Where to Eat in Matamata

We'll be honest — we're a pub, so we're hardly neutral. But we've fed a lot of hungry travellers over 70-plus years, and people genuinely ask us where to eat in Matamata. So here's a fair rundown, including but not only us.

For a proper pub feed

This is our home turf. At the Horse & Jockey Inn we do generous, no-nonsense pub classics: craft burgers, fresh fish and chips battered in Speight's, slow-cooked ribs, big shareable platters and a Sunday-worthy scotch fillet. There's a kids' menu, gluten-free options, and a garden bar when the weather plays along. Have a look at the full menu.

It's the easy choice if you're staying in town — the restaurant and bar are right downstairs, so after a day at Hobbiton you don't have to go anywhere.

For coffee and brunch

Broadway, the main street, has a handful of good cafes for a flat white, a counter-food snack or a proper weekend brunch before you hit the road or the trails.

For a quick bite

If you just need something fast before a tour or a walk, there are the usual takeaway and bakery options around town. Grab-and-go is easy here.

Eating around a Hobbiton tour

Timing trips people up. Tours run to a schedule and you can be on your feet for a couple of hours, so plan your meal around it. A solid lunch before an afternoon tour, or an early dinner with us afterwards, works well. See our guide to visiting Hobbiton from Matamata for timing tips.

Dietary needs

Most places in town will sort gluten-free and vegetarian these days — our own menu marks GF, GF-option and vegetarian dishes clearly. If you've got a specific requirement, it never hurts to give us a ring ahead.

Hungry tonight? Book a table or just wander in — and if you need a bed too, our rooms are right upstairs.