My friend and I came here for my birthday for dinner and I got the warmest welcome!! Saulo even…read moretacked up a birthday banner for me! He even sat down with us for a personalized touch to explain the menu! Everyone walking in said that their hotel recommended it as the top place to eat in town and I can see why!! Here you get amazing one on one service and attention. Great suggestions through the evening from drinks, entrees to mains! We started with refreshing mojitos with incredibly fresh mint! Then we had a local wine! We had the Brazilian cheese bread with a yummy dipping sauce. My friend ordered the steak and I had the lamb. They brought out a plate with various levels of spicy chilis with their own unique flavor and heat profile. My heart felt filled (I love spicy things)! When I told them I was looking for more heat, he brought out a Brazilian ghost pepper or a Carolina reaper -- it was Russian roulette because he didn't know which one he grabbed! Loved the spicy homemade hot sauce with the steak which my friend so graciously shared! The lamb has a more delicate taste which would be overpowered by the various chilis. Still loved the supple and tender meat! We ordered dessert and of course the whole restaurant was singing happy birthday! Which dessert did I go with? You got it the chocolate lava cake volcano with homemade chocolate chili sauce! We had a fabulous experience here and I 100% recommend you try... But it does get super busy so I highly recommend getting reservations in advance!

Amazing food. More importantly, an amazing experience. The staff were so welcoming and helpful with…read moreanswering questions. This will be a location I must go to when I am in Blenheim again.

Very pretty location with a nice area for a big group. We had lunch and a wine tasting for 24…read morepeople. Lunch was very nice- chicken, salad, eggplant and arancini starter and ice cream dessert. The wines are OK, they are not top end wines more middle of the road but nice. Service for our large group was very good. Beer and soft drinks were also available. There are a couple of nice lookout points in the building. Be sure to stop by the vines out front which show case all their varieties. You can taste the grapes!

Just WOW! What an experience. Wither Hills is a top name in Sauvingnon Blanc in Marlborough and for…read moregood reason. We had an incredible time here. We ended up visiting on Valentine's Day - not planned, just how the dates worked. The winery was busy with guests doing tastings and eating lunch when we arrived. There is gorgeous outdoor seating in the patio courtyard area, and more inside. It is well appointed and expertly decorated. We were warmly greeted and awaited our tour to start our experience. Little did we know, the head winemaker would be giving us our tour! He took us to the viewpoint of the vineyards on the top floor, out to the vines in the front, down into the cellar to taste a vintage, and then back up for our official tasting. His knowledge was truly spectacular, and welcoming nature made us feel so at home. Then, we embarked on our tasting - enjoying a few different Sauv Blanc variations - and our favorite, FRIVOLI! This was like a sparkling rose that might be the best thing we've ever drank. We paired it with some entrees that were all divine - the gnocchi, the duck, and eggplant to share. All five stars, top notch quality fare! Perfect pairings with the wine. Of course, we had to take some Frivoli for the road. What an incredible experience - can't recommend it enough!

If you're in Takaka, chances are your pants have already been completely charmed off. But if you…read morecan handle one more ounce of charming, head to The Brigand. You'll walk through a garden of outdoor seating and into a cozy bar/cafe/music venue that, with open fires roaring and booze flowing, feels more like your best friend's living room than a restaurant. That is, until the food arrives. With a heavy emphasis on fresh Kiwi produce, it's an embarrassment of riches with lamb, sirloin steak, fresh fish, spare ribs, cheese, wine, really, I'm not sure why you're still reading and not simply heading here immediately. My only regret is not getting to try the apricot schnapps cheesecake as it was sold out. Welp, I guess I'll just have to head back...

Great place for a really damn good dinner! Good craft beer selection, amazing food and desserts…read more So nice to sit outside and have a drink with amazing food.

Only sinners here to seek out an afternoon pick-me-up with a visit to a quaint, aged church,…read morere-purposed into a beer bar! Blessed be! When in hop capital, the Freehouse is an automatic add onto one's rotation. The most friendly, helpful staff to serve up a fresh pint and give all the best recs. Quite a few tap handles, but per the sheet, only those with the red check mark were the ones "On". No matter, because the selection with the 15 available was eclectic and very exciting. Surprisingly a number of sours on draft along with some cask options and beers featured from their on-site brewery "The Flavourtorium". We sat outside near this makeshift brewery within a shipping container, fermenter tanks and mashers in full view as a worker toiled away gathering the spent grain for disposal. Many a patron chatted away -- visitor and locals alike -- and dogs lazed away or wandered around off leash for a joyful afternoon basking in the Nelson sun. What an absolutely terrific vibe and what a time to be alive enjoying the fresh Nelson hops of the region!

