On vacation in New Zealand and this restaurant was recommended by the owner of our b&b. The recommendation was spot on! The service was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The food was excellent and was served quickly. All in all a great evening. I highly recommend this restaurant. You will not be disappointed! read more

Great food is found here. Good thing we had a reservation. The restaurant was packed and the line of people outside was very long. It is in an old house. The service is excellent. We loved our dishes (lamb and venison). read more

Redcliff Restaurant & Bar - Venison - Cafes Near Me - Te Anau, STL

See all

Had a delicious meal of venison, the fresh fish, a salad, and the bread with dips. Everything was fresh and so yummy. We were seated out back in the covered patio. I appreciated that they had cushions if needed for the seats, and I also saw blankets and overhead heaters, though it was plenty warm the night we were there. The service was nice and made for a pleasant evening. read more

This cozy little bar is nestled down a side street in Te Anau, South Island, NZ. Initially I went in for a cider, but discovered a boozy ginger beer which was fantastic. Right before I sat down, a kind voice invited me over to sit with a group. It was the owner, Meagan. I was traveling alone, but she made me feel right at home. I had an amazing experience, then returned the next day for dinner after hearing the locals boast about the food. Boy, we're they right! This local blue cod was incredible. This place is a must visit when you're in Te Anau! Don't miss it, you'll be sorry! read more

Redcliff Restaurant & Bar - Blue Cod - Cafes Near Me - Te Anau, STL

Perhaps the rudest staff I've ever experienced in any restaurant anywhere in my worldwide travels. I'm just stunned.

This is a hidden secret in Te Anau and so very good, that you MUST try it if you are planning to stay here. They are always booked, so reservations are a must. We had reservations but we got late and did not have cell service to call the restaurant. They still honored our reservation, but made us sit in the "Naughty Corner" lol! That's actually a really cute corner of the bar, which opens into the patio and people usually only get drinks there. The restaurant was sweet enough to serve us a full menu. We ordered the tomato and basil soup, the bread plate with 3 dips, the blue cod and the salmon with crepe. Everything was DELICIOUS. That tomato soup was creamy, warm, and very satisfying as it filled my insides with a hug. The dips with the breads were very good! We didn't quite hear what the dips were but they tasted of beet root, hummus and carrot. The breads themselves were very nicely baked. The main entrees were large portions. The cod was nice but on the bland side. The salmon had more flavor itself. The crepe filled with spinach and a creamy/cheese sauce, was the highlight of that dish. We also got a couple of Sauvignon Blanc options from Marlborough, and they were both good. The restaurant is very eclectic. Every wall has a story, especially the one with signed T-shirts from the LOTR and the Hobbit teams. If you plan to stay in Te Anau, try to get a meal here and explore the whole place. It is simply adorable, the people are all great and their food is wonderful! read more

See all

A great menu, friendly staff and the food was simply perfect. Great selection of both appetizers and entrees.

What a treat! We were lucky to get a reservation, albeit early which was fine by us. Our waitress, Sophie is the owner's daughter was such a joy. Her twin , Chloe was also so a treat. We loved seeing both of them together. All the veges are grown in their garden. There were 4 of us, each ordering differently, and everything was done to perfection. Lamb, venison, and Black cod delicious. Highly, highly recommend read more

See all

Welcomed warmly and such a nice friendly atmosphere! Service attentive without being annoying. Food utterly exceptioal! I love Redcliffs food it is so tasty, delightful and a lot of thought and care has obviously gone into its preparation. The waiting staff are knowledgeable on the preparation of the food and will ask the kitchen if unsure. I love this place! Salmon to die for. Thanks Redcliffs! You're an absolute delight! read more

If you a taste of authentic Te Anau living like a Fiordland backpackers, this is the place. It's in a really quaint building filled with memorabilia. There are photos on the wall from past guests. And the bar has all kinds of good stuff. We were there in the afternoon so they only had their "bites" menu but it was great. The local farm raised venison kebabs were great. They had a nice chimichurri that went really well. And if you have one of the local beers, then the fried duck wings are a real treat. Nicely fried and really crunchy and tasty. But perhaps the best thing for the true nerd is that Te Anau was one of the Filming bases for the Lord of the Rings. And Redcliff was where the cast and crew hung out. So you can almost imagine Gandalf next to you and Gimli by your side. So give it a try if you happen there particularly on a rainy day. read more

