Cardrona Hotel
Pub fare in a superb setting (b,l,d; $$)
Lots of rustic charm here in the historic Cardrona Hotel, one of New Zealand’s oldest hotels, established in 1863 in the gold rush era.
Dip into pub-style all day bar meals or a more fancy-pants dinner menu. Think garden bar tables out back during the day, Cardrona Ale on tap, roaring fires inside in the evening.
If you’re going the whole hog here, consider staying overnight as you’re a 20-minute drive out of Wanaka.
The bar is particularly popular in winter once the lifts close up at Cardrona Alpine Resort.