The Boat Shed Cafe

The Boatshed is an absolute must-visit in Queenstown. It gets busy, so it is best to book ahead and the online booking system is really easy to use. We were seated outside, which was lovely, and the view is unreal, exactly what you expect in Queenstown. A bonus for me was spotting planes overhead, which was a real treat as an aviation fan. The coffee and food hit the spot and the crispy fried potatoes are something else, highly recommend.

This was our second or third visit for breakfast, and today, we went using First Table, which is great because you get 50% off the food. However, even with the discount, we’ve decided not to go back. We really like the location, the view of the lake is absolutely stunning, but unfortunately, the service could be much better, and the food just doesn’t live up to the rating. I’ve tried the Breakfast Chorizo before, which was okay, but this time, we had the Salmon Benedict and Turkish Eggs — nothing special at all. The French Toast was good and with a nice presentation, but it will cost you $28 if you have no discount. So definitely, there are better breakfast options around Queenstown. It feels like the kind of place that’s more for tourists — great for an Instagram photo and the lake view — but not really for the food or service. The waitress who served us was fine, but the manager on duty (I think her name was Minke) didn’t even say good morning or smile. I understand busy mornings can be stressful, but a simple greeting makes a big difference when people come hoping for a nice experience. The queue situation at the entrance is also poorly organised. Within a couple of minutes, we saw several people confused about whether the line was for paying or waiting for a table — it really needs better management. Overall, it’s a beautiful spot, but that’s about it. If you just want coffee and something quick, I’d recommend The Boat Shed Bakery nearby — same great view and much friendlier service. But if you’re after a really good breakfast in Queenstown, try Odd Saint and Sunfire in town or Gantley's Tavern in Arthur’s Point — all with much better experiences.

TikTok brought me here, so I probably should’ve expected it to be more hype than substance. The food was visually appealing but overall underwhelming in taste. The lemon blueberry French toast stood out as the best dish we tried, while the strawberry matcha was tiny, overpriced, and unimpressive. Overall, portion sizes run small to moderate and definitely feel overpriced for what you get. The staff seemed overwhelmed by the weekend rush and weren’t particularly attentive, though the service wasn’t outright rude either. We waited about 30 minutes for a table of four on a Saturday around 10 a.m. The real highlight is the setting—the views are stunning, and that seems to be the main draw of this spot.

The food is not bad, i went here with my family and relatives for breakfast. We ordered quite alot, i got the blueberry french toast, my dad and brother got the burger with fries, my mum and cousin got the avocado toast, my aunt got the pasta and my 2 other cousins got the scrambled eggs and potatoes. For drinks i got the matcha latte, my dad and brother got the hot chocolate, my mun got the orrange juice, and my cousins got cappuccino. The cafe was spilt into 2 sections, outdoor seating and indoor seatings. We choose to seat indoors as it was abit cold but the outdoor seating area was facing a beautiful view of the mountains, sea and the sky. I only saw it when i went to the toilet at the back, it really is a beautiful view! You can hear the sea waves and feel the cool breeze, super relaxing and sets a good mood for the day!

Very busy when we arrived so be prepared to wait for a table. BUT the staff are so nice and really helpful. The food was superb and the virgin bloody mary was pronounced the best he'd ever had. Views are spectacular, the vibe is welcoming and cool. Go there, you won't be disappointed. My fussy partner gave it all 10/10.

Love, love, love this place! The food completely surprised me – every dish was bursting with flavor and so satisfying. From the [insert favorite dish if you want] to the perfectly seasoned [another dish], everything was spot on. No wonder it’s always so crowded – the food deserves every bit of the hype! A total must-visit for anyone who loves tasty, memorable meals.

Fantastic location, tables outside have a great view of Frankton Marina and a really cozy atmosphere. The highlight of our meal were definitely the coffees, so so good we had to order more to takeaway before we left. My burger was very average and my partner’s scrambled eggs and chorizo was good. The dishes presented better than they tasted but overall ok. The front of the house staff was really nice and floor staff a bit unimpressive. 2 couples were seated after us and served first, had to keep asking for cutlery, water, napkins; also they were a lot friendlier to locals and regulars.. understandable but still felt a little inconsiderate especially in a touristy spot.

The Mushroom Pasta and Strawberry Matcha were good. All staff were very friendly and pleasant. It would be lovely to hear on the outside but do understand that they were so busy and we were just happy to get a table.

Nice cafe in the Frankton Marina. It gets real busy in the morning. We stopped in for lunch. Got the mushroom pasta and the kiragi chicken sandwich. Sandwich was fine but the pasta stole the show, just lots of flavor in that bowl of Al dente pasta.

