Where to eat in Queenstown: The best restaurants, cafes and other places to treat yourself

Dec 23

My guide to the best independent and local spots.

Sundays restaurant in Queenstown — *Sundays is a very cool restaurant in a former church*

I think Ferg Burger is overrated. There, I said it. The thing no one else seems to want to say in any lists of places you should eat in Queenstown.

The burger places seems epic, with lines out the door and down the street at any time of day (you can’t miss it, at some point you will have to shoulder through the crowd milling around the entrance).

But to be honest, it’s by no means the best place to get food.

I prefer places that are driven less by hype and more by a desire to create awesome community spaces, or push the boundaries of sustainability.

As much as I can, I like to support independent local businesses, and hang out in the places that feel a bit more lived in. The old cliche of living like a local.

I’ve put together this list from my own experiences in Queenstown (and a massive shout out to my local friend who led me to so many of these wonderful, locally owned spots) and from wider research — the places I haven’t been yet are all saved in my Google Maps, ready for my next visit.

If you also love finding the best little coffee shops, and supporting independent local businesses as much as you can when you travel, you might find a few good places on this list.

Dining out in Queenstown can get expensive, so if you want to try the local restaurants on a budget, take a look at First Table. You can get 50% off your meals, if you’re happy to eat at 5.30pm.
I also find discounts on BookMe, where you can get deals for even cheaper than First Table (it’s also better if you’re dining alone — First Table requires at least two people).
It’s nice to dress up for Queenstown’s fancy restaurants, but if all you’ve packed is hiking gear, don’t worry too much — the dress codes are pretty lenient and you’ll see most people dressed very casually.

Where to get coffee in Queenstown

Hustl Cafe, Frankton

Hustl Cafe is owned by a brother and sister team who are born and bred Queenstown locals. The cafe has a focus on sitting in to enjoy your coffee, and they are proudly single-use cup free.

The interior has warm hues and lots of plants, making it easy to sit and slow down, a little oasis in Queenstown’s rush.

If you go for breakfast, I can recommend the Sun Bun with haloumi.

Black Lab Coffee, Frankton

Black Lab is a little independent coffee roasters located in the Country Lane precinct

Country Lane is built on the site of a family farm, where relocated heritage buildings now make up a rustic little village. The stores and businesses here form a community-focused collective, with everything from a local honey shop to a vintage store.

It’s a lovely little spot to spend a morning, and if you need caffeine,

Queenstown Signs, Central Queenstown

Yes, it’s a… sign shop. It’s also a cafe. And a stationary store. The inside is as eclectic as it sounds, but it’s also cosy and cute, with a retro vibe. The coffee is reasonably priced and it’s rarely busy in there, a rarity for Queenstown.

Wolf Coffee Roasters, Arrowtown

Ma Boulangerie, Frankton

Owned by a French couple, Ma Boulangerie can call itself an authentic French bakery.

On my last Queenstown trip I stayed right around the corner from this bakery in Frankton, and it quickly became a regular morning stop. Coffee is good and comes with a mini pan au chocolat — parfait!

We also loved the sourdough bread, which was perfect for day trip sandwiches.

Queenstown’s best restaurants

This is obviously very subjective. I don’t eat meat, so I’m hardly qualified to talk about the best steak restaurants in Queenstown. But, these are places I have loved.

SUNDAYS

Located in a beautifully refurbished church on Country Lane, SUNDAYS is my favourite pizza spot in Queenstown (I really wanted to enjoy Canyon Brewing’s pizzas, but the one I ordered was awful. SUNDAYS’s pizza knocked it out of the park).

It’s also possibly my favourite restaurant for a laid-back hangout, with unpretentious service and a cosy setting.

The food is broadly European inspired, which means delicious things like pecorino churros with black garlic sauce, and woodfired pizza with thick bases and toppings mostly listed in foreign languages.

Walter Peak High County Farm

*The setting at Walter Peak is beautiful*

This one may be a bit of a wild card; it’s not really a place to eat in Queenstown.

But, I loved the food and the whole experience of the cruise with a gourmet BBQ dinner at Walter Peak, so I highly recommend this as an evening activity.

