Nin's Bin — Restaurant in Kaikōura

Nin’s Bin is an iconic family-owned seafood food truck located about 20 minutes north of Kaikōura along State Highway 1, renowned for its exceptionally fresh, locally caught crayfish and simple, flavorful seafood dishes. It offers an authentic New Zealand coastal dining experience right by the ocean. The location is unbeatable, set directly on the beach with stunning coastal views that enhance the overall experience. The menu is focused and straightforward, specializing in crayfish cooked in garlic butter, fresh fish and chips, steamed mussels, and other local seafood. The crayfish is exceptionally fresh and well cooked, making Nin’s Bin a must-stop for seafood lovers traveling through the area. The atmosphere is casual and family-friendly, with outdoor seating that allows diners to enjoy the sea breeze and scenic surroundings. The staff are friendly and welcoming, adding to the charm of this humble eatery operating out of a caravan-style food truck. Prices are on the higher side, with crayfish tails typically costing above NZD100 depending on size, and additional charges for extras like garlic butter. Prices are steep, but the quality and setting...

Let's start with the positive - great location, nice atmosphere and good service. My wife and daughter had crayfish and I had mussels. The crayfish was nice but slightly tough and expensive for what it was. I assume that's the going rate for crayfish but I'm sure they could do more to make it into a better value meal. However, the one star is for the mussels. They were barely edible. Actually, they were disgusting. The beards hadn't been removed, which didn't give me much faith. I've never been anywhere that left the beards on mussels. I removed the beards myself but the mussels had very little flavour. I love mussels but these were just salty, flabby meat. I didn't enjoy them but finished them because I was hungry and then felt ill. Best part of my meal was the chips. This place looks great and has so much potential but it feels like someone's got greedy and/or complacent and isn't providing the great food expected to go along with the great location. Wouldn't stop...

We had the fish and chips - the prices for a crayfish ($100 plus) are just too high for the average kiwi budget - couldn't justify it. But for tourists then I reckon you've got to do it. The battered fish we had was "Rig" Fish which is a local shark - also known as lemonfish. It was incredibly fresh and really fabulous! Probably the best fish I've ever had from a fish 'n' chip shop! We had to wait about 15-20 mins before it was ready - there were quite a few people. You have to listen out carefully for them to call your name when your order is ready. Location is ideal with a lot of parking on tar-seal, and good road markings to allow you to safely enter and exit. There are lots of park benches dotted around to sit and look at the beautiful views up and down the coast. We saw a seal and apparently there were dolphins in the water just an hour before we arrived. Highly recommend this place as a must-do for your road-trip around the...