Picnicka sits above Tauranga's CBD on the second level of Elizabeth Towers, where its bar-and-grill format is built for sociable meals rather than a hurried turn at the table. Created by hospitality operators Kim and Noel Cimadom, the venue combines a contemporary dining room with a menu that encourages grazing and sharing. Daily service moves from lunch through happy hour into dinner, making the same space useful for a midday meal, after-work drinks or a longer evening centred on the grill.
Oysters provide a clear starting point and can arrive natural with lemon, shallot mignonette or blood-orange granita, or in a tempura batter with chipotle mayonnaise. The rest of the opening selection layers similarly distinct contrasts: kingfish crudo is paired with black rice, chilli-yuzu mayonnaise and ginger, while duck-liver parfait comes with bacon jam and brioche. Prawn cocktail, honeyed halloumi and buttermilk fried chicken allow the table to assemble a varied first round before the wood fire takes over.
That open flame defines the main section. Pasture-fed eye fillet, scotch fillet and a large T-bone put steak at the centre, but the grill is not restricted to beef. Snapper is matched with broccoli, orange beurre blanc and chilli; lamb rump comes with snow peas, tzatziki and jus; and barbecued chicken uses lime, guindillas and yoghurt. Even the vegetable main has its own depth, combining cauliflower with miso, dukkah and curry leaf rather than treating it as a side dish.
Sides such as broccolini with lemon ricotta and chilli oil or gem lettuce with green-goddess dressing help turn those grilled dishes into a shared spread. Picnicka also keeps separate dessert and drinks lists, with cocktails, boutique New Zealand wines and craft beer carrying the meal into the bar side of the room. A dry-aged meat selection adds another reason for steak enthusiasts to ask what is available, while staff can guide special dietary requirements and group bookings for more planned occasions.
Address: Level 2, Elizabeth Towers, 38 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga CBD, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand
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