The Cow

The staff said that her favourite is garlic butter bread, which is the signature of the store. Someone in my family doesn’t like garlic... but the soup will be given one piece bread. This creamy bacon mushroom soup is excellent. Of course, you should order a large size pizza, so that you can choose half half. We chose seafood and classic sausages. Although I am not a pizza lover, I have to admit that the pizza in this restaurant is amazing. The tomato pasta is a little too sour. Maybe the meat one will be better?

This is literally a hidden gem. Tucked away in Cow Lane, with a small sign and small entrance, it could easily be missed. But this Italian eatery, serving just pasta and pizza, is devine. The spaghetti bolognaise was the best we have eaten and the spaghetti fungi almost as good. Serves are very generous, but half serves were offered and are perfect for moderate eaters like us. And the garlic bread, I mean loaf, is terrific. Again, a half loaf is ample for two. Lastly, the service was friendly and very helpful. Well done!

Love the place! It is a rustic well decorated with a fireplace just where most is needed. Food is fantastic, no matter what you order. We have to wait to be seat, but it didn't took more than 10 minutes our wait. It is tiny, but we believe it worth it.

Walked into this restaurant with a lovely dinner surprise. First of all, the interior has a cool spooky vibe and the candles was such a fun edition. We thought our table had spilled water on it, however it was a creatively old-fashioned design. Lol. The food was great! The delectable garlic bread is a must get as it is well known as a specialty. It is handcrafted and the garlic and butter pairs beautifully. The fungi was creamy and rich. The dish had shaved cheese, mushroom and spaghetti. The spaghetti's quality was averags. It was slightly hard and my husband ended up having a stomach ache The final dish that we ordered was half of Her Majesty's Pleasure and half of. The pizza's were fresh and flavourful, though we wished it had more italian authenticity. Overall, we did enjoy our experience. If you want a fairly chill dinner, come here. The prices are expensive regarding small portion sizes so choose carefully.

The fagatini pasta is exceptional. While the liver flavor is unapologetically intense—likely too much for some—the noodles are well seasoned and doesn’t have any unpleasant odor. Worth seeking out.

The bread (you’ll understand if you go) and pizza were incredible. Kudos to the staff! Busy place and intimate (small) restaurant. It deserves a 4 due to the endless customers waiting for a table, filling the room… but the staff killed it. Avoid peak times. Recommended.

The food came quickly and tasted delicious. We ordered pastas and garlic bread and they were demolished quickly. The place has that lovely cosy feel and the service is warm and friendly. There's often a queue to get a table but the turnover is quite fast so you don't have to wait long Prices are reasonable and serving size is quite generous. Highly recommend if you want comfort food.

Quite an unfortunate visit. Whilst the food was the saving grace and very good everything else about this dining experience was not. The staff were extremely rude - we were told to come back in 10 mins as we had a large party and couldn’t fit in the bar - then upon return to make sure the table was ready i was rudely told they had 30 seconds to come inside or it would be given away. The entire dinner felt like we were being rushed so they could just pump more patrons in and the inside was disgustingly hot - we were fanning ourselves with menus as there is no ventilation and the AC seemingly does not work. Even the bartender told us she was extremely hot and ready to pass out ! For the price point this place is an absolute mess of an restaurant , save your money and go somewhere else

Wandered into this back alley restaurant and was greeted by very friendly people. Fun place, fantastic food, rustic building and was able to drink the night away. No cows there cuz someone left the barn door open! Moooooo. No Bull

It's a cute location being in a little house. There's a chimney with smoke billowing out. We thought initially that it was a wood fire pizza place. Turned out it was a fireplace. The pizzas are cooked in an electric oven. It was busy, but you can wait at the handful of bar seats at the back of the restaurant. Service was friendly and quick. Food was just so-so. The side salad had chunky vegetables topped with some sprouts. We got the Queen's (I forgot the exact name) but it's like the top combo pizza. I'll have to say that it was a bit weird for my taste. It had celery, sliced tomatoes that made it watery, and not enough seasoning. I think The Cow is a bit over rated.

