Over the Christmas shutdown period, we spent a week in Queenstown lapping in the sights, activities and most importantly exploring the huge range of food options available in the cosy alpine town.

From the famous Fergburger to the local KFC branch, we opted for a mix of restaurants and takeaway in Queenstown. Join me for a recap on some of the feeds we had and hopefully it provides some inspiration for your next trip here.

First up was the much-acclaimed Pedro’s House of Lamb. In my excitement I didn’t take a full picture of the lamb shoulder in its glory but instead have the plate we ate the dish with. This was an excellent Christmas dinner for us. The lamb shoulder (NZ$65) was cooked whole and roasted with plenty of potatoes. It was super fatty and soft, falling off the bone and with the signature lamb flavour. We ordered bread rolls (NZ$3 each) and coleslaw (NZ$12) as well to accompany the lamb. The bread rolls were terrible, dry and flakey. Highly recommend going to Fergbaker for their baguettes instead to go with the lamb (it wasn’t open on Christmas Day so we had to make do with the Pedro ones). The coleslaw was very good, nice mix of apple, red onion, herbs and citrus. Well worth the price we paid and provides an excellent freshness to accompany the rich lamb. 

The next morning we made our way over to Fergbaker, the sister bakery of Fergburger. Here I ate a delicious steak, mushroom and blue cheese pie (NZ$7.90). The steaky was chunky and meaty and not too salty and the blue cheese was muted enough to be enjoyable. All the pies here had a rich, flakey pastry that you look for in the pies. The sandwiches were also very good as well and the bread was unsurprisingly good. 

We visited Fergbaker several times during the trip and I was fortunate to try a range of their pies (mince and cheese was also good, NZ$7.60 as was the venison NZ$7.90 and lamb NZ$7.90), sandwiches (prosciutto NZ$10, roast chicken NZ$10.70 and smoke salmon bagel NZ$10.00 were all good) and the croissants (do yourself a favour and order the almond croissant NZ$4.90 as a treat). Definitely a 5/5 place and you will find yourself visiting several times. It also opens fairly late, 6am until midnight, so you can even duck in for a night time snack.

For dinner we were curious about a long line snaking out of King Made Noodles in the centre of Queenstown. There was a long line of people in queue and in the display, a man furiously pounding dough. Despite having access to an abundance of Chinese food in Sydney, we decided to try this place out of curiosity and it did not disappoint. The noodles were chewy and had the bite you are looking for in hand made noodles. The broth in the beef noodle soup was light and welcoming, and the meat tender. Their boiled dumplings were made from the hand pulled dough and had a heathy mix of pork and chive. I would recommend their special braised beef noodle soup (with the red broth in the images). Definitely a spot for noodles in Queenstown to satisfy your cravings.

On Day 2, the line outside Fergburger persisted and so it was off to Devil Burger to satisfy our cravings. We ordered the Devil Burger (NZ$12.50 for reg, NZ$14.50 for large) and a She Devil Burger (NZ$14.50). Both burgers contained NZ prime beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, aioli and their devil sauce, with the She Devil including beetroot and an egg. Unfortunately, the burgers were not up to scratch. The main letdown here was the bread, the vehicle for the burger itself. It was dry, flakey and fell apart instantly because it was so brittle. Eating the burger became a mess and every mouthful sucked the moisture from your mouth. The beef was really delicious and rich. The devil relish had a slight curried taste which I didn’t mind. But overall the bread really let down the burger. 

For dinner that night we had KFC in the apartment. My only comment here is that the chicken is way better in Australia.

On Day 3 we headed to the other side of Queenstown to Jack’s Point Golf Course and Restaurant. It was in a lovely setting, nestled behind some hills and leading down to a large lake. Note: please book ahead for the restaurant otherwise there is a takeout and seating area as well with a similar menu. Here we ordered their wagyu burger (NZ$27), the Bluff blue cod fish and chips (NZ$29) and the blue cod tacos (NZ$22). The burger was delicious, cooked over coals so had a lovely smoky flavour. The fish and chips had a nice batter, bit on the expensive side, but the fish was high quality and the serving was fairly large. The tacos had the same type of fish but I found the blue corn tortillas tough to eat. Overall a nice meal and setting, with a good range of wines from local wineries as well.

Dinner was at a hotel called Sherwood Queenstown. I have made a separate post on the blog about it here, so won’t go into too much detail here. The food was lacking in short, but the restaurant did feature New Zealand produce, with locally grown veggies from their garden. We didn’t try any of the drinks here but perhaps it would be worth a visit for nibbles and drinks.

During a day trip to Wanaka, we stopped by Amigos Wanaka for some tacos and a light lunch. Highlights here were definitely the soft tacos, we ordered the fried chicken, baja fish, calamari and shredded brisket tacos. All of them were good, well balanced and around NZ$6-9 each. The chicken was overcooked and tough but that is probably the only criticism for the tacos. We made the mistake of ordering the parrilla mixta, which was a mixed grill of steak, wings, chorizo, pork belly, BBQ pork rib and patatas bravas (NZ$34). All the meats were overcooked and unidentifiable, the food was all jumbled together and overwhelming. Avoid this dish and go for the tacos is our recommendation.

