If you love seafood, then you will love Hunger Monger. We found this restaurant by chance, while walking along Marine Parade in Napier. The restaurant was full and the ambience alive, so the next day we went in to book a table for our final night in Hawke’s Bay.

Run by Polish couple, Fraser Slack and Agnieszka Wills, the menu is predominantly seafood, where diners can enjoy oysters, Aussie prawns, grilled fish, Cook Strait octopus, squid, sashimi and salmon to name a few. Also, 98% of their wines and beers are local to the area – many I had never heard of before. We had a glass of the Beatrix Rose by Alpha Domus (Bridge Pa) and Brookfields Pinot Gris 2016 (Ohiti Estate). The Pinot Gris was a stand out, so much so, we went to New World afterwards to purchase a few bottles of it! 

For starters, we enjoyed their Tempura Prawns with dipping sauces – big, fat, juicy prawns, which were gone in a flash.

For mains, we ordered the Grilled Fish with Salads, and Grilled Fish with Kumara Miso Mash and Broccolini – the fish of the day was Kingfish, and it was perfectly cooked. I was pleased with the portion sizes and for $23 and $26 respectively, both dishes were reasonably priced. The Kumara Miso Mash was also a highlight, as I have only become a fan of kumara in the last four months… can’t get enough of it! 

For dessert, I loved their Deconstructed Tiramisu with Hawthorne Coffee mousse. It was decadent, rich, and a sweet way to finish the night. 

The service at Hunger Monger was excellent too. A shout out to Rose, Marco and Alice for their friendly hospitality, which made our night a very enjoyable one. 

Tip: Definitely book – even though it was a Tuesday, it was packed to the brim. In the space of 1.5 hours, 9 groups came through, who were all turned down as it was fully booked. 

129 Marine Parade, Napier / Website / Instagram