Great For Large Groups

Verve

Customers enjoying the dining space inside at Verve.
Place Wānaka
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A short stroll from the lakeside, Verve is the newest bar to join Wānaka’s downtown scene. The concept here is simple but enticing: good beer and good wine.

Velo Café & Beer Garden

Exterior view of Velo Café & Beer Garden.
Place Wānaka
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We won’t lie.

Wānaka Brew Bar

Bar view at Wānaka Brew Bar.
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If you find yourself craving a cold one but can’t bear to tear yourself away from the stunning sights of Lake Wānaka, you’ll be pleased that Wānaka Brew Bar exists.

Paloma

Four plates of Mexican food from Paloma Wanaka on a wooden table.
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Creators of authentic Mexican fare, Paloma has a simple (but by no means easy) mission: to make the best possible tacos in Wānaka using New Zealand ingredients.

Hāwea Hotel

Inside the restaurant where people are dining and looking out the windows over the lake.
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How do you like the idea of enjoying your morning coffee from a private balcony, with uninterrupted views of mountains encircling one of the country’s largest lakes?

hello RANGER

A plate of lamb koftas, flatbreads and tzatziki on a table at hello RANGER with a pint of beer and other plates in the background.
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Just like any good park ranger, hello RANGER is the heart of its community, there to take care of adventurous people before and after their journeys.

Muttonbird

Enclosed balcony dining area at Muttonbird, Wānaka.
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It’s a seabird you can eat that smells like fish and tastes like mutton.

b.social

A male staff member pours a beer from a tap behind the counter at b.social, Wānaka.
Place Wānaka Editor's Pick
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The b.social taproom and eatery is a great spot for eating and drinking that is worthy of a visit (or many), whether you’re just in town for the weekend or call this beautiful region home year-round.

Rhyme x Reason

Groups of people sitting inside drinking beers in the sunshine in the high-ceilinged Rhyme and Reason taproom in Wānaka.
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A brewery slash tasting room and bar, visit this sunny spot for a pint or fill up a rigger for takeaway.

Burrito Craft

Close up of a person's hands holding a taco.
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Easygoing vibes make this permanent food truck a non-pretentious spot to park up and enjoy some food, al fresco style.

Cardrona Hotel

Historic cream and maroon weatherboard frontage of Cardrona Hotel with a vintage cream 1968 Chrysler Model 62 parked in front.
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Rumoured to be the most photographed building in the country, Cardrona Hotel was built in 1863 first and foremost as a place to stay for hardworking gold miners.