Feast on succulent Pacific seafood and exquisite butchery while sipping natural New Zealand wines at this Britomart eatery, led by Lebanese chef Samir Allen who applies his talents learned at Michelin-star European restaurants to local ingredients.
Northern Italian cuisine meets fresh local New Zealand produce at this acclaimed Arrowtown restaurant. Enjoy delicious gnocchi with creme de comte and fermented chilli sauce while sipping from their extensive wine list.
The Grove Restaurant
The Grove Restaurant offers world-class, fine dining experience at Auckland’s city center. Established in 2004, this premier establishment has received widespread acclaim since opening and has won multiple culinary awards – Trip Advisor even named them ninth best restaurant worldwide! This international dining experience is owned and managed by Michael and Annette Dearth from America – two expats now resident in Auckland.
Though famous, The Grove remains warm and welcoming. Its white tablecloths, comfortable chairs and exquisite glassware create an elegant yet inviting ambience; its degustation menu offers 4- or 6-course meals with vegetarian options; while Andrea Martinisi– New Zealand’s premier sommelier– has carefully selected an impressive wine list featuring classic wines from around the globe and New Zealand.
Food at Waitaka Wagyu is equally stunning. Their signature dish of Waitaka Wagyu beef tartare is almost unbelievably tender in its chunky raw form and comes complete with velvety miso creme fraiche and crunchy shallots for the perfect bite. Other impressive offerings include roast fillet of venison with pepper sauce and beets; pike perch poached in potato mousse with sauerkraut extraction; sea bream served on breadcrumb crust featuring candied celeriac and smoked beurre blanc.
Cory Campbell of The Grove uses local suppliers to source high-quality raw ingredients ranging from Trevally celeriac and Ruakaka kingfish to Te Matuku oysters – before turning them into exquisite dishes.
Prego
Prego is Italian for “go ahead”, making it a fitting name for New Zealand’s informal yet welcoming dining culture. From pizza and risotto to succulent steaks, Prego offers something deliciously satisfying at its Ponsonby location.
Fresh meat and seafood is abundant here, while market gardens produce produce not found elsewhere: asparagus, globe artichokes, heirloom tomatoes, silver beet and kumara (a waxiest sweet potato), alongside feigoa, babacos and prince melons. Fresh fruit such as kiwis fruits, strawberries passion fruit blackcurrants are abundant, as are quality apricot orchards such as those in Hawke’s Bay Martinborough or Marlborough where quality orchards exist.
Auckland is a city of many faces: bustling metropolis with some of the world’s finest dining establishments; yet just outside its center are beautiful beaches lapped by surf, or dense forest covering Waitakere Ranges hills.
Foodies will find New Zealand an exciting culinary paradise, home to some of the world’s most talented chefs such as Vaughan Mabee – an interesting combination of wild mountain man who hunts deer on his back porch and classically trained chef who worked at Noma and Martin Berasategui – making his restaurant at the cutting edge of New Zealand cuisine, serving such delicacies as creamed paua from Chatham Islands as well as pork belly prepared in traditional hangi style.
Dante’s Pizzeria Napoletana
Dante’s Pizzeria in Brisbane was the first pizzeria in Australia to receive certification by Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana and offers modern Italian dining. Their owner hails from Washington’s multi-starred Oval Room and Michelin-starred Jean Georges restaurants; making a name for himself using wood-fired ovens to craft authentic Naples pizza. Along with pizza, Dante’s offers pasta and salad dishes such as Rigatoni with Meatballs which features grooves which help it absorb tomato sauce adding sweetness into every forkful.
Auckland (locally known as Tamaki Makaurau), New Zealand’s capital city, boasts some of the country’s best dining and shopping, while its landscapes reflect nature’s presence: beaches pounded by waves; Moeraki Bay’s rustic building overlooking Kapiti Island hosts Fleur Sullivan’s celebrated seafood cuisine;
Azabu Restaurant and Lounge can be found along the Ponsonby Road eating and drinking strip of Auckland city, featuring large format photos of Tokyo while its emphasis is on Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine from its kitchen. Standout dishes include tuna sashimi tostadas with fiery wasabi mayonnaise, and tiger prawn tacos; its wine list focuses on Pacific islands wines produced locally by pioneering Maori winemakers.
The Sherwood
The Sherwood Eco Hotel and Wellness Retreat is situated in a garden overlooking Lake Wakatipu and can be easily reached via drive or scenic walk from Queenstown’s CBD and Remarkable Mountain Range. Amenities at the hotel include lounge bar, free self-parking and full service spa that serves breakfast lunch and dinner as well as sauna facilities for relaxation after hiking, biking and skiing activities.
Sherwood’s founders include restaurateur Sam Chapman (co-owner of Wellington’s Matterhorn and Golden Dawn), developer Stephen Marr and eco-property developer Adam Smith. Attracted by Frankton’s location – less than five minutes’ drive from Queenstown Airport and 10 minutes walk to lake shore – these innovators chose the Sherwood, offering various accommodation options, such as rooms with balcony access offering breathtaking lakeside views.
Rooms at this hotel feature commissioned artwork, pure wool blankets and industrial light fittings. For organic tea and coffee as well as natural local wine, craft beer and rare spirits in its minibar. Plus guests can dine in its restaurant which uses ingredients grown right on site!
The Sherwood’s dining room is low-slung and black-clad, boasting stunning lakeside views. This cozy space has plenty of booths and nooks for sitting or lounging around with dark brown sheepskins strewn across chairs for soft seating, plates by Wairarapa ceramicist Paul Melser’s work and plates from Wairarapa ceramicist Tom McClellan’s workshop. While most dishes showcase regional flavours, like tender grilled octopus with saffron and kumara or comforting skate wings with kohlrabi and leek schnitzel.