Our AirBnB host highly recommended this place. The restaurant was packed with locals and tourists on a weekday morning. Parking could be a challenge once the small lot filled up. We were lucky to get a table around 9:30am without much of a wait. Good service, good ambience, awesome view of the lake. We ordered the quinoa salad with crispy tofu, and egg scramble with mushroom. Both dishes looked and tasted great.

Can't say it was good. Can't say it was bad. Acceptable is probably the right word to describe The Boat Shed Cafe in located at the Frankton Marina in Queenstown. It's a small place, and it was a rainy day, so there was only indoor seating, which was too bad as the outdoor seating had amazing views of the lake. There was about a 25-30-minute wait, which was fine since we're here. Not sure what's going on over here but seems like all the staff had frowns and not being friendly or courteous was part of their job responsibilities. But no big deal. No one was rude, or disrespectful. There are not too many choices here, but does cover different type of meats, and different style of dishes, such as fish tacos, steak sandwiches, mushroom pasta, chorizo scramble, benedict, spring greens, and etc. Everything is overall on the pricey side, and the portions are on the smaller side too. But you're here for the view and experience, right? Started with a coffee. It was good. Super clean taste. No free refills (I asked). Wish it reached the top, or in a bigger cup! Flat White was also good. Creamy, milky, foamy, solid coffee taste. The Boat Shed Benedict was all right. It was the basic. Nice, runny egg, and toasty English muffin. It ate overall really bland. The muffin didn't seem like there was any oil or butter and ate dry. The Herb Hollandaise was bland and not herbaceous either. I would've preferred more on the plate to make the benedict less dry. I added on Smoked Salmon for $9. It was good and definitely added the salty and savory I needed, but the portion seemed quite small. The Mushroom Pasta was decent. Soft pappardelle pasta and tender portobello mushrooms. A nice amount of porcini butter and truffle oil. A touch bland for me, and portion seemed small. We added a Smashed Avocado, and this was the most rich and tasty dish of the meal. Overall, this was a decent experience. The food was acceptable--basic and straight-forward. You really need add on a side to make it more filling and flavorful. It's a little pricey based on the portion size and type of dish. Coffee drinks were good. I wouldn't mind coming back and ordering something different while sitting in the outdoor area. I don't mind the frowns all around.

Great breakfast, hubby had the chorizo eggs, and I had the huge savory scone and scrambled egg. Food was delicious, price was reasonable for how large the portions are. It was rainy, so outside seating wasn't an option, but still great view from inside. Go early for breakfast, they open at 8...or expect to wait if yu go after 8:30. Well worth it!

This place was delightful! The food was great and the views were so nice! Our waiter was super sweet and we wanted to sit outside so she helped us clear out a table right away! Every single item was so so good and I especially loved the aioli sauce! Definitely recommend!

Five stars for the blueberry French toast and coffee. I visited this place 9 years ago and it was just as good but it is much more popular now. I had to make a reservation. For 0830. You should too, if you plan to visit.

A nice little restaurant right on the water. The inside is decorated beautifully and the water view is phenomenal. The food is okay. I had a smoked salmon with a croissant. The croissant was honestly the best part of the meal. Unbelievably flakey and buttery. It was to die for. The salmon was okay and the flavor was a bit mute. With the veggies, it was just okay. Come for the view.

This place is a prefect brunch /midday get away! We went in for a late breakfast. The service was great everyone was incredible cheerful. I had he banana bread, warm and full of flavor, the ricotta cheese was a perfect touch. My husband had the scramble. Amazing he had to fight me off of it / green chili turmeric/coriander YUM ! The honey lemon ginger hit the spot on a cold day. Great patio / watch the planes land have a beverage !

Came for breakfast while staying in Queenstown, and this cute but quaint cafe in the marina did not disappoint. Outdoor seating right on the lake allows for unbeatable views of the Remarkables. We had the blueberry French toast and eggs your way - scrambled on ciabatta toast with sausage. The French toast was truly a work of art, as recommended by the waitress, and the mascarpone with candied pistachios were the cherry on top. Great customer service, great food, amazing views on the water. Would definitely come back again.

Mum and I ventured here with the dogs on a particularly crisp Q.T morning for a spot of lunch on their deck out the back, which has the most spectacular views of the lake! Then menu here has a lot of variety and the food is pretty good. Mum and I both opted for the seafood chowder, which was creamy without being too rich. They also have my favourite juices of all time, the Benger Gold range (they are all delish, but nectarine is definitely my favourite). When it came to our coffee though it was pretty burnt and almost undrinkable! We also found the service to be lacking. When we first arrived no one came to see us for a good 15mins. We then went inside to get menu's and confirm it was table service. The waitress told us it was and that she would be out shortly but unfortunately we were left waiting for another 20minutes. Hopefully, they were just short staffed that day and it isn't a reoccuring issue!

