats head out toward some of Northland's most celebrated waters, Schnappa Rock Restaurant & Bar does things the long way round. Vegetables come from the restaurant's own spray-free garden, fish is line-caught by local anglers, eggs are free-range, and the rest of the larder is gathered from around Te Tai Tokerau — Glenbervie avocados, Dargaville kumara, Ruakaka pāua and Haku kingfish among them.

That paddock-to-plate ethos isn't marketing polish; it's day-to-day practice. Gardeners Tim and James use organic practices to grow seasonal produce that shapes what ends up on the plates, and a published food map lets diners trace exactly where the good stuff comes from. In 2025, the approach earned Schnappa Rock the title of Best Destination Venue at the Hospitality NZ Awards — a nod to a venue that has become part of the evolving local food story in Tutukaka.

What's cooking

The kitchen runs a full set of menus — lunch, dinner, kids, bar and takeaways — so the venue works as everything from a lazy morning coffee stop to a long dinner. The takeaway window is a local institution from 11am to late: beer-battered fish and chips made with the fresh local line-caught catch of the day, beer-battered fish tacos with kawakawa chimichurri, beef and fried tofu burgers with caramelised chilli ketchup, and a 1kg slow-roasted lamb shoulder with crispy potatoes and port jus for the table.

The bar list is one of the deepest you'll find this far north. New Zealand craft pours on tap and in the bottle sit alongside a wine list with serious Northland representation — 144 Islands from Northland and The Landing from the Bay of Islands — plus Marlborough classics, Central Otago pinot noir and a few international bottles. There are gins, rums, a single malt selection and sparkling by the glass for celebrations.

One thing to know: the menu follows the seasons and the day's availability, so what's on the website may occasionally differ from what's in-house. That's the point — the menu is written by the garden and the boats.

Trust the Chef

From May to October, Tuesday to Saturday nights, Schnappa Rock hands over the reins with its Trust the Chef tasting menu. Choose six or eight courses and let the kitchen build a seasonal journey around what's fresh, local and inspiring right now. Wine matches are available in two tiers, and the team will tailor the experience to any allergies or dislikes — just note them, along with your course choice, in the requests section when booking.

More than dinner

The venue doubles as a hub for Northland's food community. Its events calendar has included a much-loved Seafood Dinner, wine tastings, Savor Northland events, a McLeod's Brewery Dinner and a Landing Wine Tasting Dinner. A recent collaboration with Nadia's Whole Garden invited guests on a garden tour before a five-course garden-to-table lunch back at the restaurant, with Nadia's spring produce taking centre stage. Schnappa Rock also featured on TVNZ's Off the Grid with Colin & Manu, with the Tutukaka episode screening on TVNZ 1.

Plan your visit

Schnappa Rock opens Tuesday to Saturday from 8am until late, and Sundays from 8am to 5pm; it's closed on Mondays. Reservations can be made online or by calling 09 434 3774, and the team is happy to hear about dietary requirements — much of the menu is already suitable and some dishes can be easily adjusted. Whether you come for fish and chips by the marina or settle in for eight courses you didn't choose, you'll taste the same thing: Northland, on a plate.

Signature items

• Fish & Chips
• Trust the Chef Tasting Menu
• Beer Battered Fish Tacos
• 1kg Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder
• Fried Tofu Burger
• Northland Wine List

Menu

Gin

• Black Collar — Waikato craft gin
• Papaka Road — New Zealand craft gin
• Haymans — English gin
• Malfy — Italian gin
• Bombay Sapphire — London dry gin
• Roku — Japanese craft gin

Rum

• Mount Gay — Barbados rum
• Sailor Jerry — Spiced rum
• Appletons — Jamaican rum
• Black Collar Pineapple — Pineapple craft rum
• Black Collar Spiced — Spiced craft rum
• Ratu Signature — Fijian craft rum
• Ratu Dark — Dark Fijian rum

Rosé

• 144 Islands Coco Maeve, Northland 2024 — Northland rosé
• Jules Taylor, Marlborough 2024 — Marlborough rosé
• Man o War Pinque, Waiheke 2025 — Waiheke Island rosé

Shiraz

• Chocolate Box, Barossa Valley 2023 — Barossa Valley shiraz
• The Landing Madre, Bay of Islands 2022 — Northland shiraz from The Landing

Aromatics

• 144 Islands Pinot Beurrot, Northland 2020 — Northland-grown pinot gris expression
• 144 Islands Albarino, Northland 2022 — Northland albariño
• Matawhero Chenin Blanc, Gisborne 2024 — Gisborne chenin blanc
• Dr Loosen Dry Riesling, Mosel 2024 — Dry German riesling

Takeaways

• Fish & Chips — Beer-battered fresh local line-caught fish of the day with fries, tomato sauce and tartare
• Beer Battered Fish Tacos — Line-caught fish, slaw, sriracha mayo, kawakawa chimichurri and spring onion
• Beef Burger — Potato bun, cheddar, pickled and tobacco onions, chilli ketchup, mayo, with fries
• Fried Tofu Burger — Crispy fried tofu, pickled and tobacco onions, chilli ketchup and mayo, with fries
• 1kg Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder — Slow-roasted lamb with crispy potatoes and port jus, made to share
• Fries — Served with pickled mustard sauce
• Crispy Potatoes — Served with mustard pickle sauce
• Iceberg Wedge — Caesar dressing and pickled onions

Chardonnay

• Isabel Estate SV, Marlborough 2024 — Marlborough chardonnay, by glass or bottle
• Dog Point, Marlborough 2023 — Aged Marlborough chardonnay
• Madre, The Landing, Bay of Islands 2021 — Bay of Islands chardonnay from The Landing

