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.
Tanoshi Cow Lane
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
A teppan and sake bar located in central Queenstown offers a fun and intimate dining experience. Tanoshi offers a extensive sake, whiskey and signature cocktail menus with Japanese lager on tap. Chef Koji Kiminami presents traditional Japanese cuisine from the teppan grill and has assembled some contemporary interpretations of Japanese classics. Open for lunch and dinner to late night grazing - Tanoshi, meaning 'fun' will entertain and delight.
Features
CUISINES
Japanese, Asian, Grill
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Digital Payments
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Street Parking
Table Service
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Street Parking
Does this restaurant offer outdoor seating?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closes in 1 min
Sunday
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Monday
11:00 am - 3:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Tuesday
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Wednesday
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Thursday
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Friday
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Saturday
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
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4.6
974 reviews
Excellent
741
Very good
144
Average
46
Poor
23
Terrible
20
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Culture35674811026
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • solo
Tanoshi Cow Lane - what a pleasant and delicious experience! I stopped in for a pirikara kyu-ri and was delightfully satiated by the chilli and cucumber balanced with the delicate umami of saffron garnish. Upon completing the dish and being well looked after by the most honourable staff, I enjoyed a fresh and beautifully sweet Sapporo beer and did my earnest to practice my Japanese alphabets by reading all the labels on the bottles at the bar. Highly recommend visiting this wonderful establishment!
Written 10 July 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.
Brad
1 contribution
Feb 2024 • none
We visited Tanoshi Cow Lane twice during a recent trip to Queenstown. Our first visit was to do a Sake tasting. Team member Nozomi was so welcoming. We decided to come back for dinner a couple of nights later. Nozomi greeted us with a huge smile and open arms - it felt like we were visiting family. She made excellent recommendations for tasty dishes and Japanese wine (we highly recommend the Japanese plum wine). The pork dumplings were the best we have eaten and each dish was served with mouth-watering sauces. We can't wait to go back on our next trip.
Written 6 February 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.
Steve S
Wellington211 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
Doesn’t do sushi which our 7 year old wanted, helpful FOH person gave us directions to what she considered to be good sushi and said. Hey come back if you want, I don’t mind if your son eats his sushi here. Well what an invite and we went back, sat at the bar so we could watch them prepare the food and talk to the staff. Gold flaked sake, chefs choice menu which had seared beef, rice, pork ect. Great choice and will definitely go back. Sit at the bar and watch and be amazed. The Japanese omelette was perfect
Written 8 August 2023
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.
Shampeu
Northbrook448 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
I was so looking forward to this dinner since this restaurant got glowing reviews. We were so disappointed. We were advised by a friend to get the chef selection. Unfortunately everyone at the table must get the exact same selection (all veg or all pescatarian, etc.). We all ordered the vegetarian chef suggestion. At other restaurants around the world, chef suggestion typically means that the chef will serve you special dishes not listed on the menu, or at least make a few separate dishes, not already on the menu. Instead the chef served us vegetarian dishes that he chose from the printed menu. We could have done this ourselves and actually gotten perhaps desirable food. The chef seemed to pick the least expensive vegetarian options on the menu for us. We started with a small, half-bowl of tasteless seaweed salad. Next was edamame that tasted like the frozen kind I buy at home. After the other vegetarian items came out from the menu. We had hoped that our last dish would at least be okonomiyaki but nope. We calculated the cost of the chef suggestions vs. us ordering from the menu a la carte and decided it was barely more economical to trust the chef. It may even have been more expensive than ordering a la carte, depending on the portion sizes. Nothing he sent us was special, nothing had much flavor, and, by the end, we were annoyed with our whole experience. I would never recommend this restaurant. There are far better in Queenstown.
Written 23 March 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.
Matty Yates
Hi Shampeu - thanks for your review. I'm so sorry you didn't enjoy your experience at our Cow Lane restaurant. The problem seems to stem from the requirement of the entire table ordering the same Trust the Chef > I will head to our exec chef team and discuss this further.
As for the Trust the Chef dish selections, after trialling different dish selections we received feedback from many guests that they wanted our favourites and top selling dishes each time - this way, when it is recommended to others they can describe the dishes that they will receive. It does state on the menu: 'A selection of Tanoshi classics and our best selling dishes'. As we normally receive so many raving reviews about our Trust the Chef selections, I'd be reluctant to make any changes at this stage.
Written 26 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mandm0808
12 contributions
Feb 2025 • couples
The restaurant was a hive of activity and very frantic bursting at the seams, we were seated and ordered promptly. The chefs choice was our preferred option and the food started to came out quickly. A discreet prompt to the waitress got our wine order to the table after a couple of dishes arrived. We were in agreement that the beef tataki and the seared scallops are the best dishes with the sashimi close behind. The chicken tempura was a little stringy and very dark batter more like a fried chicken dish. The pancake to finish was tasty but we didn’t think the salad greens were needed in the dishes. The gyoza were crispy on one side and good texture but lacked some flavour. A good value experience for the price.
Written 16 February 2025
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.
DamoC351
Burleigh Waters15 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
If you want authentic Japanese food, don’t come here. The service was friendly but food average. We ordered hot sake and got served cold. Which they took away and microwaved. The tataki was like deli corned beef. Dry and tasteless. The gyozas were fat strange looking things unlike normal Japanese dumplings. The “tempura” chicken was small pieces of crumbed schnitzel. To be fair the sashimi and edamame were okay.
