New Zealand is a spectacular place to visit, and a great opportunity to take your taste buds on a trip they’ll remember, too.
Whether you’re taking in the view from the Sky Tower in Auckland or braving the epic Mount Cook, you will need plenty of food to fuel your sightseeing and exploration.
Luckily, New Zealand has plenty of good quality food, with a range of halal-certified restaurants, butchers and food trucks to choose from:
1. Grills and Shakes, Auckland
Burgers and shakes are a staple food in many cultures due to their flavoursome and satisfying nature.
This North Island eatery offers a wide list of halal dishes that are sure to keep you energised throughout your travels.
Tourists and locals alike love the traditional grilled dishes, Greek-style flatbreads and chicken wraps.
The menu offers over 60 variations of shakes, with flavours such as Nutella, caramel and cookie dough, as well as protein shakes and smoothies. Vegans can opt for soya or almond milk.
2. Te Kuiti Superette, Hamilton
Travelers staying in self-catering accommodation should take advantage of their facilities and cook up a mouth-watering halal steak.
Te Kuiti Superette in Hamilton is the best place to get halal steak on the North Island. They offer all kinds of cuts, including rump, T-bone, sirloin, rib-eye, tenderloin and more.
Do as the locals recommend and go for the sirloin. Pair it with a selection of specialty herbs and spices that they also stock at this halal butcher.
3. Garuda Truck, Wellington
This truck offers an authentic taste of Indonesia in the middle of Wellington. The dishes have proven incredibly popular with locals and travelers, offering a great selection that suits the tightest of budgets.
Choose from their tasty range of halal Malaysian curries, rice and noodle dishes, with chicken, beef or vegetables.
You can also take your food away in one of Garuda’s environmentally-friendly boxes and enjoy it in the fresh air and sunshine.
4. Mosaic by Simos Deli, Christchurch
This restaurant is at the top of many recommendation lists for Christchurch, both halal and otherwise.
Mosaic is home to New Zealand’s first foray into authentic Moroccan cuisine, offering a unique experience of both food and culture.
From huge tapas platters to Moroccan specialities such as garlic prawns and lamb kofta, there is a huge selection of food to choose from and enjoy.
5. Erik’s Fish and Chips, Queenstown
Between the adrenaline-fuelled activities and picturesque mountain views that Queenstown has become renowned for, grab a fresh and satisfying bite to eat at Erik’s Fish and Chips.
The food is served fresh out of a food truck. This allows you to enjoy it in the sunshine and admire the dramatic mountainscapes.
Although this food truck serves halal meat, diners should eat at their own discretion as it is not halal-certified at the time of writing.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the incredible halal food on offer in New Zealand.
Make the most of your trip and immerse yourself in the halal restaurants local to your accommodation.
You may be introduced to entirely new cuisines that you have never tried before.
Khai and wife Amira are Malaysian travel bloggers who blog at Kaki Jalans. Their travels have taken them to almost all the countries in Asean and five countries in Europe. They are still actively travelling and adding to this list.