Woodstock Hotel

In Hokitika on the wild West Coast, Woodstock Hotel wears its heart on its sleeve.

Colin and Leanne Cutler have spent over a decade shaping something that is not just a food place or a bar, but a brewery too, creating a convivial local anchored in the landscape that inspires it. The house brewing adds an easy swagger to the room, drawing together locals and travellers in a warm, West Coast hum.

The kitchen leans into honest, satisfying flavours - from the paddock and from the sea, plates arrive with a comforting polish. Think pork belly lifted with apple and mustard, New Zealand lamb leg with seasonal vegetables, or beer-battered fish that snaps with freshness.

There is a nod to old-world charm in a silken fish Florentine, while the grill turns out stacked woody burgers and pizzas that land piping hot, from the margherita to the woody works.

Sweet teeth are well looked after, whether with a hot chocolate fudge cake draped in sauce or an apple, apricot and raspberry crumble that feels like Sunday at home!

Book a table at Woodstock Hotel, linger a while, and let the good times roll coastward.