3 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.

The mouthwatering menu focuses on organic, locally grown, seasonal produce, offering regional New Zealand cuisine with a few Asian accents (a Thai duck salad, for instance). While the atmosphere is casual, the food is serious thanks to chef Bevan Smith, who trained in Christchurch and has published four cookbooks. The "Little People" menu is just for kids. A prix-fixe menu lets you sample the best of the offerings for a fairly reasonable price. The restaurant is 12 km (7½ miles) north of the center of Oamaru.

This no-frills noodle bar is crowded with students and serves yummy, filling, and inexpensive soups. Menu highlights include spicy satay chicken burgers, fried rice, bong-bong chicken, and deep-fried wantons.