Kai Whakapai

Have you really been to Wānaka if you haven’t been to Kai Whakapai? An absolute town institution, this place is humming with people Monday to Sunday, winter to summer. Open early till late and offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, it keeps a firm customer base thanks to its credible reputation for quick, friendly service and flexible attitude to dining.
 
Kai is on a million-dollar strip of land when it comes to choosing a spot to enjoy that afternoon beverage. Kick back with a brew from Coffee Supreme or a glass of something cold on the wooden tables street-side as you look out to the lake and recline amongst the steady bustle of the main drag. Or if it’s a slightly more secluded spot you’re after, then the sunny upstairs area generally remains a bit quieter.

As the team behind the bar will tell you, once one keg runs dry, they generally replace it with another type of beer, and with happy drinkers making this their go-to spot, a keg change usually happens daily. Proud to support their local brewers, most of the beers on tap are Wānaka-made, with some guest appearances from other New Zealand crafters (pair a glass with one of the town's famous pizzas for the full experience).
 
Saturated with the coolest kids in town, Kai oozes laidback charm and come happy hour (5–6pm), you’ll be lucky to find a spare table. Don’t let that scare you off, though, as Kai Whakapai is notorious for bringing lovely people together, so squeeze up with some strangers and clink a glass to Wānaka life while you’re there.