The Observatory Restaurant is the named dining room inside Millennium Hotel Queenstown, but it operates as a distinct restaurant rather than a generic hotel service. Tables can be booked directly, and the kitchen serves both breakfast and dinner every day. Its contemporary New Zealand brief suits the Frankton Road setting: the room is relaxed enough for travellers coming in from the town centre, while the dinner menu has the structure and detail for a deliberate evening meal.
The current starters favour polished combinations without becoming overly formal. Porcini and truffle arancini come with romesco, forest mushrooms and a crisp of Grana Padano, while cured salmon is paired with avocado, cucumber, crème fraîche, yuzu and basil oil. Fried Mt Domett brie moves in a richer direction with plum ketchup, fig and caramelised onion. Together they show a kitchen comfortable combining regional produce with European technique and brighter contemporary accents.
Main courses keep the focus on substantial, composed plates. Chargrilled beef fillet is matched with potato and celeriac purée, asparagus and peppercorn sauce; slow-braised lamb shank arrives with pumpkin mash, corn and pinot noir jus. Grilled chicken supreme adds artichoke and field mushrooms, while pan-fried potato gnocchi provides a thoughtful vegetarian centrepiece with smoked parsnip, cauliflower, black garlic, goat cheese and confit tomato. The range gives meat-free dining equal care rather than treating it as a substitution.
Familiar Queenstown comforts sit alongside those more elaborate dishes. Seafood chowder, fish and chips, steak sandwich, a pear-and-blue-cheese salad and curry of the day allow a simpler order, while venison kofta and Southern coastal hoki connect the menu more directly to New Zealand ingredients. Dessert can run from sorbet or an Otago cheese plate to flourless Whittaker chocolate. Central Otago wine suggestions and the neighbouring Club Bar make it easy to extend dinner into a broader evening.
Address: Millennium Hotel Queenstown, 32 Frankton Road, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Moved or closed? Tell us: Moved·Temporarily closed·Permanently closed
The Observatory Restaurant @ Millennium Hotel Queenstown Menu
Dinner – Entrées
Deep Fried Squid
DF | Dusted w/ rice flour, onion, garlic powder, paprika, sriracha mayo
Spinach Fritters
GF | Sour cream, mascarpone, parmesan, spinach, sundried tomato aioli
Maple Glazed Pork Belly
GF | Pork skewers, burnt cauliflower puree, Apple & fennel compote, crackling
Dinner – Mains
Chargrilled Half Chicken
GF/DFO | Marinated in lemongrass, chilli, coriander, garlic, paprika, cos, green goddess sauce
Oven Baked Mt Cook Alpine Salmon
GF/DF | Winter ragu, seasonal greens
Grilled Ribeye
GF/DFO | Hereford prime rib on the bone 300g, rosemary salted gourmet potatoes, green salad, creamy mushroom or green peppercorn sauce
Mushroom Risotto
GF/V | Melody of mushrooms, arborio rice, truffle paste, grana Padano, dried porcini dust, baby herbs
Dinner – Sides
Mixed Leaf Garden Salad
GF/V/DF | Balsamic dressing
Roasted Pumpkin
GF/V | Cumin & sumac labneh, dukkha spice
Roasted Gourmet Potatoes
GF/V/DF | Rosemary salt
Desserts
Sticky Fig Pudding
V | Tahini butterscotch sauce, white chocolate and cumin crumble, fig leaf tuille, pure NZ manuka honey & fig ice cream
Otago Cheese Plate
V/GFO | Three premium cheeses, grapes, dried nuts, quince paste & crackers
Sorbet & Ice Cream
GF | Mango, berry burst, chocolate Ice cream
Affogatto
GFO | Two scoops Kapiti vanilla ice cream, warm cinnamon & sugar churro skewer, shot of espresso
Bar Menu – Snacks Sharing
Soup of the Day
V/GFO | Vegetarian soup, bread roll
Fish Taco's
DF | Slaw, Pico de Galo, coriander, lemon & chilli aioli
Chicken Karaage
DF | Fried chicken garlic, ginger, sake, soy sauce, sesame oil, pickled daikon radish, tonkatsu sauce
Steakhouse Cut Chips
V/DF | Truffle salt, aioli
Bruschetta
GFO | Grilled sour dough, pickle zucchini, balsamic glaze, ricotta, chilli, rocket
Burrata
GFO | Rich Italian cheese, mozzarella filled with stracciatella, heirloom tomato, basil oil, grilled sour dough, balsamic glaze
Homemade Focaccia
V | W/ ricotta cheese, vincotto, olive oil
Bar Menu – Classics
Seafood Chowder
GFO | Mix seafood, garlic, dill, white wine creamy sauce, bread roll
Chicken Salad
DF/GF | Smoked chicken, crispy polenta, roasted capsicum, chickpeas, seasonal greens, balsamic dressing
Venison Burger
Wild venison Pattie, beetroot relish, smoked gouda cheese, lettuce, mustard mayo, steak cut chips
Fish & Chips
GFO | Tempura battered fish of the day, steak cut chips, tartare sauce, lemon
Curry of the Day
Served w/ steamed basmati rice, naan, pappadum
Signature Menu
Beef Brisket Croquettes
DF | Grass fed Otago wagyu beef, burnt onion & black garlic puree, pickled pearl onion, leek ash, gremolata. Paired perfectly with a glass of Aspiring Pinot Noir, Central Otago ($16)
Lamb Two Ways
GF | Central Otago lamb rack, buzz stop Queenstown coffee honey rubbed, slow braised lamb shoulder & herb croquette, parsnip puree, feta and potato pave, minted green peas, olive crumbs, jus. Paired perfectly with a glass of Surveyor Thomson Pinot Noir, Central Otago ($18)
Tiramisu
Wanaka lavender farm whipped mascarpone cream, layered with savoiardi, cocoa. Paired perfectly with a glass of Chard Farm Riesling, Central Otago ($12)
Observatory Specials
Nightly Dinner Special – see our friendly team for more information. Happy Hour 5–6pm: $8 house wine, house spirits, tap beer. Cocktail Hour 6–7pm: $15 listed cocktail.