Redcliff Restaurant & Bar - Lamb kabab - Cafes Near Me - Te Anau, STL

Location/Service: downtown, right off the main street facing the grocery store. great service. The waitress was really nice and worked so hard. She stopped by often and we didn't have to flag her down to ask for things. They called a taxi for us because it started pouring. There's seating indoor and outdoors. In front, there is no table service. Food: The pork belly and scallops were really delicious. The octopus legs were very good and so tender. My only complaint was the accompanying potatoes with sausage were a bit salty. Fish of the day and vegetable of the day were both so good too. Asparagus was a little overcooked though. The dessert brownie was also surprisingly good. It was about NZD 180 for 3 people. read more

See all

Fantastic eatery in Te Anau. Venison osso bucco was hearty - a bit stew like, but tender, moist meat with gnocchi. Personable staff.

Pretty surprised at all the great reviews for this place...we thought it was decent, sure, but we definitely weren't blown away by it. It's horrendously overpriced, but to be fair that's true of most Te Anau restaurants. I went with my parents. My dad had the pork wontons and my mom had the vegetarian special (a platter of grilled vegetables) with beurre blanc sauce. They didn't have vegan options on the menu, but told me I could have the vegetarian special as well, just without the beurre blanc sauce. It was an assortment of grilled zucchini, sweet potato, capsicum (bell pepper), onions, beetroot, and mixed greens with cherry tomatoes. It was all very healthy and fresh, and beautifully presented on the plate, but quite bland and blah. So yeah. Something tells me this place is great for meat-heavy dishes, but doesn't really know how to come up with inventive dishes for the less carnivorous among us. The place itself is cosy and adorable, especially on a cold winter's night, and we enjoyed the warm, cheerful environment. Service was also very very good, friendly and helpful. All in all, the three of us were just underwhelmed by our food. The drinks were nice, the atmosphere was cute, and the service was great, but the food was just kind of blah and overpriced. I for one wasn't thrilled to pay $29 for a plate of grilled veggies that I easily could've cooked myself. I'd like to see the chefs here flex their creative muscles a bit more for vegans, vegetarians, and people who aren't into eating heavy game meats and that sort of thing. read more

See all

I had a hard time picking a rating for Redcliff. The food was generally very good, and beautifully presented. The only complaint about the food was that one of our party ordered rack of lamb, which unfortunately was cold. The reason I am giving them a 3 is because we waited almost an hour for our dinners after we got our drinks. It's a small restaurant and had a large party that night, but we sat there and sat there, with no apologies or offers of a snack or bread while we waited. Also, after we received our dinners we did not see our waiter again. We had to grab other wait staff when we wanted dessert, and when we were finished and wanted our bill. Since it's likely that our experience was due to the large party, I would still recommend it. read more

If you are either staying in Te Anau or coming/going to Milford Sound, this is THE place to eat. Family-owned and operated, beautifully quirky, focus on farm-to-table menu, and downright delicious food. You know you are in the heart and soul of New Zealand when you eat here! And oh... the cocktails are as amazing as their extensive wine list! Reservations should be made but there's also an outdoor patio that accommodates walk-ins (but it also fills up). Great place!! read more

Came here after a long hike and was famished! My boyfriend ordered the confit duck pasta, and I ordered the venison. If you've never had venison before, definitely order it here! The flavor wasn't too gamey, and the meat was SO tender! I didn't really like the cranberries in the quinoa, but that's just personal preference. There were way too many cranberries for me to really enjoy it. The duck confit was also delicious! It made for a really rich, flavorful broth for the pasta. Almost too rich, but the tomatoes and spinach were a nice tart, refreshing flavor to cut through. The portions of both were HUGE! read more

Redcliff Restaurant & Bar - Duck confit pasta - Cafes Near Me - Te Anau, STL

See all

We had a truly INCREDIBLE meal here - worth staying over in Te Anau just for our experience at Redcliff! The space is so charming and cozy and the friendly staff are an above and beyond example of Kiwi hospitality. The food is fresh and flavorful - we had the salmon and the pasta special of the day which was full of veggies from the garden. Highly recommend!! read more

Food was delicious! Vegetarian option was fun and unusual. Nice ambience. Friendly staff.

