If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand, one of the many places on your list is probably the town of Wānaka, even if it’s just to see a tree. A very famous tree, but still a tree. You may also want to hike Roy’s Peak or check out the lavender farm. You may just pass through on your way to Queenstown. Whatever reason brings you to Wānaka, you can definitely stop for a bite to eat. And while there aren’t any vegetarian or vegan-only establishments, you’ll still be able to find plenty of vegan-friendly food. And like Tekapo, you’ll come across a lot of food trucks!
Here is my list of places where you can find vegan food in Wānaka:
Big Fig
If you’re only going to eat at one place while in Wānaka, make it this one. Located on the lake’s waterfront, Big Fig serves delicious, slow food fast and is rated 4/5 stars on HappyCow (with 50 reviews!). Their online menu is a sample of their offerings, as their menu does change daily. Current options may include fresh juices and smoothies, their homemade spiced sourdough fruit toast with vegan butter, harissa butterbean stew, roast baharat potatoes, roast cumin carrot and red onion with tahini sauce, and most of their salads.
Kai Whakapai Cafe and Bar
Established in 1997, Kai Whakapai Cafe and Bar is a local favorite. Their menus do change regularly, but “Kai Whakapai” literally translates to “good food”, so there’s no shortage of it here, and there are plenty of vegan-friendly options on their current menu. You can get the wild mushroom toast by swapping the feta for vegan cream. Their “any style eggs” can be made vegan-friendly with a tofu scramble replacement. Their coconut granola is vegan as is, and they have non-dairy milk alternatives for an additional charge. For lunch/dinner, their plant burger, kimchi-loaded fries, and thick-cut chips can be made vegan-friendly, but their olives and hummus shareables are vegan as is.
Charlie Brown’s Crepes
This food truck dishing out crepes is also highly rated on HappyCow, and they have plenty of vegan-friendly sweet crepes on their current menu (not savory). The butter and sugar, sugar and squeezed lemon, noisette, gourmande, Charlie Brown, pomme d’amour, Snickers, and sweet breakfast crepes are all vegan-friendly.
Amigos Mexican Grill
If you’ve visited this blog before, you’re familiar with my stance on recommending Mexican food abroad. But if you’re craving Mexican food in Wānaka, you can check out Amigos Mexican Restaurant. They have an affordable lunch menu with $6 soft tacos on Tuesdays. Vegan as-is or vegan-friendly options with modifications can include: totopos y salsas, amigos guacamole, bravas y piel, el normal burrito, los vegetales burrito, chilli colorado, nachos, quesadilla, tazon de pollo, and fajitas. They have an entire list of tacos, and options here can include: coliflor, tofu frito, and jaca y cebollas.
Burrito Craft
Another food truck, Burrito Craft claims to have the best tacos in Wānaka. The mushroom taco is the only one that might be able to be modified to be vegan-friendly (it’s dairy-free as is), but I would ask. Their mushroom mix or jackfruit carne asada burritos can be made vegan by swapping in their vegan mayo. You can also get fries with their vegan tinga salsa mayo, but everything may be fried together in the same fryer so I would ask about cross-contamination.
Dripping Bowl
Another food truck, Dripping Bowl serves up acai and smoothie bowls, granola, kombucha, coffee, and other light food with plenty of vegan-friendly options. Their hours vary by day, so check ahead of time if you plan to stop by, and they’re closed on public holidays. The HappyCow reviews are mostly positive, but some do note that it can be overpriced.
Black Peak Gelato
If you’re looking for a sweet treat, visit Black Peak Gelato. I’m not a fan of recommending places that don’t have legitimate vegan ice cream options (i.e. actual ice cream or gelato, and not just sorbets), but desperate times may call for desperate measures and the sorbet here is excellent. They’re very transparent about the allergens in their flavors and they have over two dozen sorbet flavors to choose from, including passionfruit, mango, and Central Otago boysenberry.
Scroggin
Scroggin is a vegan-friendly cafe and eatery off of Ardmore Street, with a seasonally changing menu. On their current menu, vegan-friendly options can include cacao granola, oyster mushroom toast, avocado toast, and shoestring fries (with ketchup and aioli*). They also have daily baked goods made in-house and freshly baked every day (including a vegan banana bread), plus non-dairy milk alternatives for drinks at an additional charge (minus the oat milk).
Curbside Coffee & Bagels
Now, I can’t recommend bagels outside of (New) Jersey and the tri-state area. HOWEVER, Curbside Coffee & Bagels in Wānaka is a food truck specializing in coffee and bagels, and even has a vegan breakfast bagel sandwich option (which is more than most, if we’re being honest). The vegan bagel sandwich comes with smoky tofu, a crispy hash brown, and veggies on a fresh bagel.
Firebird
Firebird is another food truck in Wānaka, but this one serves up thick, juicy burgers and hot boxes. They have two vegan burger options: the vegan firebird burger (Firebird fried vegan tenders, slaw, BBQ sauce, vegan piri-piri mayo, and Firebird hot sauce in a bun), or the vegan classic burger (Firebird fried vegan tenders, vegan piri-piri mayo and pickles in a bun). You can also get vegan hot boxes, which come with Firebird fried Vegan Tenders, juicy fresh slaw, and fries. You can also choose the spice level, which I love. I would ask about shared equipment if that’s a concern!
Relishes
Back to brick-and-mortar restaurants, Relishes is another Wānaka cafe that also has frequently changing menus. Their current menu features a few items that appear to be vegan-friendly: three-grain porridge, gruyere and herb savory French toast, toast and homemade jam, autumn salad, roasted mushroom and hazelnut pâté, pomegranate beetroot salad, and green goddess (salad).
Arc
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, Arc is a bit of a hidden gem in Wānaka. It’s a more upscale dining experience with handcrafted cocktails in the heart of town with the option to book ahead (which you should). Their menu also changes seasonally, so there’s always something new to indulge in. As of this posting, there are very few vegan options (at least, none that are labeled as such except for the banana and coconut ice cream on the bar menu). They’re typically are, so I would call ahead if you’re interested to see if they can accommodate.
Burger Club
Well, I had to close this one out with another food truck. If you’re craving a good burger, check out Burger Club, which has a vegan burger and the option for vegan loaded fries. The burger (called the Tree Hugger) is an Impossible patty with vegan/dairy-free cheese, pickle, lettuce, and club sauce on a sesame bun.
Did I miss one of your favorite vegan food spots in Wānaka? Let me know down below!
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