Top of the South foodie’s tour
From character-rich cafés serving up classic Kiwi fare to beautifully restored taverns oozing with historic charm and hearty pub grub, and uber-modern eateries, dining at the top of the South Island is an exploration of sensational flavours, textures and artisanal food aroha. Here’s our guide to a foodie’s tour of the top of the South.
At the top of New Zealand’s South Island, which includes Hurunui, Kaikōura, Marlborough, and Nelson-Tasman, the landscape doesn’t just shape the view; it shapes every bite.
This is the Top of the South: a region where food is a big part of the travel experience. Every valley, coastline, and hillside seems to insist on being tasted. And like any good meal, the journey unfolds in courses.
First course: The East Coast
The first taste arrives with salt on the air; clean, mineral, unmistakably oceanic. The coastline writes the opening chapter of our gourmand tour. In Kaikōura, the Pacific Ocean is close enough to hear while you eat. Crayfish – kōura in te reo Māori – is the headline act, pulled from deep offshore canyons where cold currents create a nutrient-rich haven for marine life. In these parts, the journey from wilderness to plate is a short one.
Further north, the waters move into the intricate inlets of the Marlborough Sounds and Havelock at the head of Pelorus Sound, where green-lipped mussels grow fat in sheltered bays. Their shells snap open to reveal flesh that tastes faintly of cucumber and tide.
It’s a place where aquaculture feels more like stewardship than industry – kaitiakitanga.
There is a purity to eating here. The ingredients are so close to their source that embellishment is unnecessary. A squeeze of citrus, a glass of local wine, and the sense that what’s on your plate could not exist anywhere else in quite the same way.
Second course: The valleys
Inland, the air warms, the light softens, and the land opens into rows of vines stretching across the Marlborough plains. With more than 120 wineries and 30 cellar doors, this is one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions and makes a wine tour an absolute must-do when in Marlborough. The world-famous sauvignon blanc has long dominated this region, known for its pungent aromas, tropical fruit and herbal notes, but high-quality pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot gris are coming for savvy’s crown. As well, be sure to swing by one of the beer gardens and distilleries for a relaxed taste of the region’s award-winning craft beers and boutique gins.
At cellar doors, conversations drift easily from soil composition to harvest conditions, from weather patterns to personal philosophy. Always, there is food nearby. Platters of local produce sourced from land and sea, designed to complement the wine. Delicious gourmet produce, including goat’s cheese, clams, wild game meats, charcuterie, strawberries, chocolate, pine nuts, artisan breads and of course the world-famous Greenshell Mussels and Marlborough King Salmon. There’s no better way to get a taste for the region than through its cafés, restaurants, cellar doors, fruit stalls and the local Farmers’ Market.
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Tasman Great Taste Trail
Explore Nelson Tasman’s flavours one pedal at a time with Nelson Cycle Hire and Tours. As a partner of the Tasman Great Taste Trail, they offer self-guided bike tours that connect you with the region’s rich food and beverage scene. Think artisan producers, cellar doors, craft breweries, and coastal cafés, all wrapped up in a leisurely ride. Based near Nelson Airport, it’s easy to pick up your e-bike or hybrid and roll straight into the good stuff. Go to www.heartofbiking.org.nz/tasmans-great-taste-trail.
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Third course: The hinterland
By the time you reach the hills around Nelson and the wider Nelson Tasman area, the meal turns earthy and textured. This is where artisans work quietly, often just beyond the roadside: cheesemakers, beekeepers, orchardists, growers.
They make glorious wine, stunning cheeses from both sheep and cow’s milk. They grow gourmet mushrooms, gorgeous fresh flowers, and crush rich olives for fresh, peppery olive oil. Try artisan’s sausages, salami and smoked duck. Discover the unique flavour of black garlic.
Markets and small farm gates replace restaurants as the primary points of discovery. You meet the person who made what you’re about to eat; you hear the story before you taste it. The gateway to the Tasman region is Motueka. Surrounded by vineyards, cycling trails, artisan food producers, and spectacular natural landscapes, the town offers a relaxed base for discovering a wide range of experiences.
Located close to three of New Zealand’s national parks – Abel Tasman, Kahurangi, and Nelson Lakes – the region offers countless scenic walking tracks that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Motueka is also the natural gateway to Golden Bay, known for its dramatic coastal scenery and unique attractions. A great place to start planning any visit is the Motueka isite Visitor Information Centre, currently the only official isite operating in the Nelson Tasman region. “Many people don’t realise that they can contact us before they travel and we can help organise their whole trip,” says Motueka isite’s manager, Anita Araya. “As local experts, we love helping visitors discover experiences they may not have found on their own.” Email the Motueka isite team on info@motuekaisite.co.nz and follow Motueka isite Visitor Information Centre on Facebook and Instagram for travel inspiration and local updates.
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Don’t miss: Moutere Artisans Open Day
The Moutere Artisans are a collective of talented individuals in Upper Moutere, a small village outside Nelson, creating exceptional products ranging from wines and cheeses to ceramics and sculptures. The Artisans include famous ceramic artists, sculptors, wood workers and a jeweller. Visitors can explore studios, taste local delicacies, and experience the vibrant artisan community. The next Moutere Artisans Open Day is Sunday 26 April from 10am till 4pm.Go to moutereartisans.co.nz.
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100 Years of Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park
It’s been the classic Kiwi holiday since 1926. At the Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park in Tāhunanui, Nelson, New Zealanders have been making beachside memories for 100 years. The holiday park now occupies some 24 hectares running alongside Tāhunanui Beach and inlet. A number of centennial events for guests and the wider Whakatū Nelson community are planned throughout 2026 – join in the celebrations.
tahuna.nz/celebrating-100-years
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The final course: A sense of place
What makes the Top of the South remarkable isn’t just the quality of what’s grown, caught, or produced; it’s the continuity between environment and experience. The ocean, the vines, the orchards, the hills: they are not separate attractions, but parts of a single, interconnected system.
To travel here is to move through a living pantry. Each stop adds a layer of understanding, each bite a new perspective. By the end, you realise the journey hasn’t just been about eating well – it’s been about seeing differently because in this corner of New Zealand, the natural world is not pushed to the edges of civilisation. It sits at the centre of the table, reminding us that how we protect, nourish and respect the land and waters reflects how we protect, nourish and respect ourselves and each other.
