Lake Tekapo or Takapō (Māori) is one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand and now one of my personal favorites. My cousin and I had planned our entire trip around visiting in late November to see the (invasive) lupin flowers on Lake Tekapo’s shores. They were blooming in abundance, resulting in some pretty epic photos. I was a little nervous about visiting such a remote place (but still touristy) and whether I would be able to eat or not, but I had no trouble finding vegan food in Tekapo. We were there for three nights, and I enjoyed what I ate so much (and still, there were places I wanted to go to that I didn’t).
One word of caution: many places in Tekapo close early. So, if you’re planning to be out all day, make sure you have a plan for dinner. We stayed in a unit both times that had a half-kitchen, so we were able to cook or reheat leftovers if we needed to. But, there are so many places to try that you probably won’t want to. And while there are no vegan or vegetarian restaurants*, I promise you that as a vegan, you won’t starve. You may also have better luck scouring the food trucks than the brick-and-mortar stores.
Here is my list of places where you can find vegan food in Tekapo, along with some recommendations:
The Greedy Cow
I put this first on the list primarily because it’s highly rated and they have a few vegan-friendly options, but I’m not the biggest fan of a place called The Greedy Cow (the optics?). They’re open seven days a week from 7:30am – 4pm, but their kitchen closes around 2:30pm (cabinet food is still available after). The vegetarian greedy breakfast and avocado mushrooms toast can be made vegan, but nothing on the current kitchen menu is vegan as is. However, they do also have vegan wraps, sandwiches, bagels, and pastries in their cabinet.
Ramen Tekapo
For Japanese and Asian fusion in the heart of the South Island, visit Ramen Tekapo. They’re closed on Wednesdays, but open various hours the rest of the week. They offer a few vegan options, including fried rice, spring rolls, vegetable gyoza, vegetable and potato croquettes, vegetable noodles, and more. Specify vegan when ordering, because they may have a separate vegan menu that you can ask for.
Dolce Pizza
Dolce Pizza is actually a food truck making fresh, Neopolitan-style woodfired pizzas seven days a week, from 1pm to 9pm. They have vegan cheese that you can sub for any of their vegetarian pizzas, but I chose a classic margherita pie. It was delicious (albeit expensive), but it was 2-3 meals for me. They do make the pies fresh, so be prepared to wait. I went around 7:30pm, and there was only one person in front of me in line. They were situated on the left side of The Godley Hotel.
The Better Batter NZ
I am not a fan of mushrooms, but if you are, The Better Batter NZ is another food truck, but this time, located on the western side of Tekapo. They sell freshly fried fish and chips, but they also do fried vegan popcorn mushrooms and chips for any vegetarians and vegans. My cousin had the fish and chips, and enjoyed them.
Jack Rabbit
On the right side of the Godley Hotel, located closer to The Church of the Good Shepherd and prime lupin flower-sighting, is a coffee shop called Jack Rabbit. On our first morning in Tekapo, we stopped here for coffee before hitting the road. I got their seasonal special, an iced matcha latte, with oat milk, and a slice of delicious vegan apple pie from the cabinet. I wish I had been able to heat it up properly, but the crust was perfect, and the apples were soft and seasoned well. They do have a few other vegan options, if you need a proper bite.
Little Fool Bakery
So, I didn’t lie when I said that there are no vegan restaurants in Tekapo. This opened after I left, which is a shame, because it’s an entirely vegan food truck. Found along the Lake Tekapo waterfront, this little van sells all sorts of vegan pastries that include croissants, pies, cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, cruffins (croissant muffins), coffee and hot drinks, among much more. I wish this had opened just two months earlier.
25 Degrees
This was our dinner spot on our first night in Tekapo, and my cousin’s suggestion. 25 Degrees is a burger bar with a vegetarian burger that can be made vegan upon request, and we got curly fries to share. The vegetarian burger is a vegan patty with jalapeño, roasted tomato, beetroot, citrus vinaigrette, and guacamole all on a black vegan sesame seed bun. I’ve had better burgers, but I didn’t hate it, and I appreciated an actual vegan patty (and not a Beyond or Impossible meat patty).
Astro Cafe
If you’re planning to do any stargazing in Tekapo (and you absolutely should if the skies are clear and the weather is cooperative), you might stop by the Mount John Observatory. Inside is the Astro Cafe, which is open daily from 9:00am to 5:30pm (but closes earlier in the winter months). They offer a vegan falafel wrap and coffee with non-dairy milks, but I would recommend trying anything else on this list before visiting Astro Cafe (unless you’re in a hurry to eat).
Silver Spoon
Tekapo loves its food trucks, and Silver Spoon was a personal favorite. On our final night in Tekapo, we sat by the lake and there were almost a dozen food trucks set up in a gravel parking lot. There weren’t many vegan options for me, but Silver Spoon was a bright light in the darkness. They have a 4.9-star rating on Google, and for good reason. Their Malaysian food was warm and delicious, and flaovred so well. I had the vege spring rolls, and vegan roti canai (roti with potato curry), and enjoyed all of it. It warmed me up on a chilly night. They also have vegan-friendly rice, coconut rice, falafel sticks, and potato wedges but the actual menu may vary.
Did I miss any of your favorite vegan food spots in Tekapo? Let me know down below!
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