TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in New Zealand - Updated November 2024

"Such a wonderful place and a very proud and kind owner Alice who helped us on a rainy and chilly night during closing time with not only delicious..."

Rowena Williams

Kirstin Yee

"Popped in for dinner on the way south. The place was packed on a Wed night. Delicious food and well priced for the quality. Staff were friendly..."

Marcus L

"Ton’s is definitely my favourite Thai restaurant in New Zealand, I have tried almost all the Thai menu and I always get surprised. I wait the pay..."

Claudio Salas

"Amazing! My wife and I had a fantastic dining experience at Tons Thai! I couldn't decide so I left the choice to the chef and I was pleasantly..."

Quentin Moss

"Great place. Took some guests and they were very impressed! Thanks Ton and your great staff. We'll see you again..."

Yvonne Luxton

"Nice place. Good quality and prices. The portions are big. We were served very fast. Highly..."

Ann Zuraeva

"Great food and amazing service :) 100%..."

Mariajosé at

"We had a wonderful time at Ton's Thai. I would highly reccomend this hidden gem for a lovely evening in Ashburton. The wait staff were very pleasant..."

Bailey Wood

"Wonderful, friendly host. Great food at affordable prices. An absolute asset to Ashburton and beyond. We travel 45 min just to have lunch at Ton's...."

Richard Taylor

"Large portions - we had the pineapple fried rice, beef noodle soup and paad Thai. Reasonable standard. Staff were friendly with excellent..."

David Tan

Columbus Cafe

Toast with Poached Eggs

Gluten Free Toast and Chips

Wheelchair Accessible

"This cosy coffee shop offered great variation of drinks and foods. The staff was extremely friendly and..."

Kalle H

"Great amount of choices for food. From menu to display and dietary options too. Staff is super friendly. The atmosphere is calm and cozy. There are..."

Annemieke Blekkink

"Fantastic customer service and even better food. Wide range of options and good descriptions of food on menue. Always presented gorgeously and tastes..."

Emma Johnson

"Awesome food and service. Did an awesome job with our large group. Coffee was great..."

Craig Knights

"While visiting a friend in Ashburton, we decided to have some yummies and knew for sure that Columbus wouldn't disappoint. Sure enough the food was..."

Shan Padarath

"Great place to grab a coffee or smoothie. They never fail on quality here. My wife and I just went here today for a couple of cold drinks. I would..."

Gatlin Skansie

"Sat outside with the heaters on and LOVED my eggs bene with salmon and a delicious latte! Thanks Team for the happy smiley..."

Petra Knights

"Friendly staff but unbearably noisy banging crockery, utensils, and grinding coffee. Makes for a difficult time talking, enjoying the atmosphere, and..."

Steph W

"Excellent location. Friendly staff. Great food and..."

Ted Roberts

"Some of the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time! Shout out to the..."

O.C.D.C Clothing

Salt and Pepper on the Rocks

Fish

Farmers Wedges with Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream

Caramel Cheesecake

Sandwich Stake

Cappuccino

Coated Chips and Cheese

Chicken Burger and Fries

Wheelchair Accessible

"On our way home from Christchurch and full of the flu we called in for a hot chocolate...WOW it was the yummiest...just what we needed...we'll be..."

Carol Tutty

"Fabulous regular meeting place for weekly coffees and meals. Berry smoothie best ever!! Well..."

Jan McClelland

"Great food, lovely staff, beautiful surroundings...and a great gift..."

Gwenda Kendrew

"Best wedges in town. Always a nice atmosphere. Lovely..."

Cheryl Kerr

"Lovely friendly helpful staff Felt n taken care..."

Fran Christie

"Yummo, something for everyone! Staff were awesome with our boisterous wee..."

Rachael Goodfellow

"Loved this beautiful cafe 😍 they had a new employee training here this weekend and she was doing an outstanding job! 👍 Everyone was very..."

