OCR Eatery & Wine Bar

Taupo & the Ruapehu Region


Short for Old Coach Road, OCR has limited opening hours but remains a favourite among locals and visitors. Burgers, sandwiches, salads and breakfasts are made with care, as are the home-baked cakes and slices. A rootsy soundtrack and wood burner lend a rustic vibe. Ask if they have Scoria Red IPA craft beer from Ohakune-based Little Thief Brewing.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Taupo & the Ruapehu Region attractions

1. Big Carrot

1.29 MILES

Maybe not so much 'Don't Miss' as 'Impossible to Miss', this roadside tribute to Ōhakune's biggest crop was erected in 1984. Carrots were first grown in…

2. Lake Rotokura

6.06 MILES

For some peaceful moments away from the mountains, consider a walk to this bush-smothered lake, the centrepiece of the Lake Rotokura Ecological Reserve,…

3. Mt Ruapehu

11.45 MILES

Mt Ruapehu (2797m) is the North Island's highest mountain and one of the world’s most active volcanoes. One year-long eruption began in March 1945,…

4. National Army Museum

14.83 MILES

At the southern end of the town, in a large, almost-Stalinist concrete castle, is the National Army Museum. Proclaimed as ‘history without the boring bits…

5. Kawana Flour Mill

19.39 MILES

Just off the Whanganui River Rd near Matahiwi is the restored 1854 Kawana Flour Mill and waterwheel – an exercise in optimism. There's historical info, a…

6. Raurimu Spiral

19.45 MILES

The Raurimu Spiral, 30km south of town, is a unique feat of railway engineering that was completed in 1908 after 10 years of work. Rail buffs can…

7. St Joseph’s Church

20.62 MILES

Around a corner in the Whanganui River Rd in Jerusalem, the picture-perfect, red-and-mustard spire of St Joseph’s Church stands tall on a spur of land…

8. Mt Ngauruhoe

20.63 MILES

Northeast of Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe (2287m) is the national park's youngest volcano and the most classically perfect in its conical shape. Its first…