Ambiance: Such a cute little spot hidden off of Cow Street in Downtown Queenstown. The oldest restaurant in town which was honored by a rustic interior and a roaring wood fire. Food: disappointed by the food unfortunately. The house made garlic bread was very good. The loaf was huge and plenty of butter was provided. The pizza bolognese was fine. If you're from the US, the best way I would describe the sauce is tasting like Beefaroni. For the price of about $29, it was nothing amazing. I got a seafood pasta which was also fine. The mussels were pretty fishy tasting but the cream sauce was good. Overall a cool spot to eat but not worth the price.

Do not miss the Cow! The most interesting building in Queenstown with fantastic people, good beer and food, and great service! I wanted to go here every night but we always had something else planned. When we finally got here it was everything I had hoped for. It's so old looking inside and just cozy and warm and amazing! Just pizza and pasta and garlic bread here but that's good enough for me as long as they bring beer! I would like to go to a place like the Cow every day. I so wish there was something like it near me. Don't visit Queenstown without stopping by!

Friendly service and great food! It's an awesome looking bar and restaurant. We we're sat outside and they even had blankets you could use as well as outdoor heaters. Very warm atmosphere :)

GREAT PIZZAS ! My wife and I took a 2 week vacation in NZ a few years ago when we were living in Brisbane, Australia. My wife's son and daughter from the USA joined us on our adventure. We started with a 5 day hotel stay in Queenstown after we flew in from Christchurch in mid January. We did a bunch of neat things like a Milford Sound Cruise, a helicopter joy ride to the top of Fox Glacier and much more but having dinner at The Cow was the highlight of our NZ dining out experiences. We headed here one evening after reading about the place in our hotel room info guide. It was fun to find the restaurant in a quaint little lane off the beaten track. Straight off the bat we fronted up at the bar and ordered a couple of beers + a wine. It sure was a sight taking in the eclectic decor but that made it even more fun. We all ended up at a booth table and perused the select pizza menu...we're big pizza fans ! We kicked things off with a serve of Garlic Bread plus a couple of 11 inch pizzas loaded up with great ingredients. The thinking was if we ordered the smaller pizzas we could have more varieties. Our pizza order came out pretty fast and the pizzas disappeared quite quickly. Another order for 2 more 11 inch pizzas because we were hungry. We were very happy with our pizzas, the beer was decent and the service excellent. Factor in the fun vibe & quirky decor and we loved it a lot ! NOTE - Of course with over 22 million views of my Yelp reviews and pics in 2022 I can tell you what is great !

Love this place, my absolute favorite in QT. They don't take bookings so prepare to wait. The garlic bread is outstanding, as are the pizzas and pasta.

Loved the service and the food was good. Only caution is that this is not wood fired. It is a regular pizza oven you'd find in a pizza by the slice kitchen. Not bad, but not Neapolitan style. Thicker crust than expected. Garlic bread is fantastic!

You must show up an hour before it closes or you will not be seated. We were 5 minutes past 10:00. POS barkeep wouldn't seat us. Stay the eff away from this establishment!

5 star for the waitress who was trying not to crack under pressure as she was the only one serving yet managed to do a great job of ensuring business was running smoothly. 3 star for the dishes. Garlic bread- baked in-house. We followed directions: cut in the middle and serve from there. It was a bit dry for me despite the butter provided on the side. R Onion soup- more sweet than anything. Other than that I think they would have been off serving French onion soup instead - only thing the soup was missing was the cheese. Bolognese Spaghetti- not much of a fan but my husband said sauce was savory, and seasoned well with the spaghetti cooked al dente. If it was up to me, I'd say try another resto unless you're really keen on giving this spot a chance.

