Lisa B.'s
Best Op Shops
- 12The Cat's PyjamasNew Plymouth CentralThe Cats PJ’s is somewhere I’ve expressed my love for before, and it is still just as strong. All donations are welcomed as it goes towards saving stray cats from being put down. They are huge believers in rescuing cats and trying to tame them so they can be rehomed, with it being such a huge problem in New Zealand they’re doing such an amazing thing!.
- 22Hospice Shop Westown New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralHospice is my favourite op shop by far; it is always packed with people, especially really early in the morning when everyone is trying to get the best deal! They always have a really good stock in the book department which is where I seem to gravitate towards when I visit. The ladies working behind the counter are always so lovely when they’re serving me and I think it’s their attitude that makes me want to come back the most!
- 31Salvation Army HaweraHaweraThe Salvation Army in Hawera is an oldie but a goodie, I’ve always had a personal bond with the Sally stores as grandmothers on both sides of my family worked there together! I used to visit when they were working at it was just a fun atmosphere. They have some nice stuff too, I once found an amazing little armchair that was only $30, it looked like a chair from the 1920’s!
- 42SaveMart Ltd - New PlymouthStrandonThere are a lot of people that would benefit from shopping out at Savemart, the items you can find are so surprising! Have a dress up party coming up? Savemart will definitely have a range of clothes available from the 90’s hip hop style to the 70’s flower child days. There are also everyday clothes and evening wear outfits available, I’ve found some pretty decent stuff that look pretty much brand new!
- 51Second ImpressionsElthamSecond Impressions is a large, almost warehouse, full of clothing located in the heart of Eltham, it’s one of their best assets when it comes to second hand clothing. As the title suggests, it wants to give you a second impression of the clothes they are selling, and they usually have them really well priced for what you’re getting!
Lisa B.'s
Top Chocolate Spots
- 11Sugar Plum CakesNew Plymouth CentralThink about almost any cake, cookie, or slice that contains chocolate and the Sugar Plum staff can make it for you. They make the most elaborate cakes I have ever seen, and their cupcakes and cookies are just to die for; and I have sampled many different sweets from them myself. They also deliver to businesses in certain areas in the CBD so there’s no harm in calling to see if they can deliver some chocolaty goodness straight to you!
- 22The Chocolate LadyOkatoThe Chocolate Lady is like Taranaki’s very own Willy Wonka; she can make almost anything out of chocolate! I can bet you any amount that you will leave with a bag of treats; with some for you and some to take to convert people! She even can make themed chocolate like chocolate flowers, or even chocolate babies for new or expectant parents. It’s definately worth the trip out to Okato to check this one out!
- 31The Warehouse New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralThe Warehouse is known for celebrating all the holidays, including Easter; and who wouldn’t love getting a giant chocolate bunny for Easter? It’s like a storage shed of every kind of chocolate you can think of, including all the major brands like Cadbury and Nestle. I remember dad bringing me in here one year to get a dairy milk egg and it came with a massive bar of chocolate probably bigger than my head!
- 45Lone Star Cafe & Bar New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralIf you want to go somewhere this Easter to get your sweet tooth screaming, the Lonestar dessert menu has you covered. How does a Kahlua and moro bar cheesecake sound to you? For me, I definitely sank my teeth into it, and it also comes with their special chocolate sauce. Another favourite is the Jack Daniels chocolate fudge pudding, two words: self saucing. This is a rich dessert that satisfies even the toughest of chocolate critics!
- 58Petit ParisNew Plymouth CentralPetit Paris is a chocolate lovers heaven, whether it’s the much loved (and my favourite) chocolate tart, or their delicious éclair’s, there is definitely something everyone will love guaranteed. Easter is just around the corner, so at the moment they’re getting their eggs ready for all the drooling customers! Pick up a creamy hot chocolate or coffee and make sure to grab an Easter egg while they’re here!