Came early without a reservation on a Monday and it wasn't a problem. But folks looking for later times were turned away because they were full! Started with the "Southern Glory" oysters which were huge and delicious. These were served on the half shell with a small salad of greens on the side. No cocktail sauces or other sauces required. Just a little lemon squeezed over them. My main was the Southland Prime Hereford Ribeye Steak. This was served with duck fat roasted potatoes, string beans and baby zucchini, a roasted garlic bulb and panko coated bone marrow. It was outstanding, though I thought the bone marrow was coated a little thick with panko (I love bone marrow). A really outstanding place! read more

See all

Had a really poor meal here. Not sure why it is so well rated. The stars given are mostly for good service. The only good thing on the kids platter was the soup which was such a meager portion (single shot espresso cup). My 2 year old left most of the bread and fried wedges which was 90% of the meal. The steak we ordered was sinewy and I had to spit out huge chunks after chewing forever. Came with some oily vegetables that were OK but not memorable. The starter of scallops had the tiniest scallops I've ever seen! Isn't nz supposed to be great for seafood??! Decided to cut our losses and have dessert elsewhere. read more

This was the best restaurant that we tried in Te Anau. We were turned away the first night because we didn't make a reservation, so we did for the next day. They're famous for the beef and lamb dishes so we tried the lamb and the fish of the day. The lamb was delightfully juicy and the egg coated grilled fish was very flavoursome. A much welcomed change to all the other tourist grade restaurant offerings around town. The prices for eating out around the area is pretty much the same. We tried another pizza shop around town and it was absolutely horrendous. The pasta was made with mushroom soup from a can and the pizza were from frozen pizza! Pay a little more to get good quality decent food. read more

Redcliff Restaurant & Bar - Blue cod fillet with warm salad - Cafes Near Me - Te Anau, STL

See all

Make a reservation for meals, otherwise only bar food on the patios, still nice. Food is nice, back yard is great for group hangouts and kids. Great food quality, decent wine selection, BUT, they can really improve their service... it's not very welcoming and it feels like either they are overwhelmed or just un welcoming... There's live music on certain nights, acoustic / outdoor, chilled. Duck wings are must try!!! Deliciousness!!!! read more

Great find in TeAnau. Quirky, perhaps even funky, place off the main drag which, let's face it, isn't particularly big to begin with. Cosy room could have benefited from some air conditioning on a close January night but all forgiven for a number of reasons. The Spotify playlist was primarily 60s favourites allowing us to hum along to the annoyance of the millennial in our party. The bread we ordered to share was fantastic. I enjoyed a really excellent roast lamb dish with oriental overtones whilst my companions shared a very nice venison dish. It has to be said that both dishes were probably too heavy for the time of year but that's not in any way a reflection on the excellent food which was plentiful, well presented and delicious. I almost forgot to mention the cocktails we enjoyed outside while waiting for our table (not their fault, we were early). My margarita was one of the best I've enjoyed anywhere. Great meal, lovely restaurant. Highly recommended. read more

The hubs and I ate here after a recommendation from our Air B&B host said we could eat out back without a reservation. We enjoyed eating off of the bar menu, and playing checkers on the patio board. read more

Staying in town for the night, popped in for drink. Happened to be happy hr (5-7) . Cute venue, helpful staff, good service. Recommend cocktails and local ale. Fully booked for dinner (Monday night) so couldn't eat there. Suggest booking ahead read more

Redcliff Restaurant & Bar - Cocktails - Cafes Near Me - Te Anau, STL

See all

Beautiful and delicious food! They are known for their game meats--loved the Wild Goat Shank Masala Curry, meat was falling off the bone! Didn't care so much for the fried onion ball that accompanied it though. The Crispy Dug Leg was nice, wished there was more duck and less noodle. :) Great backyard patio area for dining if the weather is sunny. read more

