CoCo at the Roxy is woven into the experience of Miramar's restored Roxy Cinema rather than operating as an anonymous venue beside it. Opened in 2011, the restaurant shares the building's Art Deco theatricality, with film-world artwork and Wētā Workshop creations giving the room a strong sense of place. Long-serving head chef Nic Spicer leads a kitchen that combines New Zealand ingredients with wider global ideas. Diners can stop for coffee or dessert, meet over dinner, or build a visit around a film, and the restaurant's playful tone makes that transition from neighbourhood dining room to cinema occasion feel natural.
The evening menu is built around plates that arrive when ready, encouraging the table to share. Fried feta with truffle honey and thyme gives a sweet-savoury opening, while mushroom and parmesan arancini come with basil aioli and red-wine gastrique. More elaborate choices include chicken ballotine with porcini mousse, dry-rubbed beef brisket with braised beans and buttermilk biscuits, and Korean ssamjang pork tacos with lettuce, peanuts and pickles. Gurnard ceviche brings avocado mousse and crisp flatbread, while coconut rice cake with spring vegetables and black bean sauce gives vegan diners a composed savoury plate rather than a token substitute.
Dessert retains the kitchen's cinematic flair. Baked knafeh combines house-made ricotta, rose and pistachio with apple sorbet and white-chocolate ice cream; a silken chocolate torte is scented with lavender and lime; and a spring sorbet selection adds berry gel and dark-chocolate crumble. Smaller brownie bites, truffles and a Roxy affogato suit diners heading quickly to a screening. Cocktails range from a passionfruit-and-elderflower CoCo Rendezvous to classics such as a Negroni, French 75 and espresso martini, while local beer, New Zealand wine, coffee and alcohol-free drinks make the list work at any stage of a cinema visit.
Programming helps define the restaurant as much as its décor. Sunday evenings feature a changing roast menu, and social nights, live performances and film-linked events give regulars reasons to return beyond a standard dinner booking. The Roxy's themed Eat the Film occasions take that connection furthest by timing food and drinks to moments on screen. On an ordinary night, however, CoCo remains flexible: it can be a pre-film drink, several small plates with friends or a complete meal ending in dessert. That balance of theatrical detail and practical neighbourhood hospitality is what distinguishes it from a conventional cinema bar.
Address: 5 Park Road, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand
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