If you’re looking for a chill fun place to have lunch in Queenstown, Caribe Latin Kitchen might be the ticket.
They don’t take reservations, and with limited seating, you’ll quickly know if they’re busy or not. And they offer takeaway too if you’d rather head to the waterfront to eat. Or there’s delivery as well.
THE ATMOSPHERE AT CARIBE LATIN KITCHEN
With lots of people from Latin America now calling Queenstown home, I’ve always enjoyed the passion they have for their culture. So while I don’t exactly understand the music, hearing the Latin music while I was having my food was fun.
I Shazam’ed a few of the songs:
- Puedes Contar Conmigo by La Oreja de Van Gogh
- Aquello Que Me Diste by Alejandro Sanz
- Amiga Mia by Alejandro Sanz
The staff can be heard at times in the background having fun. They aren’t mucking around though, I was there during a lunch rush and the food service was quick.
While you’re waiting, there’s a lot to look at inside the restaurant. Somehow it all comes together is fun, but looks chaotic at first! They’ve even got a little spiritual section (I’m sure there’s a correct wor I can’t think of) in between the restaurant and toilet which is fun.
The outside seating is nice on a warm day when it’s not too busy. It makes for great people-watching on Ballarat Street.
THE FOOD
From their website, describing their food: Caribe Latin Kitchen uses the sounds of Salsa, smells of the Caribbean, the textures of the Amazons, the colours and flavours of Latin America to create a humble but intense composition for locals and visitors to enjoy.
Given Caribe Latin Kitchen is one of the smaller restaurants in Queenstown, I like how they’ve got a big menu on the wall out the front of the restaurant so you have an idea of what you’ll order beforehand.
For a small restaurant, they have an extensive menu. Think tapas, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, arepas and more.
And they all look delicious. I went with a relatively safe option, a burrito. They were sweet with making it vegan, that’s the case with most of their items.
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Then you’ve got the spicy question. How spicy do you want your food to be?
There are four options, I went with spicy hot (2nd hottest option). They do make their own sauces, and if you love it, you can buy a bottle to take home.
The burrito came with a great presentation, and I really felt like I was back in Mexico with the beans and rice along with the vegetables all in reasonable quantities.
It’s sneaky filling too!
Caribe Latin Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday.
You can find them at 36 Ballarat Street, Queenstown 9300. Phone: 03 442 6658
I’d always walked past Caribe Latin Kitchen, I’m stoked to finally have stopped in here.
If you have any questions and/or comments about eating in Queenstown, or Caribe Latin Kitchen, leave a comment below or email jub@churnewzealand.com.
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Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.