These are the restaurants in Queenstown & Central Otago that the major lists rate, plus the local institutions the press keeps returning to, on one map. Filter by list, tap a pin for the details, and follow the links on each card to the award or article behind it.
Key takeaways
- Strongest list standing: Amisfield, Arc Wānaka and Essence.
- 13 places: 1 on a 50 Best list, 12 from other guides.
- Every award and article is linked on its card, so you can check it yourself before booking.
Places are ordered by list standing, then press coverage. This is not a ranking of our own. Last checked October 26, 2026.
Screenshot of amisfield.co.nz Lake Hayes · Wild food tasting menu
The winery restaurant at Amisfield near Lake Hayes ranked No. 99 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 51-100 list for 2025. Cuisine noted a chef change during its 2026 assessment period.
Lake Hayes, Queenstown
Screenshot of arcwanaka.co.nz Arc Wānaka
$$$Wānaka · Seasonal set menu
One hat · Cuisine Good Food Guide 2026Regional Restaurant of the Year 2026 · Cuisine Good Food Awards 2026Chef-owners James Stapley and Sam Cooper serve a changing set menu from local farmers, hunters, fishers and producers on Wānaka's main street. Cuisine named it Regional Restaurant of the Year 2026.
74 Ardmore Street, Wānaka 9305
Screenshot of roki-collection.com Queenstown · Fine dining tasting menus
Three hats · Cuisine Good Food Guide 2026Restaurant of the Year 2026 · Cuisine Good Food Awards 2026Director of Culinary Paul Froggatt's intimate restaurant pairs New Zealand produce with European technique through two tasting menus. Cuisine named it Restaurant of the Year 2026 with three hats.
2 Brunswick Street, Queenstown 9300
Screenshot of aosta.nz Aosta
$$Arrowtown · Northern Italian
Ben Bayly's Arrowtown restaurant, run in the kitchen by head chef Josh Phillips, serves a small Northern Italian menu built on local ingredients. It holds two hats in the 2026 Cuisine guide.
18 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown 9302Queenstown · Steak and seafood
Set in the historic Archer's Cottage with lake views and fireplaces, Botswana Butchery serves premium New Zealand meat and local seafood. It holds one hat in the 2026 Cuisine guide.
Archers Cottage, 17 Marine Parade, Queenstown 9300
Screenshot of cardronadistillery.co.nz Cardrona Valley · Seasonal NZ, spirits pairing
The distillery's restaurant in a stone building in the Cardrona Valley serves a changing seasonal menu by chef Jack Foster designed around its spirits. Cuisine gave it one hat in 2026.
Cardrona Distillery, Cardrona Valley Road, Cardrona
Screenshot of finowinebar.co.nz Frankton · Wine bar, sharing plates
The tasting room for Quartz Reef wines on Frankton Marina doubles as a restaurant, with executive chef Stacia Andani's seasonal sharing menu. It holds one hat in the 2026 Cuisine guide.
3 Sugar Lane, Frankton, Queenstown 9300
Screenshot of jervoissteakhouse.co.nz Queenstown · Steakhouse
Opened in 2006, this steakhouse lets diners choose cuts of New Zealand, Australian, Japanese and US beef from a meat board before they are grilled. Cuisine gave it one hat in 2026.
8 Duke Street, Queenstown 9300
Screenshot of kika.nz Kika
$$$Wānaka · Global sharing plates
Chef-owner James Stapley's Wānaka restaurant serves sharing plates built on local produce with influences from around the world. Cuisine gave it two hats in 2026.
2 Dunmore Street, Wānaka 9305
Screenshot of pavilionqueenstown.com Frankton · Steak, oysters, social dining
A Frankton bar and food hall concept that includes Steak & Oyster Co. by chef Sean Connolly. It holds one hat in the 2026 Cuisine guide.
Building E, 19 Grant Road, Frankton, Queenstown 9300Rātā
$$$Queenstown · Modern regional NZ
Restaurateur Fleur Caulton's Queenstown restaurant cooks with regional produce, using preserving, fermenting and dehydrating, and pairs it with a wine list strong on Otago. Cuisine gave it one hat in 2025.
Screenshot of sherwoodqueenstown.nz Sherwood
$$Queenstown · Garden-to-table
The restaurant at the Sherwood hotel draws on more than 700 square metres of organic garden, with chef Chris Scott's menu shaped by preserves and ferments. It holds two hats in the 2026 Cuisine guide.
Sherwood, 558 Frankton Road, Queenstown 9300
Screenshot of toastandoak.nz Queenstown · Wine bar, seasonal NZ
A Shotover Street wine bar and restaurant where chef Giulio Barducci cooks a seasonal menu best eaten from a seat at the pass. Cuisine gave it two hats in 2026.
15 Shotover Street, Queenstown 9300
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Get the New Zealand eSIMHow we chose these restaurants
A place gets in one of two ways. It holds an award in a 2024, 2025 or 2026 edition of a recognised list, or it is a local institution that at least two established outlets have covered. We do not rank, and nothing here is paid for. The order on the page follows list standing first, then press coverage. The full method is in the note at the end.
More food guides
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best restaurant in Queenstown & Central Otago?+
Which Queenstown & Central Otago restaurants are on a 50 Best list?+
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Methodology
How we did this comparison
This guide aggregates; it does not rank. A restaurant in Queenstown & Central Otago is included if it holds a place on a recognised list in a 2024, 2025 or 2026 edition (Cuisine Good Food Awards 2026, The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 (51-100), La Liste 2026, Cuisine Good Food Guide 2026 and Cuisine Good Food Guide 2025), linked to the list publisher's own page, or if it is a local institution covered by at least two established outlets, each linked on its card. A single blog post or a review-site rating is not enough.
Places are ordered by list standing (MICHELIN stars, 50 Best, Tabelog Gold and Black Pearl three diamonds first, then other awards and Bib Gourmand), then by how much press they have. Summaries paraphrase the cited sources. Map positions come from OpenStreetMap. Price bands run from $ (casual) to $$$$ (tasting-menu fine dining) and are our reading of each place's menus and sources; places without one had no price source.
Every entry was checked against its sources on 26 October 2026. Lists change every year and restaurants close, so check opening days and book directly before you travel.
Sources & references
We verify carrier and regulator pricing directly from primary sources before publishing. Pricing is current as of the article's last update — always confirm rates on the carrier's site before you travel.
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About the author
Lotsotravel Team
The Lotsotravel editorial team writes hands-on guides for international travelers. We test eSIMs on real devices in real destinations, monitor Canadian and U.S. carrier pricing weekly, and compare coverage across local network partners before we recommend a plan. Every comparison post is updated when carriers change their rates so the numbers you read here match what you would pay today.
Last updated: October 26, 2026