Blue Lake Eatery & Bar

This restaurant was recommended for their lamb shank, sadly they changed their menu the week before. The lamb rump was very tender and well seasoned, I personally do not like couscous so I didn’t eat it. The salad and potatoes were very fresh. Their pumpkin soup and tomato soup was very good and served hot. Their fresh made baguette with butter was FABULOUS, also the bartender makes a GREAT lemon, lime and bitters.

Upon arriving mid-week, the establishment was relatively quiet. However, the service was exceptional, with the staff being both courteous and engaging, sharing recommendations as they went. The menu is relatively limited, but the quality of the dishes is outstanding, regardless of the choice made. We opted for the lamb and beef cheeks, which were presented beautifully and served in generous portions. We also indulged in several cocktails, which were expertly crafted by the bar staff. The dessert menu arrived, and we naturally sampled it as well. The establishment offers ample parking, which was unnecessary for us as we opted to stay in town and walk to the restaurant. After dinner, we moved to the bar, where the fire and bar staff continued to be friendly and accommodating. Overall, this establishment is an excellent choice for both food and drinks.

The staff were very kind and attentive. The cauliflower salad and New Zealand beef steak were absolutely delicious. The pistachio gelato for dessert was also exquisite. There were people waiting after 7:30 pm, so I recommend making a reservation.

The Blue Lake Salad and the beef cheek were very delicious. The Fettuccine Alfredo, however, were rather bland and served lukewarm, so I wouldn’t order them again in this form. Overall, I still give 5 stars, as the service led by Duty Manager Millie was exceptionally high-class. It was incredible to see how much dedication went into addressing everyone’s needs at the same time. Keep up the great work!

We dined at Blue Lake Eatery & Bar tonight and overall had an interesting experience. The staff were genuinely friendly, welcoming, and even a bit funny, which really set a great tone for the evening. Entrees We ordered two entrees: the chef’s special soup and the cauliflower steak. • Soup: The flavour was excellent — rich, comforting, and honestly one of the better starters I’ve had in a while. The portion, however, was quite large for an entrée. Delicious as it was, I did find myself concerned I wouldn’t have room for my main. A slightly smaller serving would still impress without overwhelming. • Cauliflower Steak: A unique mix of flavours and textures that actually worked surprisingly well. Beautiful presentation and a thoughtful vegetarian option. Mains • Fettuccine Alfredo: This dish was unfortunately the low point of the evening. At $39 (plus $10 for chicken), I was expecting something bold and memorable. Instead, the pasta itself was quite bland, and when flavour did appear, it was dominated by truffle to the point of overpowering everything else. I wasn’t able to finish it — not because of the entrée portion, but because the flavour balance just wasn’t there. • Duck: The duck itself was cooked beautifully — tender and well-prepared. The berry sauce added an interesting twist, but the pineapple didn’t quite work for me. There was simply a lot happening on the plate and in the flavours, which made it hard to appreciate each element individually. Drinks My drink order was also incorrect. When I mentioned it, the staff acknowledged it, but I was still charged for the original item. Not a major issue, but worth noting — especially when the rest of the evening already felt a little hit-and-miss. Music & Atmosphere The music choice was interesting — just like the food. Throughout the night we heard everything from rock to country to pop. Not bad, just eclectic, and it added to the overall “interesting mix” theme of the evening. Overall Blue Lake has great staff, a warm atmosphere, and some standout elements, especially in the entrées. The mains, however, felt mismatched and a little overworked considering the price point. Between the inconsistent flavours and the small hiccup with the drink, the experience just wasn’t as cohesive as it could be. Still, there’s definite potential here. With a few tweaks to flavour balance, portion sizing, and service consistency, this place could easily shine.

Food was delicious and the service friendly. We recommend the Salmon, it was the highlight. Chocolate cake was also outstanding, very soft. We would come back.

Ordered the Alpine Salmon Fillet Sharing plate for 2. The grilled Salmon was good in its own without adding sauce. Awesome 😎 Had olive oil Pistachio Gelato. Yummy 😋 Nice Alpine Restaurant with rock music.

Alex the manager for Christmas eve was such a ball of positive energy and we loved all the servicecrew, they were so polite! Every dish was a hit, truly 😭

All dishes were quite good. Cod was excellent. Slaw was food but could have used some dried berries. Kale salad was lovely and healthy. We got the potatoes, very good but we were jonesing for the show string fries.

Staff is very kind, place is very clean. Interesting menu, we ordered the chicken special. Perfectly cooked chicken with roasted green grapes, kale, softened dried cherries. Very good. Would give 5 stars if they offered some Non-Alcoholic wine/mocktails.

The food is ok but not meet the expectations, and it's expensive. But the beer is quite good and staff is friendly.

Yep, yep and yep. You need to eat at Blue Lake. Even if you are here for just a stop, check out Blue Lake. You walk in, it has a pretty modern feel for a pub. Nothing crazy. Nothing to complain about. Solid. Walk into the right and you have the bar, take a seat and wait for goodness. When you are in New Zealand, order the local dishes. I orginally ordered the lamb and they were out. Man, was I so happy when my second choice came out. I ordered the beef ribs and they were phenomenal. Like Emeril would say, "BAM!" The ribs came with balsamic drizzled on top, au jus on the side, potatoes and a wicked salad. Ribs were of course fall off the bone, so I had fun cleaning up my plate. I wanted more, but my belly told me enough was enough, so I held off on ordering another helping. Blue Lake is a pub. They had good beers. Solid work as a pub. Check out Blue Lake. They get swamped at times, so there might be a bit of a wait, but it is well worth it.

What a surprise. We came here scrambling to find a place to eat since everything was closing and we got into town late. It was one of 2 places still open. It looked a little pricey for a late dinner but we said eff it we're on vacation let's go. The food wow. I'm a big foodie and was pleasantly surprised with every dish we had. Great flavor combinations everything was in perfect harmony. The risotto with bonito dashI as a base with blue cod was a revelation. Delicious. Risotto cooked perfectly. Blue cod tender and perfectly prepared. The duck was moist and the pairing with blueberries and crispy oats was perfect. Sweet crunchy rich and juicy. The lamb with the jus was fantastic and the fettuccine was hand made well prepared with a great interplay of the smoky chorizo and the walnuts really worked well. The cheese plate for desert was amazing. The cheese was paired perfectly with a feijoa jam and the bread was fresh baked and exceptional. All in all service food experience was amazing. Definitely recommend!

We came here as a last resort. Everything else was closed at 2:30pm! They had a small selection of food and snacks to satiate us though. Gorgeous location to look out at the stunning lake as you sit and eat some food. My garlic black bread was really great (and very photogenic) though not exactly filling. My mother had a falafel wrap that she felt wasn't really good. But we were happy to get some food especially in such a stunning location. Their full menu might be better!

Blue Lake crafted an amazing salmon quiche for breakfast. Honestly, there was no point during my trip where I had salmon that was anything less than outstanding, but Blue Lake went above and beyond by giving their quiche the texture of slightly fluffy air, wrapping the 'skin' with spinach, threading it with dill, and topping it with a refreshing salad that really cut the oil. The portion was also massive, and they packed it to go for me in a paper bag, which made the leftovers impossible to eat, but even squeezed out of a bag directly into my mouth 4 hours later, the quiche still managed to be good!

The food and service were both excellent . My husband and I had a delightful meal of chicken wings, fish & chips and gnocchi, and all three dishes were delicious. We were kept entertained by a funny and helpful 34yo (sorry to call you out I didn't catch your name!) Chilean bartender who has lived in the area for several years. Highly recommend for an all around great experience.