The Best Places in New Zealand
Sections
- Eat , on. Show only this section 113
- Drink , on. Show only this section 17
- Stay , on. Show only this section 72
- Do , on. Show only this section 9
Tap a section to narrow the list.
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Rank 201. Bardeaux
Wine Bar
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 4 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 4 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Three places have the exact same Score, so they share #201. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #201 Bardeaux (this place) 61.312
- #201 Bunker 61.312
- #201 Saffron 61.312
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The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 4 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 4 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Three places have the exact same Score, so they share #201. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #201 Bardeaux 61.312
- #201 Bunker (this place) 61.312
- #201 Saffron 61.312
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Central Otago pours run deep at this wine bar in Arrowtown, with bottles from the surrounding region joined by Barossa selections and vintage French champagnes. The high-ceilinged room keeps things unfussy, simply dressed tables and a relaxed pace that feels genuinely local rather than performed. An open kitchen runs along one side for anyone who wants something to watch with their glass.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 4 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 4 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Three places have the exact same Score, so they share #201. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #201 Bardeaux 61.312
- #201 Bunker 61.312
- #201 Saffron (this place) 61.312
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Rank 204. Mini Bar
Beer Bar
A narrow beer bar tucked opposite Bardeaux on Queenstown's drinking circuit, Mini Bar runs a passport scheme where you drink your way around the world one bottle at a time, from over a hundred international options. Pop art in the Lichtenstein style covers the walls. There are cocktails on offer and a solid back-bar, but this is a beer place at heart, and the bartenders know it too.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
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Rank 205. Bar Up
Cocktail Bar
Tucked above Minibar up a flight of stairs, this one-room cocktail bar has a vaulted ceiling and a sliver of a view over the corner below. It's a little rough around the edges, which is precisely its charm: bartenders drink here on their nights off, and by midnight the music has climbed accordingly. They chill the wine glasses before pouring cold whites, which tells you something about where their priorities sit.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #205. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #205 Bar Up (this place) 56.742
- #205 Blue Door 56.742
- #205 No. 5 Church Lane 56.742
- #205 Sky Bar 56.742
- #205 Sofitel Martini Lounge 56.742
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A rusting padlock hangs off a battered blue door down a secluded alleyway off Arrowtown's main drag, and that's the whole address you'll need. This atmospheric bar sits in old gold-mining country where the high street already looks like a Western set, and the bar leans into that energy without trying too hard. The kind of place you find by accident and tell people about like a secret, even though everyone already knows.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #205. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #205 Bar Up 56.742
- #205 Blue Door (this place) 56.742
- #205 No. 5 Church Lane 56.742
- #205 Sky Bar 56.742
- #205 Sofitel Martini Lounge 56.742
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Rank 205. No. 5 Church Lane
Cocktail Bar
Absinthe fountains, crystal decanters, and gold bartending equipment crowd the shelves of this cocktail bar, lit almost entirely by tea-lights. The menu sorts drinks by historical category, fizzes and daisies and the rest, each with a footnote on who invented it and where. The vibe is full-throated heritage emporium, which makes the thumping dance music either a charming contradiction or a minor existential crisis, depending on your mood.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #205. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #205 Bar Up 56.742
- #205 Blue Door 56.742
- #205 No. 5 Church Lane (this place) 56.742
- #205 Sky Bar 56.742
- #205 Sofitel Martini Lounge 56.742
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Rank 205. Sky Bar
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #205. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #205 Blue Door 56.742
- #205 No. 5 Church Lane 56.742
- #205 Sky Bar (this place) 56.742
- #205 Sofitel Martini Lounge 56.742
- #205 The Whisky Room 56.742
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Rank 205. Sofitel Martini Lounge
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 3 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #205. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #205 Blue Door 56.742
- #205 No. 5 Church Lane 56.742
- #205 Sky Bar 56.742
- #205 Sofitel Martini Lounge (this place) 56.742
- #205 The Whisky Room 56.742
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Rank 205. The Whisky Room
Beer Bar
Upstairs from the Red Rock pub, this small whisky bar fits leather chesterfields, barrel tables, and glass cases of whisky paraphernalia into a room that feels like a gentleman's club someone actually uses. Your feet rest on an old piece of railway line at the bar, which sets the tone. The selection covers Scotch, Japanese, Canadian, and bourbon, thorough enough for a good evening, and there are other spirits tucked in old crates below for anyone who wandered in by accident.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide 3.5 stars · Difford's Guide
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #205. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #205 Blue Door 56.742
- #205 No. 5 Church Lane 56.742
- #205 Sky Bar 56.742
- #205 Sofitel Martini Lounge 56.742
- #205 The Whisky Room (this place) 56.742
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Rank 211. Thirty Nine
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: Difford's Guide
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide