Sitting on the large patio of this acclaimed winery, surrounded by massive lavender patches and the vineyards in the background, it’s easy to while away an afternoon. The menu is local sourced, farm-to-table cuisine, and the wine is plentiful and can be purchased in the adjoining cellar door (tasting room). If you have time for a leisurely lunch, Amisfield is a great option. A nice way to work up an appetite is the 5-mile walk around Lake Hayes.

Besides Rata, this is Queenstown's most stylish restaurant, housed in a historic cottage by the lake. The restaurant features beautiful views and wood-burning fireplaces inside the dining room and outside on the patio. The menu features a lot of local produce and products; it’s focused on meat but also has some nice seafood dishes on the menu. Have a drink in the private bar upstairs before settling in for lunch or dinner.

The coastal road between Kaikoura and Blenheim is lined with so-called "bins" – New Zealand's version of a New York City food truck. One of the most famous is Nin's Bin, which is located roadside a 20-minute drive north of Kaikoura (it's on the ocean side). In Maori, Kai-koura mean "eat crayfish," and Nin's focuses almost exclusively on this freshwater lobster (also on the menu in season are green-tipped mussels). The seafood is simply prepared and you eat at rustic wooden picnic tables with views of the sea.

About equidistant on the road from Christchurch to Kaikoura – along scenic Highway 1 – Pegasus Winery makes a perfect lunch spot (the on-property helipad also attests to the fact that some diners need not bother with long driving distances). Don’t plan on having anything but a multi-hour, leisurely lunch here. The winery’s garden setting is stunning and the food is some of the South Island’s best. Diners sit at casual wooden tables beneath white canvas umbrellas on a bluff surrounded by colorful flower gardens and with views spilling down a valley and up the mountains in the distance. The food is excellent and pairs well with Pegasus vintages, including a beautifully crisp Riesling.

Hidden up a black staircase on tiny Cow Lane, the Bunker restaurant’s cocktail bar has heavy leather chairs, a roaring fireplace and a team of appropriately bearded bartenders who will mix cocktails customized to your preferences. The patio outside has a fireplace and is a stylish spot for a cocktail before dinner.

In a stunning location along the coast, a 45-minute drive north of Kaikoura, this restaurant/cafe has large wooden decks and big lawns overlooking the Pacific Ocean. You can come for breakfast, lunch or even just a coffee, then take a long walk along the beach or set off on a more challenging hike from here. If you get sold out of a Kaikoura Whale Watch or want a more extensive menu than offered at Nin’s Bin, The Store is a fabulous place in the Kaikoura region to spend a half-day exploring.

A winery lunch is a must when touring Marlborough, and Allan Scott Family Winemakers' Twelve Trees has one of the best setting. Book a table in the pretty al fresco courtyard and mingle with local families who come for weekend lunches. There's also a tasting room for sampling the vintages (tastings are complimentary when you have lunch), and a shop with a great selection of New Zealand–designed gifts.