Discover the most recommended restaurants in Wanaka
Browse trusted recommendations from locals, city experts and tastemakers across the city.
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The Most Recommended Cafes in Wanaka
Find the cafes locals, city experts and tastemakers recommend most.
The Most Recommended Bars in Wanaka
Browse the bars mates and locals keep recommending.
Restaurant leaderboards —
ranked by mates and locals
Explore the most loved venues in Wanaka.
No.VenueAboutAddressPhone
01.Amisfield Restaurant & Cellar DoorNew Zealand, Fine Dining Restaurant, WineryForget standard vineyard lunches—this is culinary theater on Lake Hayes. Diners doing the Queenstown circuit treat a table here as a non-negotiable ritual. The multi-course degustation turns regional New Zealand produce into a sequence of dramatic reveals: garden vegetables steal the show early, plates arrive with tableside storytelling, and steaks sear over open flames outdoors while sommelier pairings match every turn of the meal.10 Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Road Lake Hayes, 10 Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Road, Queenstown 9371, New Zealand+64 3 442 0556
02.Rhyme X Reason BreweryWine, Snacks, Taps, Brewery, BarSkip the lakeside tourist strip—the local crowd heads straight for Gordon Road to drink fresh-pulled pours beside active brew tanks. Tasting paddles line up everything from crisp golden ales to the Fruity Patootie hazy, with taps running clean and bartenders offering quick sips to help you choose. Outside, food truck partner Now Bao serves up pork belly loaded fries, tender ribs, and bao buns that pair neatly with cold beer. Pull up a table inside the warehouse space or take a growler to go.17 Gordon Road, Wānaka 9305, New Zealand+64 3 265 1101
03.Scroggin Coffee and EateryBrunch, Coffee, CafeWānaka’s morning energy runs straight through this packed Ardmore Street hub—a masterclass in Scandinavian timber aesthetics and serious breakfast plates. Regulars zero in on the eggs bene, swapping standard English muffins for a golden potato rosti base, while the kitchen keeps paces tight with stacked corned beef sandwiches and halloumi hash. Match your pour to the morning: clean filter roasts and umami matcha lattes pour with zero upcharge for plant milks. The pastry cabinet moves quick—warm savoury cheese scones and dark chocolate sea salt cookies wrapped for the road.71 Ardmore Street, Wānaka 9305, New Zealand+64 3 443 1187
04.GustoChinese, RestaurantSkip the usual meat pie after a long day on Wānaka trails and head to Gusto for generous, unapologetic Chinese comfort. Tables pack out fast for steaming plates built with serious wok hei—from crisp chicken and tender black pepper beef to local delicacy pāua stir-fried with ginger and spring onion. Communal dishes arrive in massive portions made for sharing over abundant bowls of rice. The dining room runs tight and lively, while staff keep the atmosphere warm and seamlessly pack up remaining rice for tomorrow's lunch.1 Lakeside Road, Wānaka 9305, New Zealand+64 3 443 6639
05.Gogi Jip Korean BBQ RestaurantKorean, Barbecue, RestaurantWhen road-trip pies and pub steaks wear thin, Gogi Jip is the Wānaka antidote—a direct line to Seoul tucked just off Dunmore Street. Travelers duck inside to shake off the lake chill over bubbling stews and sizzling pork. Tables crowd with generous spreads of banchan shoveled over steamed rice. Crisp fried chicken lands with dedicated mini-tongs, while floor staff step in to tend the tabletop grill for select cuts.31 Dunmore Street, Otago, Wānaka 9305, New Zealand+64 3 443 9070