Must-see restaurants in South Island

  • Whistling Frog

    Fiordland & Southland

    Colourful and fun, the Frog is the best dining option in the Catlins, offering craft beer on tap and crowd-pleasing meals, often garnished with flowers…

  • Church Hill

    Fiordland & Southland

    Top-notch nosh is prepared at this friendly restaurant, making use of home-grown veggies, house-made pasta and Stewart Island/Rakiara seafood, such as…

  • Amisfield Bistro & Cellar Door

    Queenstown & Wanaka

    Put yourself in the very capable hands of the kitchen wizards at this stylish vineyard bistro; simply inform the waiters of any dietary restrictions or…

  • Fergbaker

    Queenstown

    The sweeter sister of Fergburger bakes all manner of tempting treats – and though most things look tasty with 3am beer goggles on, it withstands the…

  • Riverside Market

    Christchurch

    Central Christchurch's new essential destination for travelling foodies is this superb multi-level market combining fresh produce stalls with…

  • Aosta

    Queenstown & Wanaka

    Everything at this elegant restaurant is designed to be shared, from the cicchetti (Venetian-style bar snacks) to the pasta and substantial secondi (mains…

  • Fleur’s Place

    Dunedin & Otago

    There's a rumble-tumble look about it, but this tin-and-timber fishing hut houses one of the South Island's best – and most popular – seafood restaurants…

  • Chop Shop

    Queenstown & Wanaka

    Perhaps the tables are a little tightly packed, and the open kitchen does take up half the space, but we're splitting hairs. This place is uniformly…

  • 5th Street

    Christchurch

    Global influences punctuate the shared plates menu at this recent opening south of the city centre. The honey- and chipotle-fired chicken goes well with…

  • Earl

    Christchurch

    Mediterranean flavours are presented with flair in Earl's spacious dining room. Combine slow-cooked lamb and smoked yoghurt with a quinoa salad or mix it…

  • Batch

    Fiordland & Southland

    Large shared tables, a relaxed beachy ambience, and top-notch coffee and smoothies give this cafe its reputation as Southland's best. Delicious counter…

  • Fairlie Bakehouse

    Christchurch & Canterbury

    Famous for miles around and the top-ranking reason to stop in Fairlie, this superb bakery turns out exceptional pies, including the legendary salmon and…

  • Louie’s

    Fiordland & Southland

    Part tapas and cocktail bar, part chic fusion eatery, Louie's is a great place to while away an evening snuggled into a sofa or a fireside nook. The…

  • Hokitika Sandwich Company

    The West Coast

    To say this hip place is serious about sandwiches is an understatement. Everything's made to order and served on chunky slices of freshly baked bread,…

  • Matheson Cafe

    Westland Tai Poutini National Park

    At the start of the Lake Matheson Track, this cafe does everything right: sharp architecture that maximises mountain views, strong coffee, craft beers and…

  • Cucina

    Dunedin & Otago

    The most sophisticated kitchen in Ōamaru serves superb seasonal food in a heritage dining room painted black and filled with plants. Try dishes like 55…

  • Akarua Wines & Kitchen by Artisan

    Queenstown & Wanaka

    This joint venture between Akarua Winery and Queenstown caterers Artisan features a restaurant inside a cottage originally built as offices for a flour…

  • Supreme Supreme

    Christchurch

    With so much to love, where to start? Perhaps with a cherry and pomegranate smoothie, a chocolate-fish milkshake or maybe just an exceptional espresso,…

  • Riverstone Kitchen

    Dunedin & Otago

    A riverstone fireplace and polished concrete floors set the scene for a menu that's modern without being overworked. Award-winning chef Bevan Smith…

  • Yonder

    Queenstown

    With a menu inspired by 'the things we've loved around our travels', this cafe brings to the table a cosmopolitan assortment of dishes: bacon butties,…

  • Bracken

    Dunedin

    Bracken's seasonal tasting menus offer a succession of pretty little plates bursting with flavour. While the dishes are intricate, nothing's overly…

  • Public Kitchen & Bar

    Queenstown

    You can't eat closer to the water than at this excellent lakefront eatery where local is law: Cardrona lamb, Fiordland wild venison, Geraldine pork, South…

  • Stations Inn

    The West Coast

    Attached to an out-of-the-way but upmarket motel-style complex 4km southeast of the town centre, this restaurant delivers the best bistro-style fare in…

  • Roots

    Christchurch & Canterbury

    Let chef-owner Giulio Sturla take you on a magical tasting tour with his renowned degustation menus, which champion all things local and seasonal. Dishes…

  • Otago Farmers Market

    Dunedin

    This thriving market is all local, all edible (or drinkable) and mostly organic. Grab a freshly baked pastry and a flat white to sustain you while you…

  • Niagara Falls

    Fiordland & Southland

    Located in a former Victorian schoolhouse, this excellent 'old-school' cafe puts the emphasis on local produce – free-range eggs, veggies from the garden,…

  • Inati

    Christchurch

    Shared plates enjoyed around an elegantly curved bar are divided into Earth, Land and Sea and include innovative and playful dishes harnessing ingredients…

  • Beach House

    Fiordland & Southland

    Looking over Taramea Bay, Beach House is a stylish, comfortable cafe famous for seafood, especially its creamy chowder studded with juicy mussels and…

  • Twenty Seven Steps

    Christchurch

    Overlooking the pastel-coloured New Regent St strip, this elegant restaurant showcases locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Mainstays include modern…

  • Orepuki Beach Cafe

    Fiordland & Southland

    What's this? A beacon of gastronomic hope, beaming out good vibes along a desolate stretch of highway? This chipper, award-winning cafe grows its own…

  • Dubliner

    Christchurch & Canterbury

    This atmospheric Irish bar and restaurant is housed in Methven's lovingly restored old post office. Great food includes pizza, Irish stew and other hearty…

  • Good Good

    Dunedin

    The crafty cooks here sizzle up famously good burgers from a kitchen in a retro caravan parked inside a cool warehouse space. There's tags on the walls,…

  • White House Restaurant & Bar

    Wanaka

    This curious restaurant is, well, yeah, in a house – a white one – looking as though someone dropped a casual eatery into the lounge room of an art-deco…

  • Tatsumi

    Queenstown

    Since losing its original business in the Christchurch earthquakes, Tatsumi has brought its blend of traditional and modern Japanese 'tapas' to central…

  • Saffron

    Queenstown & Wanaka

    Walking into Saffron is like stepping out of town, with its formal, clean-lined setting providing a contrast to Buckingham St's gunslinger appearance…

  • C1 Espresso

    Christchurch

    C1 sits pretty in a grand former post office that somehow escaped the cataclysm. Recycled materials fill the interior (Victorian oak panelling, bulbous…

  • Rātā

    Queenstown

    After gaining Michelin stars for restaurants in London, New York and LA, chef-owner Josh Emett now wields his exceptional but surprisingly unflashy…

  • Blue Kanu

    Queenstown

    Disproving the rule that all tiki houses are inherently tacky, Blue Kanu serves up a food style it calls 'Polynasian' – Fijian kokoda (raw fish with…

  • Vudu Cafe & Larder

    Queenstown

    At this ever-popular cafe, excellent home-style baking combines with great coffee and the sort of breakfasts that make bacon and eggs seem very passé –…

  • No 7 Balmac

    Dunedin

    We wouldn't recommend walking to this sophisticated cafe at the top of Maori Hill, but luckily it's well worth the price of a cab. The fancy cafe fare…