Unfortunately, wasn't quite as impressed with the food at The Cow compared to some of the other meals I had in Queenstown. Pizza was okay, I didn't love the crust or the sauce, but was pleased with the amount of toppings. The pasta was good but nothing special. Service was nice though! read more

The Cow - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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Queenstown is only so big, so it's only time that you venture into the corners of random alleys and stumble upon new restaurants... and for my friend and I that was The Cow! The waitress shared that The Cow is the oldest restaurant around and shared some interesting history with us. The ambiance is quite rustic, log cabin-esque with a bell, Wi-Fi, and some other modern updates. For food, we started with their zuppa with an extra loaf of bread. The creamy tomato was good, boasting perfect texture, thickness, and seasoning. The garlic cheesy bread was toasted well, not too hard or soft, just right with some give in the middle. However, the zuppa did get saltier at the end. We also shared a half sized Seafood Spaghetti, which was lightly flavored. The sauce itself was not too thick and rather fairly watery. The cheese was amazing, but the texture needed some work. Overall, our meal here was enjoyable, made even better by the staff. Would recommend a visit either for the history or for a cozy log cabin dining experience. read more

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We ordered one prosciutto and 2 all vegetarian pizzas with garlic bread. If you want to enjoy pizza, don't order the garlic bread because the bread was so good that we couldn't eat the pizza. Fresh and delicious. read more

The best place I've eaten in a Looooong time. Definitely the best spaghetti I've ever had at a restaurant. The server was at our table as soon as we sat down asking for a drink order. The homemade garlic bread is second to none. It is baked and then has sautéed garlic poured over it. It was chilly however the fireplace was on and it felt amazing. I can't wait to visit again. read more

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Great restaurant. The interior was wacky in a cool way, the servers were kind, and the food was splendid. The garlic bread in particular was one of the best I ever had. read more

Great pizza. We went back after a few days enjoy the Cow again. The location is easy to find. We enjoyed the ambience. Seating is limited. read more

It's a cute location being in a little house. There's a chimney with smoke billowing out. We thought initially that it was a wood fire pizza place. Turned out it was a fireplace. The pizzas are cooked in an electric oven. It was busy, but you can wait at the handful of bar seats at the back of the restaurant. Service was friendly and quick. Food was just so-so. The side salad had chunky vegetables topped with some sprouts. We got the Queen's (I forgot the exact name) but it's like the top combo pizza. I'll have to say that it was a bit weird for my taste. It had celery, sliced tomatoes that made it watery, and not enough seasoning. I think The Cow is a bit over rated. read more

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Ambiance: Such a cute little spot hidden off of Cow Street in Downtown Queenstown. The oldest restaurant in town which was honored by a rustic interior and a roaring wood fire. Food: disappointed by the food unfortunately. The house made garlic bread was very good. The loaf was huge and plenty of butter was provided. The pizza bolognese was fine. If you're from the US, the best way I would describe the sauce is tasting like Beefaroni. For the price of about $29, it was nothing amazing. I got a seafood pasta which was also fine. The mussels were pretty fishy tasting but the cream sauce was good. Overall a cool spot to eat but not worth the price. read more

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We enjoyed the homemade garlic loaf, the crust was crispy and the inside a perfect texture. We ordered the Her Majesty's pizza, which came freshly baked on a wooden paddle. It was the perfect balance of meat, sauce and vegetables, so fresh with great seasoning. The staff was very attentive and helpful, a truly unique dining experience. read more

The spaghetti bolognese and garlic bread were terrific. Service was friendly and fast. A new Queenstown favorite!

