Food · New Zealand
What to eat in New Zealand
New Zealand's food, destination by destination.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: elpinto007, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Flat white, Meat pie and Fish and chips. Espresso with a thin layer of velvety microfoam milk, smaller and stronger than a latte.
Key facts
- Dishes in this guide
- 12
- Destinations
- 4
Dishes to try in New Zealand
Try in Auckland · Vegetarian
Flat white
Espresso with a thin layer of velvety microfoam milk, smaller and stronger than a latte. Auckland's café culture takes it seriously, and many cafés roast their own beans.
Where: Independent cafés across Ponsonby, Britomart, Kingsland and Mount Eden.
Try in Auckland
Meat pie
Hand-sized pies filled with mince and cheese, steak and gravy or butter chicken are New Zealand's go-to lunch, eaten on the move from a paper bag.
Where: Bakeries and dairies (corner shops) across the city; award-winning bakeries often post their medals in the window.
Try in Auckland
Fish and chips
Battered snapper, tarakihi or gurnard with thick-cut chips, wrapped in paper and eaten at the beach. Many shops also sell battered mussels, oysters and kūmara chips.
Where: Takeaway shops in beach suburbs such as Mission Bay, Devonport and Takapuna.
Try in Queenstown
Gourmet burgers
Queenstown's late-night burger culture is famous, led by Fergburger on Shotover Street, with thick patties of beef, lamb, venison or blue cod in oversized buns.
Where: Fergburger on Shotover Street (expect a queue, often late into the night) and other burger joints in the town centre.
Try in Queenstown · Vegetarian
Central Otago pinot noir
The world's southernmost major wine region produces intense, fruity pinot noir, along with aromatic whites such as riesling and pinot gris.
Where: Cellar doors in Gibbston Valley, Bannockburn near Cromwell and wine bars in Queenstown and Arrowtown.
Try in Queenstown
Lamb
Lamb from Otago and Southland high-country farms appears as slow-cooked shoulder, rack or rump on menus all over town.
Where: Restaurants in the town centre and Arrowtown, and the farm barbecue at Walter Peak.
Try in Christchurch
Canterbury lamb
Lamb raised on the Canterbury Plains is a regional point of pride, served as roast rack, slow-cooked shoulder or lamb shanks in pubs and restaurants.
Where: Restaurants and gastropubs in the central city, Merivale and Lyttelton.
Try in Christchurch
Whitebait fritter
Tiny juvenile fish bound with egg into an omelette-like fritter and served on buttered white bread with lemon. Whitebait season runs in spring, roughly September to November.
Where: Cafés and seafood shops when in season, especially on the West Coast and around Canterbury.
Try in Christchurch
Akaroa salmon
King salmon farmed in Akaroa Harbour on Banks Peninsula, served raw, cured, hot-smoked or pan-fried.
Where: Restaurant menus across the city and in Akaroa itself.
Try in Wellington · Vegetarian
Craft beer
The city has a dense concentration of small breweries and taprooms making hazy IPAs, sours and experimental beers; Garage Project in the Aro Valley is the best known.
Where: Brewery taprooms and specialist beer bars around Te Aro and the Aro Valley.
Try in Wellington · Vegetarian
Martinborough Pinot Noir
The Wairarapa town of Martinborough, about an hour over the hill, is known for structured, cool-climate Pinot Noir and aromatic whites.
Where: Wine bars and restaurant lists in the city, or cellar doors in Martinborough.
Try in Wellington
Pāua fritter
Minced pāua (New Zealand abalone) bound with egg and fried into a dark, rich fritter, often served in a bun or with salad.
Where: Seafood shops and some cafés and fish-and-chip shops, particularly on the south coast.
Food scene by destination
| Destination | Food experience | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Waiheke winery lunch | Café kitchens often close mid-afternoon; plan brunch and lunch earlier than you might at home. |
| Queenstown | Gibbston wine trail | Book dinner ahead in peak summer and ski season; popular restaurants fill days in advance. |
| Christchurch | Saturday farmers' markets | Cafés often stop serving food by mid-afternoon; plan brunch and lunch earlier than you might in Europe. |
| Wellington | Wellington On a Plate | Café kitchens often close by mid-afternoon; plan lunch accordingly. |
Food experiences
- Auckland — Waiheke winery lunch: Take the ferry to Matiatia and spend the day moving between cellar doors, with lunch on a vineyard terrace overlooking the Gulf.
- Queenstown — Gibbston wine trail: Tour, cycle or drive the Gibbston Valley's cellar doors along the Kawarau River, finishing with lunch at a winery restaurant.
- Christchurch — Saturday farmers' markets: The markets at Riccarton House and in Lyttelton on Saturday mornings sell local cheese, bread, berries, coffee and hot breakfasts; arrive early for the best choice.
- Wellington — Wellington On a Plate: Each August the city's food festival brings set menus, events and a famous burger competition to restaurants across the region; book popular events early.
Questions travellers ask
+What food is New Zealand famous for?
Flat white, Meat pie, Fish and chips, Gourmet burgers and Central Otago pinot noir.