Restaurants in Wanaka
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A
Botswana Butchery
It’s a humble name for Wanaka’s classiest eatery. In a dining room trimmed with dark wood and leather, Asian-inspired dishes like seven-spiced big eye tuna go head to head with Botswana Butchery’s signature aged beef steaks. Definitely food for grown-ups, as is the serious Central Otago–skewed wine list. Just come with a few imbibing partners, as surprisingly few wines are available by the glass. Downstairs in Post Office Lane there’s a growing range of bars to explore after dinner. Let us know what you discover.
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B
White House Café & Bar
It looks like a Greek townhouse miraculously airlifted from Santorini, and inside this long-running local favourite you can linger over plates of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine with lots of vegetarian options. Polished wooden floors and Turkish rugs do nothing to break the delicious spell. In summer, relax under endless Central Otago blue skies seemingly also imported straight from the Med.
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C
Café Gusto
The most common answer to the question ‘Who’s got the best coffee in town?’, Gusto provides robust meals like breakfast burrito with jalapeno peppers, or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Both will set you up for the most active of days, and after you’ve kayaked/mountain biked/rafted/hiked, come back in the afternoon and recount the experience over excellent cakes and Wanaka’s best coffee.
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D
Ardmore St Food Company
This cosmopolitan lakefront cafe has everything from muffins the size of Mt Aspiring to quirkily dubbed breakfasts like Green Eggs and Ham (bacon, eggs and pesto if you’re wondering…). There’s a concise but considered list of local wines and boutique beers, and the attached deli is a good place to pick up gourmet goodies for a lakeside picnic.
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E
Kai Whakapai
A Wanaka institution, Kai (the Maori word for food) is the place to be on a sunny day, with perhaps the best patio in all of Aotearoa. Massive sandwiches, great coffee and exceptionally slow service are all a part of the experience. They have the locally brewed Wanaka Beerworks beer on tap, and some local Central Otago wines as well.
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F
Soulfood Store & Cafe
Park yourself in a rustic wooden booth and stay healthy with organic soups, pizza, pasta and muffins. Not everything’s strictly vegetarian, and breakfast with free-range eggs breaks the spell in a tasty way. The attached organic food store, which has freshly baked bread, is a good spot for a pre-picnic stock-up.
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G
Red Star
Burgers are burgers, right? Wrong. Taking the idea that fast food doesn’t have to be rubbish (or even that fast) and running with it, Red Star spoils diners with a menu featuring inventive ingredients and 17 different burgers. Everybody is catered for – even vegetarians, who get a show-stopping three options.
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Lone Star
The line ‘everything’s bigger in Texas’ seems to fit the food here. Massive plates of grub are the calling card of Lone Star. Tex-Mex flavours and a festive atmosphere keep the mood light – though too many meals here and you won’t be. Best to tuck into the Fred Flintstone–worthy ribs.
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H
Missy’s Kitchen
A dramatic upstairs dining room with equally spectacular lake views serves up local beef, lamb and salmon in innovative and award-winning ways. Prolong the experience with a cocktail at the bar. The list of local beers and wine make returning for a second night worthwhile.
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I
Yohei
Tucked away in a shopping arcade, this funky Japanese-inspired eatery does interesting local spins on sushi (how about venison or lamb?), and superlative juices and smoothies. Very cool music too, and a good range of vego options.
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J
Relishes
A cafe by day, this place whips out the white tablecloths at night and becomes a classy restaurant with a good wine list. Try the antipasto platter ($26) with local salmon, and toast the lakefront setting.
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K
Doughbin Bakery
The Doughbin Bakery – motto: ‘Baking at sparrow’s fart since Adam was a cowboy’ – specialises in McGregor’s fine pies. With a motto like that, you just know they’re going to be fresh.
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L
Sagun
Dubbed ‘Curry in a Hurry’ by locals, Sagun does good Indian food.
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