The Green Dolphin is a family-owned and operated restaurant in Kaikoura, dedicated to providing excellent hospitality and authentic local cuisine in a relaxed, family-friendly setting. With years of combined restaurant experience, our passionate cooks focus on serving the finest dishes crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

They take pride in sourcing fresh fish and crayfish directly from local fishermen, prepared daily in their dedicated filleting room. The menu also features wild game from the Kaikoura Ranges, succulent Canterbury lamb, and aged rib-eye beef from the West Coast. All produce is grown on the fertile Kaikoura plains, ensuring it's fresh and quickly brought to our kitchen.

Conveniently located just a two-minute drive from Kaikoura's West End, the Green Dolphin offers a dining room with panoramic views of the bay and the stunning backdrop of the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges. Enjoy your meal as the sun sets over the mountains, or cozy up by the roaring fire while admiring the snow-capped peaks in winter.

The name Kaikōura means “eat crayfish”, recalling the occasion when Tama ki te Raki had a meal of crayfish here, pausing on his journey around the South Island in pursuit of his three runaway wives. The Peninsula, providing abundant food and shelter, is rich in over 800 years of Māori tradition.