Having spent many months as a vegan in Queenstown, I’ve learned plenty of little tips and tricks about making the most of the place.

Rather than having a traditional Queenstown vegan guide, I’m going to list a bunch of bullet points about eating vegan in Queenstown.

That’s because in short, Queenstown restaurants, etc are very vegan-friendly. If you’re eating with a bunch of friends, you’ll be able to walk into pretty much every venue in town and at least have one vegan option.

Even the Japanese restaurant, Tanoshi, has a couple of vegan options. That surprises people.

Alright, let’s get into it.

Note:There’s no particular order to the bullet points. I’ll continue to add to it over time.

VEGAN IN QUEENSTOWN 101

• Both Patagonia and Mrs. Ferg, the best places in Queenstown for ice cream, have sorbet options. Mrs Ferg is cheaper, but if you haven’t experienced Patagonia, give it a whirl.
• Speaking of Ferg, Fergburger does have a couple of vegan burgers. If the queues are too long, head to Devil Burger, Fergburger’s main competitor.
• Annoyingly, Mrs. Ferg, doesn’t have any vegan pies. BP near Frankton has vegan pies, vegan sausage rolls, and vegan toppas.
• Back to burgers for a minute. Pretty much all places in Queenstown serving burgers have a vegan option. My favourite is the jackfruit burger from Smith’s Craft Beer House.
• Smith’s also do some great vegan tacos that non-vegans have raved about. But you can’t go past Taco Medic for fancy tacos. If you aren’t a fan of paying $5+ for one taco, head to El Camino from 5 – 9 pm on Tuesdays where they have $3 tacos which includes a vegan option.
• Want to catch some sport? The Locker Room is a sports bar, and has a vegan menu which includes burgers, mac’n’cheese, and hotdogs.


Vegan snacks in the cabinet at Vudu Cafe

• If you’re looking for places that label their vegan beer options, Beech Tree has got you covered.
• Speaking of beer, the breweries and craft beer pubs in Queenstown are all good at offering vegan meals.
• Pizza options are plentiful in Queenstown with Fat Badger’s and their 20-inch pizzas the most famous of them all. And they do a vegan option. That’s a great option for eating out with a group of 4 – 6 people.
• But if you’re on a budget, you can’t go wrong with a $6 veg trio pizza from Domino’s. Personally, I just remove the cheese and am happy, but others like to spend the extra $ for the vegan cheese. Update: As of July 16th 2022, they’re now $8.99!
• Back to Fat Badger’s for a moment. If you’re after a basic salad, the large Garden Salad from Fat Badger’s for $10 is big.


The delicious vegan burger from Smith’s.

• Love a vegan restaurant that has different options on a regular basis? Halo changes their vegan menu regularly!
• Craving Falafel? Beech Tree is the best in Queenstown, with Wild Thyme and Balls and Bangles putting in solid efforts
• If you’re heading to the Queenstown Gardens for a walk, pop into Gatto’s Churros Bar on the way and grab the vegan churro. It’s epic (and expensive).
• Looking for a cafe with decent coffee and vegan snacks? Vudu! If you find yourself out in Frankton, then Hustl. Cafe works.
• You won’t find many vegan options (burger patties, sausages, Kea cookies, etc) in the Alpine Four Square. But walk 10 minutes down the road to Fresh Choice and they’ve got plenty to keep you satiated on your Queenstown hikes and walks.

And the million-dollar question I’m always asked…is it cheap to eat as a vegan in Queenstown?

Yes and no. But that goes for the same as a non-vegan in Queenstown. You can spend lots of money on food in Queenstown, but there are more than enough cheap places to eat in Queenstown where you can get solid food that won’t set you back a massive amount.

The $3 tacos from El Camino, Domino’s pizzas, and the classic fries might not be the healthiest of options but they’ll keep you alive. And there’s plenty of restaurants with vegan options available on First Table (you get 50% off all food booking via First Table).

Use CHURNZ when you sign up and you’ll get $5 off your first booking.

Enjoy all the vegan eats in Queenstown!

If you’ve got any other tips about eating vegan in Queenstown, share them in the comments below 🙂

RECOMMENDED READING

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I’ve hopefully included a few ideas you don’t usually see here!

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Ranking the best vegan burgers in Wellington

Many vegans will say Wellington is the vegan capital of NZ…

Jub

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.