Hunger Monger Seafood

Just fine. Some dishes were great (grilled fish, marinated fish, KF Sea) and some fell flat (scallops, prawns) while others were just okay (crayfish pasta, calamari). The atmosphere is nice and the service, although pleasant, is very slow and/or non-existent. You'll be lucky to get more than one drink as they never really stop by the tables at all except to clear dishes. They don't replace cutlery even if they've taken yours so you're often left waiting to eat. Again, takes forever so things get cold. They also don't fire courses at a reasonable pace (they wait for you to completely finish, sit there waiting for 5-10 minutes, clear your plates, then asking if you're ready for the next course). Not sure if it's because they don't tip in NZ but the service is just very apathetic compared to Europe or North America. Very slow and awkward and not personable or hospitable. Personally, I would only go back for a quick round of snacks and/or a drink while enjoying the views, definitely not a full meal.

This restaurant is a fantastic choice for seafood lovers. The food was delicious and cooked to perfection. The staff were all very friendly and attentive. I highly recommend this dining experience. It's a must-try if you're in the area. Portion is decent but nothing too crazy.

We ordered various smalls to try lot of different items. They all were very tasty and didn’t have to wait long for it to be served. Friendly customer service. Bit expensive for portion size but worth a try.

The scallops, the ceviche and the broth were delicious, however if you aren’t into spicy stuff I’d recommend to ask to remove the chili oil. Good restaurant overall.

This place was a great surprise fully booked out lucky we booked before hand. Food was very good and tasty fish was very fresh. The korean fries is a must try. Desserts could be alittle better

Highly recommend the oysters, the crayfish pasta, prawn and grilled fish. wouldn’t bother with fish and chips. service is decent with unfriendly faces.

"Just a fancy eatery for seafood lovers" Had high hopes form this place so went there for an early dinner. Ordered three items :- - grilled fish (which was all right) - Australian prawns (which looked good) - KF Sea (which was an absolute rip off) All these times did taste okay, but I didn't find them to be anything close to wow. I would still have gone ahead with four stars, but the portion sizes were so small !! They easily beat any fancy restaurant even in Auckland, hands down...LOL. The plates they served on were the tiniest ones I have come across in the country. I would suggest anyone to visit this place, only if you are keen to snack on something. Dnt even bother going there, if you are really hungry. They have a separate dessert menu, but I didn't even dare go down that path. The interiors look decent with some fur on the chairs, which is good, and earns an extra star from me

Intelligent & Creative Seafood I haven't had a seriously dedicated fish restaurant since leaving Sydney, Garfish in Manly to be exact. But Hunger Monger is the perfect seafood restaurant right on Napiers seafront. I must confess the sea air and the sound of the sea is a must for fish and chip lovers. So Hunger Monger is a delightful medium size dinner venue. It's around 60 covers and the small but highly talented staff and kitchen manage it effortlessly. We ate there nearly three months ago and the memory still lingers, hopefully I get the menu right. We had mainly the starters which were sensational. The Korean smashed fries with unpronounceable sauce were delicious, dim sum with lime & tamarind dipping sauce were sublime, the grilled fish of the day Cantonese style ginger and sauce, and the crayfish Tagliolini was light and stunning. Looking forward to returning to Napier for seconds. Thank you Hunger Monger Team! *note-I'm not a food photographer but credit to the restaurant lighting and iPhone.

I get when a restaurant is full, it's tough to seat. Don't be rude and dismissive though. The older woman with dark hair who couldn't even bother making eye contact and just waving her hand away at a potential patron is so offensive and surprising to come across in New Zealand. Would not suggest.