Quintin Swanepoel

"Stopped by for breakfast and was very impressed by the restaurant setup. The eggs benedict was one of the best we've had. Coffee was nice..."

Etuate Cakau

"Excellent food and service. Great place to shop and get..."

Michael

"Chance upon this place and is such a gem!! Seafood chowder was a bomb!!! Must..."

Sandy Goh

"If you are wanting wedges definitely come here! They make the best wedges with cheese bacon,spring onion,sour cream and sweet chili sauce! Their..."

Emma

"Beautiful cafe with a beautiful shop. Food are tasty as well. Would love to come..."

Feng Zhu

"We stopped there to grab a quick bite and coffee to take away in the middle of a road trip. The cheese puff was amazing. Best I've ever had, light..."

norman smart

"Nice warm venue on our way to Timaru for brunch. Thanks for the lovely customer service and warm..."

Dennis Rollings

"Delicious food, well made coffee, friendly staff & great..."

Rose Quinn

"I have often driven past but never stopped. Beautiful atmosphere staff helpful great food loved the carrot..."

Felicity Dagg uses Stampinup

"Absolutely recommend lushingtons, wonderful knowledgeable staff. Perfectly made hot coffee and the best steak sandwich and fries in the south island...."

Byron Bryant

"Good little stop on the outside of Ashburton. Nice garden centre with a good Cafe and plenty of food options. Can be busy but staff..."

Sarah Healey

"Stopped in for breakfast on our way south. Smashed avocado was outstanding, as were the pancakes and eggs..."

Kate Reese

"The service was so friendly and eager to serve and the food was amazing ,i had the lamb salad ,every mouthful was sumptuous..."

tracey Reid

"Great service. Fast and efficient. Food and drinks were lovely. Attached to a cute garden gift..."

Amber Hardy

"Excellent coffee ....lovely staff....very nice food. They care about their..."

Elly Grant

The Somerset Grocer Cafe And Bar

Pumpkin Spinach and Feta Muffin Plus an Iced Chocolate

Raspberry and White Chocolate Slice

Cakes

Beetroot and Haloumi Salad

Wheelchair Accessible

"We’re making our way back to Christchurch to catch a flight to Auckland and we stopped for breakfast here. What a beautiful cafe with amazing food..."

Rachelle Edlington

"They have the most amazing food, great atmosphere. This is always my first choice when I head through Ashburton. ..."

Jeanine Cassidy

"Best coffee in town , food very good selection of cabinet food and also on menu. Staff very obliging and very good service. Lovely ambience in cafe..."

Jim Barbara Lischner

"Had a fantastic breakfast. Hard to choose it all looked wonderful. Coffee was..."

Debra Barltrop

"The best coffee I have had in a while, and the selection of goodies is to die..."

Jeni Sparks

"Best coffee I've ever had! Great atmosphere, amazing food and very friendly..."

Cayla Collins

"Perfect Night, Perfect Service, Perfect Place! And Perfect Music!..."

Iris Allison Van Asperen

"Good vibe, great food and good..."

Andrew Law

"Had a great lunch here today. Nice friendly service with good knowledge about GF food, which helps when you are with two celiac people. Nice coffee..."

Craig McKenzie

"I've been meaning to come here for yonks. Finally did today for a light lunch, had the salmon roulade, you should definitely try it! Coffee is great,..."

Morgan Williams

"A great little cafe to stop for breakfast on our way through Ashburton. The cafe was well presented and tastefully prrsented. I liked their selection..."

Brie Liberty

"Good cafe to hang out when in Ashburton. Came here thrice and was never disappointed with the overall experience. Good strong coffee and they have..."

sushma padilam

"Went there in a wet Saturday morning in November. It was cosy and warm when we enter. The keto bake and carrot salad were delicious. Coffee as great..."

Lay Cheng Ho

"We were a group of 12, stopped for morning tea one day and lunch the next day. Both times we were served our coffees and food almost together, which..."

