Riverstone Kitchen

New Zealand restaurant · Waitaki Bridge

Riverstone Kitchen

New Zealand restaurant · Waitaki Bridge

1431 Glenavy-Hilderthorpe Road, Waitaki Bridge 9493, New Zealand

Highlights

Garden-to-table dining, castle tours, shops, playroom

1431 Glenavy-Hilderthorpe Road, Waitaki Bridge 9493, New Zealand Get directions

riverstonekitchen.co.nz

@riverstone_kitchen

$$ · Menu

Reserve

@afar

"A short drive north of the South Island town of Oamaru, Riverstone Kitchen is often lauded as one of New Zealand's best regional restaurants. The stylish dining room is anchored by a robust fireplace crafted from local river stones, and much of the seasonal menu is crafted from the restaurant's own organic orchards and gardens. A more relaxed café ambience for daily breakfast and lunches segues to a more formal mood at dinner from Thursdays to Saturdays, and the savvy drink list includes wines from the nearby Waitaki Valley as well as small-batch beers from around New Zealand. Ask if any of the excellent Belgian-style farmhouse ales from Oamaru's Craftwork Brewery are available."

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Alice Alice

Google

All the staff were incredibly kind, and the food was absolutely amazing! And the view? Just as great! The combination of the castle and snowy mountains was beautiful—just looking at it made me feel good. The fish and chips had a unique batter—it felt like it was lightly coated with flour. Definitely the best dish! The cheese scone was also delicious—crispy texture with a nice salty flavor. The atmosphere was wonderful too. Highly recommended!

Phoebe B

Google

This is the best find in the trip, we arrived at the restaurant little after 2pm, glad they still have lunch and some special available. We ordered slow cooked pork and hot smoke salmon salad. Both dishes are in generous portion, all the vegetables taste so fresh, pork just tendered and seasoned very nicely. The high light is the salmon with just nicely smoked the inside is still soft and moist. We end our meal with decadent chocolate and carrot cake. This is the best meal we have had in our 2 weeks New Zealand trip. It is so good that we have to come back the next day to try their breakfast. We ordered the smoked fish mash, bacon and scramble egg and scone! Again everything are so good and we left with so satisfying stomach and memorable dining experience. A bonus is you can really see the chef Smith preparing your food, a special touch to the whole experience. We will definitely come back if we visit NZ again.

Lolit Fuentes

Google

We drove from Dunedin to Oamaru for a little day trip and had lunch here. The place has a lovely setting with a nice view of the Castle, and we liked seeing the organic veggie garden and small poultry area. There's plenty of parking and even a souvenir shop on site, which was a bonus. The restaurant itself is charming, and the staff were really kind and welcoming. As for the food, we were hoping for a bit more variety in the mains. On the day we visited, the options were quite limited—just bad timing on our part, maybe. We ended up going for the pork dish since we had fish and chips the night before (our bad for not checking ahead). Personally, the food was decent, but seemed a bit overrated for the price. It may appeal more to those seeking the full 'destination' experience rather than just the meal itself. Still, we're glad we visited, and it’s worth seeing at least once if you're in the area.

Charlie

Google

Incredible decision to eat here after a castle visit. Staff friendly & efficient. Prices were quite good considering there aren’t many other options in the area. The food was just SO good, chicken salad was incredible! 5 Stars 🌟

Hannah Zhang

Google

We have been there multiple times for lunch and dinner. This time was for a quick late lunch. They were very busy over the weekend and we waited nearly 30 minutes to order our food. However, the dishes were served quickly once ordered. The food was great and flavorful. Since the dishes came out so fast, you might want to request that your main course and desserts be served separately. Souffle was excellent!

Ustadh Alsahafa

Google

What friendly service! Along with scrumptious well-played food. The salmon, venison curry and pork pasta was yummy. Veggies grown on their own property. No photos but the dessert and cake selection was out of this world

Bayley Richards

Google

Food was amazing I got avocado and eggs on sourdough and some salmon on the side which was cooked perfectly. My parter got a scone and a coffee which was excellent. It's 3 hours away but we will be back!

Patrizia Bordignon

Google

We had the three course set menu at Riverstone Kitchen. It was a lovely indulgent meal. Highly recommend. We went there after visiting nearby Oamaru.

Jason L.

Yelp

You must stop here for dinner if you'll be in the Oamaru area. A bit of a random spot off of the motorway with a moated castle in the back and a faux-storefront shop next door, the restaurant had a solid wine list with local varietals and very tasty dinner. We all had some tasty salads to start. The fish green curry was amazing, very tasty, and a big portion. Venison was tender but a small portion. Desserts were great too!

Gordie F.

Yelp

A world class experience in a casual setting. This quirky stop along NZ Highway 1 between Timaru and Oamaru provides a culinary experience second to none! An exceptional wine and craft beer menu compliments a diverse and dynamic menu. Great service, stunning views and a castle add to the ambiance.

Olga V.

Yelp

Really surprising place for cafe near rode! Amazing sunny space with outdoor seats with a view in green field. Rather short menu with delicious food. A little bit overpriced but it's normal for New Zealand.

Michael Y.

Yelp

Stopped in at Riverstone Kitchen based on a tip from a friend and it was well worth it! I had the steamed mussels finished with Thai Curry Sauce and a cilantro "salad". The mussels were plump and juicy. Perfectly cooked. The Thai curry sauce was appropriately spicy, but didn't overwhelm the delicate flavor of the mussels. I added a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough and the lunch was complete. As I checked out, I couldn't resist the sugar coated fresh donuts which had custard and raspberry filling. I was too full to eat it then, but it was delicious later! The setting doesn't look like much from outside, but once inside it is modern, full of windows and very well appointed. Service was excellent and attentive.

Simon W.

Yelp

Riverstone Kitchen is outstanding. Not much of a secret nowadays but that's ok because it can take a crowd. For lunch we tried the crayfish risotto, pork sausage, meatballs and a doz bluff oysters (half fried, half au natural). Washed down with a glass of Ostler Pinot Noir, it was a fantastic meal... Although dessert was still to come - tiramisu, affogato, pear tart and chocolate nemesis were all destroyed! And we even took a slice of brownie for later! Without a doubt, one of the most impressive meals I've had in the South Island!

Matt K.

Yelp

Wonderful. Had the feasting menu and loved it - great, fresh flavors. If spending any time in Oamaru or driving through, highly recommended!

Jeff D.

Yelp

Amazing! Worth the drive out out of town. We enjoyed the fish and chips and the lamb. Both were excellent.

Richard B.

Yelp

Truely a great experience. The food, the staff, the atmosphere and surroundings. This is a place not to be missed at all as displayed by the number of visitors it gets. The cafe is large enough and efficient enough to handle. Well done team.

Hayden M.

Yelp

Stopped for lunch after recommendation from a friend. Was very hot and kids loved the playground. Was turned away from the diner door as no shoes for the kids. Waitress could have behaved in a more customer focussed manor.