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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.
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.
Head here for huge menu of quality New Zealand dishes and a bar that can carry you to the wee small hours of the morning. This place can become a late-night party spot during the tourist season. Franz Josef is small enough to walk from most accommodations to dinner, but if you do want a courtesy car, these people bring out their very own stretch Hummer (for dinner only).
This standout along Fox Glacier's main street sparks up no-nonsense options with fresh local flavors, such as the Neve pizza topped with mozzarella, ham, bacon, pepperoni, tomatoes, and pineapple. From breakfast and on to lunch and dinner, the menu is big and varied, taking you through eggs Benedict, BLT sandwiches, soups and chowders, burgers, chicken, pizzas, and rib-eye steak—just what you need after a day exploring or driving. Everything is prepared on-site (muffins recommended). The wine list has only New Zealand vintages, and the beers are boutique.
In the lovely old former Collingwood Courthouse, on the main crossroads into town, this laid-back and popular café makes good use of local produce. Their big breakfast and eggs Benedict will set you up for a trip to the beach or Farewell Spit or Heaphy Track. Look also for the cinnamon pinwheels and panini, the pies and muffins, and daily blackboard special. The coffee is good, too, and all breads are made in-house. There are indoor and outdoor tables, but it gets packed in summer.
In this cheery beer garden–restaurant, hearty ales and craft brews are matched with traditional German cuisine, pizzas, gourmet burgers, and Kiwi fare. If beer is your focus, you can also get a beer-tasting tray. It's not all about wine in Marlborough, but yes, there is also a good range of wines. There's also a good kids' menu. This can be a busy venue, especially when the locals are here for a big rugby game or music gig, so think about booking your table ahead of time.
In a two-story Victorian waterfront hotel overlooking Ingles Bay, one of Kaikōura's most dependable eateries serves traditional (albeit updated) New Zealand pub fare with an extensive local wine list and craft beer. The bar serves cheaper lunches and pub snacks if you're just looking to graze. Courtesy coach to and from Town Centre by arrangement.
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.
The bistro-style menu here includes the signature whitebait (seasonal September through to November) and blue cod, along with the usual steaks, lamb, salmon, and mussels. In addition, the ales of the famous southern brand, Speight's, flow in the stylishly restored interior with shiny, bold copper vents contrasting against the wood and brick decor. There are also bar snacks and a kids' menu. The restored brick building, opposite the town's railway station, is one of Greymouth's originals.
Experience quality, classic New Zealand fare in a setting with grand views of the Southern Alps and Tasman Sea. Whether it's meat, fish, shellfish, or vegetables, this place delivers, and also matches its food with the local West Coast brew, Monteith's. The restaurant sits on a river terrace a couple of miles out of Hokitika, alongside a small number of accommodation suites. On summer evenings you can sit outside; inside you can peruse photos of the Blue Spur Goldfields, located here in the 1860s.
