Location: Marlborough Region
Top Restaurants in Marlborough Region
Top Things to do in Marlborough Region
Where to eat New Zealand food in Marlborough Region: The Best Restaurants and Bars
Reviews on New Zealand food in Marlborough Region, South Island, New Zealand. The fertile soil and temperate climate of the Wairau River Valley provide the perfect conditions for a wine lover's paradise. Marlborough's thousands of acres of vineyards and dozens of wineries create delectable wines of diverse varietals, from full-bodied Pinot Noir to herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc. The countryside boasts unsurpassed beauty, with its majestic mountains, verdant vineyards and the labyrinth of waterways that make up the Marlborough Sounds.
Things to do in Marlborough Region
10. Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen
Overall Ratings
4 based on 219 reviews
Come and visit Saint Clair Family Estate Vineyard Kitchen to relax, sit back and enjoy the Saint Clair experience. The newly renovated establishment is situated within a unique vineyard setting with views extending past the vines towards the ever changing
Reviewed By Kayesey
When in Blenheim we always stop off at the St Clair Wineries. Always great service, the guy we had serving us with wine tastings was very knowledgeable and the wine of course is excellent.Thanks for visiting - we love it when you are in Blenheim and call in to see us! We really appreciate you taking the time to provide such wonderful feedback. See you on your next visit.
9. Giesen Cellar Door
Overall Ratings
4 based on 388 reviews
Marlborough has a special place in the hearts of the Giesen brothers. To celebrate this, and the wines they create, in late 2011, 30 years after their arrival in New Zealand, they opened a Cellar Door in the heart of the region's wineries. Situated in the
Reviewed By Kerry W
Great sharing platter just perfect for a long girls lunch and so tasty. We enjoyed the wine tasting to select our favourite for a glass to go with lunch.
8. Scotch Wine Bar & Wine Shop
Overall Ratings
4 based on 224 reviews
We are an independent, owner-operated wine bar, restaurant and wine shop located in the middle of Blenheim, Marlborough.
Reviewed By Zurich_H
We visited for dinner and there was a great atmosphere even on a Tuesday evening! We ordered a number of items to share: sourdough and cultured butter, southern fried chicken, triple cooked chips, sweet potato with fig and roasted lamb shoulder and everything was very tasty! Recommended for a nice relaxed evening with tasty food.
7. The Mussel Pot
Overall Ratings
4 based on 661 reviews
Havelock's iconic green lip (green shell) mussel restaurant.Casual and informal.The restaurant specialises in green lip mussels but also has a variety of New Zealand seafood, burgers, pastas, gluten free and vegetarian options all perfectly matched with f
Reviewed By Wowzap
I have to admit to having low expectations: this is a âsmall town placeâ, many tourists pass through. Itâs on the main drag...Letâs be honest, its likely to be high quantity, good value, poor service and mediocre quality. But WOW! Was I wrong, or was I wrong?! This restaurant is exceptional. And Iâm not just saying that: Iâve eaten (as you will see if you can be bothered reading my other reviews) in some of the best restaurants in Europe and Australasia. Yup. This was good. Very good. Service was attentive but not too much. Menu was short & sweet. Wine was local and good value.And BOY-OH! Were the fresh, local mussels served fresh and creatively seasoned! You bet!The coconut, coriander, chilli and lime were absolutely the BEST mussels Iâve ever tasted. (And Iâve tasted a few)!Definitely highly recommended. And do book, especially in summertime if you want a romantic and relaxed table in the quaint courtyard area. Yup quintessential NZ at its best. Donât miss out!
6. Cod & Lobster Brasserie
Overall Ratings
4 based on 852 reviews
Cod & Lobster Brasserie is a seafood restaurant and cocktail bar located in the heart of Nelson. Enjoy the best seafood from around New Zealand, meticulously mixed cocktails and fresh, regional fare - including beef, lamb and venison. Open for brunch, lun
Reviewed By nicholaswillmott
Excellent food, recommend the lemon sole and the pot au chocolat, be aware that both are very rich. We had their âlocalsâ menu which is their prix fixe where you can get slightly smaller portions on the main, which is okay because portion sizes are generous. For us, service was a little slow but very pleasant, that may just be us still adjusting to a different pace of life,
5. Wairau River Wines Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 561 reviews
The menu at Wairau River Wines is built around the fresh produce that is readily available in the Marlborough district.Enjoy matching our superb wines at cellar door prices with lunch in a relaxed informal environment either outside on the sun drenched la
Reviewed By Alison P
We ate lunch here twice during our stay as the food was excellent and the service also good. The mussel chowder was delicious and the salmon salad contained a tasty variety of ingredients. Inside you are warmed by a huge fireplace and outside the sun shines on the tables. You are welcome to do a wine tasting which is fun.
