Après-Ski: Ways to Relax After a Day on The Mountain

With over 150 bars and restaurants across the Queenstown region, you’re never far away from an après-ski adventure. From fine dining and boutique eateries to family-friendly restaurants and iconic burger joints there are eateries for every appetite. Lakeside bars offer extensive local wine lists, cocktails, and winter warmers to top off your day on the slopes.

Grab a Plate

Once the skis are away for the day, descend on the town to find delicious eats and drinks to keep you nourished for the next day of exploring. From experimental vegan menus to larger-than-life pizzas, Queenstown has it all. 

Delicious Après Ski Eats in Downtown Queenstown

Yonder serves up an eclectic menu inspired by the co-owners' world travels, and catering to all tastes and dietary requirements. If platters and wine served with enviable lake views are your vibe, then Little Blackwood, a classic yet hip cocktail bar, is the place for you. Settle down in front of a roaring fire and watch the sun go down.

For grab-and-go enjoyment, take a short walk through downtown Queenstown to iconic burger joint Fergburger or try fresh and coeliac-friendly Erik's Fish & Chips. Is pizza more your thing? Tackle the famous 20-inch New York Style pizzas at Fat Badgers.

Add a little class to your après-ski and head upstairs to Boardwalk on Steamer Wharf. Boardwalk’s ever-evolving menu includes fresh seafood, meats, and local produce. The cocktails are not to be missed either.

Sate your Après Ski Appetite in Arrowtown

Arrowtown is just a short 20-minute drive from Queenstown's CBD and the quaint main street and cobbled laneways play host to some of the finest eateries in the area. La Rumbla wows with its delicious, fresh flavours and boasts a menu designed to indulge and share. Don’t forget about dessert and pay a visit to Patagonia Ice Cream and Chocolatier, with shops located in both Queenstown and Arrowtown.

Arrowtown’s hotest food and wine neighbourhood Ayrburn has hearty, wholesome bistro classics made with Central Otago ingredients at the Woolshed. The Manure Room bar and the Barrel Room tasting cellar offer plates for sharing, and tasting platters. The Bakehouse is your go-to for all day dining with a breakfast menu is available from 8:00am until 11:30am, and the lunch and dinner options being served from 11:30am until 8:00pm.

Authentic Après-Ski

The time-tested tradition of grabbing a drink after a mountain session is nearly as old as the winter sport itself. After all, a drink does taste better after a few turns down the slopes. Head straight to the bar in your ski gear. You won’t be the only one.

Queenstown is home to some of the best après ski bars in the world. Once down from the mountains, head into the pumping bars and restaurants for an expertly-crafted tipple. Hot spiced rum and cider, mulled wine, and locally brewed beer await. If cocktails are more your bag, talented local mixologists can create a delicious beverage especially for you.

Snag a table outside at World Bar, grab a hearty meal, and let the beers flow. Fancy being indoors? Rhino's Ski Shack is one of Queenstown’s best nights out, an après-themed bar with hip-hop DJs on the decks. Late nights don’t get much better than at The Bunker. This hidden gem is an intimate lounge bar with one of the best cocktail menus in town. Order an espresso martini or a negroni to see your day out in style. 

Ayrburn is serious about becoming the Queenstown home of après-ski. Unwind after an epic day on the slopes with daily winter drink specials, and DJs playing in the Manure Room on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Soak Away The Day

Queenstown is not only home to some of the finest ski slopes in the Southern Hemisphere but also to some of the best post-ski relaxation activities. The Onsen Hot Pools, located at the bottom of Coronet Peak, is an unforgettable experience. Think starry nights, open-air cedar-lined tubs and tranquillity. What better way to spend a blissful hour soaking your muscles after navigating the piste all day. Or try the hot tub experience at Driftaway Queenstown, where you can soak up the surroundings in your own private hot tub.

Most active adventurers are partial to a massage or two. Body Sanctum has two convenient locations in Queenstown's CBD and Frankton and their experienced masseuses will massage all your post-ski tension and strain away.

After Dark Activities

Thrills in winter are not just reserved for daylight hours. After dark, there is an array of activities for you to choose from. Wind yourself through a live-action haunted house at Fear Factory, defy gravity and take to the (indoor) skies at iFLY indoor skydiving, try your hand at Kingpin ten pin bowling or cosy up on the sofas at Dorothy Browns Cinema in Arrowtown with a cheese board and wine.

For an activity before dinner, the iconic TSS Earnslaw steamship, the ‘Old Lady of the Lake’, cruises slowly across Lake Whakatipu before docking for the evening at Walter Peak Farm for a gourmet barbeque dinner. 

 Whether you prefer multi-course fine dining, sipping beer with the locals, or lounging on mountainside deckchairs and beanbags, nothing quite beats après-ski. The best part? You don’t even have to leave the mountain! Night Ski at Coronet Peak is a bucket list activity in Queenstown. Ski down freshly-groomed, flood-lit slopes before warming up on the deck by the fires. Expect to be entertained by amazing DJs, pristine slopes, and plenty of fun for the whole family with on-mountain prize scavenger hunts and activities, especially for the kids.