Little Savanna brings South African technique and flavour into a Palmerston North restaurant built around New Zealand produce. The Princess Street venue includes a lively dining room, a bar and an al fresco courtyard, allowing the same kitchen to suit a full dinner, drinks or a more relaxed outdoor meal. That cultural meeting is clearest in the food: local beef and seafood appear beside biltong, peri-peri, Cape Malay chutney, chakalaka and Amarula rather than being confined to a single themed section.
Steak is treated as a centrepiece. New Zealand beef is coated in the restaurant's South African basting before grilling, with cuts ranging from eye fillet and sirloin to large scotch and bone-in rib eye. Sauces and butters include Madagascan green peppercorn, béarnaise, chimichurri, red wine jus and Café de Paris. The espetada makes an even more distinctive presentation, using skewered sirloin or peri-peri chicken with garlic and herb butter, carrot purée, seasonal greens and balsamic tomato.
The rest of the menu expands the experience beyond the grill. Sliced beef biltong and several flatbreads work as small openings, followed by seafood chowder, prawns in white wine and garlic, or calamari with Cape Malay chilli chutney. Flame-grilled pork ribs carry a smoky barbecue basting, while a peri-peri chicken sandwich and lamb souvlaki keep lunch or dinner casual. Traditional bunny chow, filled with curried braised mutton and served with tzatziki and fruit chutney, provides one of the clearest South African reference points.
Dessert keeps that identity visible. Malva pudding is served with Amarula crème anglaise, and a deconstructed Peppermint Crisp Tart layers coconut biscuit crumb, caramel cream and peppermint mousse. Diners wanting something less specifically South African can choose crème brûlée, warm chocolate brownie, affogato or a New Zealand cheese board. A lemon and strawberry cake with berry compote and coconut yoghurt also gives the menu a vegan and gluten-free finish, rounding out a restaurant otherwise celebrated for its flame cooking.
Address: 45–47 Princess Street, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
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Little Savanna Menu
Feast – To Start
Garlic and herb rubbed flat bread
GF* V
Pork belly flat bread with Jack Daniels BBQ sauce
DF GF*
Blue cheese, honey and walnut flat bread
GF* V
Tomato, basil pesto and mozzarella flat bread
GF* V
Lamb shoulder, roast capsicum and sundried tomato sauce flatbread, topped with feta
GF* DF*
House marinated olives
GF DF V VE
Artisan baked focaccia bread with butter and olive oil
V DF*
Sliced beef biltong
GF DF
Feast – Entrées
Seafood Chowder
a melody of seafood, including fresh fish, served with grilled bread GF*
Prawn cutlets
in a creamy white wine, garlic and lemon sauce. Served with rice GF
Fried calamari
tossed with spring onion, served with Cape Malay chilli chutney DF*
Chicken Livers
pan fried in our house made peri-peri sauce, served with grilled bread DF* GF*
Panko crumbed goats cheese balls
runny honey, pistachio and balsamic onions (x4) V
300g Baby back pork ribs
GF DF
BBQ Chicken wings
with blue cheese mayonnaise DF*
Boerewors Sliders
(x4) GF*
Hot smoked salmon
with lime and paprika, tzatziki, sourdough crostini and crispy capers DF* GF*
Feast – Salads
Roasted Warm Kūmara Salad
Red & orange kūmara, baby spinach, spring onions, cranberries, apples, dried capers, feta with a zesty citrus dressing GF DF* V VE*
Mediterranean Salad
Mixed mesclun, olives, feta, red capsicum, cucumber, red onion and sundried tomato with a minted yoghurt dressing GF DF* V VE*
Blue Cheese, Pear & Walnut Salad
Mixed mesclun, pears, spring onions, blue cheese and candied walnuts with a balsamic dressing GF* DF* V VE*
Feast – The Grill
ALL OUR DISHES FROM THE GRILL ARE ACCOMPANIED WITH TOBACCO ONIONS AND A CHOICE OF CHIPS OR GARLIC AND HERB POTATOES
Eye Fillet
250g
Scotch
300g
Scotch
500g
Sirloin
300g
T-Bone
500g
Bone Rib Eye
500g
Feast – Combos
300g Scotch and 120g peri-peri chicken thigh
served with Savanna slaw DF GF*
300g Scotch and calamari
served with Savanna slaw and Cape Malay chilli chutney DF GF*
300g Scotch and 300g free farmed baby back pork ribs
flame grilled with our smokey BBQ basting, served with Savanna slaw DF GF*
Feast – Espetada
PORTUGUESE STYLE OF SKEWERED MEAT. Served with garlic and herb butter, carrot purée, seasonal greens and balsamic tomato
250g Beef Steak
with our secret steak basting GF* DF*
300g Chicken thigh fillet
with peri-peri GF* DF*
Feast – Pork Ribs
Free farmed baby back pork ribs
flame grilled with our smokey BBQ basting, served with Savanna slaw DF GF*
Feast – Burger
SERVED WITH CHIPS AND TOBACCO ONIONS
100% Pure beef burger
200g hand crafted patty, chargrilled, cooked pink or all the way, served on a grilled bun with chips, tobacco onions and garnish GF* DF*
