Oamaru is the captivating home to little blue penguins in New Zealand. It lets you delve into wondering about nature’s creation. Oamaru has everything from the Victorian precinct to the limestone architecture, the superb public gardens, and the fresh handmade cheese shopping. The town of Oamaru will astonish you with its beautiful cafes and restaurants. Restaurants in Oamaru offer delicious cuisines, from cheese-filled Pasta to fine wine.
Restaurants In Oamaru
Besides its mesmerising blue penguin colony, Oamaru town is also famous for its fine dining, fresh handmade cheese, craft beer and whisky. We have curated a list of the best restaurants in Oamaru that offer a delightful experience to visitors.
1. Cucina
Cucina is one of the finest high-quality dining restaurants in Oamaru. Many customers love the special meat and fantastic sauces. Indeed, delicious dining, whether planning a typical dinner or a blaster night party with family and friends, Cucina welcomes it all with both hands open and a big smile.
Location: Tees Street, South Hill, Oamaru.
Timings: 5 PM TO PM.
Also Read: New Zealand Tourist Attractions
2. Fat Sally’s Pub and Restaurant
Fancy a perfect pint and fabulous food? Look no further than Fat Sally’s bar and restaurant. This is how their punchline goes, and they do serve what they write. Fabulous food it is. The place consists of a cosy restaurant for comfortable and blissful dining, a bar to cheer and toast your glasses, and a secluded bar garden that is a unique destination. The restaurant’s menu includes a modern version of the old vintage and traditional cooking taste that mixes flavour and health.
Location: Thames Street, Oamaru
Timings: opens 11:30 am
3. Riverstone Kitchen
Riverstone Kitchen is one of the famous restaurants in Oamaru and is owned by the renowned chef of New Zealand, Smith, Bevan Smith. Smith’s Riverstone is an award-winning restaurant titled “Restaurant of the Year” in 2010 for its delicious taste in food and dining and pure, authentic, straight-from-the-farm ingredients. Riverstone Kitchen proudly proclaims to pick only local produce for its restaurant and brings marvels with equal health content. So, Riverstone is your choice if you are looking for healthy food with an abundance of deliciousness.
Location: Glenavy Hilderthorpe road, Waitaki bridge.
Timings: 9 am to 7 pm (Open until late for Fridays and Saturdays.)
Related Post: Cafes In Foxton
4. Star and Garter
The Star and Garter is one of the finest restaurants in today’s and ancient times. Holding a historic importance, the place has a lot to offer than just fabulous food. From fine wine to beer and bar and even live entertainers to get you going with its taste and its rhythms and songs. It is one of the best restaurants in Omaru, where you can sit under the breeze and enjoy the platter to the fullest.
Location: Itchen Street, Oamaru.
Timings: opens 10 am
5. Scotts Brewing Co.
Scotts Brewing is another ancient establishment in New Zealand, and its qualities are true to this day. The pioneer of gluten-free beer has a great menu of food and drink options. Both the deliveries are heart-satisfying. The location is also worth the tourist attraction because of the Victorian quarter and the waterfront. It’s a good-to-go choice.
Location: Wansbeck Street, South Hill, Oamaru.
Timings: opens 11 am
Related Post: Hotels In Lower Hutt
6. Whitestone Cheese
If you love cheese, Whitestone Cheese is the shop to go to. It takes its name from the limestone of Oamaru. Whitestone Cheese takes you in with its delicious and fresh cheese and cheesecakes that are purely handmade and natural, owing to the beauty and reputation of Oamaru’s use of natural and fresh products. The cheese contains zero artificial additives and pure milk from the local livestock.
Location: Thames Street, Oamaru
Timings: 9 am to 8 pm
7. Harbour Street Bakery
The Harbour Street Bakery reads a clear slogan, “It’s famous because it’s good”, and might not deny that the quotation suits the business reputation. The Harbor Street Bakery is famous because it’s good. From fresh bread, pies, cookies, and all that is sweet, the bakery has everything under its jars for you to devour. The bakery’s products are also said to be straight from the farms, giving you a gist of sweetness with a touch of good natural health.
