6 Best Restaurants in Upper South Island and the West Coast, New Zealand

Located inside the Recreation Hotel (known by locals as “The Rec”) on the main street through Greymouth, Buccleugh’s serves quality food from 5:30 am until late every day. Head there for a big breakfast before setting off on your activities for the day. The lunch and dinner menu features Kiwi fare from the land and sea, like blue cod, whitebait, and venison. Plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options are offered. There's a busy sports bar separate to the restaurant, where you can order a snack or a meal through the bistro window to enjoy with a drink and catch whatever game is on.

This café and pizza place makes some of the best cakes and pastries in the area, many of which are also gluten-free and vegan. Outdoor seating is both on the main street and out the back, in a shady garden. The pizza menu is excellent, which can be ordered takeaway or dine-in—although the dinner menu is otherwise quite limited. They also host some great local artists' exhibits, so be sure to check out the walls inside. 

Homey hospitality and a great vibe in this colorful, retro-style spot comes with house-cooked breakfasts (scrambled eggs are as good as you'll find anywhere), lunches, and baked goods. Plus, the outlook over the Grey River is terrific.

Every town needs a darn good café, and this one is Blenheim's. The all-day menu features all the standard Kiwi fare like French toast, eggs Benedict, and muesli. There are even a few keto dishes and plenty of gluten-free.  The menu offers a few fresh, simple dishes for lunch, as well as an impressive tea and coffee menu. Try the smoked chicken Caesar salad. Locals love this place, with its sharp, almost industrial decor.

At the top of the township, this groovy little bar and restaurant transforms into a packed music venue almost every weekend, year-round. Relax by the open fire on rustic furniture outside with a hearty burger and pint of craft beer. The space is quite small and can get crammed when busy, but they serve an extensive list of local beers on 12 taps. The food focus is on local, sustainable and ethical, and you’ll find a small menu that delivers on its big words such as wild, vegan, spear-caught and free-farmed. Try the Jamaican wild goat curry. 

Serving up the usual café fare with a modern twist, Sime’s Kitchen offers plenty of exciting fusion dishes for those who want to branch out. A few minutes' walk north of the town and worth the trip, the kitchen here is known for using its own honey and in-house-stoneground whole meal bread. There's a big focus on letting the fresh and seasonal local ingredients shine here. Get in there early, as they usually close at 3 pm. On sunny days, snag a table on the veranda.