Elaine Clark

"The place is well presented and comfortable. I like their Salmon Roulette which I usually order. The coffee is a bit..."

Gerald Zapico

"Fantastic, blue cheese and mushroom tart was divine. Relaxed welcoming atmosphere, nice place to stop when travelling for a break. Excellent service,..."

Lissie Brown

"Went to buy a brand of tea & flavour. They had the brand however not the flavour. The lady behind the counter went over & above to rectify the..."

Beverley Knowles

"Good food, good service, great..."

Tania and Pete McFarlane

"Great spot for a wee stop. Nice cabinet sweets and friendly..."

Nicole Down

"Great place to go for lunch, takeaway or..."

Pam Oliver-Hylands

"Great cafe, staff, and..."

Mike Robinson

"Good strong coffee, good selection of food. Food has an old fashioned feel to it. Well suited for older..."

Catherine Barr

"Really nice place and friendly service! Happy there was a vegan option..."

Chrystal

Cafe Time

Half Coffee Streaky Dish

Rose Stem Smoko Table

Bacon and Egg Pie Slice

Gross Donut

Pasty and a Scotch Egg

Crinkle Chips North of Sauce

Cappuccino Neozelandese

Like flat grilled chicken panini

Nachos

Cooked breakfast

Steak and Cheese Pie

Queens Cake and Flat White Killer Combo

Wheelchair Accessible

"What a great place to come too. Staff very pleasant. Delivery of food and coffee was quick. Flavours were great. The hamburger looked misleading then..."

Michael Coursey

"We have always drove pass while driving through. We took the opportunity to stop today and boy was it worth it. I'm very impressed by the savouries...."

Charlene Smith

"A great selection of cakes that look to be custom-made instead of mass produced. Nice coffee and tea, reasonably priced and with on-site toilets and..."

Gavin Bollard

"Yum, yum and yum! Still my favourite Brunch spot in the World..."

Rocky Smee

"Dropped in here a few weeks back to buy some fudge as a gift. Thinking it's just a fudge shop. But didn't realise its actually a cafe and Bakery. So..."

Greg Nikoloff

"Nice cup of coffee on a trip to Dunedin. Friendly service and while I didn't buy any food the cabinet food looked very tempting. Good..."

Kennedy Dawson

"What a lovely store. Have driven past a million times on main road, and this time needed to call in for a desperate coffee. I will return again for..."

kiwisaz

"Great wee cafe, bursting with goodies at extremely reasonable prices and super friendly too. Best cream bun my husband had had in years he..."

Diana Whipp

"Great food here, coming as a stop on the trip. Had great pie and pie slices, and good custard tarts. A little bit expensive..."

Brainysmurfs

"I had a mince and cheese pie here, I am from Aussie and I would have to say this is one of the best pies iv had...."

Baxter Rewald

"Spacious, clean great selection of food. Lots of off street parking and toilet..."

Barry McKean (ASK BARRY)

"Wanted to find a place for driving break and chances upon this lovely café with fresh bakes and one of the best chips! Love the coziness of it..."

L Freya

"Nice food. Nice people. Plenty off street parking. Good..."

Sin Play

"Great coffee,Cream donut couldn’t have been any fresher and bacon@egg slice yum,recommend..."

Trev Hutt

"A quick stop off towards Dunedin and very popular place! Fudge was delicious and lovely customer..."

Regina Ieti

Formosa Restaurant

83/100 (1514 ratings)

Korean Spicy Chicken with Creamy Cheeses

Tiramisu Cake

Petit Four

Lunch Special Roasted Chicken and Chinese Sausage

Crispy Chicken Tenders

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Taiwanese Fried Chicken

Wheelchair Accessible

"Everything about this place is amazing. The atmosphere, the decor, the food , the service. Best Asian food I have ever had. We got a whole lot of..."

Rebekah Marie Laird

"Fantastic service and our meal was amazing the staff were very helpful with the menu as I didn't know what a lot was let alone how to pronounce :)..."

