Riverstone Kitchen on Postcard

"A short drive north of the South Island town of Oamaru, Riverstone Kitchen is often lauded as one of New Zealand's best regional restaurants. The stylish dining room is anchored by a robust fireplace crafted from local river stones, and much of the seasonal menu is crafted from the restaurant's own organic orchards and gardens. A more relaxed café ambience for daily breakfast and lunches segues to a more formal mood at dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays, and the savvy drink list includes wines from the nearby Waitaki Valley as well as small-batch beers from around New Zealand. Ask if any of the excellent Belgian-style farmhouse ales from Oamaru's Craftwork Brewery are available."

The Best Restaurants in New Zealand

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@afar

"A short drive north of the South Island town of Oamaru, Riverstone Kitchen is often lauded as one of New Zealand's best regional restaurants. The stylish dining room is anchored by a robust fireplace crafted from local river stones, and much of the seasonal menu is crafted from the restaurant's own organic orchards and gardens. A more relaxed café ambience for daily breakfast and lunches segues to a more formal mood at dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays, and the savvy drink list includes wines from the nearby Waitaki Valley as well as small-batch beers from around New Zealand. Ask if any of the excellent Belgian-style farmhouse ales from Oamaru's Craftwork Brewery are available."

The Perfect Week on New Zealand's South Island

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Hanako Meise

Google

The best cappuccino I ever had in New Zealand so far. Love how the foam was thick on the top and I feel that they also use a good coffee beans. I also love the meal that I order. Love the sauce, the garlic, mash potatoes, the vegetables and the chicken was nice and tender. I also love the atmosphere, you can walk around their garden where you can see where they grow their vegetables. There’s also a castle behind the restaurant. It’s a nice place to chill and have some good coffee and meal.

Lowell Quadros

Google

Have had a great experience here always. Came here today with colleagues and we had a lovely late lunch. The hot smoked salmon, the beer and the tea were all really good. And the Castle is always a sight to behold. Recommended

Scope Rotorua

Google

Amazing! Service, atmosphere, coffee and breakfast! Highly recommend 💖

Carolyn Kan

Google

We’ve had good experiences here in the past, so we were excited to visit again on our trip to South. Unfortunately, this time, both the food and service were major disappointments. The Asian fusion dishes just didn’t work well. I ordered the beef cheek, and while the meat itself was tender and well-cooked, the sauce completely ruined the dish. It’s clear the kitchen can cook, but the overly ambitious Asian twist on the sauces was a letdown across the board. The biggest issue, however, was the service. We were greeted by a staff member who told us she’d be back to take our order in a minute, but that minute stretched to 20. We tried several times to get the attention of other waitstaff, but were ignored. Finally, a staff member came over with a clearly unenthusiastic attitude to take our order. This lack of attention and poor attitude made the experience feel even worse. What should’ve been an enjoyable meal turned out to be a huge disappointment. I didn’t even feel like taking photos of the food, which says it all. On a positive note, the restaurant does have a designated play area for kids, which is a nice touch for families. After this experience, we’ve decided to cross Riverstone off our list for future visits.

Navjot Sidhu

Google

Unfortunately they google review have 5 stars. I would give 10 🌟 🤩 stars to this place. I love their breakfast , so unique and so professional. I never had tasted like this before in other places. professional 👌 👏 Barista ☕️. Chef 👩‍🍳 👌 well dressed. I cnt explain in words about this place. Highly and highly recommend to visit here, whenever you passing this road. Never miss your breakfast from here. Love birds, kids and Family environment place. Never miss castle tour too. Buy tickets on site or online. I wanna come here again on my next trip. Cheers guys !!! Thanks for a wonderful experience 😊

Sebastian Ringel

Google

It was an absolute highlight. The food tasted exceptionally good. The vegetables came straight from their own garden. The children's menus were fantastic. Everything was prepared in a healthy way. Gratulations to the chef 👍

Pynylopy

Google

Beautiful food in a gorgeous setting, with impeccable service. We did a day trip from Christchurch hoping for something special, and it was exactly that. Lovely wander around the garden and gift shop after lunch. Thank you for the fabulous destination - it was worth it (yes, even with ridiculous fuel costs these days)!

Caro McFadden

Google

Amazing food, fantastic service. This was a great lunch in beautiful settings. Take some time to wander around the gardens and the gift shop.

Hanako Meise

Google

The best cappuccino I ever had in New Zealand so far. Love how the foam was thick on the top and I feel that they also use a good coffee beans. I also love the meal that I order. Love the sauce, the garlic, mash potatoes, the vegetables and the chicken was nice and tender. I also love the atmosphere, you can walk around their garden where you can see where they grow their vegetables. There’s also a castle behind the restaurant. It’s a nice place to chill and have some good coffee and meal.

Lowell Quadros

Google

Have had a great experience here always. Came here today with colleagues and we had a lovely late lunch. The hot smoked salmon, the beer and the tea were all really good. And the Castle is always a sight to behold. Recommended

Scope Rotorua

Google

Amazing! Service, atmosphere, coffee and breakfast! Highly recommend 💖

Carolyn Kan

Google

We’ve had good experiences here in the past, so we were excited to visit again on our trip to South. Unfortunately, this time, both the food and service were major disappointments. The Asian fusion dishes just didn’t work well. I ordered the beef cheek, and while the meat itself was tender and well-cooked, the sauce completely ruined the dish. It’s clear the kitchen can cook, but the overly ambitious Asian twist on the sauces was a letdown across the board. The biggest issue, however, was the service. We were greeted by a staff member who told us she’d be back to take our order in a minute, but that minute stretched to 20. We tried several times to get the attention of other waitstaff, but were ignored. Finally, a staff member came over with a clearly unenthusiastic attitude to take our order. This lack of attention and poor attitude made the experience feel even worse. What should’ve been an enjoyable meal turned out to be a huge disappointment. I didn’t even feel like taking photos of the food, which says it all. On a positive note, the restaurant does have a designated play area for kids, which is a nice touch for families. After this experience, we’ve decided to cross Riverstone off our list for future visits.

Navjot Sidhu

Google

Unfortunately they google review have 5 stars. I would give 10 🌟 🤩 stars to this place. I love their breakfast , so unique and so professional. I never had tasted like this before in other places. professional 👌 👏 Barista ☕️. Chef 👩‍🍳 👌 well dressed. I cnt explain in words about this place. Highly and highly recommend to visit here, whenever you passing this road. Never miss your breakfast from here. Love birds, kids and Family environment place. Never miss castle tour too. Buy tickets on site or online. I wanna come here again on my next trip. Cheers guys !!! Thanks for a wonderful experience 😊

Sebastian Ringel

Google

It was an absolute highlight. The food tasted exceptionally good. The vegetables came straight from their own garden. The children's menus were fantastic. Everything was prepared in a healthy way. Gratulations to the chef 👍

Pynylopy

Google

Beautiful food in a gorgeous setting, with impeccable service. We did a day trip from Christchurch hoping for something special, and it was exactly that. Lovely wander around the garden and gift shop after lunch. Thank you for the fabulous destination - it was worth it (yes, even with ridiculous fuel costs these days)!

Caro McFadden

Google

Amazing food, fantastic service. This was a great lunch in beautiful settings. Take some time to wander around the gardens and the gift shop.

Riverstone Kitchen

Riverstone Kitchen

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Highlights

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