Top Māori food and drink experiences

Te Pā Tū is an immersive Māori food and cultural experience in Rotorua. The Tū Te Rā summer celebration(opens in new window) follows the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) and honours the harvest season through storytelling, ceremony, performance and kai (food).

The evening includes kai horotai (indigenous canapés), kawakawa tea, a four-course Māori-fusion feast, traditional hāngī (earth-oven cooking), boil up broth and rongoā tea.  

Set among native forest and tawa trees, this award-winning experience brings together cuisine, kapa haka (Māori performing arts) and local storytelling. 

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Wanahaka connects Māori culture with the vineyards of Central Otago. The experience shares local history, traditions and connection to whenua (land) while visiting boutique wineries in areas such as Wānaka, Tarras, Cromwell and Queenstown. 

You can taste regional wines including Pinot Noir, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling, with some tours including cheese or grazing platter. The tours are especially useful for those who want a relaxed wine tour(opens in new window) with cultural context woven throughout the day. 

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As the sun sets in Rotorua, Mitai Māori Village brings together food, performance and nature. The evening begins with cultural storytelling and a traditional waka (canoe) gliding along Wai-o-Whiro stream before kapa haka takes centre stage. 

Dinner features a traditional hāngī, where meat, vegetables and kūmara (sweet potato) are slow-cooked using heated stones buried beneath the ground. The night concludes with a walk through the native forest to see glow worms and hear stories connected to the local landscape. 

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In Kaikōura, Hapuku Kitchen brings people together around the table to cook, learn and share stories. Experiences range from farm-to-table cooking classes to seasonal feasts inspired by local producers and the surrounding landscape.   

Gather ingredients from the whenua (land), prepare kaimoana (seafood) from the coast and learn traditional approaches to cooking with seasonal produce.  

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This cultural dinner experience begins with a journey through Maketū, one of the earliest Māori settlement areas in New Zealand. Hosted by Deon Muir (former professional rugby union player), guests visit the local area before gathering for a meal at his home. 

The highlight is helping unearth a traditional hāngī, followed by a feast that includes hāngī-cooked meats, kūmara (sweet potato), kaimoana (seafood), fry bread and seafood dishes.  

Stories of manaakitanga (hospitality and care for others), tiakitanga (guardianship of the environment) and whanaungatanga (connection and relationships) are woven throughout the experience.

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Fresh oysters are only part of the story at Tio Ōhiwa. In the sheltered waters of Ōhiwa Harbour, this Māori-led experience combines a harbour cruise with oyster farming, local history and hands-on tasting. 

Step aboard Waka Kotiti and learn about the harbour's cultural significance, marine life and traditional aquaculture practices. Then shuck and taste oysters straight from the source while hearing stories that connect local iwi (tribes) with the moana (ocean). 

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Āmiki Tours shows a different side of Ōtautahi Christchurch. Led by local Māori guides, these walking food tours combine city history, te reo Māori (the Māori language), hidden eateries and contemporary storytelling.  

Each stop adds another layer to the city's story, from artisan producers to local restaurants serving seasonal cuisine. Along the way, discover how Māori and multicultural influences continue to shape modern Ōtautahi Christchurch.

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At Hayz @ the Anchorage(opens in new window), local ingredients and manaakitanga (hospitality and care for others) come together on every plate. Chef Haylee-Chanel Simeon draws on a lifetime of gathering, fishing and cooking in Southland to create dishes inspired by the region.   

The menu includes pāua (abalone), Bluff oysters and tītī (muttonbird), ingredients closely connected to the southern coastline. For those exploring the lower South Island, it's a chance to sample flavours that are difficult to find elsewhere.

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Hāngī Master(opens in new window) takes one of New Zealand's oldest cooking traditions to food festivals, events and locations around Auckland and Queenstown. Founded by Rewi Spraggon, he draws on generations of hāngī knowledge passed down through whānau (family).   

Classic hāngī sits alongside creative dishes such as pork belly hāngī burgers, making this an easy introduction to one of Māori cuisine's most distinctive flavours.   

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At Treetops Lodge and Estate(opens in new window), native forests become an outdoor pantry. The Māori Food Trail(opens in new window) explores indigenous plants, herbs and ingredients while sharing their cultural, medicinal and culinary significance.   

Join a wild food cooking experience(opens in new window) or estate-to-plate safari(opens in new window) to discover how foraged ingredients, wild game and locally grown produce can be transformed into memorable meals. It's a hands-on way to explore the relationship between food and the natural environment.

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Manu(opens in new window) celebrates the cultural influences that shape modern Aotearoa New Zealand. The name manu means bird in te reo Māori (the Māori language), reflecting ideas of connection, movement and diversity.  

The menu blends Pacific, Asian and Māori flavours through vibrant shared dishes and contemporary dining experiences. Guided by manaakitanga (hospitality and care for others), Manu creates a welcoming space where food becomes a celebration of culture.   

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At the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, you can experience an evening of storytelling, performance and traditional cuisine all in one place. Start the experience at Whare Waka Café before a pōwhiri (welcome ceremony) invites you to the evening. A kapa haka (Māori performing arts) performance follows, featuring waiata (song), haka and stories that share the history and traditions of the region.  

Dinner centres around a traditional hāngī, where meats and vegetables are slow-cooked underground using heated stones. Watch as the hāngī is lifted from the earth before enjoying a buffet meal of hāngī-cooked meats, veges and steamed pudding for dessert. 

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