We had one of our best meals in New Zealand. The place was selected by our guide for a five day…read morewalking tour, perhaps in part because we were seeing a Nat Geo style film about the fjordlands at the adjoining cinema. Fine beer list, but really it was the food that stood out -- very well prepared beef ribeye; a lamb rump that I had been reluctant to order because of a bad experience with that cut in Lake Tekapo, but fellow walkers did order and and it was superb. Some in our party ordered fried cauliflower with a crust and spicy sauce (after some wangling, the host parted with the recipe that I plan to make at home)

Great little restaurant in Te Anau…read more Make sure to book a reservation in advance. Kind of awkward entering because they don't have a hostess stand so just go up to the bar and tell them you have a reservation. This confused a lot of people because they'd come in and sit down in the restaurant area, presumably without a reservation, and then be asked to leave/informed they needed a reservation. I ordered a salad for a starter, the pork belly for my main, and the server twisted my arm to get the salted caramel cheesecake. Almost everything was delicious. The pork belly was great. Nice and crispy top and well cooked middle portion like you'd expect. The slaw it came with was meh. Smothered in mayo based sauce. I didn't really like it but then you'd get a bite of an apple which really cut through all that mayo or whatever and made it interesting. Too bad there wasn't more apple in there. The salad was fine. The cheesecake was very good. My server was great. She was running around taking care of everyone--both those who were in the bar area (ie drinks only) and in the sit down area (food). Fantastic service. Super friendly. If you're in the area check them out.

Our first meal arriving in New Zealand's beautiful Te Anau was at the Ranch Bar & Grill. We ate…read moreoutside and it was really relaxing. The service was friendly and efficient; the food was delicious. Definitely want to come back here when we visit Te Anau in the near future!

Stopped here for lunch on our way back from Milford Sound. They have a nice outdoor seating area,…read moreperfect for a sunny day. The service was a little slow but friendly. The food was just ok, it sounded a lot better on the menu than it was when you got it. I had the cheese and bacon bread for an appetizer and the bacon cheeseburger with fries. I'm not sure if it's a New Zealand thing, but the bacon always seems to be partially raw whenever you get it. Would most likely try a different restaurant next time I'm in the area.

On vacation in New Zealand and this restaurant was recommended by the owner of our b&b…read more 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!

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

We almost didn't come here because of reviews being older. However, a couple we met on one of our…read moreexcursions today highly recommended it. The food was outstanding! I had the Lamb Pot my husband had the Chicken and Bacon Stack. Both were delicious and served very hot and fresh. It's unassuming from the outside but highly recommend this place!! It's attached to Armadillos restaurant as they're all one location.

Maybe the bartender doesn't like Americans but, this was the rudest service I received in New…read moreZealand. I went into the establishment and kindly asked for a beer. The bartender poured it and asked what else I needed. I asked for a cocktail menu and he said we're not the kind of bar as I looked at many bottles of liquor. I sat down and saw a slushee machine still running and went back to the bar and asked for a slushee with vodka. Bartender said, " The machine is turned off." Confused about the service I went back to my seat, quickly finished my beer and left. The bartender must not be a Kiwi because every encounter with Kiwi's has been super positive. Once again, confused because you're in a tourist town but behavior was completely unacceptable. Beware of this place if you're a tourist.

Great restaurant with friendly service! It is cozy and has like a pub feel to it…read more Food was really good! The mussels were delicious and the portion was huge! We also ordered the venison which was cooked perfectly and the toffee pudding with ice cream was delicious.

Cafe is cozy, food was served hot & fresh. Staff is kind! Thankful it was open for lunch as the…read moreother options were breakfast & coffee (which this cafe also has). We had the breakfast burger, wings, & grilled chicken sandwich & enjoyed!

Great spot to grab a tea and a quick bite before an incredible overnight cruise! Good hospitalityread more

This is one of maybe two or three restaurants in Manapouri. Even if there were several more…read morerestaurants this place stands out as a great spot to dine. We ordered the pasta of the day - creamy mushroom fettucini and also tried the warm venison salad. All were delicious. We were curious about venison since we had passed so many pastures of them on the drive in and I definitely recommend it. The venison was cooked just right - medium rare. I appreciated that the salad had just the right balance of cheese and nuts added. Mushroom fettucini was delicious as well.

First night in queenstown and was looking for some food and drinks for our jet lagged selves…read more Smiths did not disappoint. My partner had the lamb burger, we shared the poutine, and I had the venison pot pie. Portion sizes are huge so I had to take away some of my pot pie and some leftover poutine in a box. Taste wise, my partner enjoyed his burger, we both loved the poutine, and the venison pot pie was good but a little too sweet for my liking. The poutine, while used mozzarella instead of cheese curds, was our favorite and would just come here to order a few orders of that. We also got a flight to share to try some local brews including 3 sours, 1 ginger beer, 1 cider, and 1 lemonade. They were all good and I especially liked the ginger beer on the menu. The alcoholic lemonade was also quite nice and better than any alcoholic lemonades I've had in the states.

Unlike most beer bars in NZ, this one seemed to carry more Stouts than others... but plenty of…read moreHIPA's on tap at this upstairs beer bar in downtown QTN. The adjoining balcony was great for watching life pass by down below with our 6x200mL taster flight for 45 NZD. For some reason, this beer bar and the last made a big deal about having Sculpin on tap. And little did they know, these San Diegan's cared not! Plenty of fresh hops selections were eyed instead, brews from Garage Project and Behemoth the MUCH better selections. The beer bar is huge with plenty of places to post up. Despite it's location in touristy QTN, Smith's keeps it laidback with its rougher environs that are not overdone or cringey like some of the places in QTN. Didn't have a food, but it looked to be of good value in expensive QTN, that is, if you aren't tired of pub food.

Eichardt's made the most delicious martini I've ever had the privilege of drinking. We had four…read moredrinks here and all were unique and delicious with a really lovely, informative menu to tell you about the history of the drink alongside the history of the bar. Learned a lot, got to take some refuge from the hot sun, and had also the best oysters of any spot in NZ. It's intimate, cozy, and overall wonderful. Can't recommend enough!

Great service with a nice cocktail and wine list. Small, chic environment, would recommend for…read morethose looking to stop in for a drink or two while in QT.

Wonderful sport to sip and shop your favorite local and Australian wines. Purchase by the oz, 2 oz…read moreor 6 oz options of Reds , whites, blends and bubbles!

I came here for the whiskey and man, was it worth it. The card driven tastings were very appealing…read moreand so easy to manage. The whiskey selection here, although small, was of great quality. The wine selection is massive though, and they have good food selection to pair with your libation. Highly recommend stopping here for a few hours to drink.