Federal Diner

We’ve had brunch here twice, and both visits were a great experience. The food was consistently delicious, the service was friendly and attentive, and everything arrived just right. A special mention goes to the scones—they were absolutely amazing and worth coming back for on their own. Overall, a lovely spot for brunch that we’d happily visit again 😊

It’s a hidden place so less popular but it’s very busy still cosy. Lots of space inside and outside. Great food - we had breakfast and built our own eggs. Kid’s menu is good as well!!

Nice setting. Busy for breakfast. Food so so. No avocado on the El huevo loco received. Poorly seasoned Kedgeree.

A lovely hidden gem our friend led us to last weekend, so glad we got to try this wee spot. The coffee was delicious! Food was tasty/a little pricey. I tried the Mexican madness breakfast dish. Generous with the potatoes and avocado, I think it would be good with a little chorizo to make it have more flavor. I'd come back and try other menu items 😊

Great food and service. We came in twice on different days - on the first, they were kind enough to serve us 30 mins before closing time. We were craving toast and they made it for us despite it not being on the menu. Scones were served with an extremely generous helping of clotted cream and jam. We knew we had to come back the next day and it was one of the best decisions made this trip - seafood chowder was amazing. Smoothies were great, too!

Awesome breakfast spot! Lively and great food! They have great vegetarian options, including houlumi cheese!

You don't leave this place hungry. Generous portions and great quality food. Simple yet delicious menu.

Had breakfast here. Dishes were ok, nothing amazing imo. But the cheese scone is the best thing ever! Highly recommend anyone in Wanaka to try the scones!

Great brunch and the SCONES! Wow, the cheddar scone here might just be the best scone I've ever had. Flaky, light, buttery, and not dense at all...I'd happily come back every morning for the scones alone. In addition to the scones, all the other drinks and dishes here are fantastic. Each dish is served using fresh and locally sourced NZ ingredients, and they make for the perfect wholesome meal to start your day. Having had a few long days of travel, I also opted to try their hot honey ginger lemon drink, which packed a spicy gingery kick and made me feel 100% again. Great drink if you're feeling even slightly off.

yummy scones! We enjoyed the coffee and sausage rolls. Had good energy and was hard to get a seat but we did. Me and the family enjoy it!

Excellent food, wonderful service and a very relaxing downtown location. I had the Eggs Benidict with Spinach & Tomatoes and it was perfect, everything tasty and delicious crispy potatoes. The latte was expertly done and sumptuous.

By far one of the best breakfast in our entire trip to New Zealand. The eggs, coffee, service....all top notch.

Our food was amazing! Especially the eggs Benedict! The scones were delicious. We got cheese and fig. We were impressed with everything! Our server was wonderful and helpful on her suggestions. Food came quickly and we all left feeling satisfied.

My husband and I ate at the Federal Diner two mornings in a row in April. It was beyond fantastic! I had a plain scone with cream and jam. The best scone I've ever eaten in my life! It was so good, I walked across the alley to their deli and bought a tea towel with the recipe for cheese scones on it. My husband had the Betty's Bacon Butty twice - filling and tasty! Too bad we live in the US, otherwise we could go here all the time!

Such a cute little find thanks to yelp! Wandered down a chic alley (full of other small business, including women's boutique) to find this welcoming restaurant. Decided to have breakfast for lunch and went for the Totally Nuts dish (grilled banana bread with almond butter). It was such a good combination that I've recreated it at home several times. Everything was delicious and was rather fast in coming out. Free wifi was useful and a nice surprise.

This place has so much to offer and the food is wonderful. They have great Wi-Fi, a coffee shop and the bakery is super. Their style of service can be super friendly but is so totally disorganized. When we sat we were greeted immediately but had not looked at the menu. Then after making our slections waited 25 minutes to find a server to help us. Great food but you need to be agressive to get the order in and to the table.

