arc

About arc

arc is a restaurant and bar nestled on Wanaka's main street, a little way up from the lakefront hustle and bustle. Owned by chefs James Stapley and Sam Cooper, both originally from the UK, the pair met in Wanaka and connected over a shared passion for good food and good service, without the airs and graces.

Arc's signature monthly-changing dinner menu draws on the best of each season, using exceptional ingredients sourced from producers, farmers, hunters and fishermen across New Zealand. The space itself was redesigned by local craftsmen using recycled native Rimu and decorated with Otago wildflowers, creating a warm, relaxed atmosphere that comes alive from late afternoon. A secret native garden out back is the perfect spot to unwind in the evening with a cocktail in hand.

Alongside the set dinner and lite menus, arc runs a full bar menu, a shared cheese fondue experience, handcrafted cocktails and mocktails, and an extensive, thoughtfully curated wine list spanning New Zealand and international regions.

arc: Seasonal Dining and Cocktails in the Heart of Wanaka

On Wanaka's main street, a little way up from the lakefront, arc has built a genuine reputation for exceptional, ever-changing seasonal dining. The restaurant and bar is owned and run by chefs James Stapley and Sam Cooper, both originally from the UK, who met in Wanaka and bonded over a shared belief in good food and good service — without the airs and graces that can come with fine dining.

A menu that moves with the seasons

Arc's signature dinner menu changes monthly, built around exceptional ingredients sourced from farmers, hunters and fishermen across New Zealand. The September menu, for example, opens with an Arc Loaf — a beer and spelt loaf served with black truffle and smoked garlic butter — and a mushroom parfait finished with Aitken's Folly brandy and a manuka honey port caramel. Mains split between a wild shot venison with stroganoff and pickled lion's mane mushrooms, or a butter poached market fish with tartare cream, both served with crushed new potatoes and confit leeks. Dessert brings a carrot cake built around over-wintered Frogsong Farm carrots, pistachio and cardamom cream. A shorter 'Lite' menu offers a pared-back version of the same dishes for a quicker sitting, and both menus can be paired with wine.

Bar snacks, fondue and a cause worth supporting

Beyond the set menu, arc runs a full bar menu featuring fresh shucked oysters, a grilled mushroom skewer, steak and cheese croquettes made with braised wagyu, and the scampi dog — New Zealand scampi on corn bread with lemon aioli and furikake. For a shared table experience, arc also offers a cheese fondue for a minimum of two people, with extras like cured ham, extra cheese and extra bread available to add. The restaurant partners with Bayleys Plate Up for Love in support of Food For Love, donating a portion of every fondue dish sold to the cause of nourishing the local community.

Cocktails, mocktails and a serious wine list

Arc's cocktail list leans into its garden setting, with drinks like the Cucumber & Jalapeno Margarita and The Arc Sour — a gin cocktail with elderflower, lemon and crème de violette — alongside an Espresso Martini and the whisky-forward Old Smokey. A solid mocktail selection, including a Blackberry Lime Seltzer and drinks built around Seedlip's non-alcoholic spirits, means non-drinkers are well looked after too.

The wine list is genuinely extensive, running from approachable glass-pour options — Peregrine sauvignon blanc, Matt Connell pinot gris, Black Peak and Black Quail pinot noirs — through to a serious bottle-only selection spanning Champagne houses like Moët & Chandon and Billecart-Salmon, and prestige Central Otago pinot noirs from producers like Two Paddocks, Valli and Pegasus Bay.

The setting

Arc's interior was redesigned by local craftsmen using recycled native Rimu and decorated with Otago wildflowers, creating a warm, simple atmosphere that comes alive from late afternoon. Out the back, a secret native garden offers the perfect spot to unwind in the evening with a margarita or martini in hand — equally suited to a celebration with friends or a cosy, intimate dinner. The kitchen handles gluten and other allergens, and while steps are taken to minimise cross-contamination risk, guests are asked to flag any dietary requirements or allergies when booking.

