Oyster Cove

When travelers reach Bluff they think they’ve reached the very tip of the South Island. Go just a bit further and at the very end of the road you’ll find a sweeping overlook and the Oyster Cove Restaurant and Bar. Perched above the very ecosystem that supports their stellar menu, lunch or dinner at Oyster Cove is hard to pass up.

The Te Araroa Trail, which stretches the entire length of the country, ends at Oyster Cove’s front door. Even if you haven’t just finished a 3,000 kilometre tramp, the seafood offerings are sure to delight and fill your belly.

Owned by locals Linda and Ross Jackson for the last five years, Oyster Cove boasts an impressive fit out. The building, constructed in native timber, houses intimate dining tables situated around a huge picture window that looks out over the Pacific Ocean and onwards to Stewart Island. Every diner is treated to a view of the ocean and as Ross says, “If you go for a quick dive outside the restaurant, and some people do, you can find most of what we’ve got here at Oyster Cove.”

The seafood platter is a top seller and includes mussels, salt n pepper squid, battered blue cod, house smoked salmon, poached prawns, oysters, tartare, lemon and salads.

For those seeking the famous Bluff Oysters, they are in season from 1 March 31 August. At other times during the year, Oyster Cove sources top quality Pacific oysters. Order your oysters natural with malt vinegar dressing, sea salt, kiwi slaw, bitter leaves, lemon and chips, or grilled with Manuka bacon, red onion, black sauce and olive oil. Paua, long neck clams, seafood chowder and mutton bird are other menu favorites and crayfish is also available seasonally.

If you’re not a huge seafood fan, this spot is still a must. Items like the ‘Green Goddess Linguine”, a free range chicken salad with Manuka smoked bacon, eggs, cos lettuce, garlic croutons, aioli and parmesan are delicious, well portioned and best enjoyed next to the sea.

After you’ve finished, walk off your post-meal tiredness with a stroll along the last bit of the Te Araroa Trail. A visit to this pristine bush is the perfect way to round out an afternoon or evening spent at, very nearly, the bottom of the world.