Do not miss the Cow! The most interesting building in Queenstown with fantastic people, good beer and food, and great service! I wanted to go here every night but we always had something else planned. When we finally got here it was everything I had hoped for. It's so old looking inside and just cozy and warm and amazing! Just pizza and pasta and garlic bread here but that's good enough for me as long as they bring beer! I would like to go to a place like the Cow every day. I so wish there was something like it near me. Don't visit Queenstown without stopping by! read more

The Cow - Outside seating - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

What a great little place. Food as fabulous and plentiful. Half order of pasta was more than enough. Garlic bread was delicious and huge. We took half our loaf home. Waitstaff are very nice And prompt. We had a 20 minute wait and enjoyed looking at all the stuff on the walls. I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

Wandered into this back alley restaurant and was greeted by very friendly people. Fun place, fantastic food, rustic building and was able to drink the night away. No cows there cuz someone left the barn door open! Moooooo. No Bull read more

Food was good. I would recommend it. It's been a few months since I was there, so I don't remember details.

Service was good. Pizza was OK. Quaint restaurant. Not my favorite. Was expecting more from every review that I read.

Friendly service and great food! It's an awesome looking bar and restaurant. We we're sat outside and they even had blankets you could use as well as outdoor heaters. Very warm atmosphere :) read more

The Cow - Outdoor seating area - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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5 star for the waitress who was trying not to crack under pressure as she was the only one serving yet managed to do a great job of ensuring business was running smoothly. 3 star for the dishes. Garlic bread- baked in-house. We followed directions: cut in the middle and serve from there. It was a bit dry for me despite the butter provided on the side. R Onion soup- more sweet than anything. Other than that I think they would have been off serving French onion soup instead - only thing the soup was missing was the cheese. Bolognese Spaghetti- not much of a fan but my husband said sauce was savory, and seasoned well with the spaghetti cooked al dente. If it was up to me, I'd say try another resto unless you're really keen on giving this spot a chance. read more

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I had the pleasure of dining at The Cow while on vacation in Queenstown last week. It was wintertime so stumbling upon this hidden pizzeria in the cold was a nice surprise. The first thing I noticed was the ambiance. The building looks like it'd been built centuries ago with it's exposed brick walls and roaring open fireplace. We sat in one of the built-in bench tables right across from the fireplace which kept us nice and toasty. Our order was simple: half and half pizza (prosciutto and bolognese) and a couple of mulled wines. The food itself wasn't the best pizza in the world (mind you my favorite pizzas are thin crust, brick oven pizzas from New York or Italy) but it did the job. Also, the mulled wine was a little fruity without spice, but again, it did the job. The service was friendly and our waitress was on top of providing us everything we needed. All in all, I'd visit for the ambiance and convenience, but I wouldn't expect to be blown away by their pizzas. read more

The Cow - Half prosciutto half bolognese - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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Love this place, my absolute favorite in QT. They don't take bookings so prepare to wait. The garlic bread is outstanding, as are the pizzas and pasta. read more

Came here for dinner with a group or 3 adults and 1 infant and we were able to get seated without an issue. We ordered the Napolatana with mushrooms, Her Majesty's Pleasure, and Seafood spaghetti. I thought all the dishes were good, but not one particular one stood out. The crust for the pizza is thin crust, which is what I prefer. They did not hold back on the toppings and with every bite you were able to eat some toppings. The sauce wasn't overly salty but also didn't fe like it had a strong tomato base. The sauce wasn't overly special. The seafood spaghetti wasn't bad. All the shelled seafood came de-shelled, which was nice, but could also imply other things. Th staff were super polite and helpful. They were very accommodating to our requests for extra napkins, plates, utensils. Overall this is a solid place and wouldn't mind coming here again. Service was great. Price is on the expensive side, just like all the other restaurants in this resort town. read more

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Locals favorite for pizza. We stopped in for lunch. Friendly service but looked like there was just one waitress. I felt bad because she was always hustling. We split a large Her Majesty and a salad. Flat bread type crust with ample toppings. The pizza was decent...as an east coaster, need to cut them slack since I am sure NZ is not known for their pizza. read more

The Cow - A large Her Majesty. We polished it off in one seating! - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

