A visual and taste bud explosion. Went for lunch here in July 2023 and were blown away. Amazing service, stunning food and great wines. THE best food experience. Simply outstanding. To add icing on the cake a long candid chat with Vaughan in the wine tasting area. Can't wait to go back and experience the dinner service. Paua pie was the bomb!!!
One of the most incredible dining experiences of my life - easily compared to (and surpassed some) Michelin 3 stars elsewhere. The food presentation and creativity behind each dish was outstanding. Every bite was unique and delicious. The service was polished yet friendly. Do NOT miss this when in Queenstown area.
Just fantastic. The food has so much complexity but isn’t overdone. The service is informative and friendly. But not ostentatious. The venue is beautiful and the surrounds provide that scale that Queenstown is known for. A perfect reflection of what you would expect from a premium NZ venue. No matter who you are you’ll feel welcome and lucky to dine here. I loved the way they mixed local ingredients with the addition of sustainable meats helping keep non native animals in check. We’ve been many times and always make a day of it.
I read many of the bad reviews before posting this one. I can’t relate to them at all. Other than by saying with a venue of this quality it’s best to plan ahead, book and build a day around the experience. It’s that good. Lunch for me has to be the pick given the location, views and layout of the venue.
Oh and we had an 18 month old. They prepared some fish and chips for him which he devoured. Wasn’t expected. A lovely touch to a great day.
Been here twice, once for dinner in July 2022 and lunch in September 2023. Both meals were delightful and unique from one another. Delicious and creative, the stories behind each dish lived up to the taste and presentation.
Service was also friendly and very accommodating, they went the extra length to ensure everyone at our party was happy (including a 6 month old baby)! Absolutely a must try if you’re in Queenstown.
Leanne (Beach Travel Wine Podcast)
+5
Amisfield Winery. No visit to the Central Otago Wine Region would be complete without a visit to Amisfield Vineyard and Cellar Door. This winery produces world famous wines and has won many awards, the latest award is for the New Zealand Sustainable Winery of the Year.
It is a lovely cellar door and restaurant. Make sure if you want to have a meal you book ahead. There are some lovely outdoor areas to enjoy the views and wine as well. If you don’t have a car and just want to visit this winery and cellar door, the local bus leaves regularly from Queenstown and drops you at the bus stop and the front gate of Amisfield and it is only $2.00.
The views from the outdoor seating areas are picture perfect with rows of vines with snow covered mountains as the back drop.
Definitely take time to visit Amisfield when you are in Central Otago area of New Zealand.
Unforgettable dining experience! The best I had in NZ and probably one of the best of my life. Exceptional service, nice atmosphere, and incredible wine and 20 food courses. If you are a big foodie, this is a NZ must!!
Truly a dining ‘experience’. From both the consideration of what are properly unique dishes made from local ingredients to the theatrics involved with all of them, truly did not disappoint. Only major fault was the seemingly inexperienced ‘sommelier’ who somehow almost ruined the whole night and made getting any sort of drink much more difficult than I thought possible. I would not let that discourage however and recommend trying some of the Amisfield vineyards wines - the 2016 Brut paired deliciously.
My family and I enjoyed the degustation menu with every course matched to a paired wine. We dined outside on the patio overlooking the farm and sculptures. Before dinner, we had time to take a walk around the property, which is pastoral and beautiful.
Chef Vaughan Mabee and his staff did a magnificent job explaining every course, where the food had originated, and how the course was created. Chef Mabee is creative and very talented. We were open to try whatever came and each course was interesting and offered our palates new sensations.
We had a car, which made it easy to get here from Queenstown. It's a destination kind of dining experience and off the beaten track. I imagine you can uber there also, but you wouldn't want to try to get there by public transportation.
Plan a whole evening. The degustation menu takes time and the attentive wait staff do not rush you.
Enjoy!
The most unique dining experience we have ever had. They create magic using local produce. Great introduction to New Zealand food.
sonia esperanza carvajal galvis
+5
The tasting costs $25 per person (to try 5 wines) and if you buy a bottle at the end, the cost of the tasting will be waived!
An English girl called Darcy was in charge of our wine tasting. She was super friendly and gave us recommendations and good information about the wines we tried. We told her we didn't have much experience with wine, so she was very patient and helpful explaining details about what we were tasting. She was great. However, when she finished her shift, there was a guy after her who made us feel less welcome. We do understand it's quite a busy place, but we didn't see any need to make us feel in a hurry, like "buy or go". Anyway, that didn't take away from our experience with delicious wine and with our friendly English sommelier.
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