Dining out in Timaru is all about quality local ingredients and celebrating the people and place that produces them. Here’s where to find the top eateries and watering holes.
Ask a Timaru local where to eat in town and chances are they will point you in the direction of The Oxford(opens in new window). The French bistro-style restaurant offers simply prepared dishes made with the finest local ingredients.
At Street Food Kitchen(opens in new window) everyone is welcome, but mobile phones sort of aren't. Every aspect of the restaurant is designed to make dining social again, from sharing plates to reasonably priced food and wine.
Café Verde(opens in new window) serves outstanding café food in a beautiful garden setting. Both the menu and the garden change with the seasons but the coffee is consistently excellent.
The Running Duck(opens in new window) café offers fantastic burgers, coffee, and milkshakes – along with cool retro vibes that even the local farmers enjoy.
Hector Black’s(opens in new window) could serve nothing but tap water and it would still be pumping. This is where locals gather, often attending quirky events that include a jam and marmalade competition and Sunday School, where locals can speak on any subject. It’s not entirely clear how, but Hector Black’s Pigeon Racing Team is involved somehow, too. The approach to Hector Black’s interior design has been enthusiastic but random. Here you’ll find a row of polo sticks sitting alongside a tortoise shell and a taxidermy of a Jack Russell called Hector. The superbly crafted cocktails are just a bonus.
Barker’s is the name you’re most likely to see printed on jams, chutneys and cordials in supermarkets and kitchen pantries around the country. Visit the Barker's Foodstore(opens in new window) to taste-test these New Zealand staples for yourself, plus a surprising number of newcomers most New Zealanders won’t have tried yet.
The Geraldine Cheese Co(opens in new window) makes award-winning artisan cheeses out of its tiny factory in the town centre. This is where traditional cheese-making skills come together with innovative techniques and where a visit to the factory store to gather supplies is something of a local pilgrimage.
Humdinger Gin(opens in new window) sets itself apart during its first seven months of operation when it won its first international award. At the time, the brand’s owners – a twenty-something husband and wife team – saw this award as an important moment of validation. Up until then they suspected the enthusiastic support they had received from Geraline locals was just the product of a close-knit community, keen to reward the efforts of young entrepreneurs giving it ago. The couple’s new-found confidence launched a furious period of creativity that created limited release gins, such as Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Gin, Bourbon Barrel Aged Gin, and Cherry Gin Liqueur. And their signature Pink Gin and Sloe Gin just got better and better.