Kim Anderson

"Amber and Don have just catered our wedding in the weekend and I cannot speak highly enough! The food was perfect and EVERYONE ate and enjoyed it!..."

Roimata Sheldon

"OMG. this place is just divine. Beautiful food . Sooooo yum. Great atmosphere. Highly recommended yum..."

Suzanne Taylor

"I went there in April with family. It was a rainy day but once you step into the restaurant you will be astonished by the flower wall painting on the..."

Sarah Wang

"Such a great restaurant...a real asset to Ashburton. Delicious food and great value for money. Such lovely staff who have always been so..."

Amy Honeywell

"beautiful food great prices all thoroughly enjoyed our dish beautiful cooked tasty very enjoyable.although very noise when filled booked ..."

Helen Argyle

"Best Asian food in NewZealand, and very good service😍 highly..."

Ada Hsiao

"The chef has brought taiwan street food to a higher level. Highly recommended restaurant. Great food, ambient and friendly staffs. Must come if..."

Priscillia Wong

"Great place to go with a few friends and share food and laughs. Tasty food, beautiful decor and friendly caring staff with efficient service. no..."

Yao Wu

"Sooooo yum!! Food is amazing, service exceptional, so much passion and detail has gone into every aspect of the decor. Could not fault anything! Well..."

Taryn McFadden

"Excellent food and great service will be back highly..."

Paula Burgess

"My husband and I came here for dinner yesterday. What a gorgeous restaurant! They have done an amazing job at making the place look authentic, as..."

JessicaRobert Smith

"Very friendly staff and food was amazing would definitely go there..."

Amy Blackman

"Brilliant, everything about this place is spot..."

Ben Faulkner-Nicol

"在寬敞明亮的用餐空間，享受主廚介紹的美味糖醋排骨及……。餐廳及酒吧質感優秀深具特色。從Christchurch 到Te..."

Tung Yang Liu

"I am excited and can't wait for it to open. Have been telling people about it. All the best for the grand opening of Formosa..."

Thelma Trono Bell

"Great service, beautiful decor, delicious food! Will defiantly be back! ..."

Charnae Sinclair

"Banquet was amazing!! Highly recommend..."

Hayley Gallagher

"Yummy food at a great price. Whole family loved it. We will definitely be..."

Jen Muir

"Absolutely beautiful food and service was outstanding. We will be back..."

Lyndall Chisnall

"Amazing food. Clean warm environment, and Fast..."

Kylie Fricker

"Amazing service and food. Will definitely be back especially for the Taiwanese..."

Dayna Hurst

"Great food and awesome service will most definitely be back for more!!!..."

Robert Faulkner-Nicol

"Best meal I’ve had in Ashburton in a long time - so..."

Kylie Nicol

"Delicious! Been 3 times and love the food, lovely people..."

Erin Doyle

"Food was devine. Couldn't fault it. Did find that the acoustics made it very noisy and hard to hold a conversation when a big crowd in but we just..."

Kylie Burrowes

"The whole experience was great from start to finish..."

Peter Perte

"The food was authentic and delicious. It was a shame that the Taiwanese beers seem to be available but were not listed on the menu. Would love to..."

Yuli Lin

"What a great pleasant surprise. We only meant to have a quick stop at Ashburton’s McDonald’s, but only found out it temporarily shut down for..."

Carl K

"Travelled here because of the good reviews we’d heard. Really well done menu with a real range of options! The service was excellent and we had our..."

Rubie

"Best Asian food we had. We ordered beef noodles (I requested extra spicy for myself which tastes even better since I’m a spicy food lover) and it..."

Stella Tan

"Amazing service and amazing food! I had my reservations as some people mentioned it was Asian fusion but boy, how delicious and authentic the food..."

Rebecca Lim

"A lovely Taiwanese restaurant at the heart of Ashburton, brings the Asian food pallet to New Zeland. The moment one steps in the atmosphere takes..."

