Patagonia Chocolates

Patagonia Chocolates is a Queenstown business that blends South American and Italian traditions: the company speaks of its Argentinian roots and Italian heritage, and it has been making chocolates by hand in the Southern Lakes since 2005. Its flagship café is on the corner of Rees Street and the Queenstown Mall, right in the middle of town, and there are further stores in Arrowtown, Wānaka and at Queenstown Airport.

The counter is all about treats. There are handcrafted chocolates, artisan ice cream, freshly made churros and a chef's cabinet of desserts, and you can build your own ice cream on a stick. The company has its own creamery and has roasted Arabica beans from sustainable growers since 2012, so the coffee is its own too; the tourism board goes as far as calling its mocha the best in town. Breakfast is also served, so it is not just an evening stop. Ingredients are sourced with care: cherries come from the company's own Central Otago orchard and hazelnuts from Canterbury, the cherries are hand-picked and de-stoned by hand, and for the Cherry and Pinot bonbons they are infused with local Pinot Noir for 72 hours. The waffle cones are made in-house, and the same cherries go into a cherries and cream gelato.

The best feature is upstairs. A lounge on the upper floor has wide views of the lake and mountains, which few cafés in central Queenstown can offer, and from inside you can watch chocolate and ice cream being made. It is a comfortable place to sit with a hot drink on a cold day or with an ice cream on a warm evening.

Patagonia is open every day from 9am to 10pm, so it works as a late-evening dessert stop after dinner in town. It is also open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which is useful when much of the town is closed.

The café suits families, couples and anyone with a sweet tooth. It is also a good place to buy gifts: boxed chocolates, coffee beans, spreads and South American deli items are sold in store and online, and online orders over a set value qualify for free delivery. Combine a visit with shopping on the Mall or a stroll through the town centre.