Where to Eat
There are a number of local places where you can eat some great
food both during the day and in the evening.
Wherever you decide to eat in the evening we strongly
recommend you book ahead since places can get
very busy with locals, rail trailers and other visitors.
The Lauder Hotel provides all day snacks and
bistro evening meals seven days a week. New publican Gerald
Patterson also has a good selection of Central Otago wines.
Give Gerald a call on 03 447 3706 for bookings.
At the White Horse Hotel in Becks,
9kms north of Lauder on SH85, Karen does great pub food and
Gary the publican offers a courtesy pick up/ drop off service
if you have no transport. Gary does a regular run for rail trailers
to Big Sky Cottage and elsewhere in Lauder. Phone Gary or Karen
on 03 447 3685 to arrange a pick up.
In Omakau 7kms south of Lauder you will find
the Muddy Creek Café offering café-style
food during the day, with a take-away service in the early evening.
There is also the Omakau Commercial Hotel offering
bar lunches and a-la-carte evening dining. For bookings call
Stacey, Michael or Colin on 03 447 3715.
The historic Chatto Creek Tavern on SH85 just
beyond Omakau towards Alexandra does tasty bar meals both during
the day and in the evening. With its shadey beer garden, the
Tavern is a popular lunch time stop for rail trailers on their
way to or from Omakau. Phone Lesley on 03 447 3710 for an evening
booking.
The Vulcan Hotel in St Bathans,
a 15-20 minute drive north of Lauder, is well worth a trip providing
bar food during the day and an a la carte menu in the dining
room in the evening. Phone Jude or Mike at the Vulcan on 03
447 3629 for evening bookings
Further afield, Alexandra has numerous small
cafés open during the day with some also open in the
evenings. The Shaky Bridge Cafe in Graveyard
Gully Road (phone 03 448 5111 or details at www.williamhill.co.nz/cafe.html)
just across the Shaky Bridge offers lunch and evening meals
in a lovely surrounding on the edge of one of the William Hill
vineyards. Bookings for evening meals are strongly recommended.
There is also Craterscapes Garden Gallery & Café
in Ennis St around the back of the main shopping area where
you will find interesting sculptures and other art pieces for
sale as well as fine food.
The Packing Shed along Earnscleugh Road between
Alexandra and Clyde is set in a gorgeous garden and is a lovely
place to go for a special lunch. Call 03 449 2757 for bookings.
Ten minutes drive from Cromwell across the Kawarau River is
Bannockburn which has a number of lovely cafes
and restaurants at vineyards such as Carrick Wines (phone
03 445 3480 or see www.carrick.co.nz)
and Mt Difficulty Wines (phone 03 445 3445
or www.mtdifficulty.co.nz).
Both are open for lunch and have stunning views across the vineyards,
Lake Dunstan and the surrounding mountains. We strongly recommend
booking in advance for lunch.
.jpg)
