Review Ivy & Lola's Kitchen + Bar - Queenstown

Our waiter was super friendly and attentive. He recommended the Jungle Curry to go with our mussels, and they were delicious! Generous portions and the serving were perfect for two of us. Will be back to try more of the other items we saw other people eating, like the burgers and steak.

Great atmosphere. Awesome interior. Service was solid. Food was good. Mussels in crème sauce were good but nothing to write home about. Same for the eggs Benedict The tabbouleh salad was really unexpectedly delicious.

We made a booking for lunch but had to cancel as our day trip plans to Milford sound took longer than expected. But we decided to try our luck without reservation at dinner and boy are we glad for that decision! The food and service is impeccable and I truly enjoyed the crispy duck bun, along with the pork duo and polenta fries. Highly recommended visit !!

Best cafe in Queenstown by the length of Flemington straight. We are here 6 days in a row, the staff was super friendly, the location is stellar and the food is straightforward but delicious

We stopped here for breakfast before a big day of hiking. The service was very quick and the staff were very nice. The rosti was fantastic, a very generous serving. I’d definitely return as everything was delicious.

Loved our dinner here - mussels were fabulous and staff were really attentive and friendly. We ordered the 2 hour slow cooked rib eye steak, fries, peaking duck and mussels with garlic toast. We sat outside and enjoyed the view of the lake.

Walked in based on the menu out the front, lovely vibe both inside and outside. Happy to see vegan options on the menu, had the tofu bao and dumplings. Both were delicious! Friendly staff too, would recommend.

I came for dinner and ordered the mussels and duck pancakes. The meals were quite flavourful, and I enjoyed how you could watch the chefs at work.

Absolutely amazing food. This was our first restaurant after arriving in Queenstown, and it had set such high benchmark standards for the rest of the trip. The chowder is a must order as it was creamy and buttery. Perfect with the bread that came along. The beef rib sandwich was good as well. The fried pickle offered a tangy contrast to the sandwich.

Perfect food to serve on a chilly day in Queenstown. Great view of the harbour & it also has heaters & blankets outside if it gets too cold. The inside of the restaurant is very retro & comfortable to sit in. I thought it was really good!

We did like the food, all three dishes we ordered were very good, ribeye being the best of them all (although I asked for medium rare and it arrived closer to well done). Despite restaurant being quite busy, we didn’t have to wait too long for the food. They seem understaffed, sometimes it takes awhile to get their attention, but overall impression is positive, would dine with them again, if had a chance.

My partner and I have now been for both lunch and dinner and it was amazing both times!! Great portion sizes with value for $$ in the centre of Queenstown. We had the Korean chicken sandwich & pork bao buns the first time and very much enjoyed it. Came back for dinner a few days later and had the steak and lamb duo, it was fabulous! Everything came out really fast. We had the same beautiful waitress both times and she remembered us the second time round which was so lovely. Will be recommending this place to anyone we know in or coming to visit Queenstown!

This was the best meal we had in Queenstown. Service was prompt and attentive. The interior was clean and had an excellent sense of style. But our food, wowzers it was good. Eggs Benny. One with bacon and one with salmon. Absolutely delicious. Highly recommend.

Best description is that of Fine Dining in a laid back atmosphere. Thank you to everyone for a fabulous meal. We shared pot stickers to start then He had the lamb shank dish and I had yummy duck pancakes. The meals and their flavour combinations were absolutely memorable and I highly recommend this restaurant.

Good food in a beautiful location! We popped in here opportunistically on a Wednesday evening for a solid 4.5/5 meal! Would definitely recommend stopping by. Starting with a beer and wine during Happy Hour, we followed it up with a large bowl of the Panang curry mussels and the beefburger. Both were tasty but nothing extraordinary. What makes this place special is the mountain and lake view, combined with the retro internal fit out. Staff were on it and the head waitress was very accomodating.

The food I ordered was very nicely balanced yet tasty. Definitely recommend this place and will be back again next time I'm in Queenstown.