Pinot Gris

• The Ned 2023 — Marlborough pinot gris
• The Landing, Bay of Islands 2024 — Northland pinot gris

Pinot Noir

• Odyssey, Marlborough 2022 — Marlborough pinot noir
• Saddleback, Central Otago 2022 — Central Otago pinot noir
• Dog Point, Marlborough 2021 — Aged Marlborough pinot noir

Beer On Tap

• Tiger — Lager served on tap
• Tuatara Hazy Pale Ale — New Zealand hazy pale ale on tap
• Monteith's Alcoholic Hazy Lemonade — Citrusy alcoholic hazy lemonade on tap
• Export Ultra — Low-carb lager on tap

Bottled Beer

• Heineken — Classic lager by the bottle
• Steinlager Classic — New Zealand lager by the bottle
• Sol — Mexican-style lager by the bottle
• Lion Red — Auckland-brewed lager by the bottle
• Guinness — Irish stout by the bottle
• McLeod's Longboarder Lager — Northland-brewed lager
• McLeod's Paradise Pale Ale — Northland craft pale ale
• Heavens Brewery Judas Sheep Dark Lager — Dark lager in a 500ml bottle
• Fortune Favours Pilsner — Wellington craft pilsner
• Sawmill IPA — Northland craft IPA
• Punkheads Brewing 'Richard Cranium' Hazy IPA — Hazy IPA in a 500ml bottle

Merlot & Blends

• De Bortoli Merlot, Bilbul 2022 — Australian merlot
• Main Divide Merlot Cabernet, Canterbury 2023 — Canterbury merlot-cabernet blend
• 144 Islands Remy Jacob, Syrah Petit Verdot 2024 — Northland syrah and petit verdot blend

Sauvignon Blanc

• Satellite Marlborough 2025 — Marlborough sauvignon blanc, by glass or bottle
• Misty Cove Blush, Marlborough 2025 — Blush-style Marlborough sauvignon blanc
• Dog Point Section 94, Marlborough 2020 — Organic Marlborough sauvignon blanc, aged release

Low & No Alcohol

• Sawmill Bare Beer — Non-alcoholic craft beer
• Heineken 0.0 — Zero-alcohol lager
• McLeod's Northern Light Lager — Low-alcohol 2.3% Northland lager

Champagne & Methode

• Laurent Perrier NV — French champagne
• Deutz — Sparkling méthode traditionnelle by the bottle
• Prosecco — Prosecco by the bottle
• Lindauer Brut 200ml — Brut sparkling in a 200ml pour
• Lindauer Fraise 200ml — Strawberry sparkling in a 200ml pour
• Botter Prosecco 200ml — Prosecco in a 200ml pour
• Deutz 200ml — Méthode in a 200ml pour

Single Malt Selection

• Laphroaig 45ml — Islay single malt whisky
• Glenlivet 45ml — Speyside single malt whisky
• Glenmorangie 45ml — Highland single malt whisky
• Talisker 45ml — Isle of Skye single malt whisky

Port, Cognac & Dessert Wine

• Dicey Late Harvest 2021 — Late harvest dessert wine, 60ml or 375ml
• Remy Martin Cognac 45ml — Fine champagne cognac pour
• Taylors Reserve Port 60ml — Portuguese reserve port

Trust The Chef Tasting Menu

• 6-Course Tasting Menu — Seasonal chef's journey built around what's fresh and local, Tue–Sat nights May–October
• 8-Course Tasting Menu — Extended seasonal tasting journey, Tuesday to Saturday nights, May to October
• Wine Matches — Curated pairings for the tasting menu, available in two tiers

Frequently asked questions

Where is Schnappa Rock located?

On Marina Road at Tutukaka Marina in Tutukaka, Northland (postcode 0173).

What are the opening hours?

Tuesday to Saturday from 8am until late, and Sundays from 8am to 5pm. Closed on Mondays. The takeaway menu runs from 11am to late.

Do I need a reservation?

Bookings can be made online or by calling 09 434 3774. For Trust the Chef or special events, note your request in the requests section when booking.

What is the Trust the Chef tasting menu?

A seasonal chef's tasting experience available Tuesday to Saturday nights from May to October, with a choice of six or eight courses and optional wine matches. Let the team know about any allergies or dislikes when booking and they'll tailor the journey to you.

Can dietary requirements be catered for?

Yes. Much of the menu is already suitable for dietary needs and some dishes can be easily adjusted — just let the team know.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, alongside the lunch, dinner, bar and takeaway menus there's a dedicated kids menu.

Does the menu ever change?

Yes. Due to seasonality and availability, the menu on the website may occasionally differ from what's available in-house.

Tips

• {"body":"Schnappa Rock closes at 5pm on Sundays and is closed on Mondays; Tuesday to Saturday runs 8am to late.","title":"Plan around the hours"}
• {"body":"When reserving, note in the requests section whether you want 6 or 8 courses, whether you'd like the wine match, and any allergies or dislikes.","title":"Book Trust the Chef properly"}
• {"body":"The takeaway menu runs 11am to late — beer-battered fish and chips made with the local line-caught catch of the day is the classic choice.","title":"Grab takeaways by the marina"}
• {"body":"The restaurant publishes a food map showing where its ingredients come from — from Glenbervie avocados to Haku kingfish — worth a look before or after your meal.","title":"Follow the food map"}
• {"body":"Seafood dinners, wine tastings and garden-to-table lunches have limited seats — book online or call, and follow social media for ticket releases.","title":"Events sell fast"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Dedicated kids menu available.","dietary":"Much of the menu suits dietary needs and some dishes can be easily adjusted — let staff know."}