Really nice ambience inside with a very open patio area outside. Service was fine and you're connected to a server by pressing a button at your table. Seemed to work well. We tried the bait fish omelette appetizer. It was amazing with the mayo sauce on it. Actually not so great without it. For our mains, we had the bangers and mash and the pork ribs. I would recommend the bangers and mash, but not the pork ribs. They were dried out, overly drenched in sauce on a bed of french fries. The french fries were fine, but not my favorite type and became soggy quickly with all the barbecue sauce. I definitely would not order the ribs again. For dessert we had the sticky pudding and it was excellent. A good variety of wine and beer choices. We recommend the Alice May export gold beer and the Villa Maria Pinot Noir. read more

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It's got kind of a mix of different foods. The story of the restaurant is cool. The placemats explained the namesake of the restaurant. We had the pan roasted chicken breast and the bangers and mash. The chicken breast was really, really dry and tough. I loved the abundance of accompanying vegetables though. Taste was average. The venison bangers were better. Not too gamey. Service was a little inefficient. The servers didn't have assigned tables. We had about 4 different servers helping us at various times. They were all really nice but seemed to be running around helping whomever they see. read more

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90 mins from ordering to receive food. My food arrived cold. The wait staff were doing there best but something is going terribly wrong in the kitchen. read more

Great place for a nice dinner in town! There aren't many options for food here in the Franz Josef township, but the options they do have have proven to be pretty darn good! We came to Alice May for dinner (it seems like they are only open for dinner from 4:30pm-8:00pm) after a long valley hike to the glacier. Upon our 6:15pm arrival, we were rated at the bar to wait about 5-10 minutes. After finally being seated, we had to wait around 8-10 minutes before even being addressed by our waitress. To be fair, it was her second day and they were packed. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer and for the most part, it was quite nice. There were pockets of salty pieces, but most pieces were generally seasoned very well. The calamari came with what tasted like a mayonnaise based sauce, instead of the marinara sauce I am use to. I wasn't a big fan of this sauce, but the calamari really didn't need anything extra. I ended up ordering the bangers and mash. This dish was delicious! The bangers were made from venison and was packed with plenty of flavor. The gravy that was poured onto the mashed potatoes and peas complimented the entire dish well. The husband ordered the zesty lemon fish, which was a monk fish. This was my first time eating monk fish so I want sure what to expect. The fish was well seasoned but not as flaky as other fishes you typically ordered. It was a bit tougher/chewy but was still good. The veggies that came with the fish were pleasant. The star of the show was the cornbread, which was amazing! It was very dense and moist, almost not even bread like, but was nonetheless great. Overall, great option for a nice dinner after a long day in Franz Josef! Expect a wait if you get here pat 6:30pm, even in the weekdays since this town caters to tourists 7 days a week. read more

Alice May - Calamari appetizer - New Zealand Near Me - Franz Josef Glacier, WTC

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Adorable little restaurant with a cool story and decor. The chowder was full of chunks of seafood in a tasty broth. And if you like garlic bread and DON'T order it, you will kick yourself later. The lamb shank was a good sized portion and literally fall off the bone. Carrots, broccoli, peas and mash with the jus was great. The beef cheeks were melt in your mouth and again a nice large portion. We shared the sticky toffee pudding and rolled out of there happy and full. Like all places right now they are short staffed and it's still early season for the area, but the team is clearly doing a good job and you can see they work together well to keep things moving smoothly. Prices were extremely reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. read more

They start serving dinner at 4:30. The falafel and feta salad ($25) and the monkfish ("zingy lemon fish") with seasonal vegetables (carrots & broccoli) and corn cake ($29.50) were okay. For dessert we shared the chocolate fudge cake with fudge sauce, raspberry coulis, whipped cream and ice cream ($16.50) is nicely presented and very rich. One detraction from the enjoyment of dining is that they play music excessively loud. read more

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I had the salmon with asparagus and risotto with peas. I had maybe 5 very small pieces of asparagus and an overwhelming amount of peas. Not a lot of flavor either. Disappointing read more

We had an amazing dinner here! We loved the warm, inviting decor when we walked in. Tables are not packed together, and the dining area is divided into a few rooms, so it doesn't feel crowded even when fairly full. I had the lamb shank which came with pumpkin mash and vegetables. The lamb shank was so unbelievably tender and flavorful! I was immediately thinking I should have ordered two instead of one, but as I kept eating, it was plenty large, and two would probably have been too much! I would have eaten both mind you...but likely would have been overstuffed after the dessert I still would have ordered! The pumpkin mash was delicious and went very well with the lamb as did the peas, carrots and green beans. For dessert, I had the pavlova which was absolutely delicious!! See the picture I uploaded - that will do it more justice than my trying to describe it! Service was fabulous! Everyone was very friendly, and really seemed to enjoy chatting with tourists. This was one of the best meals we had in New Zealand!! Do not skip Alice May if you are staying in Franz Josef!! read more

