Rātā Restaurant Reopens After a Short Pause to Refresh the Dining Room

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Posted 19 November, 2025
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Rātā, one of Tāhuna Queenstown’s most well-loved restaurants, has refreshed its dining room – marking a new chapter for the legacy dining destination.

This is not a reinvention. The refresh represents a continuation of what Rātā has always stood for: warm hospitality and a deep respect for the land, people and culture of Aotearoa. The updated space and menu express that spirit with greater clarity and ease.

The new menu is simpler in construction and bolder in flavour. Familiar ingredients are reimagined with care and intention, including the return of much-loved Rātā classics alongside new dishes shaped by fire, fermentation and seasonal rhythm. The restaurant continues to take its cues from the alpine climate, sharp seasonal shifts and close access to remarkable southern produce.

“Rātā has always been about connection – to people, to this region, and to the feeling of being at the table together. The refresh isn’t about changing who we are, it’s about expressing that more clearly. We’ve taken time to return to the heart of what matters to us: generous plates, thoughtful flavour, and hospitality that feels genuine and unhurried. I’m really looking forward to welcoming people back – whether they’ve known Rātā for years or are discovering us for the first time – and sharing this next chapter with them.” – Fleur Caulton, Founder of Rātā

The restaurant is open for dinner from 5pm till late seven days a week, with bookings available online at www.ratarestaurant.com or (+64) 03 442 9393.

About Rātā

Founded by hospitality leader Fleur Caulton, Rātā is a regional, produce-driven restaurant located in the heart of Tāhuna Queenstown on Ballarat St. Known for warm service, thoughtful menus and a deep sense of place, Rātā has been part of the Queenstown community for 14 years. The restaurant is guided by seasonal produce and long-standing relationships with local growers and producers.

About Fleur Caulton, Founder

Fleur Caulton continues to guide Rātā with the same steady, hands-on approach she has brought to Queenstown hospitality for more than 30 years.

Her career began in Queenstown in the early 1990s, when she opened her first restaurant, Solera Vino, just months after arriving in town. Fleur spent nearly a decade building Amisfield from the ground up, guiding everything from the brand and architecture to the wine experience, global sales and service ethos. Under her leadership, it grew into the world-class destination it is recognised as today. She then went on to establish Rātā and co-found Madam Woo and Hawker & Roll, expanding the family of restaurants to multiple locations across the country.

Fleur has spent her career building restaurants and brands that feel welcoming, generous and quietly confident. She has held her own in an industry that hasn’t always made space for women, yet she has done so without seeking the spotlight. Many people have experienced her influence without realising it was hers.

This next chapter of Rātā reflects Fleur’s ongoing commitment to Tāhuna Queenstown – to its food culture, its people, and the belief that hospitality, at its best, is deeply human.


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