Lisa B.'s
Best cafes with free Wi-Fi
- 11Taranaki Daily News CafeNew Plymouth CentralThe Taranaki Daily News Café is great for students, worker bees, the elderly; anyone really! Free anything is a hard thing to come by these days, let alone free Wi-Fi; but not inside of Puke Ariki. I just came in here recently for a study day and the Wi-Fi came in handy so much, also the coffee is quite good and comes out really quick! It’s a nice atmosphere with all the books around you and it’s not too noisy so you can browse, study, or read in peace!
- 25GustoNew Plymouth CentralThis is a place I never knew had wifi until just recently, but I wish I found out sooner because this would be a beautiful place to chill out in! The endless amounts of cabinet food paired with a frothy latte and a wifi connection is a version of heaven that I would love to wrap myself up in. And if it’s a sunny day you can even sit outside!
- 32Chipmunks Playland & Cafe New PlymouthNew Plymouth CentralAlthough admittedly this isn’t the quietest café to do your study, it’s perfect if you’re a parent who works from home or who’s getting back into study, I wish I thought about this place when I’ve been babysitting! While the kids are having the time of their lives playing and running around, you can be up in the parent’s area with a hot coffee, your laptop, and some free Wi-Fi. They’re open from 9.30 to 5.30, 7 days a week so there’s no excuse for a missed opportunity!
- 41Mega Cafe - Columbus CoffeeNew Plymouth CentralThe Mega Café is somewhere I have been to only one time, but the experience was good enough to make me want to come back again. It overlooks the garden centre area of Mitre 10 so even though technically you’re still inside a building, it feels like you’re in nature surrounded by beautiful plants and water features. Another beautiful café to scroll through your newsfeed, read emails, and potentially do some work!
Lisa B.'s
Local Hotspots
- 12The Market Patisserie & CafeNew Plymouth CentralThis place, just by looking at it from out on the street, is somewhere that prides themselves on presentation, great flavours, and baking with love; they even make their own bread which is a very rare thing at cafes these days. The Market Patisserie & Café has their cabinets’ packed full everyday with salads, wraps and panini’s, baked goods, things that have been stuffed, and desserts! Words do not do it justice, so I urge you to head on down there; it’s what New Plymouth has been waiting for!
- 21Jetcharm Barber shop & Gentlemen's QuartersNew Plymouth CentralJet Charm Barbershop & Gentlemen’s Quarters is the new kid on the block with New Plymouth hairdressers, and their style and décor is just of this world. The sign out the front has the traditional red, blue, and white stripes but the inside is amazing! The walls are black with polished hardwood floors and large mirrors with gold frames; it’s a hipsters dream! They even sell coffee through a window on the side, and get the beans from Escape Coffee that is another new addition to the city.
- 31Build a BirthdayMoturoaBuild a birthday is a great new addition to the Moturoa suburb, and is something that will really draw customers in for business. I really wish this store was available when I was a kid, I would have been in paradise. You can shop by colour, theme, age, and occasion; meaning you can coordinate decorations not only for birthdays, but for events such as weddings, Easter, Christmas, and Halloween. And the range of themes they can cater for is never ending, I would have loved to have a fairy themed birthday!
- 41St. Aubyn Street DairyNew Plymouth CentralAfter much speculation about what this new construction was going to be, it turns out to be a dairy! But it’s not just an ordinary corner dairy that we’re all used to. The St. Aubyn Street dairy is right next door to the bustling Terry’s Takeaways which are owned by the same people. It has everything you need for snacks throughout the day, any dinner essentials, and of course; ice cream! Not to mention it’s almost twice the size of any regular corner diary so that means twice the items packed in. Stop in and get in the queue to grab something off the shelves!
Lisa B.'s
Best Place for Fresh Seafood
- 11Ocean Pearl FisheriesNew Plymouth CentralOcean Pearl Fisheries has been around for a few years now, and they’re famous in New Plymouth for having great produce with a large variety of items behind the counter and inside the freezer. The location of the store makes it even more convincing as it sits right on the breakwater. Daily fishing trips is what makes this place special, and they only order fish from town if the weather is being especially nasty. My favourite fish from here is the snapper!