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Want a great place in Franz Josef to have dinner? Then look no further than Alice May. After a disappointing meal at another place in town, I was skeptical that this was going to fare any better. But from the time I pulled open the door to the warm and inviting, packed restaurant ( and this was on a Wednesday night!) I knew I was in for a special treat. Since there were no more seats inside the owner(?) directed me to her new covered and heated outside patio. It was the pride she had in this addition that made me think she was the owner. We took a seat in the corner and began to look over the menu. On this night, there was a set 3 course meal for only $35 that included a starter, main and dessert. My friend went with this and had the garlic bread, pork cutlet and ice cream for dessert. I went in a different direction as the menu had all kinds of "comfort food" options on it, so chicken with potatoes in a cream sauce was my choice. Both were delicious and were large sized potions. But where I really won out was on the dessert. I ordered the sticky bread pudding and this was an outstanding choice! Warm bread pudding with hot caramel sauce served with whipped cream and ice crea, this was so good I can almost taste it as I write this review. Service was functional ( I love that they use technology to take the orders, entering it on a hand held device) and the only thing that keeps this from getting a perfect rating is the wait time. I get that the place was busy, but when even the staff is apologizing for how long things are taking to come up, you know that the timing is a bit off. Great food, decent service in an ambiance that is warm and inviting. Yep . . . It gets my vote! read more

Alice May - Pork special - New Zealand Near Me - Franz Josef Glacier, WTC

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The BEST Sticky Toffee Pudding I have had outside of Scotland!! Delicious. Lemon monkfish was also very nicely done and great flavors but the nice, crusty outside of the garlic bread was soggy with butter inside and the potato cake and veggies were just ok. Wonderful Staff!! Great service! read more

Service was very poor. We put in order but were not served. We had to ask for our wine after 15 minutes and it still took another ten minutes. We then waited and waited and watched multiple tables who came in after us order and get served and we still waited. Finally we flagged down the lead front person who took our order again. And again more customers came in, ordered, and were served and we still didn't get our meals. Finally we gave up, paid for our drinks and left. The front lead person apologized but tried to blame it on new staff members and printer problems. We went back to our hotel and made our dinner ourselves. read more

Exquisite food We had a lovely dinner in this cosy, country-style restaurant - my husband ordered the Akaroa salmon and I ordered the monkfish. Both meals were cooked and presented beautifully and even though it was very busy, our food was served quickly. The staff were all very friendly and chatty. read more

We had a really good dinner here. They closes at 10pm and I saw people walking in at 9pm as we are leaving and getting a table which means you should be good arriving late if you need too. We started with soup of the day which was pumpkin and kumara and it tasted great. It was a bit on the heavy side so if you don't like your soup heavy it might not be for you. I ordered the chicken and brie and it was good but nothing spectacular. My wife went with the pan fried monk fish again it was good but nothing spectacular. Finally we went for the sticky date pudding for dessert and it was delicious. I highly recommend ordering it if you have sweet tooth just like us. read more

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I don't know what they put in the fish-of-the-day sauce, but I'm still dreaming about it. I want to rewind the clock and eat my exact meal all over again. Thank you to the people of New Zealand for liberating Alice May, so that her grandchildren could start a delicious establishment that would bring all joy. Yes, I had two desserts, and no, I am not ashamed. read more

Alice May - New Zealand Near Me - Franz Josef Glacier, WTC

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Really really good food, excellent service, and amazing views! Veggie stack was brilliant, staff were even better. read more

Alice May - Veggie stack - New Zealand Near Me - Franz Josef Glacier, WTC

Poor pub food from bags. The beer and wine even worse. Limited choices in town but there has to be better

Excellent food. Super fast service even though they had just gotten a bunch of tables seated. Quaint atmosphere and an interesting (albeit morbid) story behind the place. Would recommend for a nice dinner out. Had lamb and fish both really good. read more

Our hotel offered a discount to Alice May, so we decided to check it out. After having a mediocre meal the previous night, we set our expectations kind of low...but our visit was great. After a cold, rainy day hiking, a hot meal was just what the doctor ordered. We seat outside, in the covered, heated area, so I never saw the inside of the place in person, but through the windows it looked nice and cozy. Our server was fantastic, and our drinks and food came fairly quickly. I had the slow roasted pork belly which was incredibly delicious. To be honest, I forgot what my wife had, but she too loved it. While the food menu is not vast by any means, it is solid with good choices. The drinks menu, on the other hand, does have many choices. In a tourist down, you sometimes get pretty mediocre meals. But we really enjoyed it at Alice May. read more

We asked our motel manager for recommendations and she wholeheartedly recommended Alice May. When we made our way over, it was a very low-key restaurant with only 2 other couples quietly eating dinner. We weren't so hungry, so we ordered the spicy pumpkin soup and Indian Curry with chicken. Both dishes were delicious, but I was especially obsessed with the pumpkin soup! The soup was spicy, creamy, warm, and amazing! It's too bad we were not too hungry, because there are many more dishes on the menu that will probably more adequately fill out the stars in this review. It's worth a try for the quality of the food. It's not the most happening place on the block (in Franz Josef's standards), but a good place for a quiet dinner. read more

Alice May - Soup of the Day - Spicy Pumpkin Soup - New Zealand Near Me - Franz Josef Glacier, WTC

