Billy's at Ayrburn

Billy's is the Chinese restaurant at Ayrburn, the restored farm precinct on Ayr Avenue between Arrowtown and Lake Hayes. It occupies the homestead where William and Bessie Paterson lived in the late 1800s — Paterson farmed Ayrburn from the 1860s until his death in 1910, and named the place after Ayr in Scotland, where he was born. It was the last of the original buildings on the site to be restored, opening in 2025.

The cooking is Cantonese, and the choice was deliberate: a nod to the Chinese miners who worked the Arrowtown and wider Otago goldfields. Peking duck carved at the table, prawn and truffle har gow, black pepper wagyu, and an Imperial banquet if you want the kitchen to decide.

Dining is spread across five of the original rooms around a central bar, plus a glass conservatory at the back planted with lime and lemon trees. It is worth a wander even if you have only come for a drink. MICHELIN listed it as Selected in the 2026 guide, one of two Ayrburn venues on the list alongside The Woolshed.

Wednesday evenings, then Thursday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Fifteen minutes from Queenstown, five from Arrowtown. Book, and come early enough to walk the grounds.

Award: MICHELIN Selected, MICHELIN Guide New Zealand 2026.