Rātā Restaurant has spent over a decade celebrating the flavours of the South Island through honest, produce-driven cuisine from its home at Te Nuku, 43 Ballarat Street, in the heart of Queenstown. The restaurant was honoured with One MICHELIN Star as part of the inaugural MICHELIN Guide 2026 New Zealand, a recognition shared with the local growers, farmers and foragers who make the food possible.
Taking its name from the native rātā tree, which blooms brilliantly in rugged alpine terrain, the restaurant is guided by resilience, balance and renewal. The menu is inspired by the landscapes and producers of the South Island, changing with the seasons and built from close relationships with growers and farmers across Central Otago and beyond, alongside the team's own foraging.
Whether it's a quiet evening for two or a long dinner with friends, Rātā welcomes guests to share in the warmth of its dining room, with a dinner menu and a tasting menu with an optional wine match both on offer.
Rātā Restaurant has spent over a decade celebrating the flavours of the South Island through honest, produce-driven cuisine, nestled in the heart of Queenstown at 43 Ballarat Street. The restaurant was recently honoured with One MICHELIN Star as part of the inaugural MICHELIN Guide 2026 New Zealand — a recognition the team shares with the local growers, farmers and foragers who make the food possible.
The restaurant takes its name from the native rātā tree, which blooms brilliantly in rugged alpine terrain, standing for resilience, balance and renewal. Tucked between mountains and lakes, Rātā describes itself as not fine dining in the traditional sense, but something more enduring — a reflection of the land and its ingredients, guided by time, technique and respect for what's real.
The menu is inspired by the landscapes and producers of the South Island, changing often to reflect the season, from the first greens of spring to the deep, earthy flavours of winter. The team works closely with local growers, farmers and foragers across Central Otago and the wider South Island, often foraging themselves to bring wild ingredients to the table.
Snacks include a potato and burnt butter rosti with kiwi dip, and Marlborough oysters with lemon, thyme and olive oil. Starters range from a beef tartare with smoked tallow and horseradish to a Ruakākā kingfish crudo with buttermilk and green chilli. Mains showcase the region's produce: Bluff blue cod with pearl barley and clam, wild Southland venison with a braised shank boulangère, and a Southern Stations wagyu sirloin finished with a café de 'QT' butter sauce. Dessert options include a Zenkuro sake kasu ice cream sandwich and a wildfire cheesecake with mandarin and gingernut, alongside a cheese selection featuring Mercer Cheese aged pecorino, Tasman Blue and Valhal Goat Camembert.
For guests wanting the full journey, Rātā also offers a tasting menu, moving through dishes like sourdough with marmite butter, kingfish crudo, snapper with pearl barley, and wild Southland venison, finishing with desserts such as wildfire cheesecake and NZ macadamia. An optional wine match pairs each course with selections from producers like Maude, Coal Pit, and Smith & Sheth.
Rātā is open Monday to Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. It's located at Te Nuku, 43 Ballarat Street, Queenstown, and can be reached by phone or email for reservations, functions and gift vouchers.