Wānaka’s Alchemy Bistro & Bar is the brainchild of Claire Ellis who has transformed the daytime café into a sophisticated social hotspot.

“I always wanted to own a coffee shop with a busy yet relaxed family friendly vibe,” and after buying Alchemy over three years ago we felt the space and Wānaka needed a bistro style restaurant and bar and our vision evolved from there.”

The renovation started just three months after purchase with the installation of a horseshoe style bar to revamp the interior.

“Having come direct to Wānaka from the corporate world of Hong Kong I was missing a bit of evening razzle and looking for an excuse to throw on a pair of heels,” says Claire. “We designed the Alchemy bar as the perfect spot to kick off an evening with friends and enjoy sundowners and cocktails while overlooking Lake Wānaka.”

Alchemy Bistro & Bar is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9.00am for coffee with a lunch, dinner and cocktail menu until late.

“We are now a restaurant with a bar that also does coffee in the mornings. We have partnered with Prima Roastery one of the top boutique roasteries around and believe we have the very best coffee in town.”

The kitchen team is led by recently appointed chef  Floyd Lyttle who has worked in  top restaurants both overseas and in New Zealand, most notably Under in Norway, Roots in Christchurch and Queenstown’s Amisfield.

“Floyd is very talented bringing drive and passion to every dish and he has introduced a new sharing style menu for Alchemy that’s receiving rave reviews. We work closely with Nadia Lim’s Royal Burn Station and I’m proud to be serving their lamb to Kiwi’s and international diners who say it’s some of the best they have ever eaten,” says Claire. “Hand speared Butterfish, sourced from Dwane Herbert who is the only commercial spearfisherman in New Zealand, showcases the difference fresh, sustainable ingredients make and guests love it.”

“Our talented new bar manager Lewis Donaldson who was previously at The Bunker in Queenstown brings his incredible cocktail skills and all round bar expertise to the bistro and The Alchemy team receives frequent compliments for their attentive, knowledgeable and professional service.”

While Covid-19 created a challenging tourism environment it did provide space for Claire to reshape the business.

“The last few years have been tough in terms of owning a hospitality business but its allowed me to successfully realign my vision for Alchemy to suit the needs of a changing customer base.”