Visiting arc

arc is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm until late, closed Monday and Tuesday. Table reservations can be made directly through the arc website, and the restaurant is easily found on Ardmore Street, in the heart of Wanaka.

Signature items

• Wild Shot Venison
• Scampi Dog
• Mushroom Parfait
• Arc Cheese Fondue
• Carrot Cake
• Espresso Martini

Menu

Fondue

• Arc Loaf — Beer and spelt loaf, black truffle & smoked garlic butter, chives
• Arc Cheese Fondue — Potatoes, bread, pickles; minimum 2 people, shared by the table
• Lemon Sherbet — Lemon sorbet, citrus sherbet, limoncello, bubbles

Bar Menu

• Fresh Shucked Oysters — Champagne mignonette, lemon
• Mushroom Skewer — Grilled Wanaka Gourmet Mushrooms, rosemary and garlic oil, white cherry and manuka honey caramel
• Arc Loaf — Beer and spelt loaf, black truffle & smoked garlic butter, chives
• Steak and Cheese Croquettes — Braised wagyu, stroganoff, pickled lion's mane mushroom
• Scampi Dog — New Zealand scampi, corn bread, lemon aioli, furikake
• Scampi Remoulade — NZ caught scampi, green apple, lime mayo, avocado, salsa verde

Red Wines

• Pinot Noir, Black Peak — Otago, NZ 2020
• Pinot Noir, Black Quail — Otago, NZ 2020
• Syrah, Elephant Hill — Hawkes Bay, NZ 2019
• Malbec, Tilia — Mendoza, Argentina 2023
• Rosé, AIX, Cotes de Provence — Provence, France 2021
• Rosé, Penkridge Farm — Otago, NZ 2024
• Shiraz, Brokenchack — Barossa, Australia 2021, bottle only
• Merlot Cabernet Franc, Red Metal — Hawke's Bay, NZ 2019, bottle only
• Zinfandel, Sebastiani — California, USA 2021, bottle only
• Cabernet Sauvignon, DJL, Xanadu — Margaret River, Australia 2020, bottle only
• Valpolicella, Campagnola — Verona, Italy 2019, bottle only
• Pinot Noir, Mohawk Hill, Maude — Otago, NZ 2021, bottle only
• Pinot Noir, Two Paddocks — Otago, NZ 2022, bottle only
• Syrah, Dreadnought, Man O' War — Waiheke, NZ 2020, bottle only
• Merlot Cabernet Franc, Ironclad, Man O' War — Waiheke, NZ 2021, bottle only
• Pinot Noir, Valli — Bannockburn, NZ 2022, bottle only
• Pinot Noir, 'Professor's Block', Maori Point — Otago, NZ 2020, bottle only
• Pinot Noir, Pegasus Bay — Waipara, NZ 2014, bottle only

'Lite' Menu

• Arc Loaf — Beer and spelt loaf, black truffle & smoked garlic butter, chives
• Mushroom Parfait — Aitken's Folly brandy, white cherry and manuka honey port caramel, parmesan & porcini crackling, mushroom bacon
• Wild Shot Venison — Fare Game venison, stroganoff, pickled lion's mane mushrooms; served with crushed new potatoes, confit leeks, pickled mustard
• Butter Poached Market Fish — Tartare cream, soft herb salad; served with crushed new potatoes, confit leeks, pickled mustard
• Carrot Cake — Over-wintered Frogsong Farm carrots, pistachio, cardamom cream