Great little place with a real fire and serious ambience. The cosiest place for lunch or dinner, even in summer! I had a small vege pizza (without cheese so vegan). The ingredients were fresh and the crisp crust delicious. The toppings weren't that flavoursome in themselves as the sauce was a bit sparse, but it felt like a healthy option. My husband has the spaghetti Bolognese and said it was nice but not the best. Ultimately the food is decent (if a little pricey) but you go there for a drink and a chat with your mates on a cool, cabin-like environment.

I had the pleasure of dining at The Cow while on vacation in Queenstown last week. It was wintertime so stumbling upon this hidden pizzeria in the cold was a nice surprise. The first thing I noticed was the ambiance. The building looks like it'd been built centuries ago with it's exposed brick walls and roaring open fireplace. We sat in one of the built-in bench tables right across from the fireplace which kept us nice and toasty. Our order was simple: half and half pizza (prosciutto and bolognese) and a couple of mulled wines. The food itself wasn't the best pizza in the world (mind you my favorite pizzas are thin crust, brick oven pizzas from New York or Italy) but it did the job. Also, the mulled wine was a little fruity without spice, but again, it did the job. The service was friendly and our waitress was on top of providing us everything we needed. All in all, I'd visit for the ambiance and convenience, but I wouldn't expect to be blown away by their pizzas.

Really solid pizza with flavorful toppings. We had the Pepperoni and it was delicious. The dinner salad was loaded with fresh veggies and a robust oil n vinegar dressing. The ambience and service was fantastic. Loved the building. There's good mojo at this place.

Came here for dinner with a group or 3 adults and 1 infant and we were able to get seated without an issue. We ordered the Napolatana with mushrooms, Her Majesty's Pleasure, and Seafood spaghetti. I thought all the dishes were good, but not one particular one stood out. The crust for the pizza is thin crust, which is what I prefer. They did not hold back on the toppings and with every bite you were able to eat some toppings. The sauce wasn't overly salty but also didn't fe like it had a strong tomato base. The sauce wasn't overly special. The seafood spaghetti wasn't bad. All the shelled seafood came de-shelled, which was nice, but could also imply other things. Th staff were super polite and helpful. They were very accommodating to our requests for extra napkins, plates, utensils. Overall this is a solid place and wouldn't mind coming here again. Service was great. Price is on the expensive side, just like all the other restaurants in this resort town.

I'm not sure what we did but our server absolutely hated us. Everything we asked for seemed like it was such an imposition for her. I don't think we were being difficult at all. Asking for silverware when you don't have any shouldn't be such a big deal...ok let me back up and start from the beginning. We got there, had a party of 6. She told us there was a wait and to come back at 6:45PM. We showed up a few minutes late when we came back and she had already given away our table. So much for a small grace period. From that moment it seemed like she hated us. We told her we'd wait for another table and she rolled her eyes and said she'd be back. 5-10 minutes later, we are seated in a booth and all good to go. Ordered the garlic bread, which was awesome by the way and super garlicky - just the way we like it. My parents ordered the pizza and when it arrived it was scalding hot, so my dad asks for a knife and fork; she glared at him and even asked 'why?' before getting it for him. Then we ask for crushed red pepper flakes, she rolled her eyes and then brought us a black pepper grinder. We clarify and then she says they don't have that. At that point she switched with another server who finished serving us who was much nicer. As we are leaving restaurant, we look on the bar countertop and see containers of crushed red pepper flakes! The exact ones you get in the US, the exact thing we were asking for. What in the world?!?!? Overall service was TERRIBLE! The food was ok. The garlic bread is the best thing on the menu and is worth it. The pasta was ok, the tomato sauce tasted fresh and was pretty good - it could've used some spice.

I'm not really sure what all the hype is. Perhaps it is the great ambiance (like walking into a old stone house converted into a bar - oh, which it is!) with the dark wood floors, rafters the go up to the ceiling, and the warm fireplace. The food itself rates a mere, "meh". The pizza is nothing to write home about - basic with the dough (a bit on the crispy side. Note I said crispy, not crunchy. It bites like a cracker and not a pizza crust). The tomato sauce is ok. The toppings are...ok. We ordered a tomato based pasta and their mushroom pasta. The former had a bit too much tomato paste (or tasted like it). The latter tasted like noodles with mushroom soup. The best parts of our meal were the tomato soup (piping hot and tomatoes were the star) and the garlic bread.

