Seasons Restaurant and Bar, a Queenstown family-owned establishment, at Oaks Shores apartment-style hotel on Frankton Rd, was rated the best in an online poll by global accommodation website HotelClub.co.nz.
Seasons was joint favourite with The Lobby Bar, in Skycity Grand Hotel, Auckland and the owners said they were "a bit startled" to hear about the accolade.
New Zealanders Kaylene Beale, restaurant manager, daughter Nahshal Beale, chef, and her partner Joel Ropiha, bar manager, took over Seasons as their own venture from The Oaks Group in June last year.
"I think because we're a family and a team, we work really well," Kaylene Beale said.
"Our attitude is nothing is a problem. If someone has a special diet, I just talk to Nahshal and she prepares something else."
Ms Beale had been the housekeeping and maintenance manager for Oaks Shores and Miss Beale the chef at Lakeside Cafe for three years when the opportunity came up.
"The bar had been closed for four months," Ms Beale said.
"We both resigned from our jobs and we had a week from hand-over to opening and it was a nightmare . . .The hotel paid me to clean it, to hand it over to me."
Ms Beale said the trio had changed the 100-seat restaurant and bar concept from fine-dining to more affordable, family-oriented casual dining for hotel guests and the public.
"Our flyer said it was 'Queenstown's best kept secret' because people didn't know they can come here, park and enjoy indoor and outdoor dining on our four balconies."
Seasons Restaurant and Bar is open seven days a week, with breakfast from 7am, dinner from 6pm and the bar open on demand.
The owners said they were considering theme nights this year, such as jazz and hangi.