We had an incredible meal here! We ate a light dinner here since we had large meals for breakfast and lunch today elsewhere, but the flavors at Hunger Monger were so fulfilling that just a few small bites left us feeling perfectly stuffed! This is a restaurant that sincerely cares about cultivating unique and decadent flavors. The menu contains many gluten free, vegan, and dairy free options, but it still satisfied us (two voracious omnivores without dietary restrictions). The seafood was incredibly fresh and perfectly prepared. In addition to the melting halloumi cheese pops; citrus marinated fish with coconut cream; and pacific rock oysters (all three included in the pictures I've attached), we also ordered the Wangamata scallops on a skewer. All were small plates, but the flavor was huge. I also enjoyed the Schubert Sauvignon Blanc and the Hawkes Bay Brewery (non-alcoholic) ginger beer.

Incredibly fresh seafood with great personal service. Anishka and her husband who's the chef are there to make you feel at home. Lots of locals .

(we visited prior to the cyclone that hit the area in Feb 2023) Fantastic place practically on the water in Napier! They have a lovely outside seating area with sheepskin seat covers (heaven). We didn't have a reservation, but they were able to accommodate our larger group and the service was super friendly. Fish was fresh fresh fresh! Hope to get back in the future!

We came here for dinner last night. Since we weren't terribly hungry due to our lunch earlier, we ordered smaller plates or split an entree. Between the boy and I, we split the small sashimi (good value for the dish, wasn't consistently sliced but good) and the seafood stew (large pieces of seafood like clams, citrus butter with bread was nice/interesting) and bowl of ice cream (feijoa and pear was unique but it has some aftertaste that didn't sit well). Overall, the meal was okay. What bothered us was how slow everything was. It ended up being a 2.5 hour meal for 6 people of 5 small plates, 3 entrees, and 3 desserts. There are 13 tables with what appears to be 3 servers.

Hunger Monger Seafood Restaurant is an attractive place filled place with an open kitchen. Service is friendly and good. The only complaint is that they salted the fish much too much greatly detracting from their taste. Reservations are suggested as they do fill up. Their seafood offerings are of course fresh.

If you love seafood, then you will love Hunger Monger. We found this restaurant by chance, while walking along Marine Parade in Napier. The restaurant was full and the ambience alive, so the next day we went in to book a table for our final night in Hawke's Bay. Run by Polish couple, Fraser Slack and Agnieszka Wills, the menu is predominantly seafood, where diners can enjoy oysters, Aussie prawns, grilled fish, Cook Strait octopus, squid, sashimi and salmon to name a few. Also, 98% of their wines and beers are local to the area - many I had never heard of before. We had a glass of the Beatrix Rose by Alpha Domus (Bridge Pa) and Brookfields Pinot Gris 2016 (Ohiti Estate). The Pinot Gris was a stand out, so much so, we went to New World afterwards to purchase a few bottles of it! For starters, we enjoyed their Tempura Prawns with dipping sauces - big, fat, juicy prawns, which were gone in a flash. For mains, we ordered the Grilled Fish with Salads, and Grilled Fish with Kumara Miso Mash and Broccolini - the fish of the day was Kingfish, and it was perfectly cooked. I was pleased with the portion sizes and for $23 and $26 respectively, both dishes were reasonably priced. The Kumara Miso Mash was also a highlight, as I have only become a fan of kumara in the last four months... can't get enough of it! For dessert, I loved their Deconstructed Tiramisu with Hawthorne Coffee mousse. It was decadent, rich, and a sweet way to finish the night. The service at Hunger Monger was excellent too. A shout out to Rose, Marco and Alice for their friendly hospitality, which made our night a very enjoyable one. Tip: Definitely book - even though it was a Tuesday, it was packed to the brim. In the space of 1.5 hours, 9 groups came through, who were all turned down as it was fully booked.

