Stopped in here for breakfast after getting takeaway coffees and thinking the food looked good…read more Decided on eggs Benedict, one with salmon and one with bacon. The salmon was a tiny portion, not worth the $1 more than the bacon one. The bacon one which I'd asked to have crispy bacon had more jellied fat than meat and I quickly took it inside to politely ask if I could please have the fat crisped up, as I'd asked for. The kitchen did this and it was brought out to me very crispy...but missing half the potato hash, half the hollendaise sauce and all of the spinach (I hadn't even touched the plate so obviously the kitchen had just left these items off the new plate). I pointed this out to the lovely lady behind the counter who was a bit shocked and apologised, by this time my partner had finished his breakfast and I'd spent the whole time waiting for mine which was now missing half the food. The lady behind the counter offered to refund me and give us a free coffee each, I thanked her but said a refund for the food was all I would need as the coffee was lovely and we didn't have an issue with it. Just before she refunded me the miserable owner / manager walked over and rudely stated "we don't do refunds". Right...so what do you do in this instance then? She said there was nothing wrong with the plate and I told her that it was missing half the food. She claimed that I was a liar and must have ate it as the kitchen only plated up what was there. Honestly at this point I just laughed at how ridiculous this situation was and asked if half the meal was wearing a Harry Potter-esque invisibility cloak as I was 100% certain I hadn't scoffed half the meal down between walking the plate from my table and the counter. She again stated the kitchen didn't miss half the food and I told her I would like a refund as at this point I just wanted to get out of there. She just smirked at me and stood there - in the end they obliged but I honestly can't believe the cheek of some people. I thanked the lovely lady behind the counter and left. If you want to support a business with a manager / owner that actually cares, can make eye contact and doesn't come across as wanting to fill you in if you complain then I would recommend going elsewhere...Kaikoura has many better spots on offer.

Excellent coffee and an outstanding breakfast. Creative, well prepared, and beautifully presented…read more It's a shame that this cafe doesn't have a 'downtown' location, as it is infinitely better than it's competitors down on the strand. Do yourself a favor and order the eggs benedict - unique and delicious.

This is a super fun spot to try multiple wines. It is called the wine station for a few reasons -…read morethere are stations of wines that you self pour using a card that records drink prices owed at the end. You also have the option to buy a pre-paid card if you'd like to avoid over-spending (as I imagine it's easy to do). This bar is also near the tracks and the railway does pass by. Perhaps this spot was once a station stop? I did not ask. Wines are a win. Atmosphere is also cool - couches and low tables: great for socializing. There was a small menu. I ordered a meat plate, but the cuts didn't impress me and we weren't served forks. But - with that said, I don't think people come to this station for a meal. It's wine all the way! And what a great way to try all the delicious wines of the fantastic Marlborough region. Close to the town center, we easily walked back to town after our tasting.

This place is so good. It is organic and everything is fresh. They have pressed juice which I…read morehighly recommend. I have met Paul Hislop through CCSP NZ and got to tour his farm and learn more about his family's restaurant. Their customer service is always great. The breakfast is delicious. I recommend the hot cakes and eggs Benedict. This place is also great for when you need to get work done or have a work meeting at. The wifi is good.

Quick service but the food was just average. Beautiful presentation but nothing special from a…read moreflavor standpoint. We had the pancakes which didn't have a ton of flavor and lacked syrup, although the fruit presentation on the plate was lovely. The butcher bowl was unique but I was expecting a little more flavor from the chia, but otherwise good. An easy breakfast and lunch spot in Kaikoura, just don't expect anything to blow you away

Hands down, New Zealand has some of the most beautiful wineries in the world. And this one, along…read morewith their on-site restaurant is in my top 5 places and spaces I've enjoyed. The fact that this place is non-pretentious, has good quality food and wine, and a relaxed atmosphere is amazing. The staff was great and my tour guide was very knowledgeable. I'd go back.

This is where you will find me on any given weekend; luckily it's the closest winery to…read moreChristchurch. Pegasus Bay Winery is just off Route 1 down a small sheep-strewn farm road. The entrance greets you with large wrought iron fences affixed to pale salmon colored concrete pillars. The lawn leading up to the parking lot is beautifully manicured and adorned with risque statues. Once parked, the path leads to the gardens of Pegasus Bay or you can turn left at the fountain and wander into the castle-esque building that is Pegasus Bay. The winery was founded by a doctor whose wife introduced him to wine via the book "Wine" one Christmas. His life was clearly forever changed as he makes some of the best wines in the region. I recommend picking up a copy of Ivan Donaldson's autobiography "The Truant from Medicine" as it is an interesting read (especially if you are married to medicine and love wine, too). Pegasus Bay offers free wine tastings in their beautiful rustic tasting room that overlooks the many barrels of wine. My favorite is the Sauvignon-Semillion 2012. It's crisp with a lime/rock-melon taste and is absolutely refreshing for any time of the day; we buy a bottle of this anytime we stop by. Among others you'll taste are their Chardonnay, Reisling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Noir. I would tell you about my tastes, but I don't want to spoil the experience and the vintages I tried may have changed. Honestly, all of their wines are delicious and there will be something for everyone's palate. We often purchase the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well. Over the years as Pegasus Bay has become world-reknown for their wine, they developed a fantastic restaurant to pair with their wines. Their worldclass chef pumps out amazing dishes daily which brings such a crowd that you absolutely must make a booking ahead of time. They do offer a cookbook if you want to try to recreate their masterpieces, "The Vintner's Table". Once you've had a taste of their wines, order a glass of your favorite and stroll around the grounds. They have planted beautiful native plants and trees that creates a small walking path down to their gorgeous pond. Be sure to ask the bar for some "eel food" if you want to feed their underwater pets. "Swanston" is the beautiful white swan in the pond, so be sure to snap a few photos of him as well. Pegasus Bay is a serene oasis and a fantastic place to dine. You will never grow tired of the beautiful views (both of nature and architecture) nor the delicious wines. You MUST MUST MUST stop here.

