Tatsumi Modern Japanese Dining

Absolutely loved our dining experience at Tatsumi in Queenstown! The food was fresh, beautifully presented, and bursting with flavour — easily one of the best Japanese feeds we’ve had. The real highlight, though, was our incredible waitress Miyu. Her warm energy, genuine hospitality, and deep knowledge of the menu made the night unforgettable. She went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and added a special touch to every course. It felt like dining in Japan with a local friend. If you’re in Queenstown, Tatsumi is a must — and if Miyu is your server, you’re in for a treat!

This is one of the best Japanese restaurants we’ve been to in NZ. The service was excellent - the wait staff were very attentive and warm. Everything we ordered was delicious too! Couldn’t fault a thing. We ordered quite a few things to try - the salmon sashimi, salmon nigiri, vegetable tempura, prawn tempura, tuna sushi roll, karaage, lamb cutlets, and black sesame crème brûlée. Definitely come here for authentic Japanese food and lovely service. We’ll be back when we’re in Queenstown again!

The taro gnocchi was absolutely a must try!! The gnocchi was pillowy and had a slight taro taste compared to normal potato gnocchi. The sauce was creamy and had so much depth, wish I had bread to wipe the plate clean. First time having completely raw wagyu nigiri and it was surprisingly really good. Because the wagyu was so fatty and fresh, it tasted almost like fish sashimi (?). Not chewy or gamey at all. The karaage was juicy, sashimi was ok for a high end ish restaurant. The eel cucumber roll was basically sushi train standard, very mediocre. Cocktails yummy!

Tatsumi always lives up to its promise of giving us a taste of authentic elgance. Their new tapas style menu offers a superb opportunity to taste a range of their exquisite creations. We had Softshell crab Hokkaido scallops Fish Carpaccio Crispy Southland Cod Gyoza Tortellini Chawanmushi Salmon Teriyaki All of them were a delight. Ryuji and Shoma looked after us very well. A great culinary experience all around.

We were warmly greeted by the whole team when we arrived and I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely the restaurant was! I didn't expect a semi gastro. Everything about our visit was faultless : The atmosphere, the attentive and impeccable service, the staff and of course the incredible food! Even my wine by the glass was freshly opened and poured right in front of us. I honestly can’t recommend this place enough and it was an absolute treat to still get so well looked after while we were on a First Table deal! No doubt Tatsumi is now my new favorite restaurant in Queenstown and the whole F&B team is doing a fantastic job running this place.

Honestly, this place is so good! I came for the sashimi, but the tempura prawns totally stole the show 😍. Everything was fresh, tasty, and beautifully presented. Highly recommend if you’re in Queenstown!

Mid, not the best. I don’t know why the rating is 4.7, it’s not fine dining, it’s alright. I said it was my birthday and they did nothing. Couldn’t even charge my phone. The scallops were good but the sushi was very average. The beef cheeks were just alright too. Nothing too great.

We have been eating at Tasumi since it opened in Christchurch over 10 years ago. We ate at their restaurant in Auckland when they moved there after the Christchurch earthquakes. Now after not seeing them for many years we have caught up with them in Queenstown. Their Japanese cuisine is still as yummy as we remember it. Cannot taste it anywhere else. Fully recommended!