Restaurants in Invercargill
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Duo
Just off Invercargill’s main drag, the elegant Duo has good-value lunch specials (all $15) and a more expensive evening menu. Standout menu items include smoked salmon, herb-and-feta-crusted pork steaks, and oven-baked blue cod. The wine list travels mainly to nearby Central Otago for some hard-to-find boutique tipples.
reviewed
-
B
El Tigre
Sick of small-town restaurants that all basically serve the same meal? Stop with the crazy pills and hunt out this funky little restaurant (slightly tricky to spot from the street). The menu is eclectic, with interesting touches such as ratatouille with your ostrich, or apricot sauce with your lamb backstrap. Sit near the kitchen at your peril – the smells from within can quickly drive you insane with hunger. Hip, distressed interior, lounge music, atmospheric lighting and service that cares make it our top pick in town.
reviewed
-
C
Buster Crabb
Inexplicably named after a British navy frogman who went missing in 1956, Buster Crabb overcomes a silly name to transform a spacious heritage-listed villa into a cosmopolitan dining experience. Local farming types – doing very well thank you – crowd in for scallops, pork belly, venison and blue cod. A tiny deck is a late afternoon suntrap, and it’s one of the only places in town that serves the Invercargill Brewery’s excellent Pitch Black stout on tap.
reviewed
-
D
Louie’s Café
This cosy, mellow little cafe-bar specialises in delicious tapas-style snacks, and there’s a concise blackboard menu, too. It’s a great spot for a late-night wine or an organic beer. Relax near the fireside, tuck yourself away in various nooks and crannies, or spread out on a comfy padded sofa and enjoy the chilled-out music. There are occasional live gigs.
reviewed
-
E
Three Bean Café
Believe us, we’ve done the hard yards for the discerning caffeine hound, and hands-down Invercargill’s best coffee is at this cosmopolitan main drag cafe. There are switched-on staff that remember you from the day before, and a tasty array of food – kick your day off with a salmon bagel ($11). Leave room for a baked slice of something sweet.
reviewed
-
F
Devil Burger
Only open a couple of weeks when we dropped by, and already doing great business with tasty gourmet burgers and healthy wraps. Their own beer is on tap, there’s loads of vegie options on offer, and even the phone number is a sly in-joke. On weekends, expect crowds of hungry burger fans from upstairs at Tillermans Music Lounge.
reviewed
-
G
Seriously Good Chocolate Company
This sunny spot a short walk from central Invercargill specialises in individual homemade chocolates. Order a coffee and then abandon yourself to the difficult task of choosing flavours. The chilli and peanut cluster variations were both good enough for us to return a second day. Like it says on the tin…seriously good.
reviewed
-
H
Zookeepers Cafe
Easily spotted by the giant corrugated-iron elephant on the ceiling. The zoo-keeping staff are laid-back and friendly, and the meals are good value and tasty. Tuck into a warm balsamic beef salad or sip an Invercargill Brewery beer. Try the Wasp lager, a southern honey-infused spin on a traditional Pilsner.
reviewed
-
I
EuropaNZ
Great-value Bavarian-style breakfasts – look forward to an $8 feast of egg, potato and sausage – and Invercargill’s best baked cheesecake feature at this German-owned deli-bakery. The daily soup and sourdough special ($5) is almost too affordable. There’s a play area for the kids, too.
reviewed
-
J
Rocks & Shop 5
Tucked away in a shopping arcade, this stylish candlelit bar with a couple of dining areas is a laid-back choice for a tasty meal. Lunch highlights are decent burgers, pasta and salad, and later at night the focus shifts to pork belly, Moroccan chicken and Stewart Island salmon.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
K
Fat Indian
Tucked away down a sneaky cobblestone alleyway, this snug little restaurant is fairly basic, but famous among travellers and locals for its large, good-value vindaloos, kormas and baltis. If you just can't decide, go for the ‘tandoori sampler'. Takeaways available.
reviewed
-
L
Turkish Kebabs
With assorted Turkish paraphernalia, this is an atmospheric spot for a sit-down meal, but it’s equally popular for takeaways, with tasty hummusy felafels and the namesake kebabs.
reviewed
-
M
Thai Dee
Autumnal walls with big pictures of Thailand will get you in the mood for well-spiced Thai salads, soups, noodles and curries in Southland proportions. Takeaways available.
reviewed
-
N
Sopranos Pizzeria
Trying just a little too hard to cash in on the mafia shtick, this cafe certainly does good pizzas, and its pasta and gourmet burgers ($21.50) are delicious, too.
reviewed
-
Ziff’s Café & Bar
Fun atmosphere and a stylish interior. Transfers from town are $2.
reviewed
-
Cabbage Tree
Huge menu, huge dishes, huge wine list, and a free courtesy bus.
reviewed
-
O
Tuatara Café
The cafe attached to this backpackers’ hotel is cool in a traveller-focused, dreadlocks-and-Kiwi dub kinda way. Eggs on toast ($7.50) make a hearty good-value start to the day and burgers ($15) are tasty and interesting. Team one with a Biman lager.
reviewed
