Marlborough grows most of New Zealand’s Greenshell mussels in the Sounds just over the hill, and the best seafood restaurants in Blenheim put that catch on the plate alongside salmon, market fish and prawns. Whether you want a chowder beside the Taylor River, mussels among the vines on Rapaura Road or beer battered hoki with a pint, there is a table for it. Raupo Café & Restaurant and Number 11 at Wairau River are among the names below.
1Raupo Café & Restaurant
Raupo sits on the banks of the Taylor River in central Blenheim and runs from breakfast through to dinner seven days a week. Its dinner menu carries the widest seafood range in town, from a smoked creamy seafood chowder and home smoked salmon kebabs to a Sea Food Sizzler of tiger prawns, mussels, salmon, fish, calamari and clams. The terrace suits warm evenings, and there is a fireplace inside for the cooler months.
Services
- Brunch served daily from 8.00am
- À la carte dinner menu with pan seared market fish
- Seafood chowder, smoked salmon kebabs and the Sea Food Sizzler
- On-site traiteur selling sweets, cakes, slices and muffins
- Group dining in a private mezzanine area with set menus
Highlights
- Riverside terrace overlooking the Taylor River, with an indoor fireplace in winter
- Traiteur opened as an extension of the café in 2015 and stocked daily by an in-house pastry chef
- All Press coffee served by their baristas, with a coffee loyalty card
- Gluten free and gluten free available options marked across the dinner menu
Location & Contact
Name: Raupo Café & Restaurant
Address: 6 Symons Street, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 577 8822
Website: raupocafe.co.nz
2Number 11 at Wairau River
Number 11 is the restaurant at the Wairau River vineyard on Rapaura Road, a short drive north of Blenheim, opened by Sam Webb. The menu is built to share and comes out of the kitchen as each dish is ready, with Mills Bay mussels in a chip shop curry sauce, grilled octopus with romesco, yellowfin tuna crudo and a prawn spaghetti. It suits a long lunch where the wine and the food come from the same property.
Services
- Shared plates sent from the kitchen as they are ready
- Mills Bay mussels, grilled octopus and yellowfin tuna crudo
- Prawn spaghetti and other larger share dishes
- Wine tasting flights at the adjoining Wairau River cellar door, by appointment or walk in
Highlights
- Opened by Sam Webb, founder of Frank’s Oyster Bar and Eatery
- Set at the Wairau River vineyard on Rapaura Road rather than in the town centre
- Kitchen will choose a selection for the table if you would rather not decide
- Gluten free and dairy free options marked dish by dish on the menu
Location & Contact
Name: Number 11 at Wairau River
Address: 11 Rapaura Road, Rapaura 7273
Phone: 03 572 9800
Website: wairauriverwines.com/cellar-door-restaurant/
3Scotch Wine Bar
Scotch is a modern French wine bar and restaurant on Maxwell Road in central Blenheim, opened by Luigi, Marie and Armelle after they moved south from Waiheke Island. Seafood runs through every course, with a salmon bite on the tapas list, mussel tempura and Burgundy escargots to start, and flambé prawns with whisky and garlic cream or pan-fried king salmon as mains. It doubles as a wine shop, so a bottle tasted at the table can be bought to take home.
Services
- Tapas and small shared plates including a salmon bite with celery mayonnaise
- Starters such as mussel tempura with tartare sauce and Burgundy escargots
- Mains including flambé prawns with whisky and garlic cream, and pan-fried king salmon
- Cocktail list plus alcoholic ice creams and desserts
- Wine shop selling by the bottle in store and online
Highlights
- Founded by three French hospitality people, Luigi, Marie and Armelle
- Chef Luigi cooks modern French, drawing on his travels and his homeland
- Open from 2pm every day
- Holds an off-licence, so wines poured at the bar can be taken away
- Gluten free option available on the mussel tempura, with dietary markings across the menu
Location & Contact
Name: Scotch Wine Bar
Address: 24-26 Maxwell Road, Blenheim Central, Blenheim
Phone: 03 579 1176
Website: scotchbar.co.nz
4Harvest Restaurant
Harvest is the restaurant at The Marlborough Estate on Rapaura Road, set in gardens and a small vineyard north of Blenheim. Local seafood holds a real place on the menu, with gratinated Mills Bay mussels served with a cornichon gratin, Mibrasa charred octopus with romesco, and Marlborough market fish finished with a Cloudy Bay clams velouté. Dinner runs seven days, and there is a wine appreciation session and an aperitivo hour each afternoon.
