New Zealand is home to an abundance of delectable flavors and dining experiences, from bustling city restaurants to rustic country eateries – these are some of the best spots for experiencing these delectable treats!
Ahi Auckland fine-dining restaurant stands out with an exquisite set menu featuring modern Kiwi cuisine with French and British culinary techniques. Located in an old worker’s cottage, Ahi’s elegant set menu provides a memorable dining experience.
Arbour
New Zealand has long been renowned as an idyllic travel destination, boasting breathtaking landscapes of towering mountains, winding rivers and epic waterfalls. However, one attraction has quickly become an indispensable stop on any New Zealand itinerary: Hobbiton. Offering an immersive Middle-earth experience just outside Christchurch City Centre.
Arbour is located at the heart of Marlborough wine country and provides an elegant dining experience just 20 minutes from Blenheim. Co-owners Bradley Hornby and Liz Buttimore spent two decades working at five-star hotels and restaurants before opening Arbour in 2015. Their award-winning modern cuisine features local ingredients and is perfectly paired with Marlborough wines for an exceptional dining experience.
Bradley offers rock lobster served with whey veloute and vadouvan oil, along with ricotta dumplings filled with cauliflower, pancetta and black truffle risotto dumplings topped with crispy-thin doughs topped with seasonal toppings and fresh mozzarella from their woodfire ovens. His intimate pizzeria also rekindles our love for crispy-thin doughs topped with seasonal toppings melted to perfection in woodfire ovens.
Inati
Inati, Maori for “to share”, is the perfect name for this sophisticated South Island restaurant. At its center is an open kitchen counter seating 19 with polished brass finishes that serves up food designed for sharing – Chef Simon Levy from Claridge’s and The Warrington London has used these skills to craft imaginative yet delicious cuisine for Inati.
He works closely with local viticulturists and farmers to source only the highest-quality produce, creating an unforgettable dining experience for visitors who return again and again for something different on its ever-evolving menu.
Fine dining doesn’t come cheap, and Inati is no exception. Kirkman, Deobhakta and the Graces are individuals of means: Kirkman is an associate professor at University of Auckland while Deobhakta manages a law firm and the Graces run their own tourism company.
Earl
Earl Bistro has become an institution in Christchurch since opening their small inner-city wine bar and restaurant several years ago (2018), serving locals delicious cocktails and food with ease.
This space is relaxed yet welcoming, featuring light wood and natural materials to lend it a subtle sense of elegance. The open kitchen is truly magical – four chefs working seamlessly alongside one mixologist while the dish washer dances away in the corner to his own beat!
Earl Sweatshirt will return to Australia and New Zealand this October for a series of headline shows. Fresh off releasing his fourth studio album SICK! – which Rolling Stone recently named as his most artistically rewarding work to date – this promises to be an unforgettable event.
Y’a Bon
At 6am, Moise and Andrea of Y’a Bon are busy baking bread and pastries for delivery to 38 Hawke’s Bay cafes, wineries, and restaurants – their business built upon three tenets: simplicity, quality and community.
The couple first captured public imagination when they opened a revamped tearoom in Greytown. Following an enjoyable trip through Provence where they appreciated its emphasis on slow living and good food, they decided to relocate north into Hawke’s Bay.
Queenstown is an idyllic lakeside town and tourist hub dominated by the Remarkables mountains, offering plenty of outdoor adventures from bungee jumping to white water rafting and hiking. Don’t miss Y’a Bon for their delicious fresh baked pastries – their name, a nod to Moise’s Creole roots and meaning “it’s good”, will have your mouth watering!
Bistronomy
Bistronomy offers seasonal ingredients in an intimate yet stylish dining space, and prides itself on not taking itself too seriously. Their chef’s choice menu offers great value at only NZ$75 while the drinks list boasts varietals from nearby Hawkes Bay wine region.
A charming 1880s yellow cottage serves as the restaurant, suggesting a classic French bistro experience; however, its menu is decidedly modern. Dishes include Symphony of Eggplant with creamy Smoky Puree and Glassy “Chips,” or tongue-to-Tail Chicken Ballotine served with two Thigh Strips and Juicy Breast Meat Strips – both are must-try dishes!
New Zealand restaurants boast an extensive variety of cuisine. Roast lamb is one of the country’s signature exports and often served seasoned with rosemary for an irresistibly succulent dining experience. Local wines also make an impressionful statement about New Zealand cuisine; often being paired with seafood at many of New Zealand’s premier eateries.
