The Citadel Cafe

About The Citadel Cafe

The Citadel Cafe sits right on Castlecliff Beach in Whanganui, offering great coffee, tasty burgers and a cool, laid-back beachside vibe. Baristas make each coffee with care, and the kitchen turns out burgers made with fresh, local ingredients, with both beef and vegetarian options on the menu.

Beyond burgers, The Citadel runs a broad menu covering breakfast, tacos, salads, loaded fries, chef's picks and desserts, with gluten free, dairy free and plant-based options clearly marked throughout, plus a vegan menu available on request. The cafe is dog friendly, so furry friends are welcome to join.

With its fun atmosphere and friendly staff, The Citadel positions itself as a relaxed beachside spot for a coffee, a proper feed, or both.

The Citadel Cafe: Coffee, Burgers and Beach Vibes in Castlecliff, Whanganui

Right on Castlecliff Beach in Whanganui, The Citadel Cafe leans fully into its beachside setting, promising "sun, sand and a coffee in my hand." It's a cafe built around a relaxed, laid-back experience — good coffee, satisfying food, and a fun atmosphere that welcomes both people and their dogs.

Coffee and a Genuinely Big Menu

The Citadel's baristas make each coffee with care, but the menu goes well beyond a simple espresso and toastie. Breakfast options range from The Citadel Big Breakfast — two fried eggs, bacon, hash brown, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans and toast — through to lighter choices like the Citadel Smash, a smashed avocado dish with feta and poached eggs, or Belgian Waffles with berry compote and mascarpone.

Burgers Made with Local Ingredients

Burgers are clearly a strength here, made with fresh, local ingredients across both beef and vegetarian options. The Classic Burger sticks to a well-executed 180g beef patty with Citadel burger sauce, while the Chico Burger brings buttermilk chicken with chipotle mayo and jalapeños. For something different, the Baby Dahl — a yellow split pea dahl with curried peanuts, coconut cream and kaffir lime — gets its own shoutout on the cafe's homepage as "the magic of Baby Dahl," and the Buoy Oh Buoy Burger brings battered Tarakihi fish to the burger lineup, fitting nicely with the beachside setting.

Tacos, Toasties and Loaded Fries

Beyond the core breakfast and burger menu, The Citadel offers a taco selection covering fish, fried chicken, pulled pork and crispy potato, plus a run of sourdough toasties like the ham, cheese and tomato Hot Hammy or the kimchi-and-sesame K-Melt. For sharing or snacking, Loaded Fries come in a handful of flavours, from the Cajun-spiced Kevin Bacon to the kimchi-topped Kimchi Fries and the curry-inspired Hey Dahl.

Mains, Salads and Something Sweet

The Chef's Picks section rounds out the savoury side of the menu with dishes like Butter Chicken served with garlic paratha, a creamy chicken and mushroom pasta, a green Thai curry available with chicken or tofu, and classic Fish and Chips using battered Tarakihi and locally grown hand cut chips. Salads like the Garden of Eden and the Kahlo Salad offer a lighter option without skimping on flavour. To finish, the dessert menu covers Sticky Date Pudding, a Chocolate Brownie, an Ice Cream Sundae, and an Affogato for coffee lovers wanting one more hit of espresso.

Built for Every Diet

The Citadel takes dietary needs seriously, marking dishes throughout the menu as gluten free, dairy free or plant based where applicable, and offering a vegan menu on request. The cafe also asks customers to flag any allergies so the kitchen can take extra care, while noting it can't guarantee the complete absence of trace elements.

Visiting The Citadel Cafe

The Citadel Cafe is located at 14 Rangiora Street, Castlecliff, Whanganui. It's closed on Mondays, open Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 9am to 3:30pm, and open later — until 8:30pm — Thursday through Saturday. Dogs are welcome, gift cards are available, and reservations can be made directly through the cafe's website. Whether it's an early coffee and brekkie or a late dinner by the beach, The Citadel offers a genuinely varied menu in a relaxed Castlecliff setting.

Signature items

• Baby Dahl
• Classic Burger
• Citadel Smash
• Fish and Chips
• Butter Chicken
• Chico Burger

Menu

Tacos

• Fish Taco — Battered Tarakihi fish, tartare, slaw, salsa, cured onion and sesame seeds.
• Fried Chicken Taco — Fried chicken with slaw, chipotle mayo and peanuts.
• Pulled Pork Taco — Slow-cooked pork with aioli, slaw, pineapple salsa, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
• Crispy Potato Taco — Cajun spiced potato, sesame aioli, onions and salsa.

Salads

• Garden of Eden — Toasted maple walnuts and poached pears through mesclun, with grilled chicken, streaky bacon and feta.
• Seedy Shroom Salad — Mesclun with oven-baked portobello mushrooms, feta, beetroot relish, red onion, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, balsamic dressing and basil pesto.
• Kahlo Salad — Buttermilk chicken thigh coated in Citadel's original crumb, fried and served with mesclun slaw, charred corn salsa, chipotle mayo and jalapeños.