The atmosphere was pleasant, and the staff were friendly and attentive. The menu offered a variety of options, and the food was well-prepared and tasty. I particularly enjoyed the selection of dishes available, which catered to different tastes. The prices were reasonable for the quality of the food and service. It's a suitable place to dine if you're looking for a casual meal in a relaxed setting. Overall, I had a good dining experience.

Had a wonderful meal. The lamb was fantastic. The duck pancakes were delicious too. The garlic bread was good, interesting take on it. The bao was really good too. The pork was nicely crispy.

A must! Food is so good that I went there several times during my stay in Queenstown. I was so impressed by the seafood chowder!

Big breakfast is fantastic and the taste was on the money . Service is friendly and the spot is right by the waterfront. Great spot for some great food.

Superb location, average food. Had breakfast, ordered for Benny’s that came with an acidic hollandasie; the potato and feta croquette was absolutely bland, no sign of feta or the smoky description provided on the menu. Hope it improves.

A cafe overlooking the wharf with an interior decorated with antique items, in particular radios.<br/><br/>Ordered the southern fried chicken 'n' waffles with jalapeno chutney, bacon and maple syrup.<br/><br/>It comes with a square shaped waffle, not too much of a buttermilk batter from the taste, exterior was of the soft side. The fried chicken was a chicken breast piece halved lengthwise, felt like the batter was similar to a batter commonly used for fish and chips, wasn't crispy throughout and could be seasoned better. Bacon is always nice and the jalapeno chutney gave a nice balance to the sweetness from the maple syrup. Maple syrup was generous, however, the waffle can really be drenched and become too soggy when you eat the finishing portions.<br/><br/>Personally what I feel would make this dish even more killer, is to have the waffle have a slight 'crunch' on the exterior while still maintaining a nice egg/buttermilk pillowy center. Maple syrup could be lightly drizzled on the waffle with some left in a separate small cup for us to pour it ourselves, instead of having the waffle swimming in maple syrup. For the fried chicken, it could be one of those southern fried chicken style, with a crispier and darker looking batter, also the use of dark meat.

Chefs food is really good. However, wasnt really happy with waitresses service. I grew up in NZ for a good twenty years, how come the non Asian customers get a more genuine attitude and service. Do I not speak English properly?!

I had this brunch as my last meal before leaving Queenstown and the country for this amazing ski trip 2018. This baked salmon with Hollandaise sauce is exceptional. I always worried the sauce will be too thick for my stomach but this brunch is totally not with the smart blend of tomato reddish. Staff is very friendly and the ambience of the restaurant is right of my favour: sets of vintage collections. A must have experience at Queenstown!

We randomly picked this restaurant for breakfast since we were in the area. We loved the interior of this restaurant. And the food was top notch too. We had the breakfast special that morning and it was one of the best bfast we had while we were in Qtown. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends and family

Holy! Total surprise to have the best burger ever! Do yourself a favor and add bacon! To drink had the hot apple cider with spiced rum, which is wonderful. Fab views, great location, cool venue and good service.

I had the Eggs Benedict, it was just delicious! Eggs were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was really yumm. Beautiful view and the service was great too. :)

Good views and interesting foods - most of the menu is unusual combo breakfast and lunch meals. I had eggs with good salmon and a variety of vegetable stuff. Very good. Coffee was good. Staff were the usual backpackers and could disappear occasionally.

Delicious food, quirky decor, great location, staff that love what they're doing, great music, more delicious food, a menu that makes you want to stay / return. Definitely worth eating at.

