Canyon Restaurant overlooking Queenstown’s Shotover River, home of the famous Shotover Jet, is a laid-back spot to chill out all year-round and sample some of the resort’s best craft food and beer.

“It is a fun, casual space where locals and visitors can enjoy quality food and beer in the heart of Arthur’s Point,” says GM George Dennigan. “ We encourage people to grab a beer, take in the views and let the kids and the dogs run wild while kicking back in the bean bags on our lawn.”

With 12 years management experience at Auckland’s iconic Soul Bar and Bistro George has brought a new level of hospitality and service to the Canyon.

“This is a great place to soak in the alpine atmosphere while sampling one of our 12 Canyon Brewery beers along with our food which is all about sharing and perfect for gathering friends together to sample our new seasonal dishes.”

Smoking Hot

Canyon Restaurant’s food style is inspired by local seasonal produce with an international twist.

Head chef Daniel Sacristan has built a kitchen team from all corners of the globe bringing diversity and creativity to the menu.

“We are a group of chefs with different backgrounds so we’ve translated that to our food by bringing the best of our travels and cultures together.”

 Focusing on flavour and simplicity the menu is inspired by the creativity of the Canyon beers and is based around crafting bold flavoursome dishes and without rules.

“We think food should be fun, exciting and surprising and that’s what we’re bringing to the table for 2023. Food experiences become richer when shared with great company and that is the foundation for our new menu,” says Dan. “Each plate has been crafted to work alongside every other dish to create a sharing style that only gets better the more plates or people you add in.”

The restaurant’s giant wood-fired oven plays a key role.

“We have used this wood-fired element in surprising ways to truly bring a charred, smoky and tender flavour profile to many dishes. A highlight is the woodfired lamb rump which features black garlic, mint chimichurri and charred leeks.”

Canyon Brews

Locally produced craft beer is at the heart of Canyon Restaurant’s operation and with 12 rotating taps of fresh Canyon Brewery craft beer available the experience is taken to a whole new level.

“Creativity is engrained in our DNA and our brewers love to experiment with new styles, seasonal ingredients and the latest techniques,” says GM George Dennigan. “There’s always something exciting brewing allowing beer enthusiasts to explore our beer tasting paddle offering any four beers of their choice.”

“Bang Bang is our new alcoholic ginger beer which is fermented to harness all the flavours. We use Hawkes Bay apple juice, organic ginger and lemon juice with just a hint of pepper to create the perfect blend of spicy, tangy and sweet.”

The restaurant’s social calendar has lots of highlight during autumn.

 “Kick back every Saturday and let local DJs set the pace for the weekend in our epic outdoor beer garden and beautiful open interior,” says George, “or join us for an afternoon of beer tasting and live music as we showcase the crème de la crème of New Zealand fresh hop brews on April 29 at our Fresh Hop Showcase.”