Location: Harbour street, south hill, Oamaru.
Timings: 9 am to 4pm
Related Post: Hotels In Dargaville
8. The Last Post Pub Restaurant
The last post-pub restaurant is a European-style bar, pub and restaurant in Oamaru, New Zealand. The delights of the place are that it is gluten-free and has many vegetarian-friendly and vegan options. It has lunch, dinner, brunch, and some great drinks. Experiences in the restaurant include more than just the delicious dishes on the menu. Still, you also get to interact with some local families and have delightful conversations with the families of Oamaru.
Location: Thames Street, Oamaru.
Timings: Opens 9 am
9. The Galley
The gallery is in a warm and cosy atmosphere, giving its visitors a great chance to relax and enjoy the excellent service the place is too pleased to offer. The staff here is excellent and very pleasing, entirely at your service. The menu has exquisite dishes to help our taste buds enjoy the day. The perfectly cooked blue cod, fish and pork burgers are some of the most tasty meals. The muffins and waffles are also a must-have, apart from good beer, which does come as obvious.
Location: Esplanade, South hill, Oamaru.
Timings: Opens 8 am.
Related Post: Cafes In Lower Hutt
10. The Loan & Merc
The Loan and Merc is an ancient traditional touch of modern-day dining, residing in the old Loan and Mercantile building in the Victorian precinct of Oamaru, New Zealand. The building was built in 1882 as a significant grain store in New Zealand, the reflection of which can be seen even today as you sit and dine at this marvel of history. The place is on the ground floor, where you can cherish and delve over your delicious meals.
Location: Harbour Street, historic Precinct.
Timings: 9 am to 9 pm
11. The Roast
The Roast is a great option for choosing your restaurants in Oamaru. The place has it all, from the finely crafted comestibles, excellent service and staff and exuberant food taste. Apart from the lavish interior, the location’s atmosphere is also worth looking at. This indeed adds a big reason why visitors often visit this place.
Location: Thames Street, Oamaru.
Timings: Opens 7:30 am
Related Post: Restaurants In Greymouth
12. Tees street
As a sister restaurant of Cucine, Tees Street is just another marvel in Oamaru’s massive list of great restaurants. Like Cucine, the place is decorated with excellent decor, giving a welcoming vibe. The food is what causes the goodwill of the place; it needs to be more delicious to leave anything on the menu and not on the table. Tees Street is your choice if you want a comfortable and cosy place with a calm environment and excellent food.
Location: Tees Street, South Hill, Oamaru.
Timings: opens 8:30 am to 3 pm
13. Cucina 1871
Cunina 1871 serves fresh produce foods from the nearby Oamaru vegetation, which is in this age of fast food. Apart from this, the restaurant puts forth some of the finest meals in Oamaru. And you get to enjoy these fine meals under the surface of the natural sky, giving you exactly what you need: the peace of being under the sky.
Location: Tees Street, Oamaru.
Timings: Opens 5 pm.
Related Post: Hotels In Greymouth
14. Lagonda Tearooms
The Lagonda Tearooms offers many cakes, sandwiches, and pies. Friendly staff and pocket-friendly prices make the place value for money. It provides excellent services and catering at a low cost compared to restaurants nearby. It is one of the best restaurants in Oamaru, is vegetarian-friendly, and offers takeaways, outside seating, and wheelchair accessibility. In short, it’s a good choice, especially regarding prices.
Location: Thames Street, Oamaru.
Timings: 9 am to 5 pm.
15. Craftwork Brewery
Craftwork Brewery is your go-to place to discover some Belgian-style brewery and beer with some traditional brewing techniques. The brewery is located in the heart of Victorian Oamaru. Just like its conventional Victorian styling, the restaurant also has traditional brewing techniques which are used to prepare some of the finest beers of the town, which are bottle conditioned instead of force carbonated, giving it a natural carbonation, and you can feel this touch of tradition in every sip you intake. Apart from the best beer, you will also enjoy some fabulous food at this place, in the testing room at a cosy Brussels cafe circa 1900. Where in you get the atmosphere and vibe away from that of a brewery, where you can slowly take a sip of the best ale and enjoy some delicious dining.