Impossible to rate. I realize the try was a Friday night, but waiting 40 mins. outside didn't cut it. They made a feeble attempt with a tarp that was inadequate. Previous reviews liked the food, wish we'd had a chance. Queenstown is too touristy.

The Cow is slightly hidden but definitely worth the visit if you're in Queenstown. This Italian place isn't very big and you probably have to wait a little bit for your table. They do have a small bar with a nice bartender while you wait. The menu isn't complicated. For entrees, you have the option of pizza or pasta. They also have this amazing garlic bread. It comes in a whole loaf smothered with chunky garlic oil. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had both the popular bolognese and the mushroom pastas. Both were simple yet delicious. I absolutely loved the mushroom pasta. Both were reasonably priced as well. A lot of people have their pizza. It's quite large. According to the 2 tables next to us, the seafood pizza is the way to go. I didn't get a chance to try it but it did look amazing. I doubt I will ever get a chance to go to Queenstown again but if I ever do, I will definitely come back to The Cow.

We stopped in for pizza. One of the better dining experiences with regard to ambiance; I will credit them for that. However, no draft beer selection left us wanting for more. In regards to the pizza, I have to say that I liked the toppings--the thick cut pepperoni in particular. But, two issues I had [basically, with all the pizzas we tried in Queenstown] is that the crust--seemingly not hand tossed but rather frozen(?)--is super thin and more like eating a salted cracker crust, i.e., no dough. And then, the sauce is not tomato-y, nor zesty. In fact, there seemed to be little if any sauce on the pizza. I hate to beat them up too bad for this, especially since the other three pizzerias we ate at had the same issue. Therefore, it may be a NZ thing, or at least a Queenstown thing. Otherwise, it was pretty 'good'.

Locals favorite for pizza. We stopped in for lunch. Friendly service but looked like there was just one waitress. I felt bad because she was always hustling. We split a large Her Majesty and a salad. Flat bread type crust with ample toppings. The pizza was decent...as an east coaster, need to cut them slack since I am sure NZ is not known for their pizza.

Really fun restaurant that is a bit hidden. We got garlic bread and pizza and the garlic bread especially was great! Really friendly servers and a great music playlist for the time I was there. Only downside is it's a bit small inside. But the candlelit atmosphere is really nice.

This is the first place we ate out at when we first came to Queenstown over 20 years ago! And it never disappoints!! It's always a must go to when I'm here!!! Love it!!

Fabulous pizza!! Great little stone building. Interesting toppings like prawns, bacon and mushrooms, or venison pepperoni and onions. Both were wonderful, and crispy crust!! Not soggy. Don't miss!!

Great atmosphere, delicious salads and pizza! Such a quaint and cozy place right in the middle of town.

The pizza was delicious, with a nice thick and crunchy base and the pasta was lovely. The service was excellent and it was very nice and cozy. Only downside is that it's small and they sometimes ask you to share a normal sized table with strangers.

The Cow is a bit hidden off of a side street backed into a corner. The building is all stone, and has a huge fireplace. The overall ambiance makes you feel like you stepped back in time. The pizzas are delicious, and the house wine washes it down. There is a small bar at the entrance to pick up a drink if there is a wait for tables. Great place for a casual dinner.

Go for the ambience, pasta was better than the pie, try the bolognese pasta and enjoy the surrounds. If you have a large group, go for the garlic loaf. We would return.