See all

Really great food in a cute atmosphere. We had the lamb rump and the venison and both were delicious and perfectly cooked with the right seasoning. The lamb came with squash ribbons and topped with a crispy sweet potato chip. The venison had a side of sweet potato with roasted root vegetables and blue cheese. The service was prompt and courteous even though we didn't have a reservation. This is one of the best restaurants in Te Anau so reserve ahead. We saw several people get turned away. We were able to get a table because we showed up early and finished before their next table arrived. read more

Redcliff Restaurant & Bar - Lamb - Cafes Near Me - Te Anau, STL

Redcliff Café came recommended to us, not only from our Lonely Planet guide but from others who heard we were visiting Te Anau. We decided to have dinner here on a Thursday night and called ahead for reservations which I was glad we did. As we arrived early, we decided to have a drink at the small bar in the front of the restaurant first which had a nice selection of beers as well as local wines and spirits. I had a gin and tonic made with (what I think was) local gin and enjoyed that. The restaurant itself is cozy with rustic décor and interesting art and maps on the walls, as well as a spacious backyard/rear garden area where you can dine in nicer weather. The menu presents an interesting offering including many dishes with locally sourced and wild ingredients. We shared the bread and dips to start as well as a house salad and both were great. For the main course, we choose wild hare and the wild Fiordland venison, neither of which I could say I had before. I was hesitant to order hare thinking it would be akin to rabbit (which I dislike) but it turns out it's more like red meat, and the flavors and presentation were excellent. Paired with some delicious local Pinot noir, it was a memorable meal and a delicious one at that! The price point is a little high for Te Anau but it's worth trying for a special meal. Service was friendly and accommodating from both the bar staff and the wait staff. Overall, a must-try in Te Anau and an upscale reprieve from many of the more touristy/generic restaurants in town. read more

Redcliff Restaurant & Bar - Wild Fiordland venison. - Cafes Near Me - Te Anau, STL

See all

Thanks to previous reviewers for the excellent and accurate descriptions of this warm and friendly 5-star locale. We'd been in a camper-van, cooking modestly, and saving our restaurant outings for special treats. This fit the bill perfectly. We came at six, to make sure we didn't pay the penalty for not reserving in advance. No eyebrows raised when we decided to share each course. We are not normally modest eaters, but frankly, it really was plenty! We started with smoked eel mousse, on thin chewy lightly toasted bread. It was utter perfection, with a squeeze of juicy Meyer lemon, and a couple of decorative oils. Second course - we shared the incredible local venison specialty, with creamy parmesan polenta. Not gamy-tasting, probably because these deer are pastured at local farms. Server helped us select no-fail Syrah from local wine list, and a tasty local ale. Finally, since we'd been so 'modest', we managed to save some room for the scrumptious 'reinterpreted', and exquisite sticky date pudding ... If you are staying, or passing through Te Anau, DO stop here! read more

Great food at this little more up scale joint. I had the rib eye steak and it was amazing. Even tried a new whisky because treat yo self. I recommend making reservations because it can be hard to get a table at times. read more

Redcliff was recommended by our B&B host. We were promised award winning NZ fare, and we feel the promise was delivered. The Restaurant - A small, unimposing house facing a park and the lake. Nice patio out front which must be a nice place for an evening drink on warmer days (weather didn't cooperate during our visit). Small bar as you walk in, and a cozy dining room towards the back of the building. Charming history on the walls, and a general feeling of home within the dining areas. The Food - For the starters, I had the fresh soup of the day (broccoli/leak), and my wife had the trio of seafood (local seafood prepared three ways). Both were tasty, but not mind blowing. For the mains I had the local venison, and my wife had the ribeye. My venison was phenomially prepared, perfectly cooked to a mid-rare, and with nothing more needed than the simple seasoning and a mushroom ragout to accompany, this was one of my most memorable dishes on the trip. My wife was quite happy with her beef, but again, nothing mind blowing. The wine list features a heavy dose of Otago and other NZ wines (a good thing!), and both my wife and I went with a sampling flight of three wines. The Service - The ladies were a bit frantic through most of the evening. Understandable considering the constantly ringing phone (the word must be getting out about this place!), and the steady stream of patrons filling the dining room as the night went on. Still though, the frantic nature and slightly slow service did get noticed. Overall - Solid meal, and unexpected quality considering our expecations coming into town were based on the pizza joints and somewhat bland looking cafes we saw driving in. We would definitely recommend a stop if you are in Te Anau. Recommend making a reservation for times between 7:00 and 9:30 (we came in at 6:30 on a Tuesday in early March, and by 7:00 they were turning people away until after 9:30). read more

