Blue Kanu

Someone from this business manages this listing.

#9 of 205 Restaurants in QueenstownAsian, Healthy, $$ - $$$

What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Blue Kanu

Review

At a glance

Closed now

See all hours

Website

+64 3-442 6060Improve this listing

About

Travellers' Choice

2024

Kia Ora................. A vibrant collision of asian and pacific flavours to float your boat a style we call polynasia with oceans of aroha we bring you blue kanu We look forward to seeing you soon XXX

Features

CUISINES

Asian, Healthy, Polynesian

Meal types

Dinner, After-hours

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

American Express

Full Bar

Outdoor Seating

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

16 Church Street, Queenstown 9300 New Zealand

Is this a Romanian restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

Save this restaurant

Hours

Suggest an edit

Closed now

• Opens at 4:00 PM

Sunday

4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Monday

4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Tuesday

4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Wednesday

4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Thursday

4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Friday

4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Saturday

4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Contribute

Write a review

Upload a photo

Ask a question

We perform checks on reviews.

Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews

Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.

When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.

Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.

Learn more about our review moderation.

4.7

2,547 reviews

Excellent

2,000

Very good

350

Average

121

Poor

Terrible

Paul C

Wellington168 contributions

Fine Dining Experience

Jan 2024 • family

We’ve tried to get a booking here a few times on previous trips to Queenstown so this time successfully booked weeks in advance. Definitely a fantastic dining experience although with a few rough edges. We had the 4 course ‘trust the chef’ menu and the food and wine was faultless. The restaurant has nice ambience & décor. While we were there we felt a bit rushed and the courses were coming out faster than they should for a fine dining experience - it was clear that they were extremely busy and maybe was a way to get more people through the doors – however we also thought that if we’d asked them to slow things down they would have, because the serving staff were amazing. Our only other comment is that the music playlist needs to be curated to match the ambience of the restaurant – the music would have been great for a road trip – not so good for a $150 pp meal.

Written 7 January 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alyssa J

Towson10 contributions

Great from start to finish!

Jan 2025 • couples

The food was absolutely delicious, and we really enjoy the ambiance. We started with the tuna poke nachos and salmon tataki cones, which were both so good. The fry bread was very tasty as well. We had a gift certificate for our honeymoon, so we kind of over-ordered food so we could try more of the menu. I really enjoyed the chicken Singapore noodles, and my husband couldn't get enough of the shaking beef. Overall, a wonderful experience and delicious menu!

Written 28 January 2025

Pennymohr

Evergreen274 contributions

A vibrant collision of flavors is about right

Feb 2025 • couples

You must have a reservation, which you can book online, and they encourage you to order an array of small plates to share, which we did. Each dish was a sensory delight. Delicious. Hard for me to pick my favorite although the tuna poke nachos and the Fijian Fish Kokoda were at the top. Very fast and congenial service. Pleasant atmosphere. It deserves the high marks it gets from everyone.

Written 19 February 2025

Jadenpat

Dipton63 contributions

Not overly enjoyable

Feb 2025 • family

I had extremely high hopes for Blue Kanu, I’ve wanted to come here for years. With family coming over from Aussie thought it was the perfect time. Drinks pretty average, share plates order more than you think portions are only good for maybe one person bite per person, big plates good size. Food was okay not impressive. Service was horrendous, felt like we were being pushed out the door even though our reservation time allocated was 2 hours. As soon as we finished our food we were constantly asked if we wanted our bill, we hadn’t even finished our drinks let alone asked if we wanted another. For us not worth it. Plenty of way better food in town. On the plus side music and atmosphere pretty good.

