They have very delicious, flaky savory pies for everyone's taste. I wolfed down their…read morevenison/cranberry pie- it had a nice blend of tender meat, slight peppery sauce and berry. It tastes like winter. The butter chicken had no taste of butter but a zingy curry sauce mixed in with chicken. The place has a lovely array of breads and pastries, too. You might have to wait in line but it's not that long a wait.

It's a popular road trip stop with mostly foreigners who are guaranteed to generate a constant…read morequeue, one that moves swiftly making a visit an easy enough venture. Pies are a tick below 10 NZD, the menu constantly shifting during our visit around 1PM since they were freshly baking and selling out of pies constantly as the line moved. A Steak & Cheese was suddenly fair game upon making our way to the till and I also ordered an extra far out selection in the form of the Pork Belly & Apple Sauce pie. It was interesting securing a spot outside where all the tables are located though be prepared for crumbs galore since parties are constantly rotating through. Super flakey pie crusts are to be had. The pork belly with apple sauce sweet and savory combo worked surprisingly well. The candied pork belly on top was a neat added bonus. These were sensible, comforting pies, in my humble opinion, though its renown probably diminished by its fast-paced touristy vibe which, I imagine, could affect consistency and quality at times. Our pies were one of great enjoyment though!

This is a great spot for breakfast, with many options and first rate coffee. We ordered a croque…read moremonsieur breakfast sandwich and avacodo toast (which came with edamame)-- both were delicious. The flat whites were prepared well and very good. You can order in or to go. The staff is attentive and friendly. The place is easy to find in town, too. Just be careful reading the humorous sign on the wall.

BUSY brunch spot on the main drive in Lake Tekapo but probably the one eatery with the best…read morequality. THANKFULLY, they give you an overestimation of wait times, at least for food, my Croque Madame (19.5 NZD) coming out very fast to the picnic bench just outside. FRESH ingredients and despite only having 1 egg, the free range egg was actually quite big with a mostly runny yolk. I did wish there was more bechamel sauce perhaps because it was a little dry. I practically almost finished this before the boy was able to fetch my Flat White for me, the baristas positively inundated by in-cafe orders alongside walk-up window ones. It was already quite crowded at 9AM on a Friday, so VERY popular, but with reason!

AMAZING food. The food is fresh, made with local ingredients, creative, and so good with every…read morebite. See photos for what was ordered. This was such a pleasant surprise in a small town, especially after a long hike through the snow. I called ahead to make a reservation so we were seated right away when we arrived. We were there on a weekday but think this place would be really busy on a weekend so plan ahead on that if needed. As for ambiance, it felt more like a cafe than a restaurant. We were right across the fireplace which worked well for us especially when we could feel the cool air every time the door was open. Overall, we loved our experience and enjoyed the food. Will recommend to a friend who will be in the area in the next few weeks.

Probably my favorite meal in my 10 day journey of the South Island. Recommended by our motel staff,…read moreit was a short walk away. We sat out on the patio for an early dinner which was really nice. The food was phenomenal. And I don't just think that about all meals. The bread was super fluffy and fresh to start. This place cooked the salmon perfectly and the filet was out of this world. If I lived closer I'd be here all the time.

Excellent coffee and breakfast meals. My poached eggs were perfect, a bit too vinegary, though. My…read moretoast was lightly crispy yet wonderfully fluffy. Portions are filling and reasonably priced. Staff can be iffy depending on how you're perceived as a local traveler or foreigner. Plenty of parking as it's part of a row of shop fronts and restaurants and in front of the Dark Sky Project building.

My wife and I had a quality lunch at Reflections during a recent visit to Lake Tekapo. I ordered…read morethe Lamb Burger and my wife ordered the Braised Pork and Wild Mushroom Pappardelle. The burger was delicious. The ground lamb patty was topped with melty Brie, creamy aioli, crisp lettuce, fried onion rings, and pickled jalapenos. The burger was paired with soft thick fries. I stole a decent portion of my wife's dish since she wasn't too hungry. Savory noodles were mixed with tender shredded pork, juicy mushrooms, and fresh basil and covered in a lightly creamy and peppery sauce.

Surprisingly the best food we found was in the astrology museum, must gets are the cheese scone,…read moreflat white, and the blueberry muffin. The Astro cafe is next to the grocery store next to the holiday park at Lake Tekapo. Inside it is a cool cafe with the large brass telescope next to the dining area. I thought the food was excellent and arguably the best cafe we went to in New Zealand. I also visited the Astro Cafe on the top of the mountain but there is a fee to take a drive up to the top or its a 1 hour hike, plus I think the food/flat white at the bottom of the mountain was better. I think that this cafe is a great stop for breakie and worth a visit for the flat whites.

Snacks with a world class view. You don't drive up that mountain for the cuisine but if you are…read morepeckish they have a selection of sweets, drinks/coffees and sandos that will satisfy.

