There are six places on Waiheke that keep serving after 9pm, and the standouts are Charlie Farley's for a beachfront beer, Fenice Cafe & Restaurant for pizza by the fire and The Archive Bar & Bistro for the ridge view.
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Pubs and bars · Onetangi · $$
★ 4.2 from 2,107 Google reviews
With your feet still sandy from Onetangi Beach, you cross The Strand and settle in at a table that looks straight back out over the water, because that view is the whole reason this place has been part of the island since 1987.
Italian · Oneroa · $$
★ 4.5 from 1,020 Google reviews
Start your day with eggs benedict and a flat white on the terrace, then come back at night for a glass of Waiheke red beside the fire, because Fenice runs from 8.30 in the morning until late, seven days a week.
Onetangi · $$
★ 4.4 from 992 Google reviews
You step off the bus at Onetangi and there it is, a glass-walled dining room looking straight out over the sand and surf of Onetangi Beach, with the sea right in front of your table.
Winery restaurants · Eastern Waiheke · $$$
★ 4.5 from 370 Google reviews
Drive to the quiet end of Waiheke, down a gravel road that feels like it leads nowhere, and you arrive in a valley that looks a lot like Tuscany: gardens, vines on the hills, ducks and geese on the lawn and a restaurant looking out over the whole thing.
Oneroa
★ 4.6 from 321 Google reviews
The walk up from the Matiatia ferry takes about half an hour, or five minutes in a cab, and at the top of Church Bay Road you find the Archive on the relaxed side of Mudbrick, with vines running downhill, the Hauraki Gulf spread out in front of you and Auckland's skyline across the water.
Pubs and bars · Ostend · $
★ 4.4 from 155 Google reviews
Walking into the RSA on Belgium Street in Ostend feels less like a restaurant and more like a club that's been part of Waiheke since 1950, and the routine takes a minute to learn: if you're not a member, you sign in as a visitor at the bar, where they'll give you a free trial membership on the spot.
You'll find the rest spread from Onetangi to Oneroa and out to Eastern Waiheke, so late plans work from the beach side or close to the ferry. Ki Māha Restaurant Waiheke Island sits across from the sand at Onetangi and runs lunch into dinner with seafood and a deck view, while Poderi Crisci takes you into Awaawaroa Valley for Italian cooking and estate wine on the days it opens, and Waiheke RSA in Ostend is the cheap, generous clubroom stop with steak, ribs and a bar that keeps going.
Late eating on Waiheke is less about a big night out and more about places that keep their kitchens and bars open past nine, so you can build the evening around a beach, a vineyard or a clubroom. Those six have you covered, and several open on Mondays and take bookings, which helps when you want the table sorted before you head out.
Charlie Farley's, Fenice Cafe & Restaurant, Ki Māha Restaurant Waiheke Island, Poderi Crisci, The Archive Bar & Bistro and Waiheke RSA all stay open after 9pm. Charlie Farley's, Fenice, Ki Māha and The Archive open seven days, Poderi Crisci opens Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and Waiheke RSA opens Tuesday to Sunday.
Booking helps at Fenice Cafe & Restaurant if it's summer or you're coming as a group, and at Ki Māha Restaurant Waiheke Island if you've got a larger table, since those move to set menus. Charlie Farley's takes bookings and handles groups, while Waiheke RSA is a clubroom where a member signs you in at the door, so sort that first.