Good place. They helped me out when I arrived in Nelson to an unacceptable hotel/motel, reviewed…read moreseparately. I ordered a pint and asked for recommendations. I got a few and followed up on one and ended up in a much better spot. It was admittedly not busy, so I had a bit of an opportunity to chat, and they were quite pleasant to get along with. A group came in as I was winding down my pint, and it is clear that they have a good community following (also confirmed by a recommendation of the Freehouse from a friend who lived in Nelson for quite a while). It was also a Sunday evening, so things were already pretty quiet in Nelson. There is a beer garden/patio out front with a food stand, but it is late winter now, so that wasn't active, and they have only a light kitchen themselves, so they were happy to recommend nearby places for take-out to eat-in at their spot. Good neighbors then. Good people. Very helpful. Good beer. Worth the visit. Oh, and it's in a repurposed church. Very cool.

The best atmosphere! Amazing drinks and cool place to hang…read moreout. Ask for a cookie monster! Also Jam sessions are a must go to. Wed and Thursdays I think. Best bar in Nelson !!

There wasn't enough. I was extremely parched, I came here looking hydration and I didn't find it…read more Good vibes tho.

Popped in here for a quick dessert and glass of wine. I had been told that this was a great local…read morebar and it did not disappoint! I had one of their excellent chocolate bourbon balls with a glass of great NZ rose and people-watched from the corner. Initially the bartender I got came off a bit salty and surly, but he warmed up a bit in the end. The other bartender was a bit more jovial and engaging and by the time I left you could tell this was a regular spot for some of the locals as well as a place recommended by the locals to visitors in the area. They looked like they had a good menu, if I had been in Nelson an additional night, I would have come back for lunch or dinner.

I was in Nelson for two nights and went here both times. The beers are all local, the staff is…read morefriendly and helpful explaining all the different beers. The beers are fantastic. I only wish my liver could handle a few more at each sitting. My favorite is the Porter. The have a couple of tables out front, a lot inside in two areas, including a separate smoking area which is very nice.

If you're Californian, and you've been in NZ, you know the pain of finding only 4% beer…read more Really? Dear god if I wanted coors light I would've stayed home. Enter CBD. An oasis. Apparently these are "California boys" who have started to make craft beer in Nelson, the northern part of the South Island. They know what they're doing. And they also have take-away beer that's excellent. If you like craft beer with higher alcohol than 5%, come here. The vibe is chill, the beer is excellent. Currently sipping a half pint of a 12% porter after a 6.5% red Ale. Considering we're from the land of hops and 7-10% beers, this place is a godsend. Come here, especially if you're from Cali and need a good brew. Growlers are for sale. No food on site. Eat before/after you come.

We loved this place!! We are from Hawaii and we stumbled across CBD to grab a beer and wine. The…read moreowner was so nice and we became instant friends!! Beer and wine were tasty. They even have kombucha on tap. We will definitely come back

Not sure what's happened in the year since we last visited Nelson and dined (loose use of the term)…read moreat the Vic. It might have been the time we arrived 8.15 pm? "Underwhelming" was the politest comment a colleague made. 16 of us for dinner. The gourmet hamburgers were oversized "sliders". The steak was dropped on to pile of string potato chips. On part of the steak was raw the other cooked to a leather consistency. No salad or garnish. Some sort of pesto on top of the steak no choice of sauces. The fish was old and small portions and greasy. Again a pile of chips and no side salad. Cost from $27 to $33 There are better venues and quality of food for similar prices. I suggest you try those.

BEST burger and meal I've had while visiting New Zealand. It's in a cute little area of down town…read moreNelson. Reminds me of Berkeley, CA where I'm from. Such a delicious burger, fries and yummy cider too. A little pricey, but totally worth it. Also cheaper option than other restaurants in the immediate area. Nice outdoor seating and fun decor inside. Must stop here if visiting Nelson. I'm sad I could only get one burger :p

Friendly service, tasty food and a nice deck area. They do daily deals ($15 for a steak on a…read moreWednesday), which we took advantage of.

Walked by and the menu seemed pretty decent. The Salt 'N' Pepper Squid was very good and so was the…read moreRump Steak. My friend had the Big Beef Burger, and said it was her best burger EVER.