Wai Restaurant

Wai Restaurant Overview

Fine dining on the wharf, offering an eclectic menu using the finest, local ingredients. Mouthwatering dishes you'd never have thought of - food that almost distracts you from the great view outside.

Wai Restaurant is something special. Everything about it has been carefully considered to give you the ultimate dining experience - from the low lit, intimate and sophisticated feel; the bar area for pre-dinner drinks; the menu; even the location is to die for. Put everything together, and you've got a place you'll want to spend hours in.

Forefront in the minds of Wai's owners, is showcasing New Zealand's natural culinary wonders - seafood is a speciality, as you'd expect - but also doing something different with it. There are two menus - the sumptuous Dinner Menu, and the Chef's Degustation Menu.

From the former, you can dive into oysters, a confit quail, even smoked eel mousse, before cleansing that palate with a sorbet (we told you this was fine dining...). For mains, you'll truly be strugging to decide - the Fiordland Groper is a best seller, and the Canterbury Duck, with a goat's cheese cream, is a dish you'll be raving about afterwards. Finish with a coffee crumble or strawberry shortcake as you gaze out over the water, and maybe leave just a little bit of room for the petit fours that complement the brandy, perfectly.

The Chef's Degustation Menu is a real treat and a perfect choice for those new to the fine dining experience. Let Wai make the difficult decisions for you and allow them to show you the very dishes that have put this place on the map. Tasters include Amuse Bouche, Southland Pork Belly, Quail Spaghetti Carbonara (our favourite...), and Angus Ribeye. Each course comes with the option to try a glass of Chef's own wine accompaniment, specially chosen to complement the dish.

It's an education, really, dining at Wai, so don't be afraid to ask questions; the staff are very knowledgable about Wai's food and wine and will be only too happy to give you tips on how to recreate that amazing entree you just had (they won't give away trade secrets, though...).

Christmas and New Year's Eve menus are available, and Wai Waterfront Restaurant is also an established wedding venue - not surprising given its stunning location. A visit to Queenstown would not be complete without a little indulgence here...

Reservations:

You can reserve a table directly or use our reservation form below.

Opening Times::

Open 7 days
Dinner: 6pm - 10pm
Closed Easter Tuesday, Anzac Day and Labour Day.