Verve Café

121 Gladstone Rd

About

Not only is this one of those refreshingly scruffy local haunts that abounds in personality, but it's also a three-time winner of the Regional Best Café award. It comes minus pretensions, and you'll find an incredibly mixed crowd enjoying the excellent coffee and simple food. It's especially popular with backpackers and surfers, but all ages congregate here. The menu includes everything from antipasto platters and nachos to pastas, curries, salads, and preparations of fish, lamb, beef, and chicken. This is Gisborne at its laid-back best. You won't leave hungry, and you will have tasted the local culture. They also have live music every Friday night.