It’s an all you can eat buffet, so it’s not the most elevated cuisine you’re going to find in Queenstown, but it’s still surprisingly good. My advice is to go hungry, because you’ll want to have enough space for the desserts (the sticky toffee pudding was divine).

Kappa, Queenstown Central

Margo’s — Mexican with a twist

Ballarat Street, Central Queenstown
Margo’s menu

Margo’s is a Mexican restaurant in the centre of Queenstown. Margo’s takes creative liberties with the Mexican theme — this is a restaurant in New Zealand with a chef from the United States — but the food is reliably fresh and full of flavour.

All the usual suspects are on the menu, with tacos, nachos, fajitas, and mole.

There’s also a whole vegan menu, making this one of the best places to eat in Queenstown for vegetarians. Try the Mayan spiced tempeh fajita which comes with coconut crema made in Raglan, and guacamole from New Zealand avocados.

Another winner is the queso fundido — which can also be cashew ‘queso’ — with smoked corn salsa and tortilla chips.

Amisfield — a unique tasting menu

Tasting menu from $180
Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Road, Queenstown

If you’d like to treat yourself to a truly exceptional meal, book a lunch or dinner experience at Amisfield.

The Amisfield Restaurant and Cellar Door is located on the shore of Lake Hayes, a 20-minute drive from Queenstown.

It’s one of the top wineries to visit near Queenstown (I’m obsessed with their Reisling) and the restaurant is a superb exploration of Central Otago flavours.

Chef Vaughan Mabee takes cues from rugged New Zealand life and culture — he’s a passionate hunter, fisher, and forager.

Dishes are elaborate affairs exhibiting creativity and deep passion for the craft.

You can expect to eat things like head-shot fallow deer cooked, basted with smoked tallow, then hung over smoke for another few hours, served with magnolia flower pickles and bone marrow jus.

Or lambs tails dry aged, slow cooked, deboned, and reformed, complete with wool made from lamb fat, sugar, rosemary and vinegar. The dishes are every bit as elaborate as they sound.

Every single dish has a story, and is served with fresh produce, some of which is produced on the Amisfield estate. And of course, every dish pairs perfectly with their wines.

Aosta — Arrowtown’s finest

In 2019, chef Ben Bayly — also behind Auckland restaurant Ahi — changed Arrowtown’s dining scene with Aosta.

Aosta is one of the best restaurants near Queenstown, showcasing some of the South Island’s freshest ingredients and produce in Northern Italian inspired dishes.

The restaurant is known for its exquisite pasta, handmade on-site every day.

One of Aosta’s iconic dishes is the kina pappardelle. This is an excellent way to try kina, New Zealand’s sea urchin, and you have the option of adding Stewart Island pāua as well.

The kūmara and truffle ravioli with sprouting broccoli and fresh sheep’s ricotta pulls together other New Zealand earthy autumnal flavours — the broccoli comes from a farm only kilometres from Aosta’s door, and the ricotta is produced by an Italian couple based in Nelson.

For dessert, there’s tiramisu, piped at your table by a chef, so you get to see the decadent dish take shape in front of you.

An added bonus: Little Aosta and The Blue Door

Mora Wines & Artisanal Kitchen — for a delicious vineyard lunch

Mora Artisanal Kitchen (formerly Akarua) is a restaurant and cellar door in Arrowtown.

Mora means to linger or take pause in Latin. That’s the goal of this restaurant — to invite you to slow down and enjoy exceptional food in a beautiful environment.

This Queenstown restaurant offers a superb lunch of hand-crafted cuisine that is made from scratch. The kitchen uses New Zealand’s finest sustainable ingredients, sourced in and around the four coasts of the South Island.

It’s also a fabulous winery, so you can include a tasting with your meal.

Where to drink like a local

Queenstown is the ideal place to get a taste of the wines produced from vines just down the road, and for beer lovers there are some epic breweries to explore.

Perky’s Floating Bar, Queenstown lakefront

One of the first things you should do when you arrive in Queenstown is to head to Perky’s Floating Bar to toast your arrival.

Permanently moored right on the lakefront, Perky’s has excellent views — the best vantage point is from the bean bags on the deck — and a lovely laid-back service. You’re welcome to bring your own food onboard, so pick up some takeaways en route, get a cold drink, and enjoy.