Coastal Beach Diner (CBD).
Great bistro fare in a kiwi-as setting. Super local styles - a surprising delight.
About
Coastal Beach Diner — known to locals as The Bowler, or CBD — is the restaurant operating from the Piha Bowling Club at the Piha Domain. The arrangement is the right kind of village solution: the Bowling Club is the venue and the institution, CBD is the kitchen, and the relationship gives the village a year-round bistro in a setting it would otherwise be hard to invent.
The food is well-judged bistro fare — good fish and chips, proper burgers, a Sunday roast that earns its weekend, and the kind of menu that handles families, groups, dietary requirements, and a Friday drink without trying to be everything to everyone. The setting does the rest of the work. You're sitting at the edge of the Bowling Club green with Lion Rock behind it, which is one of the best lunchtime views in the village — and one of the few places in Piha where you can have lunch outside without sand in everything.
CBD is open Thursday to Sunday in winter, extending to a fuller week through summer. The schedule reflects the village's actual rhythm — busier in the warm months, quieter in the cold ones — and it's worth checking ahead in either season. The Bowling Club bar runs alongside, with the cheapest pint in Piha and lawn bowls available for anyone who wants to give it a go (beginners welcome, bowls supplied).
CBD is also one of the four contenders in Piha's running fish-and-chip argument. The case for CBD: properly cooked fish, properly cut chips, and a setting that makes them taste better than they have any right to.
Best for:
Lunch with a view, Sunday roast, family meals, casual dinner, anyone who wants to combine a meal with lawn bowls or a beer at the bar.
Worth knowing:
The Bowling Club bar operates alongside; the cheapest pint in the village. Lawn bowls available — beginners welcome.
How to book:
Recommended for dinner and weekend lunches. Walk-ins totally fine. Visit restaurantaryeh.com
Address:
The Piha Domain, 21 Seaview Road, Piha.
Type of Venue:
Bistro. Operates inside Piha Bowling Club (which operates the bar).
Open:
Thursday to Sunday in winter; extended hours through summer. Check Instagram for current schedule.
Price Range:
$$ — casual bistro pricing.
Socials:
Instagram