I had a taste of the fries that came with my dining partners beef burger and could not stop eating them! My smoked feta and potato croquette hit all the right spots. perfectly poached egg and great pumpkin bread, the beetroot hummus rounded it off nicely.

lovely setting. Great staff. food nice, coffee a bit burnt but could have been a one off. i had eggs bene with hashies instead of toast. Hubby french toast. We both enjoyed food, couldn't finish coffee but OJ was fresh and served with ice - delicious and cold. I would come here again for food and location

As always the food was fantastic we had the fried chicken and waffles. Serving seemed smaller than the last time we were here but seeing I also ended up eating the child's French toast it wasn't a problem. Coffee was perfected made and strong enough. Will absolutely be back next time we are in queenstown

Love how they do brekky and lunch items all day. Great service and love the decor and ambience inside. Had the seafood chowder with garlic bread - defs recommend this!! Dining partners also had croquettes and fried chicken waffles. Will be back!

Amazing service from the minute we walked in, the food was delicious. It was our last morning in Queenstown and this place definitely made our day. The cauliflower and Kumar fritters are a must!!

Ivy and Lola’s was recommended to us by one of our shuttle drivers from our hotel. It’s located in downtown Queenstown and is right on the water. It has a hip and stylish vibe with its funky decor. Even though it was a cloudy day, we had a great view of The Remarkables mountain range from inside the restaurant.

my partner and i decided we would go out for one last breakfast before we had to fly back home. we stumbled along this place on the water front and thought it looked good.<br/>we ordered a orange juice and coffee. the oj was $5 some and 90% ice. the coffee was okay definelty not the best i've had.<br/>we also ordered some food. eggs bene with bacon and chicken and waffles. the eggs bene was average to say the least. the toast and bacon was clearly over cooked. the toast was black, the bacon was crunchy just like crackle. i was surprised the chef served it up to be honest.<br/>the chicken and waffles were average. the waffles were not 'crunchy' they were soft. the bacon was the same as the eggs bene bacon crunchy. the chicken had no flavour at all. the jalapeno chutney was nice and had a good kick.<br/>we were served water but my cup was dirty and the water had floaties in it!<br/>pretty disappointed considering the bill was $50 something and the food was average.

We had dinner here this evening. We didn't have a reservation and they squeezed us in. Everyone was very friendly and attentive and the service was fast. Open kitchen which I love and the decor was very cute.<br/><br/>The food...!! Good god it was fantastic! We had seared scallops with bacon jam, whipped avo and brioche crumbs and it was out of this world.<br/>Then tandoori chicken and lamb duo for mains both were fantastic and there was a healthy serving of each. Particularly the Lamb, I got 4 cutlets and a decent serving of lamb shoulder.<br/><br/>It was only $100 with drinks! We've been in Queenstown a week and this is a county mile ahead of all the other food we've eaten!

Great food and awesome service... waffles are so soft and fluffy... combine that with bacon, southern fried chicken, jalopeno chutney = heaven on a plate. Kids were well looked after too. Nice way to end our visit in Queenstown.

Nice simple food, well presented...great coffee...had to change tables because some of the staff weren't sure where we could sit without a booking. Beautiful setting!

My favorite cafe in queenstown! Service is lovely, we sat outside all three times we came here as it was a really neat spot with awesome views and they provided fluffy blankets and heaters so were never too cold.Food was yummy, we had the eggs benedict which was really good, the hollandaise was one of the best we've had, also had the pancakes another time which was equally scrumptious, will definitely be coming back here next time.

Cute spot in Queenstown overlooking Lake Wakatipu. We sat outside for breaky, which was lovely. They had heaters and some fluffy warm rugs at every table which helped with the slight chill! It took about 10 mins til we got to order drinks and 15 for food.. But we weren't overly fussed. Staff were fairly polite. The menu was pretty funky and the food was on point - we had eggs benny, chicken waffles and pancakes! Yum. Wish we found this gem sooner. We were all very impressed.

Awesome food one of my favourite places in Queenstown. The brunch is great and being able to sit outside to enjoy a morning coffee was a nice touch. Would be back again

Nice place and nice food. A little expensive but the food looks perfect! A warm place for dinner!<br/>We try the tandoori chicken and the salmon. The salmon is so creamy! And the roti in the chicken is perfect as well. <br/>Enjoy the dinner!

