5 Best Restaurants in Otago, Invercargill, and Stewart Island, New Zealand

A spacious dining room done in wood and brick offers a supersize menu with more than 100 dishes. Popular choices are Stewart Island blue cod, lamb shanks, prawns, pan-seared venison, and Bluff oyster dishes. The wine list includes mostly New Zealand wines, with the occasional European bottle for the stubborn. The outdoor garden bar is a perfect place to enjoy the Southland sun with a glass of wine; forget driving and make use of a courtesy vehicle for pickup/drop-off within Otatara and Invercargill city.

At the heart of the menu is food of the sea, or kai moana. Stewart Island blue cod, salmon, mussels, oysters, crayfish, and paua (abalone) are all cooked to perfection and accompanied by fresh vegetables from the garden just yards away. A specialty here is muttonbird (when in season). This intimate little restaurant with a view out to sea is popular with both locals and visitors. It operates in conjunction with Church Hill Boutique Lodge next door.

A favorite among locals, this waterfront eatery that was once a seafarers hostel provides great food and excellent service. Everything is delicious, from the bread and house-made duck liver–cognac pâté to the perfectly cooked seafood and chicken dishes. They also do a mean coffee and great desserts. Sunday brunch is popular here.

You could easily walk past this stylish place, tucked inside a shopping courtyard. The kitchen employs bounty from the nearby bush and sea paired with inventive sauces and sides. Share a "rummage board" (tapas-style plate loaded with seafood, chorizo, olives, cheese, and crusty bread) with friends while you ponder the menu. Terra-cotta, brick, and river stone give off an urban-chic-meets-Tuscany vibe.

This enormously popular restaurant on the way to Oreti Beach (past the airport) is a local favorite. Ziff's does steak, blue cod, chicken, and pasta, and customers love the home-smoked salmon and the venison hot pot. The establishment provides a free courtesy shuttle from Invercargill and environs, so you can indulge in their excellent wines and cognacs, too. Breakfast is served until 2 for late sleepers.