Written 3 March 2025

NLF100

Sydney4 contributions

Extremely Disappointing Experience for a Special Occasion

Aug 2024 • family

** Extremely Disappointing Experience for a Special Occasion ** We traveled all the way from Australia to Queenstown to celebrate a family member's 50th birthday, and we had chosen Blue Kanu for what we hoped would be a memorable dinner. Unfortunately, our experience was memorable for all the wrong reasons. We booked two tables back in May for a total of 19 people, and were told our tables would be placed near each other so we could celebrate together. When we arrived on the 6th of August, we were shocked to find that our tables were not just separated but placed at opposite ends of the restaurant, completely out of each other’s sight. This was not what we had booked or expected for such an important occasion. When we brought this issue to the manager’s attention, we were met with a flat-out refusal to assist in any way. The manager was not only unhelpful but outright rude, dismissing our concerns with a curt "we’re fully booked." There was absolutely no effort made to accommodate us or even offer a reasonable solution. To add insult to injury, we were told that if we left, there would be a $25 cancellation fee per person. The lack of customer service, coupled with the poor attitude from the management, completely ruined what should have been a joyful and memorable celebration. I cannot express how deeply disappointed we are with the treatment we received at Blue Kanu. If you’re planning a special event, I would strongly advise looking elsewhere. Blue Kanu is clearly not equipped to handle anything beyond basic service, and they certainly do not care about making your experience special. Avoid at all costs.

Written 21 August 2024

Wanderer48435281634

1 contribution

The worst food ever

Aug 2024 • family

To be completely honest, this restaurant was the worst dining experience of my life. I was hesitant to leave a review because I doubted that any improvements could salvage the situation. The flavours at this restaurant were completely off - I couldn't understand what they were trying to create. The salmon tataki had a strong fi shy smell covered by the sauce (we have the best salmon in NZ hope it doesnt leave any bad impression to tourists), the pork ribs were coated in a sour sauce instead of the expected sweet and sticky one, and the papaya salad had an odd addition of reddish that just didn't belong and it was far cry from the authentic Thai dish. The Korean fried chicken was overly salty, and the sauce lacked in the sweetness, unami flavour of Korean fried chicken. The duck dish was particularly disappointing, as the meat tasted unpleasantly like dish soap. Additionally, the rice was prepared with an excessive amount of water, resulting in a mushy texture. Despite the shortcomings of the meal, I must acknowledge the efforts of the servers, who were attentive throughout our visit. It is regrettable that we were unable to truly enjoy our dining experience as we had hoped. However, our experience was marred by the male cashier who gave me a sarcastic look and tone when we shared our honest feedback about the food. It was disappointing to receive such unprofessional behaviour when providing our comments. I've done so much research and planning to make a reservation for the whole family ended up a very awkward dinner for everyone-

Written 5 August 2024

Alana L

3 contributions

Will not recommend or return

Jan 2024 • couples

For a restaurant we were very excited to try this was very underwhelming. The food although fairly tasty was not anything I would go back for. The service was shocking, we had to ask for our drinks twice after ordering them, twice more after asking for water and the details on the food when served was scarce. The waitress was much more interested in her friends at the next table giving extra menu items and saying things like “Ask me questions so it looks like I’m working” There is clearly either a lack of leadership or training or both and unfortunately we would not recommend going there and will not be returning. For what you pay this is definitely not worth the $$. There are plenty of other amazing places to go with great service in Queenstown so don’t waste money here.

Written 4 January 2024

Cultural Dascoverer

Sydney16 contributions

Tasty food but room for improvement on food

Jan 2024 • family

This was a nice little spot serving food that uses the flavours of Asia and the Pacific. We had the Thai Style Som Tam Green Papaya salad, Goat Rendang Bao Bun, Hilo Hulu Roasted Half Chicken and the Steamed Market Fish. All dishes were very tasty. The bao bun is only one bun per serve. Service was friendly but drinks were slow (arrived after our first dish arrived). Bookings during peak tourist season are essential and they stick to the times. We had a booking for 3 people which their website says is 1 hour 45 minutes. After we finished our mains, the bill arrived without being asked. A shame since we were considering having dessert but perhaps it was for the best since we found a nice little ice cream shop on the way back to our hotel.

