The downtown area in Te Anau is compact, easily explored on foot and full of restaurants.  Our first night there we chose La Toscana Pizzeria for its outdoor seating and tempting menu.  The restaurant also offers free delivery.  Inside, the restaurant is decorated with bottles on the walls.  It has a relaxed, casual feel.  The warm summer night was beckoning, though, and we managed to snag one of their two outside tables.

Ian chose the Venison Pizza, $18NZD.  The thin crust was topped with venison that was unfortunately slightly chewy.  The sauce was sweet and the meat was accompanied by caramelized onions, mushrooms and pine nuts.

Wendy had the Large Pansotti, $19NZD, (medium, $14.50NZD).  This vegetarian option turned out to be a disappointing dish of pumpkin ravioli with basil and parmesan.  It was served al dente, but was surprisingly tasteless.  The Italian tomato sauce it came with just didn’t complement the pasta, either.

There were jars of pre-grated (and very processed) parmesan on the tables.  Not really what you would hope for in an Italian restaurant.  The seating outside would have been very pleasant except that it was unfortunately smoky – really not something we appreciate and definitely not baby-friendly.  To top it off, the food was served warm, but not hot.  Overall, we weren’t impressed and wouldn’t be in a hurry to return.