Cinema Paradiso

A little lounge tucked away behind the storefronts facing Lake Wanaka. It is upstairs, next to a…read morebikeshop in an alley. The night I went, a DJ from South Africa spun 90s era hip-hop, to entertain the gathering of those getting off work, as well as young backpackers. Impressed that the he had 7-inch single of a Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones" (Wonder how much that is worth?) Best suited for a pre-game or wind down, and small enough to strike up conversations.

Stopped by for a quick beer, lovely sunset views with nice tunes setting a great vibe for the…read moreclose of a long day. Bartender from Nebraska had plenty of great recs and was a super chill dude, if I pass by Wanaka in similar circumstances I'm sure to stop by again. Cheers and sweet as!

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Lake Bar

3.3(10 reviews)

Lovely setting, great service, good food and HUGE portions…read more The atmosphere was lovely, sitting outside under an umbrella. There were five of us, we had five different things and all of us were completely happy with our meal. I had the calamari salad which was so tasty but could easily have fed two people. We shared the garlic bread which wa also a huge portion but really good - garlic and cheese, how could you go wrong? We all enjoyed it and all of us would come back.

Ridiculously expensive and the 150ml of Wine for $18 is a joke!!! Honestly, what a money…read moregrab....fill the glass up and stop charging Champagne prices for a pub feed

NZ Lamb Chops and Salmon

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Trout Bar

3.9(9 reviews)

0.3 km

we recommend this place if you want authentic and kind server. food is excellent, excellent…read moreburgers, and salad. servers are always smiling ang asking if we need anything and very kind to assist my mil who is on her 70s to use the eftpos as she came from overseas. the place is nice and cosy. we came here after weve been discriminated by a male server with man bun and glasses in francesca. the man bun guy with glasses said" they dont know the difference between 1130 and 12, and now she is looking at me"

Since I was in NZ, I wanted to try something signature food. So I had fish and chips, which was…read morelunch special on the day. It was tasty and hearty for a big eater. The service was excellent and friendly.

Only available in New Zealand, Blue Cod

$10 lunch special - bangers & mash

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$12 lunch special - fish & chips

Speights Ale House

3.4(19 reviews)

0.3 km

Had a discount for this restaurant from the motel I was staying at so I decided to try out this…read morechain. They have locations throughout New Zealand. The food was fine and they had a good selection of taps (beer, cider, and ginger beer). We got the following food items: -garlic loaf with cheese - barely had any garlic flavor, just thick bread with some cheese -fish and chips with side salad - partner said this was fine -bar platter - smaller than I expected (2 spring rolls, 2 samosas, 2 squid rings, 1 tempura fish fillet, 2 crumbed prawn cutlets-which were just deep fried shrimp, 2 surimi scallop, 2 surimi bites), best of this platter was the scallops It was pretty empty inside and we ordered at the bar and order was delivered to us. Good for big groups though.

Food: 4.1/5 Service: 4.7/5…read moreValue: 4.8/5 Came in twice in one day, once to enjoy the cheap nachos on Mondays and another to enjoy their happy hour. The nachos are fantastic value for $15 (beef and jalepenos were extra charge) and just good'ol bar food that slows your heart down! Came back during happy hour and got the bar platter and onion rings, which were both quite tasty. What made them even tastier was that it was half off, and when you pair it with an ice cold lager, there's not much better. Great value, above average bar food!

Nice atmosphere

Some of the taps

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Fish and chips

Gin and Raspberry

4.5(2 reviews)

Stumbled upon this amazing spot in Wanaka, NZ. Upstairs, has great cocktails and you can order food…read morefrom below. Super mellow vibe, awesome booze (gin! Good gin!), and a fun spot from which to watch the sun set on the lake. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Very NorCal vibe for those of you from the US. 10/10 will come here again.

This gem is certainly worth a stop, if not for the live music and venue itself. They have a heated…read morepatio with amazing views of Lake Wanaka, several beautifully decorated seating areas for groups, and quite the extensive drink menu.

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Water Bar

3.2(13 reviews)

The view was wonderful as it is right on the waterfront at Lake Wanaka. Food is average but you are…read morepaying for the patio seating and wifi. The restaurant provides like thirty minutes of free wifi which is just about enough time for the wait for food to come out. We went for the Thursday happy hour deal for a $25 steak, salad, and veg dinner with the purchase of a drink. My steak came out perfect but my husbands was wellllll over done despite ordering a medium rare. They were gracious in recooking but I was like done by the time his came out. In any case chill vibes and it hit the spot for a casual meal in town

Awesome service, we had Jamie and she was very kind and helpful. Legit pool tables, one of the best…read morewater front views in Wanaka.

View from outside ! Love it. Facing the water.

Pool tables - free to use until 5pm.

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Wings for 1$/ea

The White House

5.0(2 reviews)

Looks a bit drab from the outside, but don't be fooled. The food is excellent. Menu changes daily…read morebased on availability and chef's creation. Lots of fantastic vegetarian options. Lovely, comfortable, casual atmosphere. We loved that it wasn't formal or stuffy.

My husband and I were just sitting on the couch, talking about halloumi cheese, which immediately…read morebrought us both back to two of the most memorable meals we've ever had in our lives. On our honeymoon, eight years ago, we ate at the White House, (two nights in a row), and we still think about those meals. Wanaka is a beautiful town, and we had a wonderful stay there, but the food we consumed at this quirky, intimate restaurant was extraordinary, and memorable.

Bar/kitchen

Bruschetta with beetroot and walnuts

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Desserts

No. 33 Ardmore

4.0(1 review)

0.4 km

Nice little bar down post office lane, a short walk away from the waterfront near The Cow pizza…read moreplace. Good cocktail and wine list and open fire out the front... They brought over some marshmallows to toast by the fire too! A bit quiet (7pm on a Saturday in April) but could crank up a bit later.

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Courtyard

Federal Diner

4.5(47 reviews)

0.1 km

Great brunch and the SCONES! Wow, the cheddar scone here might just be the best scone I've ever…read morehad. Flaky, light, buttery, and not dense at all...I'd happily come back every morning for the scones alone. In addition to the scones, all the other drinks and dishes here are fantastic. Each dish is served using fresh and locally sourced NZ ingredients, and they make for the perfect wholesome meal to start your day. Having had a few long days of travel, I also opted to try their hot honey ginger lemon drink, which packed a spicy gingery kick and made me feel 100% again. Great drink if you're feeling even slightly off.

Excellent food, wonderful service and a very relaxing downtown location. I had the Eggs Benidict…read morewith Spinach & Tomatoes and it was perfect, everything tasty and delicious crispy potatoes. The latte was expertly done and sumptuous.