Queenstown has completed its transformation from adventure-sports capital to New Zealand's premier food destination, with the resort town's inaugural Michelin awards in 2026 cementing a shift toward high-end, year-round tourism. According to NZ Herald travel coverage published on 21 October, visitors can now leave the skis at home and bring an appetite instead.
The change has real economic weight behind it. Tourism New Zealand, when building the case for bringing the Michelin Guide to this country, estimated the ratings could generate up to 36,000 additional visitors a year from the 2027 financial year. Queenstown's restaurants delivered the goods immediately, with three local establishments recognised in the first awards.
Which Queenstown restaurants won Michelin stars?
Rātā has become a Queenstown icon, and the reviewer had the rare experience of dining there both before and after its star arrived. Its seasonal menu is unashamedly New Zealand, celebrating local ingredients and giving fine dining treatment to the classic Kiwi dip, which the review calls a must-try.
Essence went one better. It was the only New Zealand restaurant to receive two Michelin stars, and the honour has already changed the business: the restaurant has hired seven new staff since the award was announced.
Amisfield also claimed a star, though its year has been anything but quiet. The award followed a turbulent period in which one of New Zealand's most celebrated chefs was unseated, an episode the reviewer notes most locals still have an opinion on if you ask.
Ayrburn: a day out on a converted farm
Just down the road towards Arrowtown, Ayrburn has positioned itself as a genuine destination for food lovers. The sprawling estate, converted from a working farm, produces its own wine, and a film studio is planned for the site.
It is easy to lose an entire day there, particularly in wintry weather. The reviewer describes drifting from a long lunch beside a fire into a cellar wine tasting, with a small dairy outside serving ice cream in between. The Woolshed restaurant, named for the original floorboards you walk on, serves a Japanese A5 striploin with a marbling score of 12, the highest possible tier of authentic Wagyu quality.
The same estate hosts Billy's, a Chinese-inspired restaurant with a story worth knowing. It sits in the restored homestead of William Paterson, an early friend to the first Chinese settlers who arrived in Arrowtown during the 1860s gold rush, a quiet nod to a chapter of local history that deserves wider telling.
Where to stay: Avani Queenstown opens its doors
Accommodation is racing to keep pace with the town's culinary reputation. The Oaks Shores Resort has re-emerged as Avani Queenstown after a multi-year redevelopment that was in its final stages when the reviewer stayed in September.
Operated by Minor Hotels, the property looks across Lake Wakatipu toward the Remarkables, and it has fully embraced the premium lifestyle positioning the view demands. Rooms start at about $250 a night.
The in-house restaurant Six to Midnight, led by chef Vinny de Sila, offers all-day dining with a theatrical streak. A happy hour cocktail cart that arrives at your room door, a throwback to an older era of hotel luxury, gives guests a reason to be back by 4pm. There is an on-site spa, or travellers can try the floating Watershed Saunas followed by a cold plunge in the mountain lake.
James Billing, area general manager of New Zealand for Minor Hotels, said the redevelopment reflected Queenstown's growth as a year-round destination.