We were here with a group tour and had several breakfasts and one dinner. The food here for dinner…read moreis really good. Sunday is roast day and I had the Pork Roast - amazing. Tender, flavorful. The tomato entree was also beautiful- ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. All 6 at our table enjoyed their meals. Fun martinis for dessert! Breakfast buffet was OK, pretty small and I didn't t care for a lot on the buffet. The breakfast a la carte menu was very good. The potato, hummus, kimchi bowl (vegan) was really nice. Atmosphere is basic, clean and waitstaff is very friendly.

One of the nicest restaurants in town and worth a visit…read more They do an amazing an amazing lamb shoulder between 6-12 hours until it just falls apart on your plate. It's their signature. We were lucky that they had Hapuka (New Zealand Sea bass) on the menu and it was so light and flaky! The rest of the dishes were also tasty and enjoyable. The only downside is we had two servers: one who had great energy and described the dishes in a way that you just were ready to enjoy an amazing feast; the other simply dropped off each plate with a quick blurb. Huge contrast and unfortunate.

My wife and I had a Wednesday night dinner reservation at 6:30. Tuesday evening my wife had a bike…read moreaccident that made it uncomfortable to chew. When we called at 5PM Wednesday (when they opened) we asked if there was a soup she could have (or a single course along those lines). Instead, they recreated and reformed the whole tasting menu for her to a more delicate and easier to bite into dishes. My wife was nervous about going out to a nice restaurant with bruising and stitches and Arbour and it's staff made her night. The food was amazing, and the service even more so. I can't thank them enough for turning what could've been a sad night into something we will never ever forget.

The clam chowder was amazing, the service was excellent, and the view was stunning. It was the…read moreperfect place to relax and recharge after a three-hour cliff walk.

An absolute must when visiting the charming town of Kaikōura! Reservations are essential- so make a…read morebooking! Everything was excellent- fish perfectly cooked- mussels in thick and lucious coconut cream, the crayfish with garlic butter and lemon were sublime. Loved the staff- hardworking and so so friendly! The pavlova was huge! enough to share 4 ways!

Food/Pizza REVIEW:…read more Okay so here's the deal. Unfortunately relying on good reviews doesn't always turn out to be good. Hence I was completely disappointed by the food, and am a bit shocked by the good pizza review. This has got to be one of the worst and most overpriced pizza I've ever eaten. Burned crust, moisty dough and no fresh toppings. It tasted like a frozen supermarket pizza -- and even for that it was bad. Maybe the other food's better, but as a cook I would've never even send these pizzas out. Beer is great, and we were friendly treated. But for a 25$ pizza this was an absolute disaster. Salad was okay! Local Beer on tap was great. So maybe pop in for a snack and a beer, but please no pizza.

The pizza was super good and the place was super nice inside. I got a Hawaiian pizza with chicken,…read moredefinitely would recommend that.

We were bummed to learn that nearby Emporium Brewing, along with many other businesses, close on…read moreTuesdays, therefore Strawberry Tree was a welcomed pivot. Well mostly, because they certainly did have Emporium freshies on tap -- 3 tap handles to be precise -- which were kept ultra cold, ultra fresh. We were also interested in ordering local specialty fresh Kaikoura crayfish (basically lobster -- said no one ever!). They did charge up the wazoo for a whole one, about two-thirds more than at the kiosk or stands. It was rather fleshy, seasoned and buttered tastefully, and biggish. Overall atmosphere was warm and friendly, though a bit dark with the Irish pub vibes.

Kia Ora!!! A great pub with a great local and Irish charm. Went in for lunch and ordered the…read morescallops and corn ribs for pupu's followed by the fish and chips and BBQ Jackfruit sandwich. Ordered a some pints of Guinness and Kilkenny to was it' all down. Everything came out HOT, aromatic and looking very tasty! Highly recommend stopping in for a pint or a tasty meal!

Got the fish of the day, which was elephant fish. Cheap and we got two giant pieces…read more The elephant fish is obviously not as good as cod but it does the job and we got what we paid for. Very tasty and tasted fresh. The employee, I think perhaps the owner, was very helpful and offered free cookies while we waited.