Came for breakfast. Had the bacon and egg sarnie and it was pretty good. The bread roll was particularly tasty and there was plenty of egg and bacon to satisfy the early morning hunger. The coffee was just the business too. Not particularly memorable but good enough to kick start the day.

Good spot with a cute interior. Stopped by before leaving the city. Personally I feel this is expensive especially for the area and overall New Zealand prices. Kinda weird seeing crazy spiked prices here but the food was pretty good

NZ is full of cafes and we always go to a couple everyday to get our flat white fixes for breakfast. This is my first time trying an eggs Benedict in NZ! Man, do they do it right, they do it with conviction. I never really had a great one until now. We've tried their sister restaurant in Auckland near the waterfront and we had a pretty good breakfast there as well. My wife tried the eggs Benedict for the first time 2 years ago and she loved it. This time I tried the eggs Benedict and I loved it. Idk how They do it but I loved it. The hollandaise sauce on the eggs was so good, moist, the eggs cooked accurately and on top of the the bread with mushroom and a roasted tomato. Their location and place smells the same, consisted of the same style inside their restaurant, clean, friendly waiting staff and awesome food! This time, we were in Wanaka and they never disappoint. Great job again! Cheers to flat whites! On the road again. D&K

Great food in a tucked away restaurant. My husband got the burger and fries, and I got the fish tacos. My husband said the burger was one of the best he has had and the fries were delicious. The fish tacos were good but I would have preferred more sauce as they were a little too dry for my liking. Would definitely eat here again when in the area!

There isn't an obvious street presence for this restaurant and its deli. You and your navigation device will be flummoxed! Park where you can and walk to find it. It's in the middle of the block located between two dress shops (which seem to be the same business divided by the walkway to the restaurant). We had a breakfast of granola and yogurt, plus a shared date scone. Very good! The restaurant is fairly small with limited seating indoors. Besides smaller tables for 2-4, there is a long, high table with stools. Noise level will be high when filled to capacity, which luckily for us it wasn't! Wait service was efficient, and our food was served in a timely manner.

Federal Diner is by far the best dining experience I have had thus far in NZ - and I've had quite a few great meals so far. The restaurant is quaint and unassuming, tucked away behind a clothing shop on a long strip. My friends and I felt welcome immediately by the staff - shoutout to Garreth - and were seated and served drinks immediately. Both the drink and food menus cover all the bases without being too large. Much of the dishes are meant to be shared - I personally prefer sharing plates - and are very reasonably priced for the portion size and fantastic quality. We shared roasted winter veg, braised lamb shank with capellini beans and salsa verde, sherry braised beef cheek with a veg mash, and sticky date pudding. Everything was amazing. Amazing. My favorite had to be the lamb - NZ knows how to do lamb - although the beef cheek was spectacular as was the sticky date pudding. All in all fantastic experience. I am excited to return to Federal Diner the next time I visit Wanaka.

Excellent lamb shoulder for dinner. It very comfortably fed two and was flavorful, tender and moist...yummy!! The view from inside was great at sunset, very romantic. We also got the brownie dessert which was chocolate heaven

Very delicious brunch today! We ordered the Buddha and the Sweat Treat. I liked mine better (the waffles with ricotta! Yummy!) but Benedict was delicious as well. I also got the tea special: almond macaroon organic green tea, which was very good!

I love this place, have been visiting since it first opened. The scones are amazing and the menu is modern and tasty. Great service. Great coffee!

Great cafe tucked down alley in central Wanaka. Really friendly staff, super quick service and great coffee. Outdoor seating is a must on sunny Wanaka day.

