Hygge at Clifton Bay takes corporate functions, private parties and weddings for up to 130 guests seated or 300 standing across its indoor and outdoor areas, and larger numbers in a marquee on its 2 hectares of land beside the sea. The venue is a café and function space at 468 Clifton Road in Te Awanga, near Hastings in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, looking out over Cape Kidnappers and the Pacific Ocean.
Seminars and company events
The corporate list runs from morning meetings and working lunches to management and strategy sessions, conferences and presentations, product and brand launches, team-building days with bike rides and meals, wine flight tastings, social club events and end-of-year functions. The venue seats up to 140 for a corporate event in various layouts and can be booked whole or in part, with the Main Room or the Cape Room. There is space for a lectern or performers inside or outside. Sound and vision equipment is arranged through the venue's partners or your own organizer, and you may bring your own entertainment. Private evening events may carry a hire fee and a minimum spend on food and drink.
Weddings and receptions
Ceremonies start from 4 pm at a site chosen for numbers and weather: in the olive grove facing the cape or the sea, below the palms, under the vines, in the Cape Room or in a marquee. In winter, the indoor room with two open fires holds the ceremony, the reception and a band. In summer the reception can move to the lawn under the olive trees, with the indoor room as a wet-weather plan. On the wedding day the café closes to the public at 2 pm, setup starts at 2:30 pm and the reception ends at midnight. A wedding pack with options is sent on request. The venue was a 2023 finalist in the Wedding Industry NZ awards for ceremony and reception venues.
Rooms and capacities
Cape End, the indoor area at the cape end of the building, can be closed off for a private group of up to 45 seated. Under The Vines, outside, seats 20 to 50 for a smaller occasion. Full venue hire combines inside and outside for 130 seated or 300 standing with walk-and-fork service; the wedding page gives 200 standing for the indoor room alone. A marquee can be put up on the grounds for more than 130 seated.
Catering
The in-house kitchen, led by the head chef, serves shared plates, plated meals, buffets or walk-and-fork menus. The venue is fully licensed. Produce is local, ethical and organic where possible, with vegan and gluten-free options and organic coffee. A functions menu is published on the website.
History and setting
Robyn, a former kindergarten teacher, opened the café about eight years ago as a place where families feel at home. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday, with live music on Sunday afternoons and sunrise yoga classes. The venue was also a 2023 finalist in the Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce business awards.
Getting there
Te Awanga is a coastal village in Hawke's Bay, southeast of Napier and east of Hastings, on the road toward Cape Kidnappers. Hawke's Bay Airport at Napier is the nearest airport.
