I love food! I realize that camping and road tripping is maybe more about the adventure and cooking simple dishes in your car or common kitchens on the campgrounds, but I cannot help myself. I always have to explore the culinary part of the country as well (not only New Zealand but anywhere we travel to). New Zealand has got great food, lots of amazing restaurants and I believe they form a great part of the nation’s culture. Every time I want to go out to have a nice meal I make a research so we won’t end up at some place I will regret later. new zealand for foodies
I think we did quite a good job here because everywhere we went, we loved it so much that I had to write about it. In this article you will find all the places we went for food during our road trip, so if you are foodies like us, I believe it will come in handy when you have enough of eating sausages, canned tuna or instant noodles (not that there would be anything wrong with sausages, canned tuna or noodles).
Pronto – Mount Maunganui
Pronto Burger was the least expensive restaurant we’ve been to in New Zealand. For 2 big burgers with fries and 2 cokes the bill was only $32 NZD! In Sydney it would be at least $60 AUD. And it was really delicious. Funny story here – when we wanted to pay, our credit card did not work for some mysterious reason. This was the first and luckily the last time we experienced this during our trip. After trying for the 3rd or 4th time, a random customer offered to pay our bill for us. We wanted to transfer him the money or go to an ATM and give him cash, but he just waved his hand and told us to forget it, that the closest ATM is anyway 20 minute drive in Tauranga. What a beautiful act of kindness! Thank you very much mysterious stranger for inviting for dinner on our first day of our holidays. I will surely never forget the amazing hospitality of New Zealanders! new zealand for foodies
Urban Bistro – Rotorua
I usually don’t order salad for lunch, but when I do it must be epic! And this one in Urban Bistro in Rotorua really was the epic one. Of course, that salad is not all they have. From what I could see it looked like very popular place for locals, it is not in city center but on one of the bigger streets with lots of motels and hotels around. Even though the interior was not according to my style, the food was delish! new zealand for foodies
Pig and Whistle – Rotorua
Dinner time in Rotorua, because even if we wanted to cook, it was raining as hell and who wants to cook in such a bad weather in the trunk of their car? Well, certainly not me. Initially we picked two different restaurants but because it was weekend, they were fully booked. Pig and Whistle is more of a pub than a restaurant, it is quite large to accommodate lots of people. The portions were huge for reasonable prices and food was good as well, so we were leaving happy. new zealand for foodies
The Thirsty Weta – Otorohanga
Our last brunch before abseiling down to Waitomo caves! Otorahanga is very small, but not less cute. For my surprise there were quite a few lunch/dinner options, plus McDonald and KFC. We picked the one spot with the highest rating (obviously) – The Thirsty Weta. I got their signature waffles with bacon and maple syrup and Tomas got bagel. I loved the waffles and it was so many of them! The restaurant/pub had really nice atmosphere and friendly staff. new zealand for foodies
Garage Project – Wellington
This place was just amazing! Very cool ambiance right on the waterfront promenade, with many kinds of specialty craft beers and cocktails, and the food was sooo good! I loved everything about Garage Project.
Karaka Café – Wellington
Cute café next to Te Papa Museum with waterfront seating outside to have a quick dish and coffee.
Kaikoura Food Company – Kaikoura
Our first stop on South Island, we just quickly grabbed some take away iced coffees, smoothies and bagels and hit the road again. Kaikoura is a small surf town on the way from Picton to Christchurch and it is a great stop to break your journey and gain some energy.
Relishes Café – Wanaka
Even though Wanaka is a small town, it is well known for its great food scene – restaurants, cafes, artisan breweries and distilleries, wineries, farmers’ market etc. Relishes Café is sitting right on the small promenade at the lake and offering very innovative dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We came for lunch and I had probably the best chicken pate in my life! Also their staff and interior are absolutely beautiful.
The Fat Duck Gastropub - Te Anau
When we came to The Fat Duck it was raining so bad! We were tired after having to wake up early to drive to Milford Sound and then coming back in such a bad weather. It was very cosy inside, nice food and friendly staff so we forgot about the weather completely. We liked it there so much, that we came back the next morning for breakfast before leaving Te Anau. If you are staying in Te Anau, or if you just want to break your journey to Milford, this place will not disappoint you.
Devil’s Burger – Queenstown
There is this burger place in Queenstown called Fergburger and it should be the best burger in town, maybe the best on South Island (some may say the best in the world). And I wanted to go and try what the hype is about, but when my hungry eyes saw the long line of people waiting in the rain to get their burger I said “nope! We need to find a different place!” I think that the Devil’s Burger was a great choice and I don’t feel like I was missing on something. They have amazing fireplace inside with comfy couches and the burgers are pretty awesome too, so if you find yourself in similar situation as us, this is the place to go!
Patagonia Ice Creamery and Chocolaterie – Queenstown
The best hot chocolate! Ever! End of story! I bet you know, when it is cold and you are craving really good hot chocolate but usually it is a big disappointment because it’s either made from powder or it’s so thick that you cannot drink it. This one from Patagonia Ice Creamery was perfect with tiny marshmallow on top and just the right consistency, made from real chocolate. I loved it! Plus they have amazing cakes, desserts, ice cream and much much more. But be aware that it is really busy and you may have to wait to get a table. It is worth it though, I promise.
These were all the places we stopped in for some beautiful dishes. I hope this article inspired you at least a little bit to try some of them. I know, maybe some people will say that it is not a real camping or road trip without cooking on the little stove, eating only on fresh air, but I cannot imagine travelling somewhere without trying their local food. For me this is an irreplaceable part of any holidays.
How do you like to travel? Do you go to try local restaurants? Based on what do you choose where to go for food? Do you rely on reviews from other people? Do you know any good restaurants or cafes on New Zealand that we should try next time?
Let me know in comment section below!
