While New Zealand is famous for its beautiful nature, its culinary scene is impressive as well. Don’t miss trying some of these local dishes during your visit to New Zealand. We compiled a list of our top recommendations of New Zealand food, drinks, and places to eat based on months of first hand experience eating all around the country..
Culinary Overview
New Zealand is famous for its unique mix of snow capped mountains, temperate rainforests, beautiful coastlines, flightless birds, and incredible geothermal formations. Similar to its natural diversity, the population comes from very different parts of the world which includes Polynesia, Europe, and Asia. Many descendants of these places still cook traditional dishes across the country, but the special part of New Zealand is how they have fused cuisines together to create a special culinary scene unlike anywhere else in the world.
Over the course of months road tripping the South Island and North Island, we talked to many Kiwis about food that is culturally important to them and made sure to give it a try. The places we ate spanned various dining levels and cuisine types. Many times we sought out specific traditional New Zealand food or dishes and others it was international cuisine that was highly regarded. Besides dishes, we were also recommended specific local brands across different areas such as desserts or drinks. Experiencing the combination of special New Zealand food products and dishes enhanced our time in the country, forever tying the local specialties to our memories of fabulous activities from our visit.
This list includes products, food, and drinks that have an importance to New Zealand and are worthwhile to try when visiting the country to get a better perspective of the culture from a culinary perspective. After reading about the items, there is a list of recommended places by region that you can reference for inspiration of places to add to your itinerary as well.
Popular New Zealand Food and Drinks
Food
Hāngī
Polynesian method of cooking underground where a mix of items such as lamb, pork, chicken, kumara (sweet potato), pumpkin, potato are cooked with hot stones
Lamb
One of the most famous dishes and exported around the world due to the farming techniques that result in a taste that many regard as the best lamb
Pāua
A sea snail/mollusk delicacy that many times is prepared creamed and served with Parāoa Parai (Māori fry bread)
Ika Mata
Polynesian raw fish dish that is marinated in lemon juice and coconut milk resembling the popular ceviche dish found in Peru
Meat Pies
Fresh baked pies with various filling such as traditional (mince & cheese, steak & cheese), fusion (hāngī, butter chicken), or local (rosemary & lamb, venison & cranberry)
Green Lipped Mussel
A local shellfish that has a distinctive green exterior which tastes good and is said to have positive health benefits
King Salmon
One of the most famous dishes that is highly regarded due to its farming techniques and exported around the world
Kōura
A freshwater crayfish that is uniquely found in the south of New Zealand and especially popular in the town of Kaikōura
Fish and Chips
Likely the most popular take away dish in the country, it includes french fries and deep fried white fish (hoki, snapper, gurnard, etc.) many times wrapped in newspaper
Bluff Oysters
A delicacy that is harvested near the town of Bluff in the far south of New Zealand and that some regard as the best oysters
Whitebait
Small fish that are eaten in their entirety and generally deep fried into fritters that can be found at many of the fish and chips shops
Kiwi Burger
Beef patty with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, egg, beetroot and pineapple on a bun that is so popular it has even been occasionally sold at Maccas (McDonalds)
Feijoa
Initially from South America, it is one of the most popular fruits in New Zealand that has a distinct taste that is hard to describe
Mānuka Honey
Premium honey that is harvested from the Mānuka tree and has stringent standards that make it sought after globally
Marmite
A yeast extract spread that is used on sandwiches, bread, or crackers and has a very distinctive taste that can be polarizing
Kiwi Onion Dip
A dipping sauce that can be purchased from the supermarket pre-made or many times created at home just to your liking
Pavlova
A meringue based dessert that is covered with fruit and many times includes the green kiwi fruit but has disputed origins with Australia
Anzac Biscuit
A sweet biscuit made with rolled oats that is believed to have been created by wives of Australia and New Zealand Army Corps during World War 1
Cookie Time
New Zealand’s most loved cookies with its primary bakeshop located in Christchurch. They make all kinds of cookie products. including a mashup of another local favorite the Lolly Cake: firm marshmallow type candy that is soft and chewy
Whittaker's Chocolate
A family owned company that has been making New Zealand chocolate since 1896 including the popular Peanut Slab: crunchy roasted peanuts surrounded by 33% milk chocolate
Real Fruit Ice Cream
normally a blend of vanilla ice cream with real frozen fruit that is combined into a machine resulting in soft serve
Tip Top Ice Cream
New Zealand’s favorite ice cream for over 80 years which can be bought at the supermarket or at a local dairy: small local convenience shops in numerous flavors such as Hokey Pokey: vanilla ice cream with lumps of honeycomb toffee
Drinks
Lemon & Paeroa (L&P)
A sweet lemon flavored soft drink originally from the town of Paeroa in the North Island but now owned by Coca-Cola
Speights Gold Medal Ale
Brewed in Dunedin on the South Island at New Zealand’s most popular brewery, it is perfect for pairing with any meat dish or just for a nice flavored beer
Sauvignon Blanc
A versatile white wine that was made famous internationally by Cloudy Bay in the Marlborough Wine Region on the South Island and is now the top produced wine
Pinot Noir
A deeply colored red wine with fruity flavors that is highly regarded from the Central Otago Wine Region on the South Island
Flat White
An espresso made with steamed milk that has less milk than a latte and has disputed origins with Australia
New Zealand Dining Recommendations by Region
One of Blueprint Travelers favorite parts of traveling is finding unique restaurants and bars that serve up delicious dishes in memorable environments. It can be challenging to decide where to go for a meal in a new country or region, and we conduct extensive research based on first hand recommendations as well as crowd sourced reviews (either online or sometimes just from a lively crowd being at a place we walk by). Many times, these places serve the local cuisine popular in the country, but others have international food with a twist. The places that we recommended are ones that we truly enjoyed (no sponsorships here), and think you will too.
In New Zealand we researched hundreds of restaurants, and had countless wonderful dining experiences over the course of the months that we visited. These lists include our absolute favorites, but feel free to reach out for further recommendations.