Stopped by for a quick bite and wasn't disappointed! The inside is a little dark but inviting. I sat outside with a nice view towards the lake. You can order at the bar or use a table QR code. One thing to note is if you don't have SMS texting, you have to order at the bar. I got a chicken burger and cauliflower bites. The burger was really tasty and so were the bites! If you're sitting outside, watch out for the birds! They will jump on your food if you get up. They have great beer selections as well. Give it a try if you're in town! read more

The Ballarat Trading Co - Chicken burger and cauliflower bites. - Gastropubs Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

Service is ok. Food is pretty good. Atmosphere is fantastic! OK selection of beer, wine and whiskey. We had Broccoli Salad (Good), Ribeyes (very good), Cauliflower (very good) and Halloumi Cheesee Fries (Excellent). I had a Hazy IPA which was local and therefore not so great. NZ brewers don't seem to really understand beer that well. Can't get a decent brew anywhere in this country unless it's imported in, but it's worth trying. Nothing that will make you spit it out, just not much flavor in NZ beers. If you want water you have to serve yourself from a counter in the back left but tat's fine. They found a seat for us even though very crowded and were very pleasant. This is a solid place and worth a visit. read more

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I am understanding and empathetic that most places are short staffed, and that when you are understaffed things will occasionally get missed, but what I experienced tonight drove me to YELP for the first time in my life. Three of us ordered a salad, fish and chips, and a burger with drinks. The salad and fish and chips came out, but no burger. So we called the server over asked about the whereabouts of said burger and we were assured it would be out momentarily. Then the server started avoiding eye contact with us. As it took about 20 minutes (and another follow up question) from when we asked about the food for it to actually arrive, it was obvious that someone forgot. By the time the burger arrived, both my mates were done and were ready to go. I took one bite and found the burger unpalatable. We were already late and didn't want to wait around for another burger that may or may not be overlooked to be made, so we asked to speak with a manager to see about a refund. The manager was polite and explained how everyone had covid and there was only one chef and insisted that, despite the meal being served well behind the other two and the dissatisfying burger, they couldn't refund the cost simply because the service and food wasn't to my liking. In truth, they didn't seem to care at all and made no effort to "make things right." Perhaps that's a cultural thing-I don't know, but I am left wondering what, exactly, I paid for? A meal that was unacceptable? Service that was unacceptable? I left with an empty stomach, less money, and no choice but to chalk it up to that great life lesson of buyer beware. Hopefully now you will be too. Cheers read more

I have such mixed feelings about this place. Seriously great food. My steak was so tasty, I may dream about it. And that brownie??? Oh. My. Service, though - not the best. I'd like to caveats that, though. I went there on a holiday, during happy hour, and ate outside. They were very under staffed. I had to keep getting up and going inside to do things like place an order, get silverware, and pay. Each time, I was asked to go back outside and wait until someone came to me. I really think that was just bad luck on my part. They tried to be responsive, but just didn't have enough people. There were also a lot of people inside, and several children running around - one server seemed to be trying to mop up a mess on the floor one child had made while another server chased kids around trying to get them to go back to their parents. So, I think it was just bad luck on my part. Unfortunately, I don't live here so I won't get the chance to give them another shot. read more

The Ballarat Trading Co - Brownie - yum!!! - Gastropubs Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

This place feels nice and cozy. It has low lighting and candles. There is a little partition between the front and the rest of the restaurant and we sat in the front part. It is a bit chilly there whenever the door opens, so further in would have been better. We could hear a comedian on stage towards the back. there is also a window to the inside partition and we could see a full bar counter inside. for dinner, I ordered the beef burger. It was a gigantic burger that was bigger than the size of my hand. There was bacon, onion rings, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. It was quite difficult to eat because in was large in height as well. I had to take the top bun off to cut it well. The beef is cooked medium rare and was thick and delicious. The burger overall was good. It was really salty, so I was very thirsty after eating it. read more

The Ballarat Trading Co - Beef burger - Gastropubs Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

We popped into the Ballarat wanting a couple of drinks in the early afternoon. We ended up staying for a good 5 hours as both the bartender and the other customers were quite friendly and giving us tips on where to visit in Queenstown and the outlying areas. M was trying out the various beers and while he was talking to the bartender about microbrews (NZ isn't really known for their microbrews), I was indulging in some lovely NZ wines (when in Rome and all that... er, New Zealand). We didn't eat (which explained the majority of my hangover the next morning!), but the dishes that did come out looked good. But the atmosphere was spot on and pleasant enough to while away an afternoon. read more

I enjoyed happy hour here and a small dinner. The drink prices during happy hour are very reasonable, and the outdoor seating is very nice. We could watch paragliders coming in overhead as we enjoyed our food and drinks. The garlic bread was a little bit too buttery, but other than that everything was good. I also loved the details of decor around the place. read more

We arrived in Queenstown at around 10 pm on a Sunday night. All of the airport restaurants were closed so we headed to city center for pupus and beer. This was one of the few places open - staff are friendly, good selection of beers, wines and cider. We stuck to New Zealand brands as tourist! We also had some pupus - calamari and fried BBQ ribs. The calamari was okay. The ribs were delicious!!! So yummy - soft and meat fell right off of the bone. read more