Restaurants in Queenstown
Queenstown is filled with an ever-changing array of good cafes and restaurants. The Skyline Queenstown Restaurant (tel. 03/441-0101; www.skyline.co.nz) is as much an experience as a meal. Enjoy lavish lunch and evening buffets accompanied by spectacular views. A buffet dinner including gondola ride is NZ$76 for adults (NZ$36 children 5-14) and lunch is NZ$51 (NZ$26 for children). The restaurant is huge and tour groups are seated in a separate area. You can include a haka performance for NZ$110 for adults, NZ$54 children ages 5 to 14, and NZ$282 for a family. Bookings are essential.
Winning Wines
Gantley’s Restaurant, 172 Arthur’s Point Rd., Arthur’s Point (tel. 03/442-8999; www.gantleys.co.nz), has an extensive wine list with over 250 selections, showcasing some of the most outstanding wines produced in New Zealand. One of only a few New Zealand restaurants to win an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine for "having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world," Gantley’s is favored for its romantic interior and superior wine selections. Main courses range from NZ$35 to NZ$45, and they’re open daily from 6pm; they offer courtesy transport from Queenstown.
Treasure Hunt
Every city has them—those luscious little culinary secrets that locals like to keep for themselves. The Bunker, Cow Lane (tel. 03/441-8030; www.thebunker.co.nz), is a sublime dining experience but don’t think that just because I’ve given you the address, you’re going to be able to find it easily. It hides behind a very unassuming door and just assumes that people who are hungry and passionate enough will find it. You won’t regret the hunt. It’s a tiny restaurant with a huge reputation for classy haute cuisine, an intimate atmosphere, and an impressive collection of single malt whiskeys. Venison, lamb, scampi, quail, and duck all take their place on an innovative menu that most definitely will make a hole in your wallet. It’s open from 5pm until 5am, by which time you’ll probably be bankrupt but hugely satisfied. Reservations are essential, and main courses range from NZ$44 to NZ$50.
Market Treats
The best place for delicious treats, picnic food, and fabulous tastes to take home is Mediterranean Market, 53 Robins Rd., Queenstown (tel. 03/442-4161; www.mediterranean.co.nz). Head out on Gorge Road, turn down the hill beside the supermarket, and then hard left into the lower carpark. It’s also home to Squisito Kitchen Café, and if you come out empty-handed, I’ll be surprised. Open Monday to Saturday 8am to 6:30pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm.
For Chocolate Lovers
Patagonia Chocolates, Lakeside, 50 Beach St., Queenstown (tel. 03/442-9066), and also at Ramshaw Lane, Arrowtown (tel. 03/409-8584; www.patagoniachocolates.com), are must- stop/must-eat destinations. They’re open daily from 8am to 10pm.
In Nearby Glenorchy
Glenorchy is a bit lean on dining options, but you won’t starve. Glenorchy Hotel (tel. 03/442-9902) has a terrace cafe and restaurant with a la carte, stone grill, and bistro dining; and Glenorchy Café (tel. 03/442-9958) can fill the gaps with snacks and light meals in a casual atmosphere. Kinloch Lodge (tel. 03/442-4900) has the best menu, with the likes of Mediterranean baked lamb, seared grouper, or homemade meatballs.
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16 Results
- Modern NZ
Amisfield Winery & Bistro
The daily menu at this classy bistro focuses on local organic produce, which is often infused with Mediterranean favors. (You might find seared salmon with cumin couscous, for instance). A fabulous wine room, filled with bottles created at the owners' vineyards, tops it off. You may…$$Lake Hayes - International
Botswana Butchery
So popular it's now opened a second outpost in Auckland, this restaurant is a meat eater’s paradise (as you might have guessed from the name). It specializes in fine beef cuts, wild game, and organic foods all served in an opulent setting with lots of velvet, burnished woods and five…$$Central City - Cafe
Café 111
Just a short walk downhill from the Kiwi Birdlife Park, right by a medical center, is this well-loved spot for homemade goodies like muffins, carrot cake, and very good coffee.$Corner of Brecon Street, near the gondola - Tapas
Eichardt’s Bar
This small, popular streetside bar fronts Eichardt's Private Hotel on the waterfront. Both lunch and evening menus offer an innovative range of small dishes for sharing (recommended: the Cromwell parsnip and potato rosti with wild-thyme-flavored mushrooms and house-made black…$$Waterfront - Burgers
Fergburger
This extraordinary burger joint (with a slightly mad website) serves extremely large burgers of the best lamb, beef, venison, bacon, salad, vegetables (beetroot is a traditional burger inclusion in New Zealand), relishes, and sauces. It’s a shiny wood and big counter place, but too…$Around town - Seafood
Fishbone Bar & Grill
Fresh fish is sourced daily here and the blue cod dishes are reliably good. Factor in a lively atmosphere, a good kids’ menu, and sensible prices and you have a winner.$$Central city - Cafe
Joe’s Garage
American roadside cafe meets Queenstown hip in this buzzy, unadorned spot. Sit up at the counter while you wait for a bacon-and-egg breakfast, or a lunchtime panini or burger.$Central City - Malaysian
Madame Woo
For some 125 years, 5 Ballarat Street has housed food businesses, including a long-time grocery store, a vegetable and lolly shop, and, since 1972, a number of restaurants now relegated to history. When Madam Woo opened in 2014, it (she?) introduced a new style of eating to…$$Waterfront - Modern NZ
Postmaster's Residence
Come here to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere in a quaint, restored historic A-Frame house. The menu features such treats as venison carpaccio, crispy roast duck salad with fennel, or prime beef tenderloin with béarnaise sauce and a merlot and mushroom jus.$$Arrowtown - Kiwi
Public Kitchen and Bar
Public’s mission statement has it that “Clever kiwis farm it, catch it, brew it, and grow it. We cook it, pour it. You eat it." Which explains the main menu divisions of venison, bird, lamb, beef, pork, and seafood with the provenance of each item included. The vension and lamb, for…$$Steamer Wharf - Modern NZ
Saffron
Saffron serves up some of the best plates in the entire region. People come from miles around to enjoy meals like Thai duck and lemongrass curry. Book well ahead.$$Arrowtown - Modern NZ
Skyline Restaurant
As much a tourist attraction as an eatery (you get to take a gondola there!) we'll be straight: the buffet lunch and dinner won't be nearly as good as the views. But since those are killer—truly, these are some of the best restaurant views in New Zealand—we're still recommending the…$$$Bob's Peak - International
The Bunker
This sexy little restaurant has an air of luxury and exclusivity about it. Meals are world-class, with choices like oven-roasted venison with roasted pear puree, cranberry compote, and juniper jus or trio of hare. Looking for a place to pop the question? This is it.$$Central city - Pizzeria
The Cow
A big fire roars in this dark little den of delicious, great-value tastes. It’s all wood, moody, and very, very popular. It’s less authentically Italian than Bella Cucina, but it invariably has a great atmosphere. If your budget has taken a beating, this is a great place to fill up…$$Around Town - Cafe
Vudu Café
First established on Beach Street, Vudu Café now has a cafe and larder on Rees Street that’s bigger and brighter. Breakfast is a hearty workout here; for example, poached eggs come on whacking great slices of granary bread with perfectly grilled halloumi cheese and radish salad.…$Around Town - Pizza
Winnies Gourmet Pizza Bar
A bustling, loud atmosphere and such kid-friendly options as pizzas covered in crispy bacon, tomato, and cheese; burgers with fries; and chicken wings make this a great spot for families.$$Central city