Good lord what a brekkie flavour explosion - fried chicken, waffles, bacon, maple syrup and jalapeño relish....be calm my lil tastebuds!! Pricey at 20-sumthin bucks (maybe we were overcharged) but we'll excuse that because they played great jazz, had super kitsch decore and made macchiato like a boss. <br/><br/>

Went for breakfast and had the smoked fish with bubble and squeak. Must be one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. Coffee was fantastic and awesome service. What more can you ask for on a beautiful Queenstown morning???!!!

Ordered the fish and clam chowder for starters which was average. Lacked a bit of seasoning <br/><br/>For mains we had the Harissa crusted salmon with caramelized cauliflower and the monk fish boullbaisse with mussels served with bread. <br/><br/>The salmon was exceptional. Top quality fresh fish served with potatoes, cauliflower and walnut crust. Every bite was a treat. The monk fish (even though a good fish) felt a bit underwhelming compared to the salmon.<br/><br/>Had the ginger bread pudding with mascarpone cheese for desserts. Full marks for dessert. Cute place by the waterfront with courteous staff!

Firstly we were really impressed with the service here- we asked if we could have one of the entrees as a main and the waitress was extremely helpful asking the chefs and coming back with multiple options for how we could have the meal! We had the 5 pepper squid for an entree and it was honestly the best squid I've had- mains were just as good. This was our 2nd visit and both times we've left thoroughly impressed with the service and food. Highly recommended!

Fantastic food, great location in the sun and really friendly staff. The smoked fish was to die for and I got the Jalapeño relish (normally on another dish) on the side and it was excellent! Finished with a special Sunday, truly stuffed!

Came in for a late night meal.They were still open and welcomed us in.<br/><br/>Nice service and really tasty food.<br/><br/>I had the spare rib as an entree and the portion was larger than I expected. This was followed by the slow roasted beef which was juicy and delicious.<br/><br/>They also allowed us to split the bill and had each persons meal pre-separated so it was really easy to pay. Tasty food and friendly service. A nice place to stop by if you are just wandering around unsure where to go.

The food was great as was the atmosphere. We had salmon with some beans splattered around. The sauce had great flavoring. We also had medium cooked beef which also had great taste.<br/><br/>On the other hand, the waiting staff wasn't very responsive and they made us wait a long time for the table and even longer for the food to arrive; even when there weren't much tables filled.

Am sitting here waiting for my food. Ordered over an hour ago. Tables that sat down after us have finished and left. After an hour I chased the waitstaff and food miraculously appeared. And it was stone cold which is not good for what is supposed to be a hot meal. Had obviously been sitting for ages out back. It was inedible (cold poached eggs, no thanks) so we sent it back. Am wishing now I hadn't as it is another half hour and still no food.<br/><br/>Poor service. The staff should have seen we didn't have food and chased it up. Especially when food was coming out quickly to others, restaurant wasn't that busy. Perhaps we should have asked earlier, not sure that makes it our screw up.<br/><br/>Restaurant should have comped the meal, they didn't, charged full price.

Located at the wharf this place is hard to miss. Loved the vintage retro decorations inside and cozy fireplace with little cushions on the window seats.  We had the steak of the day - it was beautifully cooked and we also loved the beef croquette that came along with it. Seafood salmon chowder was delicious too.

The smoked fish dish on the brunch menu was really fantastic! <br/>Far from the ordinary cafe menu offerings. Give it a try. <br/>Good coffee too. <br/>Service was friendly

We came here almost every day for food and coffee on our trip to queenstown, the staff are so friendly and I loved the interior and how the water jugs and glasses didn't match! A beautiful view to see too!

We went here for breakfast this morning as we both wanted a more substantial breakfast than we had had. The service was nice but quite slow, took awhile to have our order taken etc despite it being quite. I had the Pancake Stack with a hash brown side and my friend had their Big Breakfast. The food was nice but nothing special and the coffee was a bit burnt. Probably wouldn't come back as I would try other places first.