Written 10 October 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.
PoppyK7
Boca Raton184 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
We enjoyed the food offerings which included sashimi, pepper fried chicken wings, pork gyoza, yaki soba, prawn skewers, and grilled scallops. We had dassai saki.
We did not enjoy the service at all. We had to get up 3 times to seek a server. We also had to do most of the table service ourselves because of how the table was situated. We had to ask for anything from more napkins to fresh plates. We were told that the restaurant needed us to vacate the table in 10 minutes. We were aware of the restaurant’s time limit. We looked to order another sashimi to cap off our meal. We were told by the server that we could not. She then said, let me check. She ended up bringing it. The lack of competent service in itself made the experience stressful.
Note that we remained at the restaurant for at least 10 minutes after we paid and vacated the table and no one had yet filled it.
Written 22 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.
VittoriaL_B
Milan303 contributions
Jun 2024 • couples
Very good Japanese restaurant in the center of Queenstown, the dishes are typical Japanese cuisine and follow the original recipe very well, the flavors being identical to those tried in Japan. We enjoyed both the food and the environment so much that we returned for dinner to once again enjoy their menu, which is extremely well-crafted and tasty. I consider it the best restaurant in Queenstown.
Written 15 June 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.
Adventurehappy2014
Hamilton & Waikato Region36 contributions
Aug 2022 • family
This is a really cute place tucked down a little lane off of the Queenstown mall strip. I got “trust the chef” which is a selection of their best tapas.
I suppose this would be nice to many, but I didn’t ask questions and got sashimi (or mostly) which I can’t stomach (my fault) and I’ve had better okonomiyakyi at a toy store in Japan.
I didn’t know how many tapas were coming and paid before being told there was one more dish to be served. Presentation was nice.
Waiter was ok but not friendly and seemed tired. Girl at bar where I paid was super friendly though.
Written 6 August 2022
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.
MPY
Hi Tammy. Thx for your review. I'm sorry your experience wasn't what it should have been. We normally get 5 star reviews about our Trust the Chef option. Yes, you definitely should have mentioned that you don't eat sashimi - it's usually very popular in all Tanoshi restaurants.
Written 7 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Daniel
2 contributions
Jan 2024 • business
Ordered tanoshi bento box and all food comes wrapped in cramps. Lots of rice and carbs. Not the food I would eat by choice. A menu with pictures would help to make a better choice.
Atmosphere is great, beer on tap is amazing
Written 31 December 2023
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.
Dk14
Brisbane1 contribution
Oct 2024 • couples
Amazing experience. Tried the “Trust the Chef” tasting option. Perfect amount of food and everything was exceptional. I usually don’t enjoy seafood, however, the grilled scallops surprised me by how much I enjoyed them. Great pricing of $55pp for the amount of food we received. Cocktails were fantastic as well, we particularly enjoyed the Gin Sours. 100% recommend.
Written 23 October 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.
Christopher M
3 contributions
Aug 2022 • none
There aren't a wealth of high-end restaurants in the Queenstown area, and the city in particular doesn't have a huge offering, but Tanoshi looks to fill that space. It's a stylish venue in a cute location, but Tanoshi has some work to do.
The food is quite good, although fairly uncomplicated; the drinks list is quite reasonable. The service isn't too bad, although the staff can come off as a bit fond of themselves at times.
The website is inaccurate - expect to wait for 60-120 minutes, and expect to be given a snarky response when asked why it's advertised as 30. The reality is that staff shortages in the region are affecting everyone and they haven't had time/haven't wanted to make the website more accurate.
Tanoshi's one of the better places in town, but it certainly could be better.
Written 13 August 2022
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.
MonB643
Auckland57 contributions
Sept 2022 • none
We walked in early-ish on a Friday night and it was packed (you can't book but they have another bar where you can wait for a table) but our timing was perfect and two chairs came free at the bar almost immediately. The service was efficient and pleasant even when you could see they're rushed off their feet. We were very impressed by the quality of the food, we tried at least 5 different small dishes and none disappointed. We had tap beer but I could see they offered a selection of sake if you wanted that. Great buzzy vibe for a quick meal.
Written 30 September 2022
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.
Noy b
8 contributions
Jul 2021 • family
We visited here as it looked good from the outside and were very keen on a Japanese feed. We were sat at the most uncomfortable table imaginable with little space to sit and store jackets. The staff were rude and lacked customer service skills. The waitress attending our table needed to be asked repeatedly for water for us to receive it which was honestly annoying. The food is yum, and I would eat the food again- however portions are tiny and if you want to be full you have to spend upwards of $80 a person. Simple dishes were very overpriced and underwhelming. Will not be coming back because of this.
Written 11 July 2021
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.
H M
New Zealand122 contributions
Jul 2021 • none
We added our names to the list as had chosen to eat there even though they do not accept bookings. An outdoor table came available within 10 minutes which we gratefully accepted. Under the outdoor heaters, the cold started to settle in. Out came the miso soups which warmed hands and insides. Then salads; one crispy lettuce and one seaweed. Other dishes followed, all excellent. We had showed up cold and miserable and left feeling beautifully relaxed, loving the food and the experience reminiscent of being in Japan. (only minor issue was rice that only showed up after reminding and we got double charged for- $18 for plain rice for 3 people a bit expensive- my fault as I didn't read the docket!)
Written 20 July 2021
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.
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