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In Marlborough visit a winery restaurant—there's no better way to ensure that your meal suits what you're drinking. Cloudy Bay clams are harvested here, salmon and Greenshell mussels are farmed in the Marlborough Sounds, and local crops—besides grapes—include cherries and garlic. In Kaikoura try crayfish. The region is named after this delicacy (In M?ori, kai means "food" and koura means "lobster"). Nelson is also famous for seafood, in particular scallops, and for fresh produce and, yes, for wine. On the West Coast, try the local delicacy whitebait fritters—a sort of omelet filled with the whitebait—tiny, young eel-like fish netted at river mouths as they migrate upstream in late spring.
Some restaurants in more remote tourist regions close in winter (June through August); others may curtail their hours. In summer, all doors are open and it's best to make reservations. If a restaurant is open on a major holiday, it may add a surcharge to your bill.
Year-round, the restaurants and cafés around the glaciers and other remote spots can be quick to close their doors at night. Arrive by 8:30 (it's sometimes even earlier in winter) or you might go hungry. Some of the smallest towns, including Punakaiki, settlements in the Marlborough Sounds, and parts of Golden Bay, have few cafés and no general stores, so bring your own supplies.
One of those cozy, buzzing places so prevalent on the West Coast, The Alice May serves country fare that is good and plentiful, with a welcome range of light meals (fish-and-chips, curries, venison sausages) and more substantial main courses (slow roasted pork ribs, beef cheeks, and good vegetarian options). The wine and beer lists are stacked with mainstream NZ favorites. The Alice can get very busy over summer. Courtesy car available on request.
A friendly and very stylish eatery, Arbour is innovative and critically acclaimed yet so laid-back and hospitable. The quality produce is matched with quality local wine. Owners Bradley and Liz have brought their international, five-star hospitality experience to Arbour, just out of town on the way to the airport. The decor is simple yet sophisticated, and the garden comes into its own in summer. The signature menu is seven-course dining experience, with the option to purchase wine pairing, the ever-changing dishes showcasing a local producers and Marlborough stories.
Chef–owner Kevin Hopgood focuses on using regional produce and regularly wins national restaurant awards for this small, eponymously named bistro-restaurant. Along with the à la carte menu, Hopgoods offers a five-course degustation tasting spectacle. This dinner spot is likely to be busy, though the service is always attentive and discreet.
The food at this all-day café is great (a huge breakfast menu, burgers at lunch, beef rib eye, and lamb cutlets for dinner) but the scenery steals the show. If the weather plays ball you'll be able to enjoy a memorably stunning view: an amphitheater of mountains (Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman) and, in the foreground, tall kahikatea forest. Lunches include salads, curries, risottos, burgers, and bagels while evening has the classics: pork belly, rib-eye steak, salmon, lamb leg, and pastas are served.
They started brewing beer on the West Coast right here in 1868, and now the modern version of the brewery offers a full restaurant, a brewing museum, brewery tours and, of course, lots of fresh brews. The restaurant serves standard Kiwi fare, along with tapas and platters to match the beers. The brewery tours (NZ$35 includes tastings) take place daily from 4 pm, which are in the hands of an expert brewer. You can also get your own, personally labeled bottle (NZ$10).
Swing by the Mussel Inn for a quintessential slice of Golden Bay life: music, craft beer, and darn good pub food. Locals come for the live music (most evenings in summer), mussel chowder, steamed mussels, or wild goat ragu, washed down with house-brewed beer and ciders. A favorite is the Captain Cooker—brewed first from native manuka leaves by Captain Cook to combat scurvy on his ships. With rough sawn timber, handmade furniture, outdoor fire pit, and a big rambling garden, it’s very much a "Kiwi woolshed meets Aussie farmhouse" feel here.
This big, indoor–outdoor café–restaurant overlooking a rolling surf beach on State Highway 1 makes one of the best road stops in the area (maybe even the whole country). You can choose lunch from a selection of prepared dishes or order from the menu. You'll find it halfway between Kaikōura and Blenheim. It's a beautiful, wild spot with the Kaikōura Mountains towering in the background. There's a huge log fire inside and a large outdoor deck with several private garden areas. Just make sure you stop early because it usually closes by 4 pm.
Named Best Café in New Zealand 2023, enjoy breakfasts of French toast, eggs Benedict bagel, or asparagus bruschetta. This is also a shop and produce market, located in a former church, so stock up for your holiday travels from the food market. Or you can just chill over a wholesome lunch like the excellent slow-roasted lamb burger. There's also an interesting kids' menu, and you can indulge in the cakes and gelato anytime. Beverages include fresh brews from the Townshend Brewery next door. Weekend dinners in summer feature music performances.
The owners spent years restoring this old pub, and now the place hums with activity and tasty food like angus beef burgers and homemade lamb pies. Bar snacks and baked goods are offered all-day and dinner steps up with a stylish à la carte menu. Riders from the local cycle trail will be staying here; there's also a great local scene with live music and community events.
