South Sea Hotel dining room and pub

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#2 of 7 Restaurants in Stewart IslandBar, Seafood, $$ - $$$

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South Sea Hotel dining room and pub

Review

At a glance

Closed now

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Website

+64 3-219 1059Improve this listing

About

Features

CUISINES

Bar, Seafood, Pub, New Zealand

Meal types

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Full Bar

Highchairs Available

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Street Parking

Table Service

Television

Visa

Waterfront

Wheelchair Accessible

Wine and Beer

Location

The Waterfront, Stewart Island New Zealand

Parking Available, Street Parking

Is this restaurant on the water, or waterfront?

Yes

Unsure

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Closed now

• Opens at 5:30 PM

Sunday

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Monday

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Tuesday

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Wednesday

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Thursday

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Friday

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Saturday

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

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4.1

599 reviews

Excellent

251

Very good

227

Average

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Terrible

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Yes

Jonathan K

Inverness47 contributions

Perfect watering hole after a day on the many island walks.

Dec 2023 • couples

We visited the pub several times over the week we spent on the island, and enjoyed a friendly welcome at every visit. The atmosphere in that is great if sometimes a little loud, but we loved it, especially when we arrived towards the end of a pre Christmas party and were encouraged to join in. The food is good and reasonably priced, but demand is so high that if you fancy the daily specials, e.g. crayfish, you need to get in reasonably early. The baked blue cod and fried green lipped mussels are both delicious and usually available. Note too that the pub is also the only bottle shop on the island, so don’t forget to buy a bottle of the island gin as a souvenir.

Written 13 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.

Knefknok

140 contributions

Good food, few dining options on the island

Mar 2024 • couples

The fish from the fish and chips was the tastiest of the entire trip, fries less so. Not many dining options on the island, so it might be a good idea to make a reservation (restaurant). You can also eat in the bar without a reservation, same menu. However, the bar is also quite full, so I don't know if it will always be possible to find a place to eat. The bar is more pleasant than the restaurant, but we opt for certainty and therefore make a reservation.

Written 15 March 2024

RossPamC

Westport23 contributions

South Sea Hotel Dinner

Feb 2023 • couples

Restaurant was full so had a bad meal. Same menu. Don’t need to book in bar. Ordered hot smoked salmon that came as a generous helping with heaps of capers, a small salad, cream cheese and ciabatta bread. Nice with a beer.

Written 25 February 2023

Johnyrotten

Kimbolton1 contribution

Underwhelming to say the least

Jan 2025 • couples

Quite frankly the chef needs a kick in the butt. We spent a small fortune for a crayfish salad. Never have I eaten crayfish that was broken into small pieces. Well overcooked and, along with a mediocre salad, fried with bits of bacon. You couldn't taste the crayfish, and there was very little of it for the price. We ordered desert, an apple strudel that came with what looked like chocolate sauce. One mouthful and our palette was overwhelmed by a salt taste from the 'chocolate sauce'. We sent it back and got up then left.

Written 9 January 2025

Smita and Sachi... S

Wellington37 contributions

Rude and staff with attitude that was tad bit offensive, which they think they are entitled being the only Dining place

Dec 2022 • couples

Day One … we got told NO They don’t have place for us !! In a way that was like really … one would never do that to any Customer ever. Nevertheless I requested for a table next evening, asking if we can book a window seat please as it’s once in a lifetime trip to Stewart Island. The young Waitress at the front really has no clue of what service means. She said she can’t promise and whatever is available is what we will get. Day two now with a booking for a meal when we reached at 5 mins to 6 pm, the Resturant had maybe 4 tables with people … rest all empty. Once again we requested with a proper Please .. for the window corner table with a view. Get ready … the same young waitress with absolute Rude tone says … No we cannot demand !! The table we got shown was the worst one in the room, facing the wall and in the way where staff come and go between orders !! We asked again … pretty please can we not just have a quick meal at the window table of which you have 3 Empty …. Now the bombshell of reply we got …. She has to manage the Staff and distribute tables equally to all her staff !! Maybe that is more critical and important than making a memorable evening for someone who is once in their lifetime visit the place and take back happy memories. Point … monopoly being the only Resturant open on the island at Christmas time they just didn’t care … well what could have been a special Anniversary evening meal was like Take it or leave it …. So we went away, and instead of a Three course meal, had the Best Fish & Chips ever at one fifth the price on the beach …. Romantic and chilled❤️

Written 23 December 2022

Lola

New Zealand78 contributions

Less than mediocre.

Jul 2022 • couples

We went for lunch. We finished our drinks. Then our meal arrived. On reflection, we assume that while we’d been sitting waiting in the dining room, our meals were most likely sitting getting cold, somewhere else. The seafood chowder was gloopy and bland, luke warm, and tasted much less than mediocre. The baked cod with vegetables looked quite good, but again was barely warm, the fish mushy and tasteless, and the vegetables just tasteless and cold. We would have been surprised if seasoning for either dish was considered! We were so incredulously underwhelmed with our meals, we simply left them uneaten, and walked out.

