Top 5 Pie Stops in Queenstown, New Zealand
Have pie on the fly from the local gas station, or sit down and savour a larger meal, either way, pies are a stable informal NZ cuisine and should be experienced on your trip to Queenstown New Zealand.
Top 5 Pie Stops in Queenstown, New ZealandAs local pie eaters - yes, that is a thing… these are a personal choice, with a touch of tourism added for the experience! Whichever you choose, enjoy this classic Kiwi kai!
1. Arrowtown Bakery
The Arrowtown Bakery has been around forever and ever, and is 100% a local favourite! Once voted as having NZ’s best pies, it has never, and I mean never, lost the deliciousness of its pies. As more artisan-type bakeries have popped up across the Wakatipu, it has stayed true to its traditional flavour range of pies, with the odd fun one thrown in for kicks and giggles.
Try the mouthwatering venison pie - probably one of our favourites, challenged only by the Lamb and Mint! The hai green chicken curry is certainly interesting and is so much better than it sounds and from our recollection, they were one of the first bakeries to deliver a butter chicken pie! And you can top up with great coffee and pretty tasty pastries too!
What's more, it’s quite conveniently located on the edge of town, so you can park across the road or grab a spot in the car back just down the hill and pop into their small but welcoming eating area.
Trust me, they're worth it!
2. BP Frankton
If you want a traditional kiwi pie, eaten kiwi style, then we suggest you grab a BP pie. They are the stalwarts of hangover pies! For all our customers, a quick explanation… BP is a service station (gas station) chain in New Zealand, and this particular BP station can be found at the Frankton roundabout. It makes our list for several reasons. Firstly, you can drive straight in and up to the front door so its super convenient, secondly, the pies are stock standard and always deliver on taste (steak’n’cheese is the winner here), thirdly - they are a part of Wild Bean Cafe chain which makes a decent cuppa joe and lastly, because they’re cheaper than the bakeries, but for the mainstream flavours - they’re just as good!
3. FergBaker
Fergbaker, part of the Ferg empire makes great pies. It's simple really. They kinda specialise in it. The actual bakery stands alongside the other Ferg stores: Fergburger, Ferg Bar, and Mrs Ferg Gelateria which offers a vibrant social hub for food enthusiasts.
They have a super interesting range of pies, as well as the more classical ones, such as mince and mince’n’cheese. The more creative ones feature things like caramelised onions and cracked pepper gravy, blue cheese and Kumera (not together!).
So for an experience, yes, it’s always good to grab a pie there. Allow yourself queueing time though - it can be long and tedious!
4. Pog Mahone’s
Ok, while Pog Mahone's is actually an Irish Bar, it is owned by both Kiwi and Irish locals, and boy, do they make a scrumptious beef and Guinness pie! It's a real big meal so save this one for a sit-in lunch or dinner!
The location gets a 10/10, right on the shore of the lake! And while their signature pie is Irish through and through, it still rates highly on our pie radar! To be honest, a Sunday afternoon spent at the pub is a great way to pass some time!
5. Night 'n' Day Minimarkets - Arrowtown, Queenstown and Lake Hayes
Ok, so almost all cafes in Queenstown will sell some version of a pie - traditional, classic, or weird and wonderful (read unique and flavoursome). But again, there exists great value in just rocking up somewhere grabbing a pie from the pie warmer and getting to the good part - eating it! Normally the Night 'n' Day's in Queenstown have a great selection of simple pies ready to eat. You can drive right up and park, go straight to the counter and select your pie. The whole pie-buying experience is quick and fast. ‘The pies, well, they're standard, but cheaper than cafes and compared to some places, you can almost buy two pies for the cost of what you’d pay in a cafe!
It’s simple, we Kiwi’s love our pies. We really do. And it's hard to find a bad one. From convenience store pies to hand-crafted masterpieces, the fact is you can find pies at almost every cafe in Queenstown. This list is just our go-to after decades of living here!
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