Momentos By The Lake Restaurant, at 50 Beach Street in Kelvin Heights, Queenstown, holds a 4.5-star Google rating from 919 reviews; its website is momentos.co.nz.
Dining in Queenstown runs on the seasons — summer lake evenings and the winter ski months fill the good rooms fast, so booking ahead is the first rule, especially for a table with a view. The region's kitchens lean on a strong local larder, from Central Otago venison and merino lamb to Gibbston pinot noir, and a menu that shifts with the seasons is usually a good sign. Regulars judge a room on its quieter midweek nights, when there is no crowd to hide behind and the kitchen has nowhere to mask.
Set by the water in Kelvin Heights, a short drive from central Queenstown, Momentos By The Lake gives the peninsula a neighbourhood table of its own.