3 Best Restaurants in Picton, Upper South Island and the West Coast

South American and Mediterranean influences are paired with top Marlborough wines and craft range beers at this prime waterfront spot with a laid-back atmosphere. The fresh breakfasts will sufficiently fuel you up for a day out on the Sounds. Cortado, a family-run restaurant, prides itself on its sustainable practices.

Sitting outside Le Café on the waterfront you can look right down Queen Charlotte Sound and watch the local boats and the big Cook Strait ferries coming and going. Staffers source organic, local, and free-range foods wherever possible—your fish was probably landed on the wharf at the end of the street and, if it's beef, they reckon they know the farmer. Casual meals, coffee, and baking are available all day before dinner kicks in; that's when the tempo at the bar picks up and live acts perform regularly.

This place definitely has the classic Irish bar vibe. Irish locals confirm they pour a good Guinness, plus there's lots of live music; it's not all Celtic, but it will get your toes tapping regardless. You'll find the bright red pub a short walk from the waterfront and it's open until the wee small hours so it's a great spot to wait for the late-night ferry.