Rotorua, or Rotorua Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, is a city located on New Zealand’s North Island in the Bay of Plenty region. It’s a popular stop for tourists, with its natural phenomena (like the Redwoods and geothermal landscapes) and immersion of Māori culture. And if you’re going to eat while you’re visiting, you’ll find plenty of vegan food in Rotorua.
Here are a few of the vegan food options in Rotorua:
BailwalG
There are only a few vegetarian establishments in Rotorua, but this is one of them. BailwalG is a vegetarian Indian restaurant offering an extensive menu with numerous vegan options. As mentioned in other posts, I typically don’t recommend Indian restaurants because I’m never a fan, nor do I ever eat Indian food when I’m abroad. However, Indian restaurants are great if you can’t find anything else. You’ll need to avoid anything that mentions paneer, makhan/makhani, malai, or ghee as these are dairy-based.
FTP Vegan Eats
FTP Vegan Eats is the only vegan-only establishment in Rotorua, and it’s no longer a brick-and-mortar establishment but a food truck! They are only open on Thursdays, and you can check out their Instagram for current information. They do vegan burgers and fries, and sometimes donuts, so if you happen to be in Rotorua on a Thursday, definitely check them out. On a future North Island-only trip, I’d plan to spend a few days in Rotorua because I feel like I missed so much this time around.
Good Eastern Taphouse
If you’re looking for good food and good drinks that’s open late, visit Good Eastern Taphouse. The only vegan-as-is option is the “as you do edamame beans”, but there are vegan options available for the hawker roll and the steamed dumplings. They also have non-alcoholic drinks!
Pig & Whistle
Pig & Whistle is a historic pub located in central Rotorua, along a main street with many other restaurants and shops. They’re open until 10PM every day of the week and offer a seasonal menu. Their menu is clearly labeled and their vegan options include: jackfruit steamed buns, vegan chicken tacos, the goodness bowl, and a vegan burger. Vegan chicken can be added to any of their salads and for dessert, try the choc mint raw cake. I had the vegan chicken tacos and I thought they were just okay. Maybe I’m just accustomed to better tacos but I didn’t like the vegan chicken or flavoring, and the salsa was sweet. I’d get something else next time or try some of the other places on this list.
Mamma Rosa Pizzeria
With excellent reviews, Mamma Rosa Pizzeria serves up traditional Italian wood-fired pies. The labels on their online menu are quite confusing, but the restaurant is reported to have vegan cheese and their dough is vegan, so they can make any of their vegetarian pizzas vegan or you can make your own.
Atticus Finch
Atticus Finch, named after the iconic character from Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird”, is a contemporary restaurant and bistro with a ton of vegan options. These include a portobello mushroom sandwich, curried jackfruit tacos, roti, soba noodle salad, and chipotle and maple-rubbed pumpkins for lunch. The dinner menu features shared plates, with many options marked as vegan, including a vegan thaali. For dessert, get the coconut and raspberry tart. This is one place I wish I had had the time to go to when I was there, but we were only in Rotorua for half a day.
Saigon ’60s Vietnamese Cuisine
As in the name, Saigon serves up delicious Vietnamese food. Their online menu is clearly labeled with vegan options, which include: tofu pancakes, pork pancakes, vegetarian noodle soup, fried tofu, veggie spring rolls, tofu summer rolls, edamame, fried rice, lemongrass curry tofu, stir-fried veggies or ramen, and a handful of salads.
El Mexicano Zapata Cantina
As mentioned before, I can’t judge Mexican food outside of the US/Mexico because it doesn’t compare to what I’m used to but that doesn’t mean it’s bad food! However, you might want to try this one. With a 4.9/5 rating and almost 1.5k reviews on TripAdvisor, El Mexicano Zapato Cantina claims to be the best Mexican restaurant outside Mexico. The online menu isn’t labeled, but the menu in-person is reported to be and according to HappyCow reviews, there are a plethora of vegan options.
Artisan Cafe
If you’re looking for a lighter bite, healthier options, or just good vegan food, visit Artisan Cafe. They have breakfast and lunch options, including a veggie stack, falafel burger, homemade granola with milk and yogurt, and vegan treats in their cabinet.
Fresh Noodles
If you’re looking for tea and fresh noodles, look no further! Fresh noodles has just a few vegan options (a noodle soup and pan-fried dumplings, possibly a few others), but they are delicious nonetheless.
Did I miss your favorite spot for vegan food in Rotorua? Let me know in the comments!
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