We stumbled on this place because we saw the sign from afar and it piqued our curiosity. Let me say, I am so so glad we went inside. It's a cute little place, a stone house converted into a bar and restaurant. There's a fireplace to sit next to while you wait for a table to open. So A+ for atmosphere. The food was also amazing. We got the spaghetti with mushrooms and the Her Majesty's pizza, both were phenomenal. The only problem, which was not one that we minded in the slightest, is if you're a small party they might have you share a table with another small party. Again, this didn't bother us at all but some people might

Best pizza in queenstown!! Like ferger burger, my family and I are here two nights in a row. Pasta is great, but Her Majesty's pizza is what I had both nights! Bartender was awesome! He let us taste the mulled wine. The environment is very unique! If you don't enjoy this place, there must be something wrong with you! I will definitely come back here when in Queenstown.

Worst service Told us a table would be a half hour wait so we sat at the bar and they sat 2 couples before they seated us.

A little pricey, but the overall feel of the place kind of preps you for that. Hard to find, we stumbled upon it while wandering some back street. We had the portions pizza. They are thincrusted, very good but not incredibly filling for what you spend. A large fed the three of us with no leftovers, and we are not big eaters.

split the bolognese and tomato/basil pasta the tomato/basil was very bland the bolognese was a little more flavorful but neither were anything special wish they used fresh pasta instead of the boxed stuff most tables ordered pizza should have followed their lead this spot gets crowded and there's almost always a wait a good spot for families although it can get super hot with the oven and fireplace also, shared tables so not a place for you if you don't like not knowing the person sitting next to you while you stuff your face full of carbs

Wow! Had a really great pizza with really fresh ingredients and great waitresses and a lovely conversation with 2 wonderful New Zealanders and their niece at a shared table!!

Fantastic pizzas and service. No beers on tap, but a good selection of bottled beers and wine. Very cozy and warm on a winter evening.

We went there on our first day in Queenstown, a lovely old stone building in a lovely quiet spot. The restaurant is not big some people happily share tables. There's a great fireplace in the middle that you can just enjoy a drink around. The waitress asked if we wanted to start with a garlic bread... Of course we did, little did we know it's HUGE! It's literally a whole loaf of freshly baked bread with crumbled garlic on the outside, with generous garlic butter on the side. It was great! But just a few slices and we were already half full. That garlic bread can feed a family of four! Btw, while I am not a big fan of bread it's certainly on par with real German bread. Main course was also suitably generous in proportion and excellently prepared. The bolognese pizza was indeed different in a good way, spicy and rich in a tomato base. There's none of this thick pizza craziness here, this is traditional Italian thin crust pizza. Spaghetti was also excellent and (of course, large), creamy mushroom sauce paired very nicely with the pizza, and again rich. Overall, great hearty meal in a really excellent setting and won't ruin your wallet. Get there early as it gets busy!!

Husband and I were feeling like pasta so we came here; 4 stars for ambiance (rustic lodge-type vibe with nice fire and candles!) but only 3 for the pasta--although spaghetti was thankfully not overcooked, my mushroom pasta sauce was a little glue-y. Flavor was OK though. Husband's bolognese was serviceable but nothing stellar. The garlic bread however was indeed amazing, fresh, crusty, hot, and delicious. Service was friendly. Would come back for the garlic bread but not the pasta.

Some of the best pizza I have ever eaten - and I have eaten a fair share of pizza around the world. The crust was just right - not too thick or too thin, and not too soft and had a good crispness to it, but was not overdone. The sauce, cheese and toppings, along with the crust were very tasty. I would recommend this restaurant to others and will revisit when I am ever in Queenstown.

This place really hit the spot. In town for the Kepler Challenge and needed some pasta. The veggie pizza and spagbol were great as was the green salad. The place reminds me of a scene in the Hobbit. Wooden interior and cozy.

Whenever I talk about my favorite pizzas, I like to bring up the time I ate half of this amazing bolognese pizza and washed it down with Budweiser next to a stone fireplace in an old barn tucked away in Queenstown. The rich, hearty meat sauce was topped with cheese (and then I added parmesan cheese) on this soft, chewy crust. It was simple, yes, but 3.5 years later I'm still talking about and searching for a spot in the States that will replicate it. DAMN. GOOD. 'ZA.

juat so so,I would give 50 scores if full score is 100, the chowdee is too salty,not taste giid. the pizza is too sour as too much tomato saurce,don't recommend.

