The best of
Queenstown. Ranked.

Kappa

Up a steep flight of stairs at The Mall since the late '90s, chef-owner Naoya Higuchi still fillets his own fish for sashimi and keeps a menu of quiet classics that regulars have followed for two decades, now with their kids in tow.

Minami Jujisei

Queenstown's original Japanese restaurant, running for over two decades on Beach Street with a sushi bar up front and semi-private dining behind it, having quietly fed everyone from Sam Neill to Peter Jackson.

Booking

Book on weekends. Over twenty years in Queenstown, so it is well drilled.

Season

Open year-round.

Tanoshi Cow Lane

An Osaka back-alley dropped into a Queenstown laneway: teppan-grilled tapas, donburi and an outsized sake and whiskey list from chef Koji Kiminami. Loud, late-running and the pick for a proper Japanese night out.

Kobe Cuisine

Zen dining room overlooking Lake Hayes and the Wakatipu Basin, where chef Yuki Ariya sends out seasonal sharing plates, tableside teppanyaki and sushi tacos alongside wagyu and crab tempura. Special-occasion territory.

Hikari Sushi Bar

The Beach Street original of the Hikari name, running a deep sushi and ramen menu with chefs trained on fish delivered fresh each morning. A dependable, unfussy standby right in the thick of town.

Goku

Queenstown's original shabu shabu and sukiyaki house, built around premium hot-pot ingredients from Japan and NZ — think A5 wagyu, king salmon nigiri and local paua — for a slower, sharing-style Japanese meal.

Yakitori Daruma

A tiny, memorabilia-packed sake bar on Shotover Street that's been pouring sake bombs and grilling yakitori and kushiyaki for years. Sashimi, donburi and tableside grilling in a room with real Japanese-dive-bar character.

Ramen Ramen by Tanoshi

The build-your-own ramen offshoot of the Tanoshi group, wedged between Searle Lane and Church Street for fast, no-fuss bowls — pick your broth, noodles and toppings and it's on the table in minutes.

Sōki Sushi Train

New Zealand's first conveyor-belt-meets-bullet-train sushi concept, opened in 2022 — grab plates straight off the belt or order via tablet and watch a toy train deliver it. Novelty done properly, not just for the kids.

Tanoshi Five Mile

The Frankton branch of the Tanoshi group brings the same build-your-own ramen, bento and donburi lunches to the Five Mile centre — a genuinely useful sit-down option away from the town-centre crowds.

Hikari Teppanyaki

Frankton's dinner-and-a-show option — chefs flick, sizzle and flame steak, seafood and vegetables tableside on the teppan grill. Modern Japanese with a genuine entertainment factor for groups and families.

St Pierre's Sushi

A no-nonsense sushi counter with outlets in both Queenstown Central and Remarkables Park Town Centre — fast, made-fresh rolls and sushi boxes for a quick lunch between errands or on the way to the slopes.

Sushi Box

A family-run takeaway kiosk hidden in the Beach Street mall behind Cotton On, turning out fresh sushi rolls, Japanese curry and ramen made daily. Budget-friendly and reliably fast for a grab-and-go feed.