If I could eat one meal for the rest of my life, it would be at Federal Diner. This review is a year late, as my husband and I were traveling the world last year. We explored the South Island in a camper van and had what was supposed to be a quick stop in Wanaka (that lasted three days because we fell in love with this little town). We had a full day of hiking Rob Roy Glacier (awesome hike) and were starving afterwards. We came across this diner and from the moment we walked in we fell in love. Our server was so awesome, we told him we had never been here and he recommended everything that we ate. When we told him our next stop was Melbourne he wrote out a full list of places to eat and see while we were there too! Based on his recommendation we ordered the lamb shoulder for two and it was the most amazing dish I have ever eaten. Of course, lamb in New Zealand is as fresh as it gets, but I would kill for this recipe! It is cooked in this delicious sauce and topped with yogurt with a hint of mint. Finally, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds which I would have never thought of, but couldn't have been a more perfect finish. After devouring the lamb we decided we had to try dessert if dinner was that great. We had the specials at the time which was a fruit crumble and an ice cream sandwich with such unique and beautiful flavors we were licking the plate clean. Even though it was on the other side of the world, we will be back to New Zealand and Wanaka/Federal Diner will be on our itinerary for sure!

Coffee was a tad burnt but the milk was well done, Had the hawea flats breakfast and it was great with the exception of the grassy under seasoned spinach. Overall a pretty good spot

Considering it's in one of the most popular tourist's towns in Otago there is nothing more you could complain about in terms of the prices to pay and foot to get. If this was on the top ranking then we can sniff what the general restaurant level would be in Wakana area. Service is good though... Food can be improved a lot.

This is the best place I have visited during my South Island trip. We had a lamb shoulder for two and it was absolutely amazing. Loved it! The service was pretty good too. Next time I go to Queenstown/Wanaka area, I will definitely go to Federal Diner again.

Spent a week in Wanaka and Federal Diner ended up being my favorite spot. I was particularly attracted to the "Brekkie Boost" it's a chia seed breakfast pudding with coconut cream, toasted coconut and seasonal fruit. You have to try it. I'm back in the states now and I'm constantly craving it! You can easily walk right by the little corridor so keep your eyes peeled! It's tucked away behind the stores on Helwick. They have a friendly staff and incredible coffee. You can sit inside or outside, be sure to get there a little early because it fills up fast, especially on the weekends. The patio is pet friendly, I saw lots of dogs enjoying the sun while their parents sipped their flat whites.

Awesome place to come here for breakfast! People are sweet Food was so delicious and made to perfection!

Great service, absolutely delicious food. Came here with a few friends after hiking Roy's Peak before continuing our road trip through NZ. Excellent choice to fuel up and the food is just so delicious. Their fish is super fresh and the pulled pork roll was so tender and juicy. Must eat place in Wanaka.

Really good food I highly recommend the eggs or breakfast food in general. Smoothies and milkshakes are always good as well. Dinner food is okay but nothing to write home about. Ideal place for a Sunday or Saturday brunch. Service is good, staff is friendly but nothing incredible. Overall solid and enjoyable meal and environment.

On a fairly quiet Thursday evening we had fabulous food at this lovely local eatery. Awesome small plates of pulled pork shoulder roti and squid, chorizo and potatoes. Then perfectly cooked sirloin with truffled roasted potatoes. The wine selection was great and the Archangel Chardonnay is a real find. Great service. Highly recommended.

Made our way to the Federal Diner, what a great find. A place where locals eat and wifi is an extra bonus. Quality food and staff. Garath made us feel right at home and was willing to share local information to us, as travelers in this fantastic land. The salmon was perfect and the berry crumble topped off the meal. We have been back several times since and now are sad to leave the area. Definitely a destination while in Wanaka. Don't miss it.

This is a hidden Wanaka gem, Awesome atmosphere, fantastic food & spectacular service. Would recommend to all , open for breakfasts and lunch till 4pm.

Food was fantastic and best coffee I've had in ages. Had great vibe and really enjoyed breakfast here.

Had breakfast here on the recommendation that their scones are delish. We were a group of four and we all ordered the Social Climber w/ poached eggs, and shared a date scone and a cheese scone. Everything was absolutely delicious. The egg yokes were bright orange as a sign of their freshness and the tomatoes were full of flavor - no bland hothouse tomatoes used here! My only complaint was that the streaky bacon was not very crisp (we're Americans so we are used to crispy bacon), and my friends could not finish their plate (I did) - large portions! They have wifi and a very relaxed vibe with attentive service.