Kalle H

"The restaurant’s ambience was extremely beautiful.The food was great,the creamy chicken noodle soup and honey pork was delicious.The prices of food..."

Connie Onilongo

"Great food with large portions; warm atmosphere and good vibes. Staff were friendly and recommended the right dishes for us. Loved the attentiveness..."

Benjamin T

"Will very happily go back. The food was amazing and very reasonable. The deserts were top notch and best I have ever had. Great service ..."

Judy Albrey

"Fusion Asian. Very good fried rice. Look, smell and taste like the fried rice in Taiwan. We ordered the Taiwanese Fried Chicken but was a little..."

Rafa Loves Travel

Speights Ale House

81/100 (1066 ratings)

Wheelchair Accessible

Accepts American Express

Free off-street parking

"Speights Ale House | Ashburton the best kids platter I have ever seen with no sweets or junk food on it....the boys loved your whole outdoor area..."

Rebecca Farr

"Arrived unannounced this evening with 2 kids in tow. A table was quickly reset for us and the kids were given some colouring in. Perfect. Also I..."

Abby Calder

"We had another happy family birthday tea and definitely have to say it was so incredibly delicious, everything was cooked to above standed and the..."

Carol James

"Out for my mums birthday dinner, the service from Jo absolutely top notch! Food divine..."

Cherry Clark

"Amazing food, but even better service always. Jo and the team make us feel like family, she even knows my beer order before I remember it, how good..."

Wesley Laas

"Amazing service and tasty food. Great with gluten free meals aswell. Thanks..."

Ja Cinda

"Great meal , loved the colouring for our 2 year old and the kids healthy platter was awesome , thank..."

Knedra Parish

"Great meal tonight, very quick service for the kids so they didn't get grumpy and ours was rite behind them Cheers..."

Regan Broker

"I enjoyed a bite to eat and a drink with my husband tonight, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Food was great and service exceptional. Definitely..."

Kerry McConchie

"Came here on a Monday. Nice and quiet. The atmosphere was extra chill and the staff were super friendly. Wendy was a gem and an absolute delight to..."

Jesse Taylor

"We were there on Boxing Day (the worst day to judge any place). But service was good, staff friendly, and food was good. Be prepared for a large..."

Pete Olds

"Friendly, helpful staff, great atmosphere, and beautiful meals every time! Totally recommend 👌 👍..."

Janice Rowell

"Was a good experience overall. Same as we always get from the Ashburton restaurant. We hadn't booked, but a table was available. Our two kids (6 and..."

James Poole

"Total stranger made to feel instantly welcome. Food order taken very quickly and it arrived just as quick. Coffee good, service abundant. Thanks..."

Roger Greenslade

"Good service, reasonable good food for bar standard. But they have really good chips. Coffee was..."

Rafa Loves Travel

"This is a nice Speight's Ale House. The place had a good atmosphere and some welcoming staff. It is a great place to have a family event and the..."

Murray Quartly

"Great food, service even better! Plenty of room, clean friendly atmosphere. Highly recommend Speights Alehouse Ashburton to..."

Mike Franklin

"Always a lovely visit here to the Speights Ale House, Ashburton. I have been here more times than I can count. The staff have always been lovely, the..."

Alexa

"Went there with a couple of friends had a enjoyable experience there Pasta was a little too salty for my friend but was to be expected with a bacon..."

thomas currie

"We had the most amazing service team,made our evening with done great banter..THANKS Wendy &..."

Donna Sio

"After a long day of traveling my wife and I enjoyed a lovely hot bowl of mussels and a chicken parcel. It was an older crowd, no kids when we went..."

Libby G

"Great place and a must visit for those who enjoy a tipple or two of the local nectar. It is primarily an ale house as suggested by the name, but..."

Dave Cumming

"Great friendly staff and amazing..."

Jacob Skinner

"We didn't book, which was our fault but we did manage to get a table. There were only 2 staff members serving and they were both doing an..."

