Craft & Social Bar + Eatery Menu

Craft & Social Bar + Eatery occupies a restored heritage space inside Toitoi, the Hawke's Bay Arts & Events Centre, in central Hastings. Art Deco character and contemporary colour give the room a polished but sociable feel, suited to lunch, snacks, drinks or dinner around a performance. The restaurant also handles long lunches and private functions, so the same setting can move from an informal catch-up to a planned group occasion.

Sharing plates are where the menu most clearly earns the Social part of the name. A garlic and parmesan flatbread comes with beetroot-and-feta, hummus and artichoke dips, while firecracker cauliflower is finished with peanuts and crisp shallots. Korean fried chicken, prawn dumplings and Angus beef sliders bring contrasting flavours and textures. There are also panko calamari, smoked kahawai dip, baked goat cheese with local honey, and sliced rump steak with chimichurri for tables wanting a broad spread.

Larger choices retain that modern, varied approach. Pizzas combine smoked mushroom with feta and ricotta cream, chicken with chorizo, or pulled pork with capsicum and chipotle aioli. Hawke's Bay fish and chips offers a regional main, ricotta gnocchi brings a meat-free plate, and a pork cutlet pairs creamy potato and spinach with Penang curry. Vietnamese pork-and-prawn salad and coconut chicken salad provide fresher alternatives to the richer pizzas and mains.

Dessert stays concise but carefully composed: sticky date pudding comes with walnut praline and whisky caramel, vanilla brûlée is matched with coffee crema, and white chocolate cheesecake uses strawberries and meringue. The full bar and dedicated drinks menu make the restaurant useful before and after events, while Wednesday steak nights add a recurring reason to visit. Bookings, gift cards and flexible function planning reinforce the venue's balance between neighbourhood bar and destination dining room.

Address: Toitoi – Hawke's Bay Arts & Events Centre, 319 Heretaunga Street East, Hastings 4122, New Zealand

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