Services
- Dinner seven days, with lunch served on Sundays
- Wine appreciation session and aperitivo hour daily
- Gratinated Mills Bay mussels, charred octopus and Marlborough market fish
- Private dining and events, from small dinners through to wedding receptions
Highlights
- NZ Cuisine Award winner
- Part of The Marlborough Estate, 16 acres holding a ten room boutique hotel, restaurant and vineyard
- Mibrasa charcoal oven used across the menu
- Organic on-site vegetable gardens feeding directly into the kitchen
- Estate wine made on the property under The Marlborough and TM labels, poured only at the restaurant and hotel
Location & Contact
Name: Harvest Restaurant
Address: 776 Rapaura Road, Rapaura, Marlborough
Phone: 03 570 5700
Website: harvestrestaurant.co.nz
5Dodson Street Beer Garden
Dodson Street is an independent beer hall and restaurant next to Lansdowne Park in Blenheim, serving German and Italian dishes alongside Kiwi classics. The seafood is the casual end of the scale but it is genuine: a chowder of white fish, mussels and shrimps opens the menu, and there is hot smoked salmon with wasabi aioli, wheat beer battered hoki as fish and chips, and a fish burger. It is the option for a straightforward seafood meal with a beer rather than a long dinner.
Services
- Seafood chowder made with white fish, mussels and shrimps
- Hot smoked salmon with garden salad and wasabi aioli
- Wheat beer battered hoki, served as fish and chips or in a fish burger
- German and Italian dishes alongside Kiwi classics, including schnitzels and pizza
- Function and group bookings with a dedicated functions menu
Highlights
- 23 brews on tap with guest beers changing regularly, plus rigger sales
- Large beer garden, with no televisions and no loud music
- Eat in or takeaway from the same menu, and no paywave or credit card fees
Location & Contact
Name: Dodson Street Beer Garden
Address: 1 Dodson Street, Mayfield, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 577 8348
Website: dodsonstreet.co.nz/home/
How to Choose the Right Seafood Restaurant in Blenheim
- Check whether the fish is named. A menu that says Mills Bay mussels, king salmon or hoki tells you more about the sourcing than one that only says seafood.
- Decide between town and vineyard. Central Blenheim suits a walk-in dinner, while the Rapaura Road restaurants are a short drive and pair the food with a cellar door.
- Look at how the food is served. Shared plates sent out as they are ready suit a group, while a plated three course menu suits a longer sit-down meal.
- Read the dietary markings. Gluten free and dairy free options are flagged on most Blenheim menus, but the kitchens are not allergen free environments.
- Book ahead, particularly over summer and on weekends. Several of these kitchens are small and close on set days of the week.
Frequently Asked Questions About Blenheim Seafood Restaurants
What seafood is Marlborough best known for?
Greenshell mussels. Most of New Zealand’s crop is farmed in the Marlborough Sounds, and Blenheim menus name the source, with Mills Bay mussels appearing at both Harvest Restaurant and Number 11 at Wairau River. Salmon, octopus, prawns and whatever the market fish is that week fill out the rest. The Ministry for Primary Industries publishes background on how shellfish farming is managed in New Zealand.
Where can I eat Marlborough Greenshell mussels in Blenheim?
Harvest Restaurant serves gratinated Mills Bay mussels with a cornichon gratin, and Number 11 at Wairau River serves them with a chip shop curry sauce. Scotch Wine Bar batters them as a mussel tempura with tartare sauce, Raupo Café & Restaurant includes them in its Sea Food Sizzler, and Dodson Street Beer Garden puts them in its chowder.
How much does a seafood main cost in Blenheim?
Roughly $40 to $50 at the sit-down restaurants. Raupo’s Sea Food Sizzler is $40, Scotch charges $40 for pan-fried king salmon and $46 for flambé prawns, and Harvest lists Marlborough market fish at $48. Casual options cost far less, with Dodson Street’s fish and chips at $21.
Do I need to book a table?
It is worth it. Harvest strongly encourages reservations in advance, Dodson Street says it is often fully booked and asks you to phone ahead, and Raupo takes bookings online. Walk-ins are easier midweek and outside the summer visitor season.
Are there gluten free seafood options?
Yes. Raupo marks dishes GF and GFA on its dinner menu, including the seafood chowder and the smoked salmon kebabs. Scotch offers a gluten free version of its mussel tempura, and Number 11 marks gluten free and dairy free dishes individually. Dodson Street notes that its kitchen is not a gluten free environment, so ask if you are highly sensitive.
Which Blenheim seafood restaurants are outside the town centre?
Number 11 at Wairau River and Harvest Restaurant both sit on Rapaura Road, north of the town, among the vineyards. Raupo, Scotch Wine Bar and Dodson Street Beer Garden are all in Blenheim itself and within walking distance of the centre.
Can I get fish and chips as a sit-down meal in Blenheim?
Dodson Street Beer Garden serves wheat beer battered hoki with fries, salad, tartare sauce and lemon in the restaurant and beer garden, and the same menu is available as takeaway. Raupo’s pan seared market fish is the plated alternative if you want the fish without the batter.
Is seafood served at lunchtime in Blenheim?
Raupo opens from 8.00am and serves through the day, Dodson Street runs from 11am to 9pm Monday to Saturday, and Number 11 has a lunch menu at the vineyard. Scotch opens from 2pm, and Harvest serves lunch on Sundays only, with group bookings of ten or more available at other times.