Anita Gaskin

Kelly's Cafe & Bar

Smoked Chicken and Camembert

Eggs Benedict with Bacon

Beef Nachos

Sticky Ribs

Bacon and Cheese Wedges

Wheelchair Accessible

"ice chocolates are yummi =] love them with a passion. the chips are however not worth the..."

Monika And Bex

"From the moment we entered and were greeted by the staff and made to feel welcome, we knew this was going to be an enjoyable experience. The service..."

Elizabeth D

"What a little Gem. In the heart of Ashburton. Lovely friendly staff. Great food and Atmosphere. Quick service. Some cabinet food available. I had..."

Sandra Stapleton

"My family and I called in here yesterday and what a gem of a place the service was amazing & the food was so delicious we left nothing but crumbs on..."

janaya turner

"What a great place for a snack or a meal, sadly couldn't try the drinks as it's lunchtime and we're traveling. Best wait staff 👏 👌 👍 thanks..."

Cherye Middleton

"Wow, incredible wee place, alot of charm. Staff so helpful and friendly. Really Enjoyed my vegetarian nachos. The dessert platter for two was..."

Brad Garrett

"They can make some food vegetarian but not much options, taste fine and portion is adequate. Wish they can launch vegan menu. Good place to go when..."

SixturdayW

"First time here tonight. Great friendly service. Food was good, and reasonable price. Nice environment. But just had 2 big tv with horses racing on..."

Andy Scott

"Called in there yesterday with 6 of us Beautiful meals. Service was really good friendly helpful. Every meal was really..."

Bromwyn Turner

"Had a lovely meal here. Food and service were..."

Alvin Han

"Was pleasantly surprised stopping in Ashburton visiting this Irish Cafe and Bar. it is a traditional Irish style pub with the added options of cafe..."

Simon Metcalf

Subway

Wheelchair Accessible

Robbies Bar & Bistro

Braided Rivers Restaurant & Bar

"We went for lunch and stayed on until dinner. We absolutely loved it. Wine list showcases New Zealands best. The steak I had for lunch was not only..."

Rebekah Martin

"Great food and good service will definitely be back. Highly recommend! They have good bands..."

Tim Frickleton

"had the oysters natural, they were wonderful, just loved them. the meal was very nice, the place clean and tidy and the staff were very helpful, a..."

Trisha Caine

"Great music - great service - great time!..."

Charnae Sinclair

"Brilliant meal last night oyster were Devine thanks team well..."

Jim Barbara Lischner

"Was really disappointed last time I dined in. my meat was overcooked, and my sauce was oily. Then my dessert was tiny. I usually love dining here...."

Wendy White

"We had a great Christmas luncheon. Delicious food, wonderful, friendly service. Looking forward to dining again. Thank you Ashburton Creative..."

Shona Schofield

"First time going here, absolutely the best garlic bread I've had ( and Ive had some decent garlic bread) it was a sweet chilli and cheesy garlic, and..."

Rebecca Wood

"Great tasting food! Big dish sizes always lovely service 😊 drinks are great, very good cocktails..."

Emma

"Had a lovely lunch of steak salad and fries. Beautiful flavor, very well presented. Reasonable price...."

Paula Milne

"Had the lunch meal and it was ok. Would be interesting to see the place busy at night to get a proper feel for the..."

Shivike Thor

"Thank you for the extra special treatment for my daughters birthday. Food and Service was the..."

Angela Cuttriss

"Had an amazing first experience of an Armadillos restaurant. The service was honestly some of the BEST! Fantastic service by all, extremely friendly..."

Cameron Robertson-Jordan

"Visited the day after a big night out and a short drive around the area. Great place for some comfort food. It was a quiet Sunday so we were the only..."

Ngaire Lyall

"Delicious prawns. Server gave us some great advice and information on the road we were taling up to Arthurs..."

Stephanie Boyd

"Loved my time here great atmosphere, great kareoke with dj..."

Sonia Graham

The Stables Family Restaurant

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