Feast – Mains
Meat Platter
300g Baby Back Pork Ribs, BBQ Chicken Wings with blue cheese mayo, 500g Beef Short Ribs, 300g Sirloin with Argentinian chimichurri GF* DF*
Lamb served medium with pea purée, dauphinoise potato, honey glazed baby carrots, baby beets and red wine jus
With herb marinated rack of lamb GF
Lamb served medium with pea purée, dauphinoise potato, honey glazed baby carrots, baby beets and red wine jus
With lamb rump marinated in chimichurri GF
Free-range pork belly
with crackling, pumpkin and potato mash, smoked bacon and cabbage with an orange and mustard cream and red wine jus GF
Slow-braised beef short rib
marinated in a biltong spiced rub, served with pumpkin and potato mash, seasonal greens and monkey gland sauce GF
Moroccan, kūmara, chickpea and lentil stew
flavoured with sweet and savory spices, served with rice V VE GF DF
Fish Of The Day
Please inquire what our chefs have created with todays catch (available after 5pm)
Pasta Of The Day
please inquire with our staff to see what our chefs have created today
Seafood Chowder
a melody of seafood, including fresh fish, served with grilled bread GF*
Fish and Chips
Beer battered, served with chips, tartare sauce and Savanna slaw GF* DF*
Peri-Peri Chicken Sandwich
flame grilled chicken thighs, basted in our peri-peri sauce, on a grilled bun with lettuce, red onion, aioli. Served with chips and tobacco onions GF* DF*
Lamb Souvlaki
a Greek dish consisting of slow cooked lamb shoulder with hummus, tzatziki, tomato, red onion, cucumber and capsicum on a pita bread. Served with chips and tobacco onions
Traditional Bunny Chow
curried braised mutton served in crusty bread with tzatziki and fruit chutney GF* DF*
Feast – Side Dishes
Mac ‘n’ cheese
V
Sweet potato chips
DF V
Chips
DF V
Garlic and herb gourmet potatoes
DF GF V VE
Savanna Slaw
GF* DF V VE
Seasonal vegetables
GF DF* V VE*
Small Portions
Pasta of the day
please check with our staff to see what the chefs have created today
Fried calamari
tossed with spring onion, served with chips, Savanna slaw, Cape Malay chutney DF
Fish and Chips
beer battered and served with chips, tartare sauce and Savanna slaw DF GF*
Seafood chowder
a melody of seafood, including fresh fish, served with grilled bread GF*
300g Free farmed baby back pork ribs
flame grilled with our smokey BBQ basting, served with tobacco onions, Savanna slaw and choice of chips or garlic and herb potatoes DF GF*
Free range chicken
flame grilled and basted in our peri-peri sauce served with tobacco onions, carrot purée, seasonal greens, balsamic tomato and a choice of chips or garlic and herb potatoes DF* GF*
200g Sirloin steak
served with tobacco onions, carrot purée, seasonal greens, balsamic tomato and a choice of chips or garlic and herb potatoes plus a sauce from our standard selection DF* GF*
Beef Burger
chargrilled, served on a grilled bun with garnish, chips and tobacco onions DF* GF*
Crave – Desserts
Vanilla crème brûlée
served with biscotti and raspberry coulis GF*
House made chocolate brownie
served warm with raspberry coulis, cream or vanilla bean ice-cream GF
Apple and white chocolate cigar
served with salted caramel sauce, biscuit crumbs and vanilla bean ice-cream
Malva pudding
with Amarula crème anglaise and vanilla bean ice-cream
Dom Pedro
your choice of whiskey, Amarula, Kahlúa or Frangelico, blended with vanilla bean ice-cream GF
Affogato
Affogato with liqueur
Lemon and strawberry cake
with berry compote and smooth coconut yoghurt GF DF V VE
Nutty Chocolate Sundae
Vanilla bean ice cream, mixed candied nuts, chocolate sauce GF*
Deconstructed Peppermint Crisp Tart
A classic South African favourite with layers of coconut biscuit crumb, caramel cream and peppermint mousse, finished with peppermint crisp shards
Cheese board
made from a selection of NZ cheese’s with a whole lot of deliciousnesss GF
Crave – After Dinner Cocktails
Cappuccino-tini
Lemon Meringue
Espressotini – Classic
Espressotini – Flavoured
Choose from: Almond, Butterscotch, Cherry, Chocolate, Coconut, Hazelnut, Orange, Raspberry, Spiced
Crave – Hot Beverages
Short Black / Long Black
Americano
Macchiato / Long Macchiato
Vienna
Flat White, Latte, Cappuccino, Mochaccino
Hot Chocolate, Chai Latte
Tea
English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green, Peppermint, Rooibos
Irish / Liqueur Coffee
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+ Log your visitHow prices compare
Against typical prices in Palmerston North
- Fish and chips Typical in Palmerston North: $27.00 $30.00
- Seafood chowder Typical in Palmerston North: $25.00 $32.00
- Long black Typical in Palmerston North: $4.85 $6.00
- Flat white Typical in Palmerston North: $5.85 $7.00
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