Cones on the Beach.
Real fruit ice cream at both ends of the beach, fish and chips at the north end. A Piha summer institution.
Great vibes and views.
About
Cones on the Beach is the real fruit ice cream operator at Piha — and after a hot day on the sand or a long walk in the bush, it's the perfect answer to “what next?”. The operation runs from two locations: one at the south end of the beach, in front of the Piha Surf Life Saving Club. And one at the mid beach area near the toilets / helicopter pad. Same business, same ice cream, two ends of the village.
The ice cream is the proper thing — real fruit blended through soft serve, with the kind of intensity of flavour that only fresh fruit produces. Boysenberry is the order most worth coming for, though the seasonal options through summer are worth paying attention to. The queues form before opening on hot days, which is part of the experience — it's the kind of small ritual a Piha summer is built around.
The mid beach site also sells fish and chips, which puts Cones into the running argument about who does the best fish and chips in the village. The case for Cones at the north end: the chips are properly cut, the fish is always excellent, and you can take them down onto the beach and eat them with your feet in the sand and Lion Rock in the distance. That setting is hard to beat.
Worth knowing about the seasonality. Cones runs through the warm half of the year — roughly Labour Weekend in late October to Easter — and hours vary day by day depending on weather and demand. On a sunny weekend in January both locations will be open all afternoon. On a grey weekday in May, neither might be. Instagram is the most current source for what's running.
Best for:
Hot summer afternoons, post-beach treats, families, fish and chips at the north end, anyone who's just spent the day in the sand.
Worth knowing:
One of four contenders in the village fish-and-chip argument.
Hours:
Vary day by day with weather and demand. Check Instagram for current hours. Sells: Real fruit ice cream at both locations; fish and chips at the north end. Roughly Labour Weekend (late October) to Easter
Address:
Mid Beach
South Side
Sells:
Real fruit ice cream at both locations; fish and chips at the northern site.
Website:
Instagram
