Market ST
What makes your venue the Best Gastropub in New Zealand?
Market ST is a vibrant and energetic bar and eatery in the heart of Napier’s CBD. It has added so much life and vibrancy to the CBD since opening mid 2019 that our customers often tell us they can’t remember what they did before Market ST existed. What a compliment!
With an instagramable fitout, you walk through the doors and feel as though you are in a bar that would hold its own anywhere in the world. We hear this time and time again which means we hit the nail on the head with the design whilst paying homage to the buildings Art Deco heritage.
Our aim was to create a vibrant, inviting, and trendsetting atmosphere partnered with the very best hospitality. Market ST stands out from the crowd and is the place to be. Local customers frequent our bar a number of times a week as we welcome them in with open arms and a huge welcoming smile. They know us and we know them. Cruise ship passengers and visitors relax in our space and constantly tell us how special Market ST is. They can tell our team is incredibly happy and that we provide the best hospitality they have ever had in New Zealand. This was our goal before we opened Market ST and we have cracked it!
Describe the experience your customers have at your establishment – what is your food and beverage offering and why do people come back for more?
Market ST is more than just great food and a killer drinks list, it’s a thoughtfully designed venue which throws a huge impact when you walk through the doors.
Our menu consists of shared plates through to a full restaurant menu and decadent desserts. These are then matched with our famously created cocktails, extensive crafted beer selection and predominately Hawkes Bay wine to hero our local wineries.
Our customers come back again and again because of the friendly, inviting atmosphere, we are “fun not fussy”. The food offering has the usual suspects with a twist and by supporting local growers and producers we’ve created a menu that people relate to, and people feel connected.
With cocktails being one of our top sellers and something we have become very well known for, our Cocktail Mixologist creates a new cocktail every week, keeping up with the latest trends, and new products.
We have gin tasting boards, beer towers and have launched our very own Market ST Gin (Blood Orange, Grapefruit and London Dry) and a Triple Distilled Vodka. This has been an exciting co-lab with the National Distillery Company and has pushed our brand even further.
We are consistently thinking outside the box and creating more magic for everyone to enjoy.
We have also recently extended our outdoor seating area to cater for crowds through the Summer months.
Tell us how you showcase NZ produce / offerings? Does your menu change with the season and how is it locally influenced. How do you accommodate allergy and dietary requirements?
We are extremely proud to offer as many local menu items as possible on both our food and beverage menu. Being surrounded by vines in the Hawkes Bay it was a must for us to showcase Hawkes Bay wines and this takes up 90% of our extensive wine menu. We have also worked closely with The National Gin Distillery based in Napier and have created our own Market ST Gin - Blood Orange, Grapefruit, London dry and our own triple distilled vodka. We also hero our local bakeries, butchers (Waipawa Butcher's Sausage Platter), Fruit and vegetable suppliers, microgreens etc. Wherever we can source locally we do as we are extremely proud of our community. We always accommodate food allergies and dietary requirements. With a daughter who is celiac we completely understand how difficult it can be going out for dinner and we want to make sure they are completely at ease and know we have all of their dietary requirements under control.
What are your key points of difference and how have you managed to deliver them?
Everyone who walks into Market ST for the first time says WOW, because the decor is unique and on trend (it would hold its own in any major city around the world). One customer mentioned “it’s a feast for the eyes” with exciting and dynamic touchpoints throughout. We follow that up by providing excellent hospitality and range of dining options inside and out.
We put huge emphasis on providing the very best guest experience. Our Market ST motto “we deliver dynamic hospitality partnered with focused customer service”. Because of this Market ST is leading the way in the hospitality industry and is a busy, and vibrant space.
Owners Sarah and Steve live it and breathe it and so do the team. Hospitality is in their heart and soul providing guests with exactly what they want even when it’s not on the menu. Our guests are often blown away by the warm welcome they receive and they feel at ease as soon as they arrive.
Best Known for:
Unique decor
“Feast for the eyes”
Art deco style
Please describe your commitment to sustainability.
We ensure we are doing everything we can in regards to sustainability. We have recycling bins for carboard, plastic and bottles and also work with a company who collects bottle caps and repurposes them.
Please describe how you create ambience.
At Market ST our ambience is fun and vibrant. This is shown as soon as you walk in the door with the decor. We also have a number of local artists performing at our venue. These are either soloists in the background or set up outside, to DJ's to four piece bands on a Saturday night. We also hold a huge outdoor street party during Art Deco weekend where the streets come alive.
