This place is so good. It is organic and everything is fresh. They have pressed juice which I…read morehighly recommend. I have met Paul Hislop through CCSP NZ and got to tour his farm and learn more about his family's restaurant. Their customer service is always great. The breakfast is delicious. I recommend the hot cakes and eggs Benedict. This place is also great for when you need to get work done or have a work meeting at. The wifi is good.

Quick service but the food was just average. Beautiful presentation but nothing special from a…read moreflavor standpoint. We had the pancakes which didn't have a ton of flavor and lacked syrup, although the fruit presentation on the plate was lovely. The butcher bowl was unique but I was expecting a little more flavor from the chia, but otherwise good. An easy breakfast and lunch spot in Kaikoura, just don't expect anything to blow you away

We had dinner here in March 2002 on a previous visit to NZ. It was so refreshing that the quality…read moreand service have not changed over the intervening years. Located across from the water, each of the window tables has incredible views of both the bay and the Kaikoura Mountain range. The evening we were there, they were receiving the first snowfall of the season on the upper peaks, which was awesome to watch. We had tried to book online, but somehow our reservations got mixed up. Elly (I think that's her name - or Ivy?), was wonderful to accommodate us at the time we wanted, and at a table with a view anyway. But reservations are definitely necessary, and if you want a table by the windows, book well in advance. Hubby and I each started with the fish chowder, then had the fresh catch gurnard, which were both amazing! My taste buds were definitely happy here. The fresh bread was hot and also tasty. Joanne, our server was very attentive, making the experience truly special. I just hope the quality remains the same for our next visit to Kaikoura, whenever that may be!

I'm pretty sure green dolphins don't exist, so you're not going to find any of those here. What the…read morerestaurant does have is fresh, delicious fare and a partial view of the water. I stopped by last night and tried a variety of dishes. The white bait, fish chowder, crayfish (I chose grilled) and chocolate cake were all excellent. Even the roasted vegetables that accompanied the crayfish tasted amazing. In addition to attentive service from the staff, I found the restrooms to be very clean. If you are planning to visit the seals after your meal (~15 minute walk), then I'd recommend tinkling here before setting off on your journey.

Fantastic food. We were the only diners that evening, so the chef came out and greeted us. He…read moremodified the menu for us based on something he was preparing for an event the next day. Everything we tried was fantastic, including the wine, of course!

This is a super fun spot to try multiple wines. It is called the wine station for a few reasons -…read morethere are stations of wines that you self pour using a card that records drink prices owed at the end. You also have the option to buy a pre-paid card if you'd like to avoid over-spending (as I imagine it's easy to do). This bar is also near the tracks and the railway does pass by. Perhaps this spot was once a station stop? I did not ask. Wines are a win. Atmosphere is also cool - couches and low tables: great for socializing. There was a small menu. I ordered a meat plate, but the cuts didn't impress me and we weren't served forks. But - with that said, I don't think people come to this station for a meal. It's wine all the way! And what a great way to try all the delicious wines of the fantastic Marlborough region. Close to the town center, we easily walked back to town after our tasting.

Hands down, New Zealand has some of the most beautiful wineries in the world. And this one, along…read morewith their on-site restaurant is in my top 5 places and spaces I've enjoyed. The fact that this place is non-pretentious, has good quality food and wine, and a relaxed atmosphere is amazing. The staff was great and my tour guide was very knowledgeable. I'd go back.