- 26Bach On BreakwaterMoturoaThe Bach is the only place I can go for a Seafood Chowder where the ingredients are fresh, full of flavour, and is guaranteed to taste the same every time. It seems to be my favourite dish on the menu and for very good reason too! It’s only $16 or $26 for a larger portion, such great value. They also do a smoked salmon stack served with red wine figs and parmesan wafers, if that doesn’t sound delicious I don’t know what does!
- 31Egmont Seafoods LtdMoturoaEgmont Seafoods sells some of the best seafood you can get your hands on, it’s just up on Centennial Drive by Port Taranaki. Locally caught products are all the rage now, people are wanting freshness and the knowledge that they know where their food comes from. It’s a lot cheaper to buy from here rather than expensive supermarkets in town; and the locals have shown this by the increased sales here! People are willing to travel across town to get the same day caught fish as well as the low prices!
- 41G & J Fish Supplies LtdNew Plymouth CentralG & J Fish Supplies Ltd is a local supplier who can be found every Sunday at the Huatoki Plaza Markets. They only provide the freshest of the freshest, and every week there’s a different selection. Over 12 different kinds of fish are up for sale, including flounder and whitebait depending on the season, and they often offer smoked trevally and salmon, my favourite! If you’re a fan of kina, you can buy a frozen bag of them here too!
- 54Marinovich's Seafood Restaurant & CafeNew Plymouth CentralMarinovichs is the leading seafood restaurant in New Plymouth, maybe even the whole of Taranaki! I am never disappointed when I go in. The seafood, or the fish especially, reminds me of spending hot afternoons learning to fish with my dad off the breakwater, it has a really nostalgic flavour that never gets old. They give you a big decision when choosing which fish you’d like as the options go on forever! Snapper, gurnard, lemon fish, and those are just the favourites! They serve real seafood with none of the fake ingredients!
Lisa B.'s
My Favourite Local Eats
- 12Bombay To ParisBlagdonBombay to Paris is a cute little Indian takeaway shop in Blagdon that is just as good, if not better than those Indian restaurants in town; it definitely gives them a run for their money! I love the Chicken Peshawar curry; they load it up with tender chicken with chunky capsicum and onions in a delicious sauce. And of course I always have to have a garlic and cheese naan bread with this otherwise it just doesn’t feel right.
- 21Terry's TakeawaysNew Plymouth CentralEveryone in town knows about Terry’s Takeaways, there’s always a line, whether it’s for their famous fish and chips or the steaming Chinese food selection. When I’m feeling the urge for a not so healthy meal that consists of deep fried won tons and special fried rice, I sneak off to this place and load up an $8 container. As long as you can fit on the lid, you can load up as much food as you like; it’s awesome for shared food, just grab a few containers of the popular dishes such as the rice, oodles, and sweet and sour pork.
- 33El Condor RestauranteNew Plymouth CentralPizza is one of my favourite foods; I’m not going to lie. El Condor is the king of pizza in my opinion, I can’t put my finger on what they do with their pizzas, but every one that I’ve tried from there has been a ten out of ten for flavour and presentation. I think it’s the love they put into it, you can tell they really have a passion for making pizza and spend time cooking it to perfection. On most days I’d just grab a small of my favourite, the Pollo, but if I’m dining with someone I’d usually share a large Espinaca, the béchamel sauce is soo good!
- 41Aromas Coffee LoungeNew Plymouth CentralAromas Coffee Lounge is another busy place at lunch time. My cousin from Australia comes here every time she’s over for a visit, and I typically join her, the cheese and mushroom bread cases and to die for that we usually grab two! Not to mention they also do some of the best milkshakes around including cookies and cream which is my favourite. Sweet or savoury, this café wins for originality with their food and also for flavour. You can usually grab a few things and a drink for under $10; a great and cheap lunch right in the middle of town!
- 55Treehouse Restaurant and BarNew Plymouth CentralI have been going to the Treehouse since I was quite young; it’s been my dad’s favourite watering hole for years so I became friends with the places cat and everything. The menu changes every so often to keep customers on their toes and each time it gets better and better. One thing they have kept as a classic on the menu is their chicken, bacon and brie burger (which now I think is an open sandwich). It’s my go to meal when I’m feeling ravenous and need some carbs!