Though we only very briefly pit-stopped in Twizel, for gas & takeaway, we enjoyed our time…read morestrolling through the town-with its quaint, family-friendly vibe, and welcoming locals. The café was quite cozy-offering pre-baked goods and made-to-order platters, loads of drink variety, and an in-house bookshop to enjoy while waiting. We opted to select a variety of pre-baked goods, warmed, and packed to go, including a date scone, salmon frittata, bacon egg & cheese sandwich, bacon egg & cheese quiche, ginger crunch, and two flat whites. We did have errors with our order-they warmed up the wrong salmon option, giving me instead a salmon bagel (I was able to correct this immediately) but after driving away, I realized my date scone was not the big item underneath the ginger crunch, it was a weird folded napkin (oops, so it was forgotten) Though the food we did obtain was quite tasty. The ginger crunch was moist, with a bold flavor profile-tart sweet ginger with a creamy light icing-so yummy I want to try recreating at home! The savory bacon breakfast items were layered with ingredients all well-seasoned, and a balanced amount of sauce between. The salmon frittata had large chunks of creamy flaky salmon, well folded within the layers of egg, cream, and butter- with just enough seasoning to give a pop without overpowering. Overall, I recommend giving them a visit, triple check the order; the food is very tasty.

A warm and cozy feeling cafe with great food and nice attention to detail in their items. I ordered…read morean egg/bacon/fried tomato breakfast and had a muesli parfait on the side that was garnished with a little rose as a nice touch. It was certainly a tasty and photo-worthy brunch.

Yep, yep and yep. You need to eat at Blue Lake. Even if you are here for just a stop, check out…read moreBlue Lake. You walk in, it has a pretty modern feel for a pub. Nothing crazy. Nothing to complain about. Solid. Walk into the right and you have the bar, take a seat and wait for goodness. When you are in New Zealand, order the local dishes. I orginally ordered the lamb and they were out. Man, was I so happy when my second choice came out. I ordered the beef ribs and they were phenomenal. Like Emeril would say, "BAM!" The ribs came with balsamic drizzled on top, au jus on the side, potatoes and a wicked salad. Ribs were of course fall off the bone, so I had fun cleaning up my plate. I wanted more, but my belly told me enough was enough, so I held off on ordering another helping. Blue Lake is a pub. They had good beers. Solid work as a pub. Check out Blue Lake. They get swamped at times, so there might be a bit of a wait, but it is well worth it.

My Alpine Salmon Filet, local mussels, cauliflower steak and shoe string fries with house made…read morepaired with some great wine and beers. Bar opened at 4 with drinks and bites available restaurant opened at 5pm for the rest of the menu. Food came out hot and delicious.

Cute cafe with a great view of Mt Cook! The dishes are a bit pricier but worth it for the amount…read moreof food you get. Most dishes feed 2+ people. Best burger I've had in New Zealand!

The food is pretty average, fish and chips burgers, and the like and they have just a cuppa beers…read moreon tap. With that said, I'd just hiked about 14 miles and the nice staff and the incredible view made this a nice place to get myself together,, The steak burger gave me life.

Of all the places on Earth that would have every right to suck, this has got to be high on the…read morelist. Its patio looks directly at Aoraki with nothing but waving grasses to intervene, and you'd most likely stop there to eat after more stunning views of the Southern Alps reflected in Lake Matheson. So basically they could serve slop and everyone would probable be fine with it. Instead, Matheson Cafe fed me the best salmon benedict of my life! It didn't have to. But it did. Their salmon, surely local, was hot-smoked, ridiculously plentiful, and incredibly flavorful. They put pesto in a tidy pile on the eggy, lemony hollandaise, which sounded weird when I ordered it, but it was made mainly of peas and fresh herbs and was green and tangy. There was a bagel on the bottom instead of an English muffin, which could have gotten way too bready, but they sliced it thin and so it just soaked up much of the sauce and remained a sturdy enough base without getting soggy. The only thing that wasn't perfect was one of the two eggs was poached too hard and the yolk didn't spill out. Normally that's a benedict's death knell, but here the rest of it was so good I didn't even care.

This place is an excellent view of the two main mountain peaks. The food is really good as well…read more Nice ambiance. Excellent hiking trails.

Beautiful stop to get a flat white while on your roadie from Christchurch to Wanaka or other parts…read moreof South Island. We took a bathroom break but ended up staying for a flat white and the view! It is a quiet cafe with a goat in the back, super cute but be careful of putting your finger in the fence to pet him, he sticks his head out to get grass on the other side and will bite anything in sight. Also tip: if you order take away it is a $0.50 NZD charge for takeaway cup even if you bring your own, plus the wood cabin dining room is so nice so take a load off and enjoy the stop.

Nice spot to stretch your legs and have some coffee while driving in NZ. We passed this place and…read morecame back since it looked cozy. Got a coffee and a hot chocolate, both of which were good. The seating area is very cute and the backyard has some outdoor seating overlooking green hills with lots of sheep grazing on them.