Food & Nightlife

The Mt Cook dining and nightlife is reasonably impressive considering that it is such a small village. However the options are limited and you can experience a little bit of Groundhog Day if you stay at Mt Cook for too long.

Hermitage Hotel Restaurants The Alpine Restaurant is located in the Hermitage Hotel, and with large picture windows you can dine whilst taking in the alpenglow of Mt Cook. It’s a large hall-like restaurant that offers buffet meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. During winter when the Panorama Restaurant is closed, a small a la carte menu is also on offer.

Next door is the Panorama Restaurant which is the most upscale dining establishment at the Hermitage. It is more intimate than the Alpine Restaurant and as the name suggests, this restaurant also affords great views of the mountains. This restaurant is closed during winter.

During the day the large Sir Edmund Hillary Café is the place to hang out, especially on the balcony on a sunny day. The food is simple and very affordable and includes sandwiches, sausage rolls, basic hot dishes, cakes, pastries and a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Pizzas are sometimes available in the evenings during summer.

Other Mt Cook Restaurant Just a few minutes walk down from the Hermitage Hotel is The Old Mountaineers Café Bar and Restaurant aka Charlies. This cute little lodge is open for lunch and dinner and features a photo gallery and internet kiosk. The Old Mountaineers fully supports organic, free-range and GE-free food that includes pizzas, curries, salmon and other main courses. The prices are not in the inexpensive range, but well worth it for the hospitality.

Bars & Nightlife Charlie’s is also popular for a low key nightlife at the bar within a reasonably festive atmosphere.

The upscale Snowline Bar is located at the Hermitage Hotel. This is a very classy establishment to lounge about whilst taking in the views of Mt Cook. During happy hour they have dangerously cheap cocktails on offer so you can knock yourself out! Unfortunately the wine list is rather underwhelming, but luckily the cocktails are delightfully good.

Plans are underway to convert the former Glencoe Lodge into a backpackers lodge and bring back the party institution that was the Chamois Bar.