Ground Floor · Open to non-residents
Dining at Copper Bluffs
Bannockburn Restaurant and the Nevis Lounge, side by side on the lake side of the ground floor. Central Otago produce, a list built on Gibbston Valley, and room service around the clock.
The Restaurant
Bannockburn
Sixty-four covers along the lake windows, named after the sub-region an hour up the road that supplies a good part of the wine list. Open to hotel guests and to anyone else who books.
The kitchen works to a short menu that changes with what Central Otago is actually producing — five or six mains at a time rather than twenty. Cardrona lamb and Fiordland venison are on it year round. Stone fruit comes out of the Cromwell basin from December, asparagus and cherries follow, and through winter the menu turns towards braises and root vegetables without apology.
Fish is landed at Bluff and Riverton and driven up the same day, so what is listed depends on the weather in Foveaux Strait. Bread, pasta, ice cream and the pastry are made in the building.
On the menu
Fiordland venison with beetroot and juniper. Cardrona lamb rump, kūmara, salsa verde. Whole market fish for two. A vegetable plate that changes weekly and is not an afterthought. Cheese from the Whitestone dairy at Oamaru.
The list
Around 180 bins, two-thirds of them from Central Otago — Gibbston, Bannockburn, Bendigo and Felton Road. Fourteen wines by the glass on a Coravin. Local beer from Wanaka and Arrowtown, and a non-alcoholic list that is more than one tired option.
Breakfast
Buffet and à la carte together from 6:30am, which suits a hotel where half the guests leave for a mountain at seven and the other half surface at ten. NZ$36 per person, included in most packages, and continental to the room at no extra charge.
The Bar
The Nevis Lounge
Through the doors from the restaurant: a long bar, an open fire, deep chairs and the same view. Softer than Bannockburn and open considerably later.
The cocktail list is short and seasonal, built around New Zealand gin and Central Otago fruit. There is a proper whisky shelf — Scotch, plus what the Southland distilleries have been doing lately — and the full restaurant wine list is available by the glass here too.
A supper menu runs until midnight for people who came off the last gondola or out of the gaming lounge and want something before bed. Bar snacks all afternoon.
The lounge is open to all ages until 9pm; after that it is 18 and over, as a licensed bar. It is a separate room from the gaming lounge upstairs, which is 20 and over at all times.
The Cellar Room
Private dining for up to twelve around one table, below the restaurant and among the wine. Set menus of three or five courses with matched wines, or a bespoke menu written with the head chef.
Booked with a day’s notice, or longer in the winter season. No room hire charge on a set menu; a minimum spend applies at weekends.
Room service
The full Nevis Lounge menu, 24 hours a day, to any room in the hotel. Hot food until midnight, a cold and reheated menu overnight, and breakfast from 6am.
No tray charge. Order from the phone in the room or the card beside it; the kitchen quotes an honest time rather than an optimistic one.
Hours
When we are open
Bookings for Bannockburn are taken by phone on +64 3 441 7250 or through the enquiry form. The Nevis Lounge does not take bookings except for groups of eight or more.
Bannockburn — breakfast
6:30am to 10:30am daily; to 11am Saturday and Sunday.
Bannockburn — lunch
12pm to 2:30pm daily. A short menu — five dishes and a sandwich.
Bannockburn — dinner
5:30pm to 9:30pm, last orders 9pm. Booking advised year round and essential from June to September.
The Nevis Lounge
11am until late, seven days. Supper menu 9pm to midnight. All ages until 9pm, then 18 and over.
Room service
24 hours. Hot menu until midnight, overnight menu after that.
Dietary requirements
Tell us when you book. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan versions of the menu are written in advance rather than improvised at the pass.