Nightly Dinner Special
See our friendly team for more information
Happy Hour
5–6pm | House Wine, House Spirits, Tap Beer
Cocktail Hour
6–7pm | Listed Cocktail
Breakfast – Continental Selection
Full Buffet Breakfast
Includes the continental breakfast with the addition of sausages, bacon, tomatoes, hash browns, baked beans, mushrooms, scrambled eggs. Cooked to order by the chef: Fried or poached eggs, porridge & omelet with your choice of filling… tomato, onion, cheese, mushroom, capsicum, ham
Cereals
Cornflakes, Weetabix, toasted muesli, all bran, coco pops (GFO) served w/ full, trim, almond, oat or soy milk
Toast & Preserves
Your choice of white, whole meal, dark rye or sourdough served w/ selection of preserves (GFO)
Yoghurt
natural yoghurt, berry compote
Bircher Muesli
Shaved almonds & cranberries
Healthy Fruit Crunch
Layered fruit salad, yoghurt, toasted muesli, berry compote
Breakfast Platter
Selection of yoghurt, fruit salad, croissants, pastry, toast, served w/ jams and butter
Breakfast – Hot Selection
Hot Porridge
Organic oats, coconut cream
MQT Benedict
Kumra Rosti, poached eggs, spinach, hollandaise sauce
Observatory Big Breakfast
eggs any style, sausages, mushrooms, hash browns, streaky bacon, grilled tomato, toasted sourdough
Three Egg Omelette
w/ your choice of filling, tomato, onion, cheese, mushroom, capsicum, ham served w/ sourdough
Belgium Waffle
Caramelized banana, berry compote, lemon mascarpone cheese
Eggs on Toast
Two eggs cooked any style to your liking w/ toasted sourdough
Breakfast – Continental Breakfast
$25 per person. Cereal | Toasted muesli, Weetabix, all bran, coco pops, cornflakes. Fruit | whole fruit, fruit of the day, fruit salad. Cold selection | Assorted meats & cheeses, natural yoghurt, Bircher muesli. Breads & Pastries | White, whole meal & rye breads, muffins, croissants, pancakes, sweet pastries. Served with | Fruit juices, water, filter coffee & selection of teas.
Continental Breakfast
Cereal | Toasted muesli, Weetabix, all bran, coco pops, cornflakes. Fruit | whole fruit, fruit of the day, fruit salad. Cold selection | Assorted meats & cheeses, natural yoghurt, Bircher muesli. Breads & Pastries | White, whole meal & rye breads, muffins, croissants, pancakes, sweet pastries. Served with | Fruit juices, water, filter coffee & selection of teas.
Breakfast – Add Sides
$4 each. Hash browns, grilled tomato, sausages, mushrooms, beans, bacon, hollandaise sauce. GFO – GLUTEN FREE OPTION AVAILABLE, VEG – VEGAN, V – VEGETARIAN, DF – DAIRY FREE, GF – GLUTEN FRIENDLY
Hash browns
Grilled tomato
Sausages
Mushrooms
Beans
Bacon
Hollandaise sauce
Desserts Cocktails
Tiramisu
Baileys, crème de cacao, Kahlua, cream
Bounty
Baileys, crème de cacao, malibu, coconut cream
Toblerone
Baileys, crème de cacao, Frangelico, cream
Coffee's & Liqueurs
Barista Coffee
Long black, flat white, cappuccino, mocha & others Price: FROM $5.5
Liqueurs
Baileys, Cointreau, Drambuie, Frangelico, amaretto & others Price: FROM $11
Breakfast – Beverages
Pot of Tea/Filter Coffee
Barista Coffee
Price: FROM $5
Juice
orange, pineapple, cranberry, apple
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+ Log your visitHow prices compare
Against typical prices in Queenstown
- Fish and chips Typical in Queenstown: $34.00 $34.00
- Seafood chowder Typical in Queenstown: $30.50 $35.00
- Tiramisu Typical in Queenstown: $18.00 $18.00
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