2 Best Restaurants in Blenheim, Upper South Island and the West Coast

Be it coffee and French pastries for breakfast, mussels and clams with a glass of wine for lunch, or a full à la carte dinner, the European chef and owners at Raupo will indulge you. Meals are light, healthy, organic, and locally sourced when possible. The restaurant is of a striking glass, wood, and stone design, and it sits on a small bend in the Taylor River. You can sit on the terrace in summer or cozy up to the fireplace in winter. The mezzanine floor offers a more private dining experience.

This contemporary-style wine bar and restaurant (with a wine shop next door) offers evening dining with tapas plates and some larger main courses, including special meat cuts. The menu changes weekly to encompass the freshest and most seasonal produce. The wine list is one of the largest you'll find in any Marlborough eatery, while cocktails and craft beers are also in good supply. On summer nights the tables spill onto the public square outside—grab a beanbag for comfort.