Restaurants in New Zealand
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A
Federal Diner
Seek out this cosmopolitan cafe tucked away off Wanaka's main shopping street. The all-day menu delivers robust spins on breakfast, excellent coffee and chunky gourmet sandwiches. Try the 'Roaster Coaster' with slow-roasted pork shoulder and apple sauce on ciabatta. Beers and wines are proudly local, and there's occasional live music with a blues or folk flavour on Friday nights,
reviewed
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B
Federal & Wolfe
Packing crates and mismatched chairs (some seemingly liberated from a high school) lend an air of recycled chic to this corner cafe. Yet the be-suited swarm here for the first-rate coffee, delicious food (much of it organic and free range) and a quick dose of cool to get them through their working day.
reviewed
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C
Fergbaker
Hearty pies including Lamb & Kumara (sweet potato), and assorted baked goodies including ciabatta sandwiches and banoffee pie tart. A perfect early morning treat after an extended bar hop.
reviewed
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D
Ford's
Sunny pavement tables at the top of Trafalgar Street make this a popular lunchtime spot, as does the chef-owner’s menu of modern classics such as the excellent seafood chowder, steak sandwich on sourdough, and tuna niçoise. Make a short stop for coffee and a scone, or linger over dinner which leaps up a tenner.
reviewed
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E
Four Square Supermarket
Mr Four Square comes to the party, big time.
reviewed
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F
Grindz Café
The undisputed highlight of wide-open First Ave is Grindz, a hip cafe with scattered footpath tables. Inside it's a roomy, split-level affair, with funky wallpaper, antiques and retro relics. Bagels, veggie stacks, muffins, cakes and salads are the order of the day, plus creative coffee (try 'The Trough' if you're sleepy: a four-shot soup bowl of caffeine heaven). Free wi-fi too.
reviewed
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G
Harbourside Market
reviewed
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H
Heaven
Divine pizzas emerge from the flames of a woodfired oven, straddled by a monolithic sculpture of St George and the Dragon. Eat inside this groovy space with its rustic and recycled decor, or take away. Pizzas also available by the slice.
reviewed
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Hobnail Café
Cabinets full of high-quality stodge including mightily stuffed jacket potatoes, pastries, panini, biscuits and cake. Hearty breakfasts such as bubble and squeak fuel folk headed for the ice. Located in the same building as Fox Glacier Guiding.
reviewed
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J
Izakaya Yatai
Simple, fresh, authentic Japanese food cooked by Atsushi Taniyama in an unpretentious suburban house with empty sake bottles lining the window sills. Front-of-house host Barbara comes with a big personality. Set menus available.
reviewed
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Jack’s Gasthof
Jack’s Gasthof is 21km south of Westport on the Little Totara River. Laconic Jack swapped Berlin for this gentle spot more than 22 years ago, and he and Petra still run this eternally popular pizzeria (mains $10 to $25; open 11am) with adjacent bar improbably bejewelled with a disco ball. Rooms and camping for horizonal dancing.
reviewed
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Jay's Cafe
Mimicking the cafe's native bird theme, locals flock here for the best coffee in town and consistent cafe food, ranging from eggy brekkies through to grilled turbot and steak sammies.
reviewed
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K
Kaffe Eis
Ice cream made the Italian way, but with NZ ingredients (think extraordinarily good cream, luscious fruit including the inimitable feijoa) – Kaffe Eis brings you heaven by way of waffle or spoon. Go for the double scoop: vanilla on the bottom, gingernut on top. Look out for satellite branches along the waterfront.
reviewed
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L
Kiki Beware
This friendly neighbourhood cafe sees a loyal band of Roslyn locals popping in for excellent coffee, lots of design and travel magazines, and classy counter food including top-notch salmon bagels and classy cupcakes.
reviewed
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M
Kitchen Table
Sharing an airy gallery space with a local photography studio, this colourful and crafty cafe produces classic modern fare from scones to goat cheese salad. Plenty to inspire, both on the walls and on the menu.
reviewed
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Ladybird Hill Vineyard Restaurant
Drop into this slice of Tuscany for a leisurely lunch of venison open sandwich or wild rabbit pie, or come back at night for pan-fried salmon or prime rib-eye steak with roasted beetroot. Wines include the restaurant's own tipples, and vintages from the nearby Waitaki Valley. Other attractions include a kids' playground and walking tracks through the hillside vineyard.
reviewed
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N
L'Assiette
Fresh and bright, this little cafe is a popular coffee-and-pastry stop for harried office workers. By night it morphs into a fully fledged bistro, serving a delicious but limited menu of French classics at reasonable prices.
reviewed
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O
Laughing Buddha
Red-glowing windows and a rather menacing-looking Buddha sign suggest 'nightclub'...But a wander upstairs delivers you instead to New Plymouth's best Chinese restaurant. Load up on entree plates ($4 to $8; try the steamed pork buns), or order a steaming main course (the Cantonese roast duck with plum sauce is magic). Great for groups.
reviewed
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P
Lick & Slurp Soup
Winter? Summer? Soup? Ice-cream? Head to this versatile spot for gourmet treats like toffee apple or macadamia-nut ice cream, or hearty cool-weather concoctions including mushroom and thyme soup.
reviewed
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Q
Loan & Merc Tavern & Eating House
Attention travelling carnivores. Here's your opportunity to tuck into superbly roasted meats including lamb, beef and pork, all served with overflowing platters of innovatively prepared vegetables. Ask if the honey-roasted fennel bulbs are in season. À la carte offerings include rabbit, venison and pickled walnut pies, and during the day, the high-ceilinged heritage warehouse showcases ploughman's lunches with smoked and cured meats.
reviewed
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R
Luna
Make the trek to Roslyn for outstanding harbour views from this hilltop glass-encased pavilion. Ask for a window seat when you book, and tuck in dishes like nori-encased salmon with wasabi mash, or gnocchi with pumpkin, sage and walnuts. A more relaxed option is a drink in the classy bar and shared plates including scallops with chilli, lime and ginger.
reviewed
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S
Matahiwi Gallery
This old school house with a model steamboat out the front has been reborn as a casual cafe, serving cakes, slices, scones and gluten-free muffins washed down with coffee. Call ahead if you want to make sure they're open.
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Midori
Housed in a heritage whitestone building, this Japanese restaurant makes the most of the South Island's good seafood. Sashimi and sushi are superfresh, and other carefully prepared dishes include salmon on rice and teriyaki blue cod. Here's your tasty opportunity to (kind of) replicate the diet of a little blue penguin.
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MooChowChow
It's Thai, Nahm Jim, but not as we know it. Bangkok's street food has been channelled into this supremely Ponsonby mooching spot without missing a piquant note. We haven't had a bad dish here, and we've sampled most of the menu.
reviewed
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V
Morrell's
Artisan bakers with killer pies, wholesome bread and delicious patisserie.
reviewed