Really solid pizza with flavorful toppings. We had the Pepperoni and it was delicious. The dinner salad was loaded with fresh veggies and a robust oil n vinegar dressing. The ambience and service was fantastic. Loved the building. There's good mojo at this place. read more

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Loved the service and the food was good. Only caution is that this is not wood fired. It is a regular pizza oven you'd find in a pizza by the slice kitchen. Not bad, but not Neapolitan style. Thicker crust than expected. Garlic bread is fantastic! read more

Great little place with a real fire and serious ambience. The cosiest place for lunch or dinner, even in summer! I had a small vege pizza (without cheese so vegan). The ingredients were fresh and the crisp crust delicious. The toppings weren't that flavoursome in themselves as the sauce was a bit sparse, but it felt like a healthy option. My husband has the spaghetti Bolognese and said it was nice but not the best. Ultimately the food is decent (if a little pricey) but you go there for a drink and a chat with your mates on a cool, cabin-like environment. read more

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You must show up an hour before it closes or you will not be seated. We were 5 minutes past 10:00. POS barkeep wouldn't seat us. Stay the eff away from this establishment! read more

I'm not sure what we did but our server absolutely hated us. Everything we asked for seemed like it was such an imposition for her. I don't think we were being difficult at all. Asking for silverware when you don't have any shouldn't be such a big deal...ok let me back up and start from the beginning. We got there, had a party of 6. She told us there was a wait and to come back at 6:45PM. We showed up a few minutes late when we came back and she had already given away our table. So much for a small grace period. From that moment it seemed like she hated us. We told her we'd wait for another table and she rolled her eyes and said she'd be back. 5-10 minutes later, we are seated in a booth and all good to go. Ordered the garlic bread, which was awesome by the way and super garlicky - just the way we like it. My parents ordered the pizza and when it arrived it was scalding hot, so my dad asks for a knife and fork; she glared at him and even asked 'why?' before getting it for him. Then we ask for crushed red pepper flakes, she rolled her eyes and then brought us a black pepper grinder. We clarify and then she says they don't have that. At that point she switched with another server who finished serving us who was much nicer. As we are leaving restaurant, we look on the bar countertop and see containers of crushed red pepper flakes! The exact ones you get in the US, the exact thing we were asking for. What in the world?!?!? Overall service was TERRIBLE! The food was ok. The garlic bread is the best thing on the menu and is worth it. The pasta was ok, the tomato sauce tasted fresh and was pretty good - it could've used some spice. read more

The Cow - Pasta with tomato sauce - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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The Cow is slightly hidden but definitely worth the visit if you're in Queenstown. This Italian place isn't very big and you probably have to wait a little bit for your table. They do have a small bar with a nice bartender while you wait. The menu isn't complicated. For entrees, you have the option of pizza or pasta. They also have this amazing garlic bread. It comes in a whole loaf smothered with chunky garlic oil. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had both the popular bolognese and the mushroom pastas. Both were simple yet delicious. I absolutely loved the mushroom pasta. Both were reasonably priced as well. A lot of people have their pizza. It's quite large. According to the 2 tables next to us, the seafood pizza is the way to go. I didn't get a chance to try it but it did look amazing. I doubt I will ever get a chance to go to Queenstown again but if I ever do, I will definitely come back to The Cow. read more

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I'm not really sure what all the hype is. Perhaps it is the great ambiance (like walking into a old stone house converted into a bar - oh, which it is!) with the dark wood floors, rafters the go up to the ceiling, and the warm fireplace. The food itself rates a mere, "meh". The pizza is nothing to write home about - basic with the dough (a bit on the crispy side. Note I said crispy, not crunchy. It bites like a cracker and not a pizza crust). The tomato sauce is ok. The toppings are...ok. We ordered a tomato based pasta and their mushroom pasta. The former had a bit too much tomato paste (or tasted like it). The latter tasted like noodles with mushroom soup. The best parts of our meal were the tomato soup (piping hot and tomatoes were the star) and the garlic bread. read more

