Pizza and pasta in an 1860s stone cowshed
The Cow has been serving pizza and pasta out of the same stone building since 1977, which makes it the oldest restaurant still running in Queenstown. The building goes back to the 1860s and was a cowshed — the cows walked down the lane to be milked, and the lane kept the name. The name itself is a nod to Queen Victoria, who was known by it, and her picture is on the wall along with most of her family.
The menu has not changed since opening day: pizza, pasta, soup, salad, and the homemade bread that most tables order without looking. Gluten-friendly bases are available. MICHELIN gave it a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide, which is the award for cooking that is very good and not expensive.
It takes no bookings — their words are "just come on in" — so at dinner in winter you will wait. There is a bar and a fireplace to wait at, which takes the sting out of it, but go early or go late if you are in a hurry. Functions are the exception, and need forty people or more.
It is small, low-ceilinged and built around an open fire, which is exactly what you want after a day on Coronet Peak and less appealing in February. The same owners have run a second Cow in Wānaka since 2006.
Award: Bib Gourmand, MICHELIN Guide New Zealand 2026.
- Families
- Groups
- Late night
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