Bespoke Kitchen

Bespoke Kitchen sits on Isle Street at the base of Bob's Peak, about five minutes' walk uphill from central Queenstown, with views back over the bay. It has been on Isle Street for ten years and is part of around thirty years of café history in the town; in 2016 it was named New Zealand Café of the Year.

The menu is served all day, so breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes are available from opening to close. The café is best known for its vegetarian and vegan cooking, and there is a wide choice of gluten-free options across the menu, which makes it a good choice for groups with mixed dietary needs. Dishes that regulars return for include sticky date porridge, Turkish eggs, a vegan Benedict alongside the classic eggs Benedict, a winter hash in the colder months and a miso tofu bowl. Juices are squeezed to order. Much of the kitchen's approach is garden to table: three garden beds, a greenhouse and beehives on site supply seasonal herbs, flowers and vegetables, and organic and local produce is used where possible.

Coffee is organic Allpress, and the drinks list goes beyond espresso to teas, kombucha, chai and matcha. The cabinet and baking are a draw too, supplied by a large on-site baking room. Bespoke makes specialty cakes to order, with the vegan chocolate cake, Tunisian lemon cake and carrot, walnut and pineapple cake among the favourites, offers catering, and sells treats online for collection, which is useful if you are celebrating a birthday during your trip.

Bespoke is open seven days a week from 7.30am to 3.30pm. Inside there is a fire and windows looking over the view, and outside a heated garden courtyard; the café is dog friendly and has bike stands for riders coming off the Skyline mountain bike tracks. The café suits families, solo travellers, health-conscious eaters and anyone fuelling up before a day of activities.

Its location makes it a natural stop before or after the Skyline Gondola, Kiwi Park and the Tiki Trail, which all start at the top of Brecon Street on the same slopes of Bob's Peak. If you are walking up Ben Lomond or Queenstown Hill, it is a good place for a hearty breakfast first. Gift vouchers are also sold, and Bespoke has its own app for ordering.