Luciano's Restaurant & Bar (Queenstown, NEW ZEALAND) ★★☆☆☆

We visited the gangster-themed Luciano's restaurant on Steamer Wharf before taking a flight back to Sydney to meet up with friends and family the next morning. Steamer Wharf was relatively quiet but most restaurants inside were packed with customers, mainly tourists. We had to wait almost half an hour for a table.

Finding a server to place our order was almost as equally difficult as getting a table. Thankfully we managed to do so after a long wait.

We started things off with a lovely crispy calamari.



Spaghetti carbonara was next but I thought it had a little too much cheese in it.



Pan seared scallops was a little small and it had way too much seasoning.



We were still a little hungry after these dishes so we added another starter before calling it quit - porcini mushrooms.






Food Rating: 4.5/10

Price: $$

Address: 88 Beach Street, Queenstown-Lakes 9300, New Zealand

Tel: +64 3-409 2460

Mercure Queenstown Resort (Queenstown, NEW ZEALAND)

I wasn't a big fan of staying at ski resorts but since they offer pretty nice discounts in non-peak seasons, we decided that it wasn't such a bad idea after all. Mercure Queenstown Resort was our pick for this trip and other than the fact that it was quiet, there wasn't much to say about it. 

The hotel was made up with a series of three-story buildings. There was a small swimming pool in the middle of the resort which we didn't get to check out personally.

The hotel restaurant (I think called South Eatery) was the only area in the resort that we saw some life. 

The room badly needed a facelift but thanks to our extensive time spent on the exploration of the city, we didn't really spend much time inside our room. 

The lone bright spot of staying at Mercure was its proximity to Skyline Gondola. Just a 6-minute drive.

Rating: ❤❤

Price: $$

Address: 21 Sainsbury Road, Fernhill, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand

Tel: +64 3-442-6600

Website: https://all.accor.com/hotel/1994/index.en.shtml

The Fat Duck (Te Anau, NEW ZEALAND) ★★★★☆

Not to be mistaken with THE Fat Duck in UK run by Heston Blumenthal. This one is located in the town centre of Te Anau (New Zealand), just about an hour's ride from the famous tourist attraction Milford Sound.

Our final destination was Milford Sound but the plan was to first stay one night at Te Anau to get ourselves re-energetized. We originally planned dinner at the Redcliff after reading all the raving reviews at Tripadvisor but its rustic decor on the outside turned us away! We had to turn our attention to the nearby Fat Duck.

It was around 8pm and The Fat Duck was absolutely packed with customers. We tried to wait for a dining table but finally gave up and dined at one of their bar tables instead. The waitress was very friendly and attentive despite having only 2 staff to cover the entire dining area.



Our dinner began with a nice creamy clam chowder, followed by a crispy duck leg confit and fresh mussels in a tomato sauce. All three were excellent choices and we were quietly singing praises of the food here. To be honest, it was a little unexpected coming from a small bistro in a tourist town.




The best is always saved for last. The most mouthwatering dish finally arrived and it was a grilled vension medallion served with a vinegar and red wine sauce. The meat was very tender and juicy. It was totally worth the extra waiting time.



If you are on your way to Milford Sound, treat yourself to a nice dinner at the Fat Duck!

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$
Address: 124 Town Centre, Te Anau 9600, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3-249 8480
Website: Link

Opening Hours: 5:00pm - 9:00pm (Wed - Sun)


 

Distinction Hotel Te Anau (Te Anau, NEW ZEALAND)

It's my first-ever trip to New Zealand. I won't say I was super excited about it but it was a convenient one to check it off my list en route to Australia. 

Jelloman wanted Milford Sound as part of the itinerary. I wasn't so sure about that. After all, we needed to make a special tour driving a few hours non-stop. And as a Canadian, I thought it looked way too similar to Lake Louise and Banff, only less impressive.



We did some research on the lodging options near Milford Sound and it turned out that Te Anau was the closest town in the area. The closest town with food and hotel. And from there, it was a toss-up between a couple of hotels with Distinction Hotel finally getting the call.

I didn't like staying on the ground floor of any hotel but that was what we were offered. Well, at least we got a nice garden view from the windows.

Part of the catch from this stay at Distinction Hotel was the view of Lake Te Anau. There wasn't much to be seen though as the mountain view was always blocked by the fog.

I didn't get the chance to take a shower after we checked in and it's time to hit the road again.

Rating: ❤❤

Price: $$

Address: 64 Lakefront Drive, 9640 Te Anau, New Zealand

Tel: +64 3-249-9700

Website: www.distinctionhotelsteanau.co.nz

Kingston Corner Shop & Cafe (Kingston, NEW ZEALAND) ★★☆☆☆

We are finally in! I thought it would be a short flight from Sydney to Queenstown but when we finally touched down, it was almost 3pm already. Time to pick up our rental car as we have a lot of ground to make up.



There really wasn't much to see from our drive to Te Anau, where we will be spending the night. In fact, we didn't even spot a restaurant/cafe except this one called Kingston Corner Shop & Cafe in a small town called Kingston. It's a gift shop, bar, cafe and restaurant. Whatever you want to call it.....

I really wasn't picky about what to eat for my very late lunch this afternoon. I figured anything that's warm I would just wash it down with my coke.

This didn't take long. We were watching our watch very closely hoping to get into Te Anau just before dark. 

Price: $$

Address: 1 Kent Street, Kingston 9793, New Zealand

Tel: +64 3-249-8596

0pening Hours: 6:30am - 7:00pm (Mon - Fri), 8:00am - 7:00pm (Sat - Sun)