Best local spots in Dunedin: Cafes, bars, fashion and more to visit

Big Lizard, Ōtepoti. Photo / Neat Places

For those visiting Ōtepoti Dunedin for the first time, there are certain castles, coastal adventures, and crazy steep streets that you simply can’t skip on your travels. However, once you’ve ticked off the city’s top sights, the rest of your visit should be dedicated to experiencing Dunedin through a local lens.

We’ve peered behind the doors of heritage buildings to see where Dunedinites are filling up on coffee, food, culture, fashion, and more. Needless to say, we’re impressed by the lineup of iconic cafes and bars centred around community, artisans crafting small batch coffee, sourdough, beer, and peanut butter, non-profit art spaces, retailers showcasing locally made garments, and other gems, making this a very neat place to be.

Here are 10 of our favourite destinations to visit and effortlessly blend in with the Dunedin crowd.

1. Big Lizard

22 Vogel St

Big Lizard, Ōtepoti. Photo / Neat Places

A compact and colourful takeaway shop that is dedicated to sandwiches and pastries. From 8am-10am (or sold out), the team roll out a breakfast line-up of croissants, seasonal fruit tarts and basque cheesecake, potato and rosemary focaccia, potato rolls filled with a legendary hashbrown, egg and cheese combo, and much more to be desired. From 10am it’s all about heavenly ingredients layered between two slices of delicious bread baked onsite, be it focaccia, baguette or sourdough. Fillings are fun but never overcomplicated, with timeless classics like ham, butter, pickles, and mustard alongside more adventurous combinations.

2. Woof!

368 Moray Place

Woof! has created a fun, carefree and inclusive space for locals to fill their cup in every sense. Well known for their expert shaking and stirring, the cocktail list demands your attention here, with a different special entering the scene each month. New Zealand craft beers and beautiful wines are also available, and an impressive menu of delicious snacks and small plates means you can stay all night if you like. Grab a seat on the sidewalk or find a cosy pocket amongst the array of plants and eclectic decor inside.

3. Common Ground Espresso

Unit 11/4 Strathallan St

Common Ground Espresso. Photo / Neat Places

If you’re an avid frequenter of Dunedin cafes, there’s a 99.99% chance you’ve already enjoyed a great coffee using Common Ground beans. For a true coffee-roaster-to-coffee-cup experience, we recommend visiting their HQ in South Dunedin. Order a brew at the espresso bar counter, grab a bag of beans for your at-home coffee needs, and catch a glimpse of the team crafting quality small batch roasts.

4. Steamer Basin Brewery & Taproom

No Name Alley

Steamer Basin. Photo / Neat Places

Hidden down No Name Alley, Steamer Basin may not make a song and dance about their taproom location, but you can bet every beer lover in town has sniffed them out. Originally starting out at the farmers’ market, owners Karen and Paul have gone from a Saturday stall to a bustling neighbourhood microbrewery full of patrons (and their dogs) sipping seasonal pints and devouring slices of pizza at communal tables. Steamer’s brewing philosophy celebrates local ingredients, sourcing malt from Canterbury, hops from Nelson, and the best filtered Dunedin water.

5. Blue Oyster

16 Dowling St

The largest contemporary art project space in Otago and Southland, Blue Oyster operates as a non-profit art space for creatives to experiment and showcase their ideas in a supportive environment. There’s a new exhibition to admire every five-six weeks, as well as a full schedule of events for the arts community, including talks, panel discussions, film screenings and workshops. Sign up to the email list on their website to stay in the loop.

6. Company Store

309 George St

Located in a dreamy upstairs space on George St, you’ll find the flagship store of Company of Strangers, a local label founded by Dunedinite Sara Aspinall. Sara’s timeless range of clothing and jewellery is all designed in Dunedin and made with love and care in New Zealand. Alongside the in-house collections, Company Store plays host to other friends in the fashion world, including a thoughtful curation of like-minded New Zealand designers and brands from further afield.

7. Wild Dispensary

401C Princes St Dunedin Access from ‘No Name Alley’

Tucked down Princess St, this natural health company is quietly doing something pretty special, crafting herbal remedies that genuinely reflect the landscape around them. Drawing on local, native and wild New Zealand botanicals, their products are sustainably harvested and grown from the windswept Dunedin coastline through to the dry, rugged mountains of Central Otago. Visiting their store feels less like stepping into a retail space and more like entering a living apothecary, shelves lined with thoughtfully formulated tinctures, balms and tonics that honour the land they come from.

8. His & Hers Friday Shop

10 George St, Port Chalmers

His and Hers Catering Photo / Neat Places

Helmed by the talented duo Mathew Lewis and Sheena Booth, His and Hers Catering is a top pick for catering across the harbour and wider Otago. Luckily for the rest of us, they also operate a pop-up monthly Friday Shop out of their space in Port Chalmers. The menu is stacked with delicious eats: hearty homemade pies, flavour-packed noodles, and nostalgic treats like custard donuts and lamingtons. Grab something to devour on the spot or stock up for later adventures.

9. The Junction

99 Hargest Crescent, St Clair

The Junction, Saint Clair. Photo / Neat Places

Just a couple of blocks from St Clair Beach, this takeaway cafe plays a key role in the community’s weekday schedule. Since opening in early 2023, The Junction has become the neighbourhood’s meeting point for great coffee, fresh kai, and a good natter. The brews are smooth (remember to BYO coffee cup) and the cabinet is chokka with baked goods and fresh sammies. Pop over to the shelf to pick up a loaf of Body of the Year sourdough or a jar of Bay Rd Peanut Butter.

10. Augustines of Portobello

33 Hereweka St, Portobello

Set on lush farmland surrounded by the natural beauty of the Otago Peninsula, Augustines of Portobello is an idyllic culinary retreat just 25 minutes from Dunedin’s city centre. It all started with Augustines of Central, a range of award-winning preserves, jams, and chutneys handmade by Gus (Augustine) Hayden, a local chef who has been showcasing the best of Central Otago produce for over a decade. After moving back to Portobello to work and live on his parents’ farm, Gus and his partner Jana embraced the opportunity to build a permanent home for both their young family and the Augustines brand. At the end of 2024, they opened the Farmstore & Kitchen, a destination inviting guests to reconnect with nature, sample the latest preserves fresh from the source and enjoy fresh, farm-to-table food Friday to Sunday.

This story originally featured on Neat Places.