The Cow - Interior of the Cow. - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

Impossible to rate. I realize the try was a Friday night, but waiting 40 mins. outside didn't cut it. They made a feeble attempt with a tarp that was inadequate. Previous reviews liked the food, wish we'd had a chance. Queenstown is too touristy. read more

The Cow is a bit hidden off of a side street backed into a corner. The building is all stone, and has a huge fireplace. The overall ambiance makes you feel like you stepped back in time. The pizzas are delicious, and the house wine washes it down. There is a small bar at the entrance to pick up a drink if there is a wait for tables. Great place for a casual dinner. read more

The Cow - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

We stopped in for pizza. One of the better dining experiences with regard to ambiance; I will credit them for that. However, no draft beer selection left us wanting for more. In regards to the pizza, I have to say that I liked the toppings--the thick cut pepperoni in particular. But, two issues I had [basically, with all the pizzas we tried in Queenstown] is that the crust--seemingly not hand tossed but rather frozen(?)--is super thin and more like eating a salted cracker crust, i.e., no dough. And then, the sauce is not tomato-y, nor zesty. In fact, there seemed to be little if any sauce on the pizza. I hate to beat them up too bad for this, especially since the other three pizzerias we ate at had the same issue. Therefore, it may be a NZ thing, or at least a Queenstown thing. Otherwise, it was pretty 'good'. read more

Go for the ambience, pasta was better than the pie, try the bolognese pasta and enjoy the surrounds. If you have a large group, go for the garlic loaf. We would return. read more

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Really fun restaurant that is a bit hidden. We got garlic bread and pizza and the garlic bread especially was great! Really friendly servers and a great music playlist for the time I was there. Only downside is it's a bit small inside. But the candlelit atmosphere is really nice. read more

The Cow - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

Fabulous pizza!! Great little stone building. Interesting toppings like prawns, bacon and mushrooms, or venison pepperoni and onions. Both were wonderful, and crispy crust!! Not soggy. Don't miss!! read more

The pizza was delicious, with a nice thick and crunchy base and the pasta was lovely. The service was excellent and it was very nice and cozy. Only downside is that it's small and they sometimes ask you to share a normal sized table with strangers. read more

Great atmosphere, delicious salads and pizza! Such a quaint and cozy place right in the middle of town. read more

The Cow - Italian Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

split the bolognese and tomato/basil pasta the tomato/basil was very bland the bolognese was a little more flavorful but neither were anything special wish they used fresh pasta instead of the boxed stuff most tables ordered pizza should have followed their lead this spot gets crowded and there's almost always a wait a good spot for families although it can get super hot with the oven and fireplace also, shared tables so not a place for you if you don't like not knowing the person sitting next to you while you stuff your face full of carbs read more

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Whenever I talk about my favorite pizzas, I like to bring up the time I ate half of this amazing bolognese pizza and washed it down with Budweiser next to a stone fireplace in an old barn tucked away in Queenstown. The rich, hearty meat sauce was topped with cheese (and then I added parmesan cheese) on this soft, chewy crust. It was simple, yes, but 3.5 years later I'm still talking about and searching for a spot in the States that will replicate it. DAMN. GOOD. 'ZA. read more

We stumbled on this place because we saw the sign from afar and it piqued our curiosity. Let me say, I am so so glad we went inside. It's a cute little place, a stone house converted into a bar and restaurant. There's a fireplace to sit next to while you wait for a table to open. So A+ for atmosphere. The food was also amazing. We got the spaghetti with mushrooms and the Her Majesty's pizza, both were phenomenal. The only problem, which was not one that we minded in the slightest, is if you're a small party they might have you share a table with another small party. Again, this didn't bother us at all but some people might read more

Good pizza and beverages! Good thing crust pizzas, coming from California we were happy to find a good pizza place in Queenstown. Good service and in an awesome historic dairy building. read more