Eating out

Seed oil free restaurants in New Zealand

Short answer

15 places in New Zealand are reported to cook without seed oils: 15 cook with animal fats or fruit oils — beef tallow, lard, duck fat, ghee, butter, olive, avocado or coconut oil. Each entry reflects what the venue has been reported to use rather than an inspection, so call ahead before you rely on it.

Cities in New Zealand

Elsewhere in New Zealand

Towns with fewer than 3 venues do not get their own page, so their entries are listed here.

  • Best Cafe

    30 Stuart St, Dunedin, Otago Region

    beef tallow

  • Food for the People

    Taranaki Street Wharf, Te Aro, Wellington

    beef tallowduck fatbutterolive oil

  • Foxton Fish & Chippery Caravan

    Foxton 4814, Foxton, Manawatū-Whanganui

    beef tallow

  • Marina Fisheries

    203A Jackson Street, Wellington, Wellington

    beef tallowlardduck fat

  • Matich’s Fish Shop

    95 Victoria St, Dargaville, Northland Region

    beef tallow

  • Mayfair Fish & Chip Express

    1012 Karamu Road North, Hastings, North Island

    beef tallow

  • Pasta & Cuore

    409 Mount Eden Road, Mount Eden, Auckland

    butterolive oil

  • Pirongia Takeaways

    221 Beechey St, Pirongia, Waikato Region

    beef tallow

  • Stumpys Fish Kawakawa

    Kawakawa 0210, Kawakawa, North Island

    beef tallow

  • The Boat - Café & Bar

    139A Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay, North Island

    beef tallowbutterolive oil

What to ask before you order

A kitchen can change supplier without changing its menu, and a venue that roasts in tallow may still fry in something else. Four questions settle it in about ten seconds:

  • What do you fry in? — the fryer is where the volume is, and it is often a different fat from the grill.
  • Is the dressing or sauce made in house? — bought-in dressings and mayo are almost always canola or soybean.
  • Are the buns or tortillas baked here? — bakery goods are a common hidden source.
  • Do you cook the vegetables in butter or oil? — the answer is frequently a blend.

How to read this list. Each entry reflects what the venue has been reported to cook with. It is not a certification, nobody has inspected these kitchens on your behalf, and menus and suppliers change — treat it as a shortlist to call, not a guarantee. The four questions above are worth asking even when a place is listed here.

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