White Wines

• Prosecco, Le Contesse — Veneto, Italy
• Champagne, Louis Roederer — Reims, France
• Methode Traditionelle Brut, Cuvee No. 1 NV — Marlborough, NZ
• Sauvignon Blanc, Peregrine — Otago, NZ 2023
• Pinot Gris, Matt Connell — Otago, NZ 2024
• Pinot Gris, Valli — Otago, NZ 2023
• Chardonnay, Maori Point — Otago, NZ 2020
• Chardonnay, Odyssey — Gisborne, NZ 2024
• Pinot Blanc, Te Kano — Otago, NZ 2023
• Champagne, Laurent Perrier — France NV, 375ml, bottle only
• Methode Traditionelle Brut, Blanc de Blanc, Huia — Marlborough NV, bottle only
• Methode Traditionelle Brut, Amisfield — Otago, bottle only
• Champagne, Moët & Chandon — France NV, bottle only
• Champagne, Billecart-Salmon — France NV, bottle only
• Osteiner, Rippon — Otago, NZ 2022, bottle only
• Gewürztraminer, Blackenbrook — Nelson, NZ 2021, bottle only
• Sauvignon Blanc, Peregrine — Marlborough, NZ 2022, bottle only
• Albarino, Gotas de Mar — Galicia, Spain 2022, bottle only
• Chardonnay, 'Sharkstone', The Boneline — Waipara, NZ 2022, bottle only

Sweet Things

• Carrot Cake — Over-wintered Frogsong Farm carrots, pistachio, cardamom cream
• Arc Mini Ice Cream Bars — Banana & coconut, blueberry & earl grey, or hokey pokey ice cream bars

Monthly Dinner Menu

• Arc Loaf — Beer and spelt loaf, black truffle & smoked garlic butter, chives
• Mushroom Parfait — Aitken's Folly brandy, white cherry and manuka honey port caramel, parmesan & porcini crackling, mushroom bacon
• Scampi Remoulade — NZ caught scampi, green apple, lime mayo, avocado, salsa verde
• Wild Shot Venison — Fare Game venison, stroganoff, pickled lion's mane mushrooms; served with crushed new potatoes, confit leeks, pickled mustard
• Butter Poached Market Fish — Tartare cream, soft herb salad; served with crushed new potatoes, confit leeks, pickled mustard
• A Negroni Interruption — Blood orange sorbet, Campari, bubbles
• Carrot Cake — Over-wintered Frogsong Farm carrots, pistachio, cardamom cream

Cocktails & Mocktails

• Cucumber & Jalapeno Margarita — Tequila, lime, cucumber, jalapeno
• The Arc Sour — Gin, elderflower, lemon, cucumber, crème de violette
• Espresso Martini — Vanilla vodka, Mr Black coffee liqueur, espresso
• Old Smokey — Whisky, whiskey, ginger liqueur, honey, thyme, bitters
• Blackberry Lime Seltzer — Lime, blackberry, mint, soda (mocktail)
• Seedlip Sour — Seedlip, lemon, rosemary, apple juice (mocktail)
• A Grape(fruit) Delight — Seedlip spice, grapefruit, lime, peppercorn (mocktail)

Frequently asked questions

What kind of food does arc serve?

Seasonal New Zealand dining, with a signature dinner menu that changes monthly to highlight the best local ingredients.

Does arc cater for dietary requirements?

Yes, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options are marked throughout the menu; the kitchen asks guests to flag any dietary requirements or allergies given it handles gluten and other allergens.

What are arc's opening hours?

Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm until late. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Does arc offer a fondue experience?

Yes, a shared cheese fondue for a minimum of two people, themed monthly, with a portion of every fondue sold donated to Food For Love through arc's partnership with Bayleys Plate Up for Love.

Is there a wine pairing option?

Yes, a wine pairing add-on is available with both the set dinner menu and the 'Lite' menu.

Who owns arc?

Chefs James Stapley and Sam Cooper, both originally from the UK, who met in Wanaka.

Is there outdoor seating?

Yes, arc has a secret native garden area, a popular spot for a cocktail in the evening.

Tips

• {"body":"Table reservations can be made directly through the arc website.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"A wine pairing add-on is available with both the dinner and 'Lite' menus.","title":"Ask about the wine pairing"}
• {"body":"The kitchen handles gluten and other allergens, so let staff know of any requirements when booking.","title":"Flag any dietary needs"}
• {"body":"The shared cheese fondue (minimum 2 people) supports Food For Love through arc's charity partnership.","title":"Try the fondue for the table"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options marked on the menu; please advise staff of dietary requirements or allergies as the kitchen handles gluten and other allergens"}