Our last dinner in New Zealand we ate at the Fishbone Grill, right in the heart of Queenstown, New Zealand.  The restaurant is decorated with a ton of brightly colored fishing themed objects and is quite loud.  The ambience was perfect for family dining, or a night out with a group of friends, not so much for a romantic dinner for two.  As it was, it worked great for dinner out with our baby.  They gave us a table in the back corner, which was perfectly tucked out of the way.  The restaurant also had highchairs and a children’s menu.

We started off with an order of garlic bread, $5NZD which was three pieces of very garlicky bread.  Not that we’re complaining – we love it that way!  Ian had a wheat beer he wasn’t too impressed with.  He followed it up with an Astrolab Sauvignon Blanc, $9.50NZD/glass, which wasn’t bad.

Wendy chose the one vegetarian dish (but what do you expect from a place called the “Fishbone Bar & Grill”?)  It was Vegetable Noodles, $35NZD.  Five spiced tofu slices were served on a bed of tempura zucchini and mildly spicy chili noodles.  It was very good.

Ian had the Mau’s crayfish, which is apparently what they call Rock Lobster in New Zealand.  700g was $95NZD.  Steamed, then grilled with tarragon butter, it was served with a side of french fries (aka chips) and a tossed green salad.  He enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as melt-in-your-mouth delicious as some of the lobster he’s had in the Caribbean, for example.

Apparently, they try to vary the menu with the seasons so that what’s on offer when you visit may be different from what we tried.  The restaurant actually has its own farm and grows much of their own produce.

Unfortunately, at least on the night we were there, the service was VERY slow.  It took over an hour for us to be served our meal.  The restaurant was really busy that night, so your experience might be different, but it still made for a much later night than we’d planned on.  Overall, though, it was a good meal and a nice farewell dinner.