Went here for brunch and thoroughly enjoyed it. Had the chicken and waffles and it was superb. The service was a little slow however, but very welcoming and friendly. Cool atmosphere and would definitely recommend

Average plus. Good service. Nice wine list. Venison and lamb both overcooked. Would definitely return. Lamb crumble off the shank was very good.

Mulled wine would have been the go, considering the chill-factor, but I thought the wild rabbit & pork hot pot would be more appropriate. It was chunks of meat galore in a watery broth that didn’t really pack a great deal of flavour.

Absolutely fabulous! Delicious modern kiwi dishes that taste divine and great service with a smile all set in a kitsch restaurant (with mismatched plates and glassware) on the waterfront.

Ivy and Lola's is a great restaurant with good sized portions, excellent value and very popular with locals. Good variety and open all day! Highly recommended.

Good but not great. The perfect setting on the waterfront and a menu to match. To start we went with the toasted loaf with onion butter which was quality once it arrived. Service was very slow and we were starving. For mains we ordered the salmon on lentils, with asparagus, and anbacon potato arancini ball. This was a truly tasty dish but again took a long time to arrive. I'd still recommend this place as the food was top shelf.

I feel really sorry for this place as its the worst food in a town full of amazing places to eat! We ordered the tasting plate which was average, then the braised lentils with pumpkin and goats cheese.....spew!!!!! It was not what we expected and could have made something 1000 better at home. Also we chose the 'recommended' Sav Blanc which was also atrocious! <br/>These guys need to go and eat out around town and learn what good food tastes like!

There are many places to eat in Queenstown and they were all busy while we were there in February. Ivy and Lola's is a snug restaurant just off the main wharf area. It is warm and cosy - and somewhat noisy. An interesting decor with old radios from the 1930s, 40s and 50s hanging on the wall. The menu is small and interesting with an emphasis on local lamp, fish and venison. In the mains there was only one vegetarian option - a lentil dish. Prices are average for the locality. As with other restaurants in NZ you have to purchase veggies on the side. They offer a wide selection of local beers. Service was excellent. All were happy with our meals. we did not have desserts but the sticky date pudding passing by looked delicious.

Absolutely fantastic, cute quirky decor with great staff and delicious food. We enjoyed our dinner of the pork belly and duck so much that we will def recommend you to all our friends and family. See you next time we are up!

I agree too ! My daughter and I have dined here twice. We enjoyed our first meal so much as soon as the opportunity arose we went agian. I had the Lamb and my daughter had the steak, mine was fab but I was a bit jealous of the steak so for our second visit thats what I had, I dont usually have steak out as it seems like such a lame choice but this was fantasic ! On the second visit, my other daughter who joined us had the salmon she said it tasted so fresh and was the nicest fish she had ever eaten. As a coffee lover I was pleased the espresso was fresh and extracted well as so many resturants over look coffee and as its one of the last memories of the place I was happy. I love the mix of above excellent service and food with the quirky decor and awesome steak knives, pottery jugs and radiograms. So many places these days look beautiful but so generic.

I agree with the first reviewer. This is an amazing restaurant and given Queenstowns awesome selection of places to eat, it gave us one of our best dining experiences in the resort.<br/>The decor is really cute with all the nick-knacks gathered from 2nd-hand dealers. It makes quite a statement. <br/>We went early one Saturday evening and they took our group of 6 at quite late notice.<br/>I had goat curry (beautiful and creamy). Others at our table had the lamb duo and pork and were very impressed with both.<br/>My mother-in-law who was with us and has dined at many Queenstown establishments was amazed she had never really heard about Ivy and Lola's and even 3 days later was still making comments about the wonderful meal.<br/>Try it, you won't be disappointed!

Im so surprised this wonderful restaurant hasnt been reviewed yet,we have eaten here three times and the food and service was absolutely outstanding,last week we went two nights in a row.my husband and i travel the country on businees and eat out a lot,we have decided that ivy and lolas is the very best eatery in the entire country to date,an absolute must when in queenstown,ten out of ten.