Location: Harbour Street, South Hill, Oamaru.
Timings: 12 pm to 8 pm.
Related Post: Cafes In Hastings
16. Short Black Cafe
Having accidentally fallen into hospitality, the restaurant’s owner has carried it out well. A fantastic atmosphere with some amazing and happy people, the short black cafe will always leave you in a good mood. The place has some delicious dining for you to devour, and the coffee at this cafe is genuinely a must-try. It offers you gluten-free and dairy-free dishes and all of them are sourced from local farms, which gives you the bit of health that has been in our city’s lives for ages. The Short Black Cafe is a laid-back cafe where you can settle and relax. It is loved and adored by most locals. Located on the main street, the place is recommended for a great meal and staff service.
Location: Thames Street, Oamaru.
Timings: 7 am to 3 pm.
17. The Woolstore Cafe
The Woolstore cafe, as the name suggests, was a wool store back in time, built out of the famous limestone of Oamaru. It is one of the landmarks of Oamaru and is a very easy-to-find cafe. The cafe serves excellent dining options to satisfy your cravings. Apart from just the dining, the art galleries, gift shops, auto collections, and portrait studios attract most visitors here in the building. Due to these, the place is known as a paradise for art lovers. So, if you love art, visit your paradise and explore a few masterpieces that add more wonder to your imagination and do stop by to dine at the Woolstore cafe.
Location: the Woolstore complex, Oamaru.
Timings: 7 am to 5 pm
Related Post: Cafes In Hastings
18. Badger and Mackerel
The Badger and Mackerel are one of the highly rated restaurants in Oamaru, with green plants and cosy fresh vibes. The cafe has a massive variety and is a great place to hang around for a coffee. Apart from this, the place is also home to beautiful plants and paintings that are available for sale. So you get to have both your plant shopping a bite and coffee for your day’s craving. In short, it is a good place for dining and plant shopping. The place is filled with paintings and plants that are
Location: Thames Street, Oamaru.
Timings: 7 am TO 5 pm
You May Also Like To Read: Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland
Hope you enjoyed reading this guide about the top restaurants in Oamaru. Plan your next trip to New Zealand and visit one of these restaurants for delicious food. Explore luxury to pocket-friendly options in Oamaru.
For our editorial codes of conduct and copyright disclaimer, please click here.
Cover Image Credit:jeffowenphotos for Wikipedia
Frequently Asked Questions About Restaurants In Oamaru
How much does dining cost on average in restaurants of oamaru?
The average dining cost for a couple ranges from NZ30 to NZ40. Drinks and other expenses might increase the bill, but the rough figure could be around $100.
What are the top dining places of Oamaru?
Oamaru has many places dedicated to fine dining, but to name a few, Fat Sally's Pub and Restaurant, Riverstone Kitchen, Star Garter, Scotts Brewing Co, Whitestone Cheese, and Harbour Street Bakery are a few of them.
Do we have cost-friendly restaurants in Oamaru?
Yes, many cost-effective and pocket-friendly restaurants in Oamaru fit your budget. Some if them are included in the above list.
Do hotels in Oamaru have dining services?
Yes, there are many places to stay, such as hotels and motels, where dining is included in the price, and often, breakfast is on the list.
Can one get family and vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Oamaru?
The restaurants in Oamaru are ideal for family dinners and celebrations, and their menus include many vegetarian options.
People Also Read:
Restaurants In Paeroa Restaurants In Mosgiel Restaurants In Matamata
With a passion for travelling, and carving beautiful stories of stunning locations I chose my profession as a content writer. The unique blend of creativity and strategy ensures that each narrative takes readers on a journey to their desired destination. With distinct locations and unique vibes, I strive to deliver captivating content that speaks to the hearts of readers.
