Very solid option near the jumping off point for many of the Abel Tasman tours. They appear to…read moreserve a lot of what Gone Burger's walk up stand outside also serves, plus a number of other seafood options, as well as a larger selection (or just...a selection in general) of wine and beer. I had the "rocket" venison burger - nice tasty patty that wasn't greasy and wasn't dry. Good venison flavor, actually, served on an enormous bun at least double the area of the patty (which seems to be a thing in NZ for sandwiches - bread much much larger than toppings. And not small toppings, just...bread like whoa. Fortunately I love bread.) spread with a fig/date spread that was really yummy, plus some greens and a beet slice. I'm not a beet fan, so I swapped that with a family member, but in general, the burger was good and kind of hit the spot after jumping on the road early. It's super convenient to grab a bite as you wait for your tour, or afterwards. It's also the closest thing, otherwise your options are very limited and further afield. So - I'd totally come back. Again, it's about the only option. But then again, I wouldn't drive out of my way to get here. It's perfect for what it is and where it is.

My pizza was delicious and my husband enjoyed his burger. Sweet ambiance, relaxed laid back…read morerestaurant with good food. Clean establishment : )

Ronnie was there to greet us at the door. Try to figure out the word of the day from the jumble of…read moreletters on the blackboard

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.

Great ambiance and friendly people. Had a burger on gluten free bun! Beer was good. A popular road…read morehouse spot for bikers, but not to worry. Has live music and hot waitresses.

This was well worth the 6.5 hour trek from Christchurch over Easter Weekend. Having sampled some…read morebeers at the Great Kiwi Beerfest, we decided we had to get up to the restaurant itself to try some other beers. Located just off the main road to Onekaka, The Mussel Inn is a great local haunt that is regailed for it's beer and offers a great family feel with a large outdoor gathering space with picnic tables, a giant tire swing and a firepit. There is some indoor seating, but the real experience is outside. There are about 5-6 beer options on tab and other specialty beers by the bottle. My favorite is the Captain Cooker Manuka Beer, but the Super Swine (hoppy manuka beer) was great too. My husband tried their chilli beer, but it is only available by the bottle at the restaurant. They are known for their pies, and I regret not trying one. We ordered small nachos (a blossom of nacho chips stuck into a bean/sour cream/salsa/cheese mix) garlic bread (a large rosemary? foccaia loaf with a generous portion of chopped garlic, the bacon burger (don't be fooled, this burger is all bacon and no beef) with lettuce, a light and fruity salsa and aioli servce on the garlic bread and green-lipped mussels. My husband says they're the best mussels he's had in NZ. I wasn't so impressed with the open-faced burger and ended up eating each piece separately (as it was extremely messy and over-bearing). The flavors were great once eaten by themselves! We had an extra beer over dessert, but their pavlova looked appetizing. Be sure to stay through dusk as they light the fire pit, which is a great place to cuddle up to someone, or just sit and enjoy a beer. Arrive before 6 to beat the local crowd and secure a table outdoors as well as parking in their very small lot. When we left, cars were lined up down the side of the highway.

Awesome place for an early lunch. Green mussels for 18$. Superb. They're huge and fresh. Good…read morecappuccino for 4$.

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.

Fantastic mussels, seafood chowder and dark beer!! We came…read morein hungry and we left with big grim in our face. We were looking for another place for live mussels and that place was closed. So it's just a coincidence we found this place. We are very pleased with their friendly services, cute waiter and excellent food!!

Fantastic food, great service, wonderful atmosphere, good selection of booze. All around a great…read morerestaurant!

Good irish bar. We came here around 4pm for an early dinner before our ferry to Wellington and it…read moredidn't disappoint. It got steadily busier as it got closer to 5pm with the line by the time we left. We tried the garlic bread with cheese again and still disappointed with the amount of garlic. However, the rest of the food was good. We got fish and chips again and the fish was lightly breaded and flakey and chips were crisp on the outside and potatoey on the inside. We also got the Guinness stew which was good as well (not as good as the stew I had the Guinness brewery but that's high bars).

How can this place only have 6 reviews?!? Whoever gets off the 3.5 hour ferry from Wellington to…read morePicton needs to stop at this place! It's inviting, delicious, super cozy, and fun. We got our pint of Guinness and enjoyed the amazing eats! Highly recommend this place if you're in this quaint little New Zealand town.

Great ambiance. Friendly waitress. Looked clean and stylistically decorated. Bathrooms nice and…read moreclean. Food was above average, excellent sized proportions. My hubby had the burger - it was massive and he loved it. Daughter had the chicken and waffles which were a little spicy for her taste. I had the brisket and eggs. Perfectly poached eggs and great bread. Unfortunately the brisket wasn't great, a little tough and lots of fat. Overall I would recommend and would return to try other items. They had a nice looking outdoor area also.

I can't believe I haven't made a review for this place yet! I spent a lot of nights and hungover…read moremornings here haha. In my final few months in New Zealand I lived in a super small town, less than like 7k people small. It only had 1 main street and this was one of the few highlights of it. This restaurant is popular for the bbq, the inside of it gives off a USA vibe too. It had a big old looking front of a farm truck that they used as their cafe order window, barrels everywhere(hence the name) felt like I was somewhere in the middle of America eating here. As far as the food goes, it's a versatile place. The BBQ is their specialty but they also have some fun breakfast items and, a fantastic gourmet donut selection. I've had the pork ribs and lamb ribs, I loved both equally as much. Can't go wrong with either choice. If you're there for lunch give the brisket burger a try! And for breakfast try out the donuts or get the smoked slamon eggs benny on a bagel with a Chai Latte! Chai in New Zealand just hots different. They also have a carnivore brunch platter which is something I would expect in the deepest parts of Texas haha. So if that's your thing go for it. Sausage and bacon are really the only meats I can do for breakfast. The nice thing about their breakfast menu is it's all day! The prices are pretty high here, but it's one of the only "nicer" restaurants within about 20km, so I guess it's understandable that you pay for some quality food and a nice night out dinner. I enjoyed this place a lot. All the memories with friends, the friendly staff, great food at any time of the day. It kinda reminded me of home and that was comfy. It's a 5 star from me!