Almost time to fly away to New Zealand for our 25th anniversary trip! Please share where to find the REAL food, the authentic local specialties, the locally owned little cafes or coffee bars or memorable casual eateries...

Also need a couple of special places to celebrate anniversary...

Atmosphere and well-prepared food and friendly owners with good service is what we like...

We want to feel like we are eating in New Zealand and couldn't be any where else...

Love seafood, fresh vegies, lamb, chicken, pasta, spicy food...nice dark roast coffee, good quality tea...nice wine...

Need some casual places and a few special nights in these areas:
Dunedin & nearby
Queenstown
Te Anau
Mt. Cook

That's it...on the west coast our breakfast and dinners are already included in the price... Might need lunch near Franz Josef or Fox Glacier or Lake Matheson...staying at Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki as our splurge...Seems to suit my biologist husband and I, serving both of our differing needs and dreams...

Eating our way through south island New Zealand sounds great to me. I can't get really fresh fish here in San Diego...not like other places. Looking forward to that.

I should add that we like a mix of eateries from budget to splurge... We don't like to eat surrounded by only tourists either...

my favourite place in queenstown - the cow restaurant. fantastic in winter with the fire going .... http://www.queenstown-nz.co.nz/infor...cow-restaurant

lancefan, thanks! I checked the link for the Cow. Hand-rolled pizzas sound good, and I love pasta and hot soup. Wait...there is homemade bread too. What did you enjoy ordering at the Cow? I saw the Cow mentioned somewhere in one of my guidebooks.

lancefan, that was me replying above, not "liacin". Looks like my daughter was using my computer and forgot to log out...

We had pizzas - can't remember which ones, but after a day skiing and trying a rather large selection of the monteith beers, it was all good! http://www.monteiths.co.nz/siteFiles...oom/index.html
Now that I think of it, we did order the home made bread .. or maybe garlic bread, memories of intense real garlic on real bread are coming back whatever it was, it was fantastic!

If you like wine, I'd also suggest a trip to winedeli.com in queenstown - it is excellent. http://www.winedeli.com/index.html (not a great website, you'll just have to go there). I picked up some great wine there, both times I've been.

This also looks like something worth looking at - http://www.winetastes.com/ - also in Queenstown

I'd suggest a day (or half day) trip around the wineries in the Central Otago region Check this site: http://www.otagowine.com/winetrail/ - there is some excellent wine grown and many of the vineyards are in spectacular locations and a lot will have bistro/restaurants attached. Try these for a few examples:
Rippon (Wanaka), Gibbston Valley (has a cheesery as well), Chard Farm.







The other thing I can recommend is getting hold of cuisine magazine when you're in NZ, which is an EXCELLENT food magazine. Often has where to eat in various locations. Check their website (restaurants) for some ideas. www.cuisine.co.nz - this is also a great site for recipies!

Thanks, lancefan, I'm hungry already!

Dunedin: Close to the Octagon on Moray Place (on the way to Speights Brewery) is Mazagram, leading espresso bar and coffee roaster.

If you do the Speights Brewery tour (recommended), they'll give you a coupon for another of the the Speights Ale House nearby. Since it's next door to the brewery, at least the beer should be good.

The best place I found for casual eating was called The Good Oil on George St. near the University. The also did nice coffee.

If you are passing thru Invercargill during mealtime I recommend either Jagz (in Gladstone Neighborhood, a real local's place but excellent, or Zookeepers (in the business district).

Thanks, mlgb! I will print this out. Gosh, I think I have a good memory for food. I will probably remember people's suggestions even without printing this out! The Good Oil...Fleur's Place...Amisfield Winery...all these names already in my brain, waiting to be tasted...

Okay, not authentic NZ but...

If you like Indian food, don't forget Little India - they have locations in Dunedin and QT (and Nelson and CH). One of our favorite places to eat in NZ.

Have a good trip.

Little India here we come. Thanks Melnq8. Love spicy food. Love fresh seafood but don't think I can eat fish EVERY day. Maybe every other day.

If you want a memorable meal for a special occasion you can't go past JOSSWOOD in Te Anau.
It's advetised as "A home with a Restaurant", and it is a diversion for the chef & owner, Jocelyn, who's main job is the chef on an Antarctic cruise ship.
From the time you are met at the door by Jocelyn, to the time you weave your way home you are pampered and tempted with an amazing assortment of perfectly prepared food. Venison, Salmon, Lamb, whatever's fresh and in season.
$65 per person for 6 courses (appetiser, entree, main, sorbet, sweets, liquers & chocolates.)
This tops anything I have ever experienced, and I have dined in some pretty fancy places. I've also paid a heck of a lot more for a darned sight less.
She takes a maximum of 6 tables, or twenty diners per night.

A bit late for Melissa unless she is checking Fodors, but friends just visiting Te Anau have highly recommended Cafe La Dolce Vita.

In case you are checking thissitewhile you are travelling - and you are still hungry - try:
- Saffron in Arrowtown
-Post Master in Arrowtown
- Joes Garage (good coffee/ breakfast)in Arrowtown
-Lemon Tree in Lawrence (en route from Dunedinto Q'town)
-Nova in the Octagon in Dunedin

Tried Nova in the Octagon and was completely underwhelmed.