Federal Diner is in the heart of Wanaka, but a bit hidden. But is well worth the effort in finding it. I had heard the food was good, but it was really exceptional. The restaurant is warm, casual, and inviting with a friendly staff. While everything on the menu looked good, especially the eggs and pastries, I went a different type for my breakfast (i had been eating a lot of that on this trip), so, I went for the Hawea Flat, an amazing dish of spinach,  tomato, mushrooms,  and large blocks of haloumi on a polenta cake. Between that creative and delicious dish and my brilliant coffee, this was one of my favorite places to eat in New Zealand.

As always, yelp wins again. Simply put, go to the Federal Diner and stop searching for others, it is a great place, with a great feel, and delicious food. I had the totally nuts banana bread and the Roti n roll pulled pork. Both were absolutely fantastic. My friends enjoyed the monk and the burger, both excellent as well. Do yourself a favor and visit the Federal Diner.

Friendly staff, fast service, and wow - the food! Favorite food we've eaten in NZ after a week and a half. Definitely worth the stop. We had the monks eggs Benedict and the hawea flat with a poached egg. Delicious!!!

Best breakfast thus far on our vacation. Before then, on our NZ travels, it felt like we were in a food desert! I ordered the haolumi cheese, tomato and spinach sandwich and wife had haolumi cheese, mushrooms and tomatoes on polenta. Both were so yummy! Place has a great vibe to it. Would so go back!

Amazing restaurant with a very unique and delicious menu. The vibes can be rowdy and upbeat, but it's a fun place to hang out for a drink, appetizer, or a whole meal. The food is wonderfully put together!

simple diner. servers ain't kind. egg benedict is not the best. egg is too much cooked.

Really nice environment here. You can sit outside in the sunshine or inside is just as nice! Really good food and coffee and free wifi! Staff are lovely as well which makes for a greater experience. It is a bit difficult to find but it is wanakas hidden gem!

Excellent food-! super great service. We chose to drive out from our hotel for different dining experience, it was a great choice!

Found this wonderful breakfast/ lunch place ( they close at 4 PM) via yelp. It is a bit hard to find but they do put a sign out at the street. We shared their special of the day ....corn pancakes w hot smoked salmon and tomato relish OMG ...delicious . The beet,carrot salad was just as yummy. All made out of fresh ingredients.The flat white was made to perfection. I wish I had a " diner" like that where I live.

Yummy cafe in Wanaka with good vibes and mountain views. Also has free wifi!!! Gotta come here

Hands down, the tastiest meal I've had in New Zealand so far. The pork shoulder in the Roti n roll was phenomenal, and my husband said the Wunder Burg was also delicious. If you're looking for a lunch stop between Franz Josef and Queenstown, this is it.

Hands down the Worst service in Wanaka. I saw good reviews on this place and thought I would check it out. Man was I disappointed. Understaffed servers, an owner/manager that is in another world and to lost to jump in and help her staff in dire need and walks around with an iPad doing nothing. An epic failure to clear dirty dishes which is likely why some of the workers are sick. Eggs Benedict was average at best and The only reason this would even get 2 stars is because the flat white was good...Sadly it took 45 minutes to receive. I will not be returning and instead will be at Kai which is much better food and service

I've only had scones and coffee but they are divine! Friendly service, and never too crowded. I would have walked right by it had a friend not pointed it out. So glad I found this place. Free wifi is also awesome!

Great breakfast and some of the best coffee I've ever had. Has a very laid back Brooklyn vibe. A hidden gem in Wanaka.

Fantastic food and excellent service! Plenty of paleo, gluten free, diabetic and dairy free options. The ingredients used seem to be high quality and the options are healthy and fun.

Best cafe and diner in Wanaka. Free high-speed wifi. Nice ambience, lots of space, good food, strong coffee, friendly staff.