If ever there was a restaurant that caters for all day dining with innovation and flair in an uber stylish setting it is Wānaka’s Arc which has been serving up its own eclectic take on breakfast, brunch and global style tapas since opening late 2020.

Established by chef duo Sam Cooper and James Stapley of Kika fame, the pair have a formidable reputation as champions of locally produced foods with exceptional providence.

 “The idea behind Arc started with breakfast that’s a little bit different,” says James. “Our approach is unique on a couple of levels with everything made in-house.”

Fresh produce such as tomatoes, herbs and zucchini flowers arrive daily from small local providers along with fresh farm eggs and local milk in glass bottles.

“For breakfast we do a freshly made crayfish benedict with charcoal milk buns and poached eggs topped with an aerated hollandaise and tarragon powder that is like no other. Our black pudding and baked beans served with eggs tastes sensational and is a quick and hearty breakfast – ideal before heading up the mountain.”

“Morning Glory is a tantalising taste of four dishes which includes half a bagel with Oro king salmon and avocado mousse, feta snow and fennel, Turkish eggs with ciabatta and an apricot and strawberry waffle with coconut yoghurt. It’s a very cool way to try everything together and my favourite.”

L’Affare is the artisan coffee of choice with fresh roasted beans delivered four times a week. Breakfast runs until 11.30am, brunch is served all day until 2.30pm and a small lunch menu kicks off at midday finishing at 2.30pm.”

“We have some interesting lunch items like fresh clams with saffron and bacon and our very popular open eye fillet steak sandwich served with onion rings, shallot puree and mustard aioli,” says James.

Evening cocktails start at 4.00pm with dining at Arc from 5.00pm daily.

“The idea is to come in after work or from the mountain for a few drinks and roll through our global style tapas menu. We serve awesome local wines by the glass and signature designer cocktails like the Alpine Manhattan made from a fresh pine syrup are epic.”

“The shared tapas concept is open for interpretation and diners can choose as much or as little as they like. Five or six plates between two people provides heaps of food and is a fun inventive way to sample lots of creative dishes.”

Arc offers a ‘Just Feed Me’ progressive dining option.

“It comprises of four small plates, with a main, side and dessert to share for two people or more – its delicious and all of this for $69 per person. We are serving dishes like lamb shanks from Nadia Lim’s Royalburn farm with a Mexican vibe – glazed in a mole, rolled in garlic and puffed rice crumble and served with tomatillo salsa.”

James says the Ardmore Street restaurant offers a great atmosphere

“We love Arc because it’s keeping dining affordable while creating unique and delicious dishes.”