Aosta

Aosta brings Northern Italian cooking to Arrowtown's historic main street. It is the restaurant of chef Ben Bayly, who drew on his time in the Aosta Valley, an alpine region of northern Italy, and on his New Zealand experience to create it. The name is a deliberate link between two mountain regions on the same 45th parallel. The kitchen day to day is run by Executive Chef Josh Phillips. In 2026 Aosta received a Bib Gourmand in the first MICHELIN Guide New Zealand, and Bayly's Auckland restaurant, Ahi, was awarded a MICHELIN Star in the same guide.

The menu is Northern Italian with subtle French influences, built on Central Otago produce. Handmade pasta is the centrepiece, and the tourism board singles out the tiramisu, made with Baileys, amaretto and salted caramel, as a dessert worth saving room for. Dinner is served every day from 5pm to 9pm, and a daytime service runs from 11am to 3pm, which the restaurant describes in the style of a nonna's lunch.

The restaurant sits in a laneway off Buckingham Street in the centre of Arrowtown, so it combines naturally with an afternoon exploring the town, the Lakes District Museum and the Chinese Settlement. Aosta has two sister venues: Little Aosta serves wood-fired pizza, pasta, meatballs and charcoaled meats, and The Blue Door, a speakeasy-style bar in a former cold store, shares the same Buckingham Street address and is ideal for a drink before or after dinner.

Aosta suits couples, friends and families looking for a relaxed but polished Italian meal, and the lunch service is a good way to try it on a day trip from Queenstown. Walk-ins are welcome, but booking is sensible for dinner. Groups of more than six should call or email rather than book online, and groups of eight or more need to choose a set menu. If the online booking system is unavailable, you can call, text or email instead.

Arrowtown is about 20 minutes' drive from central Queenstown. If you plan to share a bottle from the wine list, arrange a taxi or other transport back to town rather than driving.