Dinner for four, 2 couples celebrating a birthday and a 'going away' party was a 'mixed bag' experience; some fine moments, some ok , and 'not so'. Starter was a double order of dumplings (gyoza) served with bonita shavings sitting in a mayonnaise of Japanese style, one of our group having lived in Japan shouted THIS one for the 'table'. Server said order TWO plates as they are served in 3's. Over priced and soggy texture, though flavour was good sums up the dish nicely. Mains were ALL very good, ordered 4 different ones and shared a bit here and there, as u do in a friendly setting. My sashimi was excellent and fresh, not had a better one in this provincial NZ city, ever = the high point of my meal. Wines expensive for the 'class' of the room and ambience which is very basic. Seating uncomfortable, accoustics poor, no stemware or wine 'service', a "no BYO wine" policy from a place which doesn't do justice to the world class wine region it's located in = low point of the dining out experience, this is the 'not so' mentioned in the introduction of this review. Desserts nothing special, this is a FISH restaurant and they do THAT well was the consensus at our table. Ditto 'service', friendly enough but didn't match the price point in our experience. Conclusion: If one wants really good fresh seafood and doesn't mind paying $$$$ prices to dine in 'average' surrounds, sans comfort & luxury...... a-ok

I walked by this place on the way to a different restaurant recommended by the hotel. This place is small but charming. Looked at the menu for reference then headed to the recommended restaurant. After I got to the the other restaurant and looked at the menu, I returned to this place because it has more to offer. First there are more choices and then the price is unbelievable. We order a couple of local craft beer, fish taco and grill fresh catch. Both were fresh and very tasty. All of the fish here are fresh catch and delicious. The operators were so friendly and nice. Highly recommend you give this place a try if you like high quality meal at a reasonable price.

Interesting blends and fusion of flavors. This is a busy place requiring a reservation.

Went for an early dinner. Wine list could use a bit more bench strength. Grilled octopus was very good. Grilled sardine had a bit too much breading on it, but otherwise very tasty. The grilled Salmon entree was very good and creative in its preparation. My main reason for not giving more stars was really around the service. I had a hard time getting the waitress's attention. She was doing her best but they probably need at least one other person on the floor to adequately support their clients

Called to ask if there's a wait to be seated. I was told they can seat me in an hour but ONLY FOR 1 HOUR. I've never heard of a place that would rush you to eat just so they could attend to more customers. Absurd.

Fantastic meal. Excellent service. We were looking forward to an excellent seafood meal - and Hunger Monger delivered. We enjoyed a ceviche and seafood gyoza to start. Flavours were perfectly on point. Enjoyed two delightful fish dishes for the mains. If you're craving seafood, this is THE spot you need to go. Great service and fantastic food.

Wife and I stopped by as this was close to our hotel. We were completely amazed!!! The food and service was the best we have had in New Zealand. The fish and chips were the best I have had in 15 years... saying that as a Norwegian. We ordered a second fish and chips because they were so good. Enjoy a nice salad, fish and chips, and sashimi plate. Tiramisu for the cap on the evening. Perfect meal + 2 glasses of wine for $105. We will be back.

Found this cute little place near our hotel one night. It looked very quaint and warm from the outside. Luckily we rang ahead to reserve as the place was packed when we got there. Service cannot be faulted. Despite the full house our meals arrived only about 15 to 20 minutes later. More importantly the food was very very tasty and fresh. definitely worth the price!

Imaginative seafood. Don't come here if you don't like fish. But if you do, you'll love this place. Basically a storefront, with I think owner-chef curated daily menus. Local NZ species. Very friendly service. Seems popular with local people, which is usually a positive sign. We ate here our last night in Napier. Otherwise, we would have returned the next day. You definitely need a reservation.

One of the best meals I've had in a long time! The bouillabaisse was outstanding, the mussels outrageous and the fish sublime. The owner was completely committed to making sure that everything was perfect! The place was packed with locals - I think we were the only tourists. Coming back tomorrow to try the smoked fish chowder which was highly recommended by other diners. Had a bottle of local Chardonnay which was perfect. We are very picky diners and we were both extremely happy that we chose to come here.

The fish was perfectly done and delicious. The side of Kumari miso added a perfect sweet balance to the fish. My husband's side of chips were the most perfect fries I've ever had. Golden crispness on the outside and a creamy almost buttery inside!