Cute spot by the lake that is behind an actual boat shed. Service is friendly. The spot has a great outdoor balcony for you to enjoy the river on. The food itself was good. Ordered a squid and egg noodle appetizer, which was delicious. My main was OK. It was meant to be a sesame covered salmon paired with veggies and "sushi" rice. However, the rice was rather bland and the sesame had the promise of amazing flavors but fell a bit short for me. For dessert, got a delicious earl grey panna cotta with fresh fruit, which was amazing. While a bit hit or miss, I generally enjoyed the experience and would try it again.

My husband and I stopped by for lunch on our way into town from the airport. What a lovely little spot o the water, good food for a good price, and friendly staff. It was sort of hard to find because our GPS didn't tell us to turn down the road it's on, but we quickly figured out where it was. The main eating area was a little hot and stuffy in the full light of the afternoon, but we asked to be reseated outside and it was fine (that's where we wanted to be anyway). The steak sandwich and fries were delish, and my husband had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon which he loved. I also had a nice rich iced coffee which helped me perk up after 24 hours of travel. Thanks for the welcome to NZ!

As the saying goes "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me". After the third visit to this cafe I swore it would be my last implementing the three strikes and you're out rule. However, as we couldn't be bothered biking all the way to the Hilton, against our better judgement, we stopped here knowing what lay ahead. It's a real shame. The food is beautiful and the location is unmatched in Queenstown, there is a fantastic opportunity for this cafe if they can only sort out their diabolically awful service and their awful coffee. At least now they are doing table service, albeit appallingly. Having to ask the waitstaff to have an order taken is nothing new in Queenstown. Having what I can only assume was a dish hand, drop off what is clearly a latte and tell you it's a flat white (when you ordered a latte) after admitting he had no idea what he was dropping off, was a definite first for me. Sadly the coffee was bitter, tasting like the machine had not been cleaned properly or the beans are stale? Coffee and service, has unfortunately been a problem for this cafe since it opened. On the plus side, the chocolate croissant was epic and my partner opted for a delicious pastry with caramel which was Devine! I highly recommend the cabinet food. All in all I would suggest if you really are dying to visit here, have a look around and get take away to avoid disappointment.

LOVE. My husband and I dined here twice on our recent holiday to NZ. We stumbled upon it on our bike ride along the Queenstown trail. It's about a 20-30 min ride from the city center. The views here are spectacular, like most other places in Queenstown, but the food is a close second. Great wine offerings and solid pours. Casual, comfortable and just a great atmosphere. We tried several different things on the menu and what I learned is that you just can't go wrong. Patio is dog friendly, which in my book is always a huge plus. Worth a visit. Or two.

Very welcoming staff and owner? on a very busy morning, they managed to accommodate my wife and I. Located well away from the hectic Queenstown, the Boatshed had a genuinely comfortable ambiance. We relaxed and enjoyed stunning views across Lake Wakatipu of The Remarkables to enjoy one of the best breakfast we have experienced for a long time (mixed grill & corn fritters). The boss's only criticism was that the haloumi with the fritters could have been cut thicker. Overall the food was well cooked, presented, and delicious. Coffee was also great.... I was surprised to read other posts, after we had visited, about the coffee, maybe they have a new barista?

You're on your way into Queenstown from the airport. Maybe you want to stop for a bite on the way, or have some time to kill before checking in to your hotel. The Boat Shed is just off the road, tucked away behind yes, a real boat shed. It won't look like much when you pull over and you may feel lost. It's there, you just have to walk a little further than you totally expect. Once you find the place, you'll definitely notice the views, and realize that it's alright to hang out there for a bit and recover from the shock of a spectacular lake with soaring mountains without possibly having an accident on the highway (you only need to contend with so much if it's your first time driving on the left). And hang out you will; the service takes forever. After being seated we waited 15 minutes or so just to glimpse menus, another 15 to have our order taken and then close to 20 or 30 for food to arrive. We happened to be killing time before we could check in to our hotel so it wasn't a big deal but was definitely off-putting in regards to future visits. The food was pretty great. Pricey, but that's the norm around Queenstown. The scrambled eggs were some of the best I've had, simple, and especially delicious after being boxed in a plane for a couple hours. Don't wait for a check to be presented, head to the front and request to pay otherwise you'll be waiting indefinitely. If you have some time to kill, bring a book, relax, snack, and enjoy!

Food was great, service was above par and views were spectacular. Little pricey, but it's Queenstown what can you except. Great experience HOWEVER the music was absolutely atrocious. Don't typically enjoy screamo music for breakfast. Small detail that can easily be fixed.