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Dunedin has the area's highest concentration of good restaurants. Seafood is a big player, in part because of Dunedin's coastal location but also because of its proximity to Bluff, the home of New Zealand's great delicacy, the Bluff oysters. Many of the least-expensive options are café-like Asian restaurants; these tend to close early, around 9 pm. Locals don't usually dress up or make reservations for anything other than the most exclusive establishments.
Invercargill has a more limited selection of mostly moderately priced restaurants. Stewart Island has a reasonable selection considering its location, but in winter some places limit their hours or close.
The owner of this eclectic store wears many hats, serving coffee, cake, and sandwiches in the small shop. There are a few tables where you can sit and enjoy your coffee, and you can browse a small gallery featuring works by local craftspeople. Upstairs, this place offers wellness treatments such as facials.
Come here for good old-fashioned fish-and-chips wrapped in a newspaper. There isn't an ounce of pretense in this cheerful little takeout place, which is little more than a trailer with a shelter tacked over; it's located close to the town's "skateboard park" (a wooden ramp). The owner has a mussel farm in Paterson Inlet, and the cod comes from the Halfmoon Bay fishery. Try the bacon-wrapped mussels or chef Hilli's divine mussel chowder. They also do great venison burgers.
At this centrally located café and bakery, artisan bakers craft delicious, wholesome food. You can choose from pancakes, French toast, or good old eggs Benedict for breakfast, or maybe a panini for lunch; the bakery makes delicious bagels, too. Mindful of vegan taste buds and customers with lactose and gluten intolerance, the owners have created a gooey brownie as well as a variety of other sweet treats. Large windows throw light into the warm and homey interior, while chunky wooden furniture encourages conversations.
Students crowd into this no-frills noodle bar that serves yummy, filling, and inexpensive soups and other dishes. Highlights on the lengthy menu include spicy satay chicken burgers, fried rice, bong-bong chicken, and deep-fried wantons; hot pots are another choice.