This is where you will find me on any given weekend; luckily it's the closest winery to…read moreChristchurch. Pegasus Bay Winery is just off Route 1 down a small sheep-strewn farm road. The entrance greets you with large wrought iron fences affixed to pale salmon colored concrete pillars. The lawn leading up to the parking lot is beautifully manicured and adorned with risque statues. Once parked, the path leads to the gardens of Pegasus Bay or you can turn left at the fountain and wander into the castle-esque building that is Pegasus Bay. The winery was founded by a doctor whose wife introduced him to wine via the book "Wine" one Christmas. His life was clearly forever changed as he makes some of the best wines in the region. I recommend picking up a copy of Ivan Donaldson's autobiography "The Truant from Medicine" as it is an interesting read (especially if you are married to medicine and love wine, too). Pegasus Bay offers free wine tastings in their beautiful rustic tasting room that overlooks the many barrels of wine. My favorite is the Sauvignon-Semillion 2012. It's crisp with a lime/rock-melon taste and is absolutely refreshing for any time of the day; we buy a bottle of this anytime we stop by. Among others you'll taste are their Chardonnay, Reisling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Noir. I would tell you about my tastes, but I don't want to spoil the experience and the vintages I tried may have changed. Honestly, all of their wines are delicious and there will be something for everyone's palate. We often purchase the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well. Over the years as Pegasus Bay has become world-reknown for their wine, they developed a fantastic restaurant to pair with their wines. Their worldclass chef pumps out amazing dishes daily which brings such a crowd that you absolutely must make a booking ahead of time. They do offer a cookbook if you want to try to recreate their masterpieces, "The Vintner's Table". Once you've had a taste of their wines, order a glass of your favorite and stroll around the grounds. They have planted beautiful native plants and trees that creates a small walking path down to their gorgeous pond. Be sure to ask the bar for some "eel food" if you want to feed their underwater pets. "Swanston" is the beautiful white swan in the pond, so be sure to snap a few photos of him as well. Pegasus Bay is a serene oasis and a fantastic place to dine. You will never grow tired of the beautiful views (both of nature and architecture) nor the delicious wines. You MUST MUST MUST stop here.

We were here with a group tour and had several breakfasts and one dinner. The food here for dinner…read moreis really good. Sunday is roast day and I had the Pork Roast - amazing. Tender, flavorful. The tomato entree was also beautiful- ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. All 6 at our table enjoyed their meals. Fun martinis for dessert! Breakfast buffet was OK, pretty small and I didn't t care for a lot on the buffet. The breakfast a la carte menu was very good. The potato, hummus, kimchi bowl (vegan) was really nice. Atmosphere is basic, clean and waitstaff is very friendly.

One of the nicest restaurants in town and worth a visit…read more They do an amazing an amazing lamb shoulder between 6-12 hours until it just falls apart on your plate. It's their signature. We were lucky that they had Hapuka (New Zealand Sea bass) on the menu and it was so light and flaky! The rest of the dishes were also tasty and enjoyable. The only downside is we had two servers: one who had great energy and described the dishes in a way that you just were ready to enjoy an amazing feast; the other simply dropped off each plate with a quick blurb. Huge contrast and unfortunate.

My wife and I had a Wednesday night dinner reservation at 6:30. Tuesday evening my wife had a bike…read moreaccident that made it uncomfortable to chew. When we called at 5PM Wednesday (when they opened) we asked if there was a soup she could have (or a single course along those lines). Instead, they recreated and reformed the whole tasting menu for her to a more delicate and easier to bite into dishes. My wife was nervous about going out to a nice restaurant with bruising and stitches and Arbour and it's staff made her night. The food was amazing, and the service even more so. I can't thank them enough for turning what could've been a sad night into something we will never ever forget.

In a town of lots of cash only establishment, this place takes credit cards with no minimums…read more Pretty good coffee too!

This cafe was our last stop for a quick bite and gas before we hit the goodbye-for-now button in…read moreChristchurch. One of the few places that actually made it on Yelp and had a review so we decided to stop by and give it a try. After all, who can say no to Eggs Benedict in this country?! I can't even count how many times I've had Eggs Benedict on this trip to the South Island and I'm only here for a week - it is amazing how good they are at poaching their eggs here!!! Major eggporn moments every. single. time. We opted in for the Salmon Eggs Benedict and it was literally the best one I've ever had. The bread had the perfect amount of crunch to it. The salmon was fresh and meaty. The sauce tasted light and didn't over power the dish itself. The eggs...oh the eggs, I have no words for them. They were absolutely perfect in every ways (can you tell that I'm obsessed with these damn perfectly done poached eggs?!). We also got the Mango Peach and Passionfruit Crepes and my oh my, it definitely did not disappoint. The crepe skins were soft and chewy with a light amount of powdered sugar on top. The toppings were zesty and sweet. The syrup wasn't too sweet and the whipped creme just added just the right amount of creaminess to it all. It was quite a wonderful experience to say the least. This meal made me not want to leave the country..ever. I cannot wait to come back here!!!! -Provides both indoor and outdoor seatings -Accepts credit cards -Free water in a cute little vintage fridge -Clean toilets -Plenty of take away items -Lots of parking spaces -Friendly Kiwis

Popped in after escaping the mess that is CHCH on my way to Picton. Their outdoor garden smells…read moreamazing. Espresso drinks and eggs bene were on point.