Burgers

• Pulled Beef Burger — Pulled beef, onion rings, aioli, slaw and pineapple. Available until 2pm.
• Classic Burger — 180g beef patty, cheese, Citadel burger sauce, pickle, red onion, lettuce and tomato.
• Chico Burger — Buttermilk chicken coated in Citadel's original crumb, with house slaw, chipotle mayo, tomato and jalapeños.
• Baby Dahl — Yellow split pea dahl with curried peanuts, coconut cream, kaffir lime and spring onion, with warm bread.
• Shroom Burger — Oven-baked portobello balsamic mushrooms with mesclun, beetroot relish, red onion, feta and basil pesto.
• Buoy Oh Buoy Burger — Battered Tarakihi fish, tartare, lettuce, red onion, tomato and lemon.
• Tofu Burger — Battered tofu with beetroot relish, kimchi, lettuce and sesame aioli.

Breakfast

• The Citadel Big Breakfast — Two fried eggs, bacon, hash brown, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, relish and ciabatta toast.
• Eggs Bene Bacon — Poached eggs, streaky bacon, baby spinach and hollandaise on toasted ciabatta.
• Shroom Eggs Bene — Poached eggs, portobello mushrooms, baby spinach and hollandaise on toasted ciabatta.
• Breaky Burger — Streaky bacon, hash brown, fried egg, hollandaise and tomato relish on a toasted ciabatta burger bun.
• Citadel Smash — Smashed avocado on ciabatta toast with tomato, feta, mixed seeds and poached eggs.
• Mama's Fry Chicken — Buttermilk marinated chicken pieces coated in Citadel's original crumb, served with aioli.
• Belgian Waffles — Waffles with maple syrup, berry compote, bacon and mascarpone.

Chef'S Picks

• Butter Chicken — Served with rice and garlic paratha.
• Pasta — Creamy chicken and mushroom pasta with basil pesto.
• Thai Curry — Green chicken or tofu curry with rice, fried curry leaves and paratha.
• Fish and Chips — Locally grown hand cut chips, battered Tarakihi fish fillet, salad greens, lemon and house tartare sauce.

Loaded Fries

• Kimchi Fries — Fries with house made kimchi, sriracha mayo, sesame seeds and spring onion.
• Fiery Frida — Fries with melted cheese, sour cream, salsa, jalapeños and sweet chilli sauce.
• Kevin Bacon — Fries with Cajun seasoning aioli and chopped streaky bacon.
• Gravy Baby — Fries with chicken salt, melted cheese and gravy.
• Hey Dahl — Yellow split pea dahl with peanuts, coconut cream, kaffir lime and spring onions, on fries.

Desserts & Drinks

• Sticky Date Pudding — Served with caramel sauce and a choice of cream, yoghurt or ice cream.
• Chocolate Brownie — Melted ganache with a choice of yoghurt, ice cream or cream.
• Ice Cream Sundae — With a choice of chocolate or caramel.
• Affogato — Premium vanilla ice cream with espresso.
• Port — A glass of port.

Snacks & Starters

• That's Amore — Salt and pepper calamari served with greens, pickled onion, house tartare and lemon.
• Garlic Butter Bread — Toasted ciabatta with garlic and mixed herb butter and balsamic glaze.
• Arancini Balls — Italian rice balls with mozzarella cheese, basil pesto and garlic aioli.
• Pulled Pork Nachos — Corn chips with pulled pork, cured onions, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Sourdough Toasties

• Hot Hammy — Ham, cheese and tomato.
• The Cornie — Creamy corn with cheese.
• The Oozy Onion — Classic cheese and onion.
• The K-Melt — Kimchi and sesame with cheese.

Frequently asked questions

What are The Citadel Cafe's opening hours?

Closed Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday 9am-3:30pm. Thursday to Saturday 9am-8:30pm.

Is The Citadel Cafe dog friendly?

Yes, dogs are welcome.

Does the cafe offer vegan or gluten free options?

Yes, many dishes are marked gluten free, dairy free or plant based, and a vegan menu is available on request.

What is The Citadel known for?

Its coffee and burgers, including the Classic Burger and the Baby Dahl, which is featured on the cafe's own homepage.

Until what time can I order the Pulled Beef Burger?

It's available until 2pm.

Can I book a table?

Yes, reservations can be made through the cafe's website.

Are gift cards available?

Yes, gift cards can be purchased online.

Tips

• {"body":"Featured on the cafe's own homepage as a standout dish, and suitable for plant-based diets.","title":"Try the Baby Dahl"}
• {"body":"The Citadel is dog friendly, so furry friends are welcome.","title":"Bring your dog"}
• {"body":"This burger is only available until 2pm.","title":"Order the Pulled Beef Burger before 2pm"}
• {"body":"Reservations can be made directly through the cafe's website.","title":"Book ahead for busier times"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Many dishes are marked gluten free, dairy free or plant based, and a vegan menu is available on request. Let staff know about allergies."}