4. Rock Ferry Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 699 reviews
Rock Ferry Restaurant is owned by husband and wife team Tom and Fiona, proud producers of world-class certified organic wines, made right here in New Zealand. Our philosophy is to make real wines which speak of their home; to express the pure distinct fla
Reviewed By beheaded c
We arrived from a wine tasting at Cloudy Bay who recommended the Rock Ferry for lunch. A picture perfect setting surrounded by vineyards set the scene. We received a warm welcome and were soon seated in the dining area. All staff were amazing, friendly and helpful. Starters were the artisan warm bread selection with a bowl of mixed olives which was just right. The Pinot Noir from Otago was perfect with our dishes. Mains of salmon sourced from near Mt Cook was outstanding, set on a bulgar salad with brocoli, spinach and rocket. After such a fabulous mains we had to try the dessert and the poached pear and almond with icecream rounded out our lunch with a coffee. A party next to us was celebrating a birthday and the staff obliged with a cake. The atmosphere was so relaxing and even though the menu options were limited, the quality was high. You will not be disappointed!
Where to Eat in Marlborough Region: The Best Restaurants and Bars
3. Urban Oyster Bar and Eatery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 686 reviews
Urban Oyster Bar & Eatery is Nelson's newest and most innovative dining experience. Don't be afraid to put your elbows on the table and engage us and your fellow diners. Get to know us and what's inspiring us today. We'll be delivering the things we're cu
Reviewed By Robert S
We checked this place out before we came and had it on our list to try when we were in Nelson. We checked out the website before we walked over because it was a holiday and it said they were open so we went. When we got there it was closed.Hi Robert thank you for your review, we really appreciate you dropping our hard earned rating from 1st Place to 3rd place in order to inform people we were closed on a public holiday. You may appreciate that if you had of looked on our website it clearly states on our opening hours that we are closed on public holidays, so does our facebook page. Our staff work extremely hard for us and they really appreciate having an extra day off on a public holiday. So we are sorry that we weren't open for you when you wanted to come and dine. We feel your review is unfair and unjust and quite honestly it is reviews like this that make it very hard for the hospitality industry. We are more than happy to receive constructive criticism, but in this case you didn't experience Urban in any way and to post a one star review because we were closed is simply wrong.
Most Popular European food in Marlborough Region, South Island, New Zealand
2. Hopgoods
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1273 reviews
Good honest local cuisine, served in a casual environment.
Reviewed By Mcmlix1959
As soon as we arrived in Nelson, we asked the hotel for a recommendation, one of which was Hopgoodâs. From start to finish, the dishes were nothing short of superb. The service was friendly and attentive.The price for such fine quality is more than fair.
Top 3 Asian food in Marlborough Region, South Island, New Zealand
1. Arbour
Overall Ratings
5 based on 349 reviews
Modern cuisine, an exciting beverage list and warm, friendly service, in the heart of Marlborough's renowned wine growing region. With a focus on seasonal, local produce, Arbour offers an ever changing long or shorter tasting menu. Only two minutes from M
Reviewed By Drurolnz
We had a sensational experience at Arbour last night. The booking process was straight forward and user friendly. We enjoy an early dinner and it suited us to take advantage of the 5.30pm start on a bleak winters night. Liz warmly greeted us on arrival and we began our 4 course Marlborough taste experience. The restaurant is a wonderful space- light, airy and tranquil. Warm and cosy with no sense of crowding. We enjoyed the relaxed friendly environment which you don't always find in these sort of places. All of our waiters were well informed, pleasant and helpful- obviously carefully chosen and trained by management.Other reviewers have described the wonderful flavours and the showcasing of the ingredients from this very special part of New Zealand. The dishes served were imaginative, tasty and delicious. It is a very long time since we have had such wonderful food in this country. We enjoy wine by the glass and there was a very good sampling of quality local wines available-obviously carefully chosen.We have spent a lot of money over the years attending Michelin 3 Star Restaurants in various parts of the world. In our view Arbour achieves as much as most of these places do at a fraction of the cost and in a far more friendly setting. This restaurant is truly sensational and we look forward to further visits. Well done Team Arbour!
Best Contemporary food near Marlborough Region, South Island, New Zealand