With no visit to Queenstown complete without a visit to Fergburger, we took the time to wait in line today to grab some of the famous burgers for dinner. Waiting in line around 8pm took us 20mins, after which we were informed of a 40-45min wait before the burgers would be ready. During this time you can check the status of the burgers on their website, which means you are free to explore the town etc. which makes it somewhat more palatable to wait 1hr for a burger.

The Fergburgers were delicious (NZ$14.90, $1 extra for cheese), the NZ prime beef tasting noticeably different from the beef patties we have in Australia. I can’t quite pinpoint each taste but a nuanced difference in the meat flavour (or was it just being in NZ/placebo?). Overall a well-balanced, well priced burger with a good range of safe and unique options (we also tried the deer burger (NZ$16.90) which was good if you prefer a gamey taste to your meat). Will leave it up to you to decide if it was worth the 1hr wait, but we did visit during peak holiday season. The burgers are definitely delicious and we can see why there is always a line outside no matter the hour.

On our final day in Queenstown we headed off to Canyon Brewery near Shotover River and just outside Queenstown. It was a nice escape from the busy streets and in a quaint setting overlooking the rushing river. The woodfired pizzas were all NZ$26 each, we ordered the venison salami and ham and mushroom pizza. The venison salami pizza was the better of the two, with a nice basil pesto and chilli flakes to give it a kick. We also ordered the confit garlic flatbread (NZ$18) which had delicious housemade dips and the calamari (NZ$16) was also very fresh. We also ordered a beer and a tasting paddle for NZ$25 and had a sample of their local beers. All in all, great location and food, highly recommend a visit. 

The final meal for the trip was at Finz on the boardwalk in Queenstown. We wanted to cap off the trip at a nice location with good views and managed to secure a table without booking. This was an expensive restaurant given the prime location on the pier. For entrees we ordered the seafood chowder (NZ$21) which was fairly small when shared amongst the group. It was warm and hearty and came served with bread. The oysters were NZ$64 for a dozen and NZ$32 for half a dozen. These were so fresh and creamy we ended up ordering a dozen and a half. Fresh was preferred over fried. 

Finally, the mains – the pan-seared grouper (NZ$39) was unfortunately a disappointment. The fish was overcooked to the point where the texture of the meat was like chicken. This was probably the disappointment of the night. The remainder of the mains were adequate, not quite the best meals I’ve had but serviceable. The whole baked southern sole (NZ$39) was the highlight dish of the nice, it was perfectly cooked and served with a nice lemon beurre blanc sauce with some orange slices to provide some freshness. The green lipped mussels (NZ$35) were served with crème fraiche and very fresh – they could have served it with more bread, otherwise this meal is not quite enough to fill you up as a main dish. The one meat dish we ordered was the eye fillet with sweet potato puree. Good quality meat with flavour pairings that were fairly traditional, red wine/butter sauce and minted peas. All in all, a nice meal in a waterfront location to cap off the trip. Given its high price point, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Finz unless you were looking specifically to eat alongside the pier.

This is the second time I’ve visited Queenstown and the classics (Fergburger/baker and Pedro’s House of Lamb) have retained their quality and remain must visits in my book. There are many high end and takeaway options in town, suitable for any budget. One thing not mentioned on this trip that I would recommend for those looking for a fine dining meal is Amisfield, the restaurant at a nearby winery. It was one of the most enjoyable fine dining meals I’ve had in Queenstown and I would recommend it to those looking for fine food that celebrates local New Zealand produce (and the paua pie if they still have it on the menu).

List of Places Mentioned:

Pedro’s House of Lamb – order ahead
47 Gorge Road Queenstown 9300 New Zealand
https://www.pedros.co.nz

Fergbaker
40 Shotover Street, Queenstown 9300 New Zealand
https://fergbaker.com

King Made Noodles
5 Athol Street, Queenstown 9300 New Zealand
https://www.instagram.com/kingmadenoodlesqt/?hl=en

Devil Burger
5/11 Church Street, Queenstown 9200 New Zealand
https://www.devilburger.com

Jack’s Point Golf Course and Restaurant – booking required
McAdam Drive, Queenstown 9371 New Zealand
https://www.jackspoint.com

Sherwood Hotel – booking required
554 Frankton Road, Queenstown 9300 New Zealand
https://sherwoodqueenstown.nz/restaurant

Amigos Wanaka
71 Ardmore Street, Wanaka 9305 New Zealand
https://amigos.co.nz

Fergburger
42 Shotover Street, Queenstown 9300 New Zealand
https://fergburger.com

Canyon Brewing
1 Arthurs Point Road, Arthurs Point 9371 New Zealand
https://www.canyonfoodandbrew.co.nz

Finz Seafood & Grill
Ground Floor Front, Steamer Wharf Beach Street, Queenstown 9300 New Zealand
https://www.finzseafoodandgrill.co.nz/menu