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I was so excited to try this place out - I read such great reviews. However, my experience there made my last night in Franz Josef quite unpleasant. It took over an hour for our food to arrive! As we kept seeing people who had come in after us get their food, we inquired and were simply told that 'the kitchen was slammed". Yet, only our food wasn't forthcoming. Nobody could explain why - if someone had just said that they forgot to put our order in, I could have understood, but nobody had a clue. The manager did give us 50% off our meal which I appreciated, but it was small compensation for ruining what should have been a relaxing evening and one of only 2 nights I'm spending in this town. read more

Fantasic meal in a warm and charming atmosphere at the base of a glacier! Wonderful friendly service as usual in NZ. Have the apple blackberry pie for dessert - a must read more

Cute little restaurant for New Zealand food. Ambience: great Food: Whitebait omelette: delicious, the omelette was so soft and fluffy. Braised lamb shanks: flavorful and perfectly cooked Slow cooked venison: served over stewed beans, meat was a bit over cooked and the plate didn't look very appetizing overall. Pavlova: finally tried this kiwi dessert, very soft cake topped with kiwi fruit and whipped cream and served with vanilla ice cream. Good but probably won't order again very soon. read more

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It was clear as we walked around town that this restaurant had the most clientele. It is clearly the hot spot in town and with good reason. The wood floor and paneling gives it a warm and cozy ambiance. The fish and chips were good with not too much batter but came with very average fries. The red curry with vegetables was very tasty but did not include many vegetables! And the sticky toffee pudding was the piece de resistance! That is a "do not miss" dessert! The service was friendly but hurried because they were understaffed. read more

Fantastic dinner here on rainy evening in Franz Josef. The seafood chowder was perfect. I had the fish and chips for main and my partner had the beef cheeks. Both were scrumptious! I recommend this place on your visit to the area. Probably the best restaurant in town. read more

The lamb fell off the bone and the fish was the best I have ever had ! If you go, please save room for dessert because the sticky toffee pudding was absolutely phenomenal ! read more

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Cute cafe with happy hour specials I tried the arancini and it did not disappoint. If you risotto as much as I do this unique take on fried risotto balls. Good isn't greasy just perfection and came with a side salad. Had to try the famous New Zealand ice cream and I had the chocolate sundae which great for chocolate lovers & even pairs well with my merlot cab wine. Highly recommend coming here.....outstanding & friendly customer service. I hear it's a local favorite so this tourist had to try and was not disappointed. read more

Nice, friendly service, although you can never get the bill at the table in NZ, they often make you go up to the counter to pay. Had a few decent vegetarian options but unfortunately weren't very flexible with taking meat out of other dishes (I.e was cooked into the sauce etc). Vege burger patty was really good, recommended. Huge portions, would go again. read more

Very much enjoyed visiting this lovely little restaurant. The food was delicious and the service friendly, despite it being quite busy. Will definitely return the next time we stay in Franz Josef. read more

Busy place.. there is story about Alice May.. We had an appetizer (Arancini) which our kids enjoyed.. I would definitely make a reservation as the restaurant is small.. be prepared to wait plenty time without reservation... read more

Great comfort food with friendly service. My daughter enjoy the tender beef cheek tremendously, while I had the set dinner with roast pork. Highly recommended! read more

Cozy atmosphere, very good food and wine, super friendly staff. Everything we had was good and had a special touch in some way.

The service here is terrible. They are sorely in need of a host/hostess station so they can seat people properly. They also need to have proper sections so there is some sort of organization among the waitstaff. After 10 minutes we had to go up front and ask for menus. It took a long time to place our order and even longer to get the food -- about 40 minutes for main courses. We almost walked out when we watched a couple arrive after us, order, eat, AND pay before we got our entrees. When the main courses did arrive they plunked them down unceremoniously in front of us without an apology. Never came back to ask how the food was. The food itself seemed fine, but it's quite pricey for what you get. Don't come here -- doesn't deserve the high Yelp rating it currently has. read more

Really delicious food! We got the steak with Bleu cheese, and lamb shanks - both perfectly cooked. Wait staff was incredibly nice and funny, even as they got super busy. Bartender said he caught the whitebait himself! Highly recommend! read more

The best fish and chips I have ever had in my entire life were at this place...I still remember them fondly. I have eaten lots of fish and chips since, and some have been very good, but I am beginning to think that these fish and chips will never be bested. If the fish and chips are even 3/4 as good as they were on the night that I experienced them, you would still be sorely missing out if you are in the area and you don't give them a try. read more

Best comfort food by far in Franz Josef. Classy presentations served by the friendliest staff on the West Coast. Incredible sticky toffee dessert. My wife and I loved this restaurant so much we went both nights we were in the area! read more

We really liked this restaurant. The food was excellent and the service was good. Best meal we had in Franz Josef.

Food was mediocre. I had the pork rolled up in pistachio. The sauce was really good but the pork was all fat, impossible to chew. My husband has the need checks and it lack flavor. It took 2 hours to get our food. The sticky bread desert was really good but I wouldn't come back. read more