Written 13 July 2022

Monique

Bluff2 contributions

A glorified hostel not recommended

Apr 2022 • couples

Me and my partner stayed here, we ended up cutting our holiday short as we couldn’t stand being there anymore, some of of the staff were lovely however some were exceptionally rude every thing we asked was an issue, coupled with a terrible attitude from staff. We stated we needed a double bed but they just pushed together two singles along with the single sheets lol. Despite both having mask exemptions we were not allowed to order food on the second day after they changed the rules midway through our stay. We simply wouldn’t have stayed here if that was stated in the terms on the website. The only good thing we can report is that it was clean in the bathrooms and 2 of the staff seemed to actually care as no one else clearly could give a rats about anything. Whilst waiting to be served while staff stood around gossiping we simply went outside and phoned in to get some service. Please don’t stay here spend some more money and get a nicer place with places that value their customers.

Written 13 April 2022

Pamela S

2 contributions

Absolutely disappointed with the crayfish.

Dec 2024 • family

I ordered the crayfish salad although $57. I thought I would have a treat. I was appalled at what I was presented. A half crayfish shell with little broken up tiny pieces of dry crayfish. I am a kiwi and never have I seen anything like this!! The salad was interspersed with bits of fried bacon. Come on Stewart Island. Crayfish means a crayfish tail with its full meat complement cooked to retain its natural juices!!!

Written 19 January 2025

Paul M

9 contributions

Not bad all up

Oct 2022 • family

We had a couple of meals here. 1st time we were greeted by a barman who seemed annoyed that we didn't know to find ourselves a table and then return to the bar to order our food. Eventually we got our food which got points for being tasty, the chowder came with 1 small piece of bread, 2 or 3 would be reasonable for the amount of soup. Then nachos had been in the microwave too long so some of the cheese had gone pretty hard. 2nd meal we came at reduced menu hours, ordered 2 burgers which the menu said came with chips and coleslaw. The fish burger had fish in the 1st half but the 2nd half was just salad and sauce. Neither plate came with coleslaw. The chips were nice although we were served a very obviously green chip. The taste of the burgers was pretty good too. Gruff pub service, tasty enough food not very well executed.

Written 14 October 2022

philip O

20 contributions

Good quality food and plenty of it.

Mar 2025 • couples

There are very restaurants on Strwart island but this is the best, buy you need to book if you want to eat in 5he restaurant. We eat there twice both meals goo and I would recommend the venison ribs. The portion was cooked well and was enormous. Deer are a lot bigger than pigs. It also has a large range of beers on tap.

Written 10 March 2025

SesJ

Nelson81 contributions

Tasty, good value food with efficient service.

Apr 2024 • family

We ate here for breakfast and two dinners. It’s very busy in the evening so you need to book a table (booking on the morning of the day you want to eat is fine). If you miss out you can still eat in the bar next door which was full of a combination of locals and tourists. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and the staff were incredibly friendly and efficient. The food for breakfast and dinner was delicious and the coffee was excellent! The meals were a good size and reasonable value for money. We would definitely recommend this spot.

Written 22 April 2024

GlobeTrotters4001

Brisbane865 contributions

Dine 3 nights

May 2024 • couples

Being at the start of their winter season, everything on the island was slowing down and going into winter mode. The pub is about the only dining option on the island, but thankfully it was worthwhile, and the chef does a great job with the meals he presents. One night, we had fish and chips - a battered blue cod - which was quite good as I don't like too much battered food, so I tend to scrape most of it off, but I wanted blue cod. The chips were very good, crispy, and not salty or greasy. Coleslaw was okay. Another night I had the NZ salmon on a sort of romesco sauce and basil oil and roasted nuts served with delicious fried polenta chips - yum, the tastiest combination in a meal I've had in a long time. Served with a chagrilled bok choy. Our last night we had the ribeye roast with caramelised onion gravy. A massive portion of 3 thick slices. The gravy was nice but just a little on the sweet side for me. Thorough happy with all our meals.

Written 5 May 2024

Adriandcass

Christchurch278 contributions

Very busy pub if you want food get there early

Jan 2021 • friends

There are few eating options in Stewart Island. This pub is buzzing, very difficult to get a table in the pub for dinner. Full of visitors and locals. They serve complimentary platters of food for sharing but we saw no sharing happening. It’s a great idea but just doesn’t work. Good free feed for some. The menu is pricey. Blue salmon was lovely. Disappointed with my salmon. The salmon itself was great. It was supposed to come with creamy potato’s and a fennel salad. It came with a potato salad that had some fennel in it. Need to watch the use of a comma because it was very disappointing. Salmon and potato salad for $33 is pricey. Nice vibe. Come early. Friendly staff

Written 28 January 2021

miriamferg

Tauranga77 contributions

The best seafood chowder ever

Mar 2025 • couples

Just a heads up if you go to the South Sea Hotel in Oban… order the seafood chowder. It is packed with blue cod, mussels, shrimps etc and served with ciabatta… more than delicious 😋 So much so that I had it twice in a row… to confirm its quality!! Yum.

Written 17 March 2025

Greg T

Wellington32 contributions

One of the few spots to eat dinner in Oban

Mar 2023 • none

We visited a number of times, a good pub with lots of different seating inside and out, and a good range of drinks. Eating can be done in the bar or booked in the restaurant (same menu), limited range but generally OK - as limit eating options often had to wait, limits on what can be ordered etc. Overall a good country pub type establishment.

Written 16 March 2023