4 Best Restaurants in Otago, Invercargill, and Stewart Island, New Zealand

The small dining room of this boutique accommodation serves mainly lodge guests, but contact the owners in advance and you might get lucky and have a real Stewart Island culinary experience of food of the sea, or kai moana. Stewart Island blue cod, salmon, mussels, oysters, crayfish, and paua (abalone) are all cooked to perfection and accompanied by fresh vegetables from the garden just yards away. This intimate restaurant has a view out to sea and seats six guests at a time. 

A favorite among locals, this waterfront eatery that was once a seafarers' hostel provides great food and excellent service. Everything is delicious, from the bread and house-made pâté to the perfectly cooked seafood and chicken dishes that maximize the use of local ingredients. They also do a mean coffee and great desserts. 

The mouthwatering menu focuses on organic, locally grown, seasonal produce, offering regional New Zealand cuisine with a few Asian accents (a Thai duck salad, for instance). While the atmosphere in the modern, high-ceilinged space is casual, the food is serious thanks to chef Bevan Smith, who trained in Christchurch and has published four cookbooks. The restaurant is 12 km (7½ miles) north of the center of Oamaru.

You could easily walk past this stylish place, tucked inside a shopping courtyard. The kitchen employs bounty from the nearby bush and sea paired with inventive sauces and sides. Share a "rummage board" (tapas-style plate loaded with seafood, chorizo, olives, cheese, and crusty bread) with friends while you ponder the menu. Terra-cotta, brick, and river stone give off an Invercargill-meets-Tuscany vibe.