The Taste of a Hawke’s Bay Summer

At Havelock North’s award-winning St Georges Restaurant, real food begins in the garden. Almost everything on the plate is grown from seed a few steps from the kitchen, fresh, organic and picked at its best. It is an approach that has shaped the restaurant for more than a decade, and summer is when it comes into full expression.

For food lovers, this is the kind of place that rewards curiosity. St Georges has built its reputation on vibrant flavours, generous portions and produce that is grown onsite rather than sourced from afar. In fact - around ninety percent of the ingredients used in the kitchen come from the gardens surrounding the restaurant. What is harvested in the morning guides the menu that evening - herbs, edible flowers, lettuces, beans, zucchini, tomatoes and whatever else the season brings in abundance.

Head Chef and owner Francky Godinho grew up in Goa, where cooking with his mother and tending the family farm were part of everyday life. Those origins still shape his approach today: fresh ingredients, handled with care, combined with a sense of playfulness. His style is modern European that flirts with other cuisines, always anchored in flavour rather than trend. Dishes are balanced, bright and layered with small details that reward diners who pay attention.

Summer in Hawke’s Bay is an especially exciting time for the kitchen. Tomatoes warm in the sun. Herbs surge with fragrance. Stonefruit sweetens by the day. The garden moves quickly and the menu moves with it. Regulars know that no two visits will be the same. Dishes shift as ingredients peak, and the best ideas often start with whatever grew particularly well that week.

The dining experience at St Georges reflects this same sense of ease. Long lunches beneath the grapevines, unhurried evenings in the dining room, and service that is warm and genuine. It is polished without ever feeling pretentious, a balance that keeps locals returning and draws food lovers from across the country.

Living self-sufficiently, cooking from the garden and treating ingredients with respect are values that run through every part of the kitchen. The result is food with flavour, depth and character - real food that tastes like where it came from.

For anyone travelling to Hawke’s Bay this summer, or for locals planning a special meal, St Georges Restaurant offers a dining experience rooted in place and season. It is a chance to taste Hawke’s Bay at its freshest, grown onsite, cooked with care and served with the generosity the region is known for.

Book your table at https://www.stgeorgesrestaurant.co.nz/