There is a particular type of fancy restaurant which believes that serving slightly too-expensive pieces of meat will make up for incoherent main courses, unfortunately, Red Cliff is one of them. The meat is fine, but there's just a mish-mash of random flavours on the same plate. At Red Cliff (as is usually the case), the starters and desserts are very much more interesting. This was the case at Red Cliff -- the churros were to die for. read more

The food was excellent and the interior was a delight. The outside didn't look like much but there was inside dining and an outside garden that was lovely. We had a late lunch so decided to share the lamb served with barley. It was delicious. We also got a the side salad. It was very good. read more

What a quaint and romantic restaurant with food that is anything but quaint. Andrew and I went upon recommendations from both our hotel concierge (if you can call it that in the small town of Te Anau) and Trip Advisor; turns out those folks were on to something! Redcliff is in a converted house built in 1978 that was intended to showcase the style and architecture of a typical, small town New Zealand home. It is so cozy inside with wooden floors, a wood burning fire place, exposed beams, etc. In short, it looks a bit like a Pinterest Board depicting a "rustic home". The food was every bit as delightful as the decor. We had the breads and dips plate with a variety of toasted breads and hummus, spinach and mushroom dips that were all incredible and unique in flavor. We also shared the yam soup, which was perfectly sweet without being overly so. Finally, I finished off with the steak. The steak itself was cooked perfectly and was delicious. The potatoes and vegetables it was served with were also quite flavorful. I didn't try the pan seared marrow that came with my dish as it looked a tad overly fried and I'm not the hugest fan of marrow. Andrew had the fish special and said the fish and the veggies it was served with were equally good. We topped off our meal with a fruit crumble (More like warm muesli and fruit) that came with Chantilly cream and ice cream on the side (a perfect pairing with the tart) and a Pino flight. The wines were excellent and came with a description of each, which was fun to read. If I were a local, I'd be a regular. Don't let the $$$ fool you; dishes were reasonably priced for NZ at around $38 for a main. read more

Red Cliff Cafe & Bar in Te Anau is a popular restaurant that is critically acclaimed. Reservations are highly recommended as they usually seem to fill up quickly. They serve award winning lamb which I really liked. I also tried their venison dish which I liked and found to be far less gamey than others I've had in the past. In fact it wasn't gamey at all. I would definitely order either of those dishes again. The lemon meringue pie was very unusual. It was served in a bowl with the meringue coating the bowl while the lemon filling was dropped on top of granola in the middle of the bowl like a pudding. Not exactly to my personal liking. I prefer mine served in the traditional pie form on a plate (without the granola). They also have an appetizer that is lamb with a chocolate sauce. I like both lamb and chocolate but not together. Lovely atmosphere and good service. I would readily return for either of those two main dishes. read more

See all

If you want cozy quirky ambience with good background music, this is for you. If you are hoping for flavoursome quality cuisine. Think twice. Our meals were an odd mixture of many unidentifiable ingredients covered in either mayonnaise or some sort of thick gravy or sauce read more

We were very pleasantly surprised by the Redcliff. Our service was very attentive and precise, our meals were prepared exactly as we expected and it was not as pricey as we had originally thought. We had been to restuarants from Aukland to Queenstown, and enjoyed this one the best. My favorite entree was the Vension Backstrap. read more

Nice quaint place. The food at lunch was very good. Service was excellent. For those of you looking for it,this was one of the few restaurants we tried that had WiFi. Very centrally located. read more

This was a fantastic meal and a wonderful introduction to South Island cuisine. Prices are reasonable based on the quality as well.

My new favorite restaurant ever. The hare was to die for. I'm going back for a second time in a week tonight. Highly recommend.