Where to Eat

Restaurant
Restaurant
New Zealand Restaurants and Cafes

Our Pick of Restaurants & Cafes:

We have selected a range of Restaurants and Cafes using the following criteria :

- Interesting menu/food, freshly prepared.
- Welcoming ambience.
- Friendly and helpful service.
- Good location.
- Locally roasted coffee.
- Comprehensive wine list, featuring local wines.

Map of New Zealand Tourist Hot Spots 
Click on your destination to check out where to eat.

Prices:

For a quality meal in a café or restaurant, you can expect to pay:
Breakfast main: Up to $20
Lunch main: $15 - $30
Dinner main: $25 - $45

Eating Out Tips:

When choosing a café or restaurant, we try to look at the menu beforehand, and are always on the look-out for places where the owner is also the chef.  We also keep an eye out for :
- Busy restaurants with lots of local patrons.  If the locals like it,    it’s bound to be good.
- Smiling and helpful staff.
- Not too many food choices on the menu.  A large menu can mean    that the food is not freshly prepared.
- Lots of people eating and happy sounds when you arrive.  Too    many tables waiting for their food means a long wait, and    potentially bad service.

Though raising sheep is firmly entrenched in our national profile, our country’s reputation for its wine and gourmet foods now features just as prominently.  While you’re travelling, make sure you visit our premier wine and food regions, such as Waiheke Island, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Martinborough, Marlborough and Otago to sample the best we have to offer.  Check out the stalls at the local farmers’ markets for a delightful array of locally produced goodies, the cafes which offer casual dining at reasonable prices, the restaurants where à la carte menus and full table service promise a full evening’s outing, and fine dining establishments for a special night out.  As a general rule, café style eateries do not accept bookings, it’s first come, first served.  At restaurants, reservations are recommended, definitely on Friday and Saturday.  In all but the finest eateries, serving staff are not usually professionally trained, but they should be friendly and attentive.  Tipping is not generally expected, but we always leave a small tip (it’s always appreciated) when the food and service are very good.  Though eating out is fun, don’t forget the simple pleasures.  New Zealand is a country full of scenic delights, and there are plenty of road-side rest areas along the way.  A picnic basket, thermos flask and folding chairs are worth their weight in gold when you’re keen to enjoy our Great Outdoors.

Organic Restaurants and Cafes:

- The Grange Fusion Organic Cuisine & Bar in Ponsonby, Auckland
- The Organic Pizza Co Restaurant & Bar in Newmarket, Auckland
- Kokako Roasters and Cafe in Parnell, Auckland
- Slow Fish Cafe in Mount Maunganui
- Take Five Restaurant & Jazz Bar in Napier
- Founders Brewery & Cafe in Nelson
- Arcadia Organics Shop & Cafe in Motueka, Abel Tasman
- Sans Souci Inn Restaurant in Pohara, Golden Bay
- Dangerous Kitchen in Takaka, Golden Bay
- Hislops Wholefoods Cafe in Kaikoura
- The Lotus-Heart Restaurant in Christchurch
- Orange Tree Cafe and Restaurant in Christchurch
- Old Mountaineers Cafe Bar & Restaurant in Mt Cook
- Soulfood Organic Store and Cafe in Wanaka

Organic Vineyards

- Milton Vineyards & Winery in Gisborne
- Seresin Estate in Marlborough
- Rippon Vineyard in Wanaka
- Vynfields in Martinborough

North Island Restaurants and Cafes:
The Far North -- Whangarei -- Bay of Islands -- Auckland
Coromandel -- Waitomo Caves -- New Plymouth -- Rotorua
Taupo -- Mount Maunganui -- Whakatane -- Eastland -- Napier
Wairarapa -- Wellington

South Island Restaurants and Cafes:
Marlborough -- Marlborough Sounds -- Nelson -- Abel Tasman
Golden Bay -- West Coast -- Wanaka -- Queenstown -- Te Anau
Milford Sound -- Dunedin -- Mt Cook -- Christchurch -- Akaroa
Hanmer Springs -- Kaikoura

 


Are you getting hungry?