The Cow is tucked away in cow lane and can be very very busy, however the food is seriously good, Pasta and Pizza. I eat here early, hopefully before the rush. Has an indoor and outdoor area for dining and open fire in the winter. Not the cheapest but ok

The restaurant got its name from the building's former life as a milking shed for cows. I think they added the likeness of Queen Victoria to their logo because said milking shed was established during her reign in the 1860's. The restaurant itself opened for business in 1976. Atmosphere is amazing. Sort of reminded me of the Forge in the Forest Restaurant in Carmel, Ca. Loved the cozy stone building. The place is small but the dining room has a huge fireplace, wooden beams, rustic trestle tables, copper urns and milking stools. On the day we were there, the weather was fair but chilly and the roaring fire was a welcome sight. The room is a little dim but contributes to the ambiance. As the full name indicates, The Cow Pizza & Spaghetti House, they only serve spaghetti and pizza. They serve about 6 different kinds of spaghetti and 8 kinds of pizza. You can augment you meal with a salad, garlic bread and soup. Our group shared a large 14" pizza called Her Majesty's Pleasure. It was generously topped with mushrooms, ham, pepperoni and onions. But I didn't care for the crust. It wasn't an ultra crispy, thin crust, nor was it a dense, deep dish but somewhere in between. Loved the garlic bread. Ultimately, while the food was OK, I wish the menu matched the uniqueness of the place. I wanted more iconic dishes that reflected Kiwi cuisine.

Have been here several times and still stays as good as every time. The old style decor, tables, ornaments etc and that log fire inside all help to give it a great ambience to relax and eat in. It can get busy so there may be a little wait at times. There is seating outside as well so dress up warm in case you do have to sit out during winter.Have tried their mushroom soup, garlic bread and one of thier great pizzas which is very tasty , and the service is good too. Can highly recommend .

The cow is pretty good. We came in on a Friday night pretty late. The wait staff is very helpful and nice. The pizza we ordered was cooked perfectly and we even had them remove a couple things and add one. We did not however enjoy sharing our (booth) table with strangers. It's weird. Thankfully the guys we shared with was cool and solo.

For us, going off the beaten path, or in this case lane, is always the most rewarding. The Cow has a eclectic atmosphere and the pizza to back it up. We were seated right away and proceeded to order the Her Majesty, This pizza stands up to any pizza I've had from the Boston MA area. The crust was unusually tasty and the toppings were very generous. If, - no - make that when, we come back to Queenstown, The Cow will be our first stop for good pizza.

When you find this hidden gem in downtown queenstown you'll be quite happy you did. It has a very simple menu spaghetti choose your sauce or pizzas. The pizzas you can order half and half no problem which is nice. The service here was fantastic and friendly, the food came out in a very timely manner. All of our entrees were cooked perfectly and tasted good. Definitely order the garlic bread it's fantastic and worth it. This place is a great value for the price and a gem in queenstown don't miss it!

The Pizza is very good. We like the thin crunchy crust and plenty of sauce. The spaghetti was served hot and fresh but with too much garlic. Often times places who offer seafood spaghetti will overwhelm the consumer with garlic to mask the poor quality seafood. The service was awesome and very friendly. Except for the community seating, we really enjoyed our visit...

Remind me of an old stable inside. The fire was lovely on colder fall evening. Staff was kind. Enjoyed the unique atmosphere. Food was good. Good for anyone especially if you want good food but not formal dining experience.

This place has phenomenal pizza with wonderful, fresh ingredients. I came here in 2015 and I still think about the pizza Her Majesty's Pleasure from time to time. If you are so lucky to be in Queenstown, GO HERE!