Written 5 January 2024

abctravel101

London70 contributions

Delicious fusion food

Mar 2025 • couples

Very tasty fusion food served piping hot. We particularly loved the tempura prawns (best we think we’ve had), and wok tossed greens (huge bowl of beautifully flavoured veg). Would highly recommend. Follow the advice of the server in number of dishes- portions are large as plates meant for sharing

Written 10 March 2025

Management Team

Kia Ora, Thanks so much for the lovely review! Hope to see you again soon! Nga Mihi, The Blue Kanu Team

Written 10 March 2025

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Prisentha P

Dunedin28 contributions

Delicious food and great vibe

Jan 2025 • family

We went to Blue Kanu on a friend's recommendation and we were not disappointed. The food was amazing and the waiter suggested that we try a variety of the small dishes and everything was delicious. The deco is stunning and the service is awesome.

Written 2 February 2025

HG2foodies

North Yorkshire56 contributions

Awful

Dec 2024 • couples

Awful experience. Booked as recommended by our travel agent and hotel. Arrived and there was no one at the reception station. Eventually a young man came and said our table wasn’t ready - a “ hostess” then showed us to a table and gave us menus. A third person came to explain the menus and asked if we had any allergies - despite having already advised of my wife’s gluten free diet requirement on my booking. She returned with a gluten free menu and proceeded to try and explain the menu. Neither my wife nor I could hear what was being said! And asked her to repeat things. The ambient noise level was intrusive so we asked for a quieter table. “Not inside” was her response - outside was not what we wanted as the temperature was dropping and rain was imminent. The waitress left and so did we. No idea if the food is good or not but the ambience and customer service are awful. Don’t go

Written 5 December 2024

Neale1810

Kingston-upon-Hull3343 contributions

Spice or no spice

Nov 2024 • couples

Our first night in Queenstown and after an extensive review of the options available in the city centre we decided to eat here as the menu looked great and so were the reviews. We were really lucky to get a table at 8:30pm so it’s probably best to book. It’s rather dark inside (we were right at the back) but felt the restaurant had a lovely atmosphere. The menu is set up for sharing with small and large plates (though I don’t like sharing my food!) with a nice selection of Asian inspired dishes. It was good that they have a spice rating in the menu as my wife dies t like spicy food. Having said that our waitress pointed out that some of the spicy dishes could be less or not spicy at all. As a result I ordered the lamb jungle curry and my wife the no spicy Singapore noodles. My lamb was excellent and had a really healthy portion of succulent lamb in it. Unfortunately something went wrong somewhere as my wife’s no spice noodles was served even spicier than my jungle curry so she struggled to eat it. As we were at the back of the restaurant it wasn’t easy to get a waiters attention so she just ate what she could. We mentioned our disappointment to the front of house manager when paying and she apologised and didn’t charge us for the dish which I thought was fair. Ratings are difficult when a dish has been prepared wrongly but the food was good and they dealt with issue well so have given them 4/5

Written 14 November 2024

Bob F

7 contributions

Great night at Blue Kanu

Dec 2024 • couples

We went for New Year’s Eve, and it was terrific. The menu was creative and the servings generous. While it was a fixed menu for the holiday, Blue Kan accommodated a pescatarian diet without a problem. Highly recommended

Written 1 January 2025

Tasmanfever

Auckland56 contributions

Unique fusion food & decor

Sept 2023 • family

We were informed that we could share meals so enhanced the experience of fusion dining as we could try a number of dishes. We found a hair in dumpling which should be a big No No for fine dining place but the Manager replaced that dish swiftly and didn’t charge for that dish which we felt was a fair outcome. Drinks are reasonably priced and staff serves you enthusiastically so all in all, would want to go back when we travel to Queenstown.

Written 20 October 2023

Expl0rer777

Bournemouth121 contributions

Excellent meal with friendly service

Mar 2023 • couples

Our visit to Blue Kanu was a dining experience rather than just another meal out. We started with seats at the cocktail bar where we were thoroughly entertained by the two barman, while we waited for our table to be prepared. At the table we were taken through the sharing plate menu and advised as to the quantity of food we should order from the small plates and main courses available. We chose 3 small plates and one main course to share which turned out to be ample food for the two of us. The food arrived in stages and at no time did we feel rushed. The Seafood Laska we had as a main was an excellent choice. Cost overall was reasonable and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for that little bit more than just a meal while staying in Queenstown.

Written 6 April 2023

…

Showing results 1-15 of 2,475

BLUE KANU, Queenstown - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews