Te Anau's dining options are modest for a tourist town — there are enough cafes and restaurants on the main strip to eat well, but the choice is limited. Most places cater squarely to the tramping and touring crowd: hearty meals, early opening times, and kitchens that understand that walkers are hungry. The main street along the lakefront has the bulk of the options.
Blue-cod fish and chips is the local staple worth knowing about — Southland's blue cod is some of the best in New Zealand, and a takeaway portion from one of the town's fish and chip shops makes a perfectly adequate meal before or after a long day in Fiordland. For a more formal dinner, book ahead during peak season (December–February) as the better restaurants fill quickly.