Editorial: Good times for local foodies

Eat Streat. Photo / Ben Fraser

It's exciting times for Rotorua's restaurant scene and for someone who's nuts about food, it's brilliant news.

Today's newspaper has the latest on changes around the city.

Lonestar has confirmed it is moving to the new Whakaue St development opposite the Novotel carpark, and Jo Romanes from the Blue Baths has new details about her project at the former Pizza Hut site on the other side of the Novotel complex.

While neither are actually in Eat Streat itself, both have said the popularity of the restaurant precinct is a big drawcard for opening new businesses.

When you head down Eat Streat, even on these colder autumn nights, it's still bustling and alive. My best friend from Tauranga often comes with me to Eat Streat and each time she comments how happening it is.

She has said Tauranga's nightlife and restaurants don't compare and Eat Streat has a special buzz like you get when visiting overseas.

But Eat Streat isn't the be-all and end-all of Rotorua's restaurant scene and nightlife.

The Pig and Whistle and Abracadabra are going great guns, as always, and with new ventures like Jubilee Deli and Bar and the soon-to-be-opened bigger Hennessy's Irish Bar, there's plenty of life in the heart of the CBD, too.

We can only hope the prime spot of the current Lonestar on the corner of Arawa and Amohia streets will get snapped up by a solid business, because moving from one spot to the other does little for our inner city (as has been witnessed with banks moving to Rotorua Central).

There will no doubt be more opportunities for cafes and restaurants to open closer to the Lakefront in the future.

What's missing is somewhere you can grab sammies, a cheese scone, some cartons of juice and a quiche for a picnic at the Lakefront with the kids on a Sunday.

But let's not fear all this movement, it keeps the city vibrant. If I had my way, we would be edging even further towards the water to make the most of our picturesque Lakefront.

What a shame we didn't start there.