Waiheke Island
Up a winding driveway framed by grapevines, Waiheke's newest vineyard restaurant and tasting room channels an Iberian ambience, but the savvy and diverse…
Must-see restaurants in New Zealand
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Hot in both senses of the word, this super-fashionable restaurant focuses on the fiery cuisine of the Isaan and Lanna regions of northern Thailand. The…
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Coromandel Peninsula
Get pleasantly lost in the Refinery, a spacious showcase of 1960s and 1970s Kiwiana style including a turntable where customers are encouraged to play the…
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Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
No one in Auckland produces creative degustations quite like Sid Sahrawat. It's food as both art and science but, more importantly, food to fire up the…
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Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Around 3km from town adjacent to surf beaches, Rock-It Kitchen combines rustic decor – it's housed in an old woolshed – with the area's best food. New…
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Auckland
Modern Filipino food is the star at Nanam in the North Shore suburb of Takapuna. Dine on innovative updates of traditional Filipino food that made UK chef…
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Fiordland & Southland
Colourful and fun, the Frog is the best dining option in the Catlins, offering craft beer on tap and crowd-pleasing meals, often garnished with flowers…
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Fiordland & Southland
Top-notch nosh is prepared at this friendly restaurant, making use of home-grown veggies, house-made pasta and Stewart Island/Rakiara seafood, such as…
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Amisfield Bistro & Cellar Door
Queenstown & Wanaka
Put yourself in the very capable hands of the kitchen wizards at this stylish vineyard bistro; simply inform the waiters of any dietary restrictions or…
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Queenstown
The sweeter sister of Fergburger bakes all manner of tempting treats – and though most things look tasty with 3am beer goggles on, it withstands the…
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Christchurch
Central Christchurch's new essential destination for travelling foodies is this superb multi-level market combining fresh produce stalls with…
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Queenstown & Wanaka
Everything at this elegant restaurant is designed to be shared, from the cicchetti (Venetian-style bar snacks) to the pasta and substantial secondi (mains…
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Dunedin & Otago
There's a rumble-tumble look about it, but this tin-and-timber fishing hut houses one of the South Island's best – and most popular – seafood restaurants…
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Queenstown & Wanaka
Perhaps the tables are a little tightly packed, and the open kitchen does take up half the space, but we're splitting hairs. This place is uniformly…
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Coromandel Peninsula
Bringing cosmopolitan cool to Coromandel Town, Wharf Road offers the opportunity to ease into another day equipped with excellent coffee, interesting…
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Coromandel Peninsula
Luke’s Kitchen has a rustic surf-shack ambience, cold brews including hyper-local craft beer from Kūaotunu's tiny Blue Fridge Brewery and excellent wood…
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Parnell & Newmarket
Greek cuisine is rare in Auckland, but Gerome's modern interpretation of traditional Hellenic flavours make it one of Auckland's best restaurants…
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City Centre & Britomart
That there are queues outside this boutique ice-cream shop even in the middle of winter says a lot about the magical confections that it conjures up…
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Napier
This long, floorboarded room with its green-tiled bar is the pride and joy of the Napier foodie scene. Hip and slick but not grossly unaffordable, with…
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Bay of Islands
Muted colours give way to sea views at this new upstairs seafood restaurant across from Paihia pier. The seasonal menu is largely seafood focused (who can…
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Wellington
Deservedly ranked among Wellington's best restaurants, Logan Brown oozes class without being overly formal. Its 1920s banking-chamber dining room is a…
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Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Located amid the restored heritage architecture of St Kevin's Arcade, Gemmayze St presents a stylish update on Lebanese cuisine. Mint, orange blossom and…
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Auckland
The Persian heritage of the Lolaiy family combines with game meat and foraged ingredients at Cazador. Decor such as stuffed animal heads is largely…
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Bay of Plenty
The sea air might easily be Mediterranean at this new restaurant that has brought quality Italian cooking to the Mount. All the accents are Italian, from…
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Christchurch
Global influences punctuate the shared plates menu at this recent opening south of the city centre. The honey- and chipotle-fired chicken goes well with…
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Franz Josef Glacier
SnakeBite's flavour-packed meals awaken taste buds after their long slumber through the West Coast's lamb-and-whitebait menus. Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai…
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Christchurch
Mediterranean flavours are presented with flair in Earl's spacious dining room. Combine slow-cooked lamb and smoked yoghurt with a quinoa salad or mix it…
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Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Nikkei cuisine, an exciting blend of Japanese and Peruvian influences, is the focus at Azabu. Amid a dramatic interior enlivened by striking images of…
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Nelson
Step into a dimly lit room imbued with the glamour of old Shanghai and order a Singapore-style cocktail before delving into a menu filled with delectable…
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North Island
Stocked with home-baked goodies (chubby muffins, bagels, pastrami-stuffed baguettes), this bijou deli and wood-fired pizzeria is heaven-sent for the…
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Fiordland & Southland
Large shared tables, a relaxed beachy ambience, and top-notch coffee and smoothies give this cafe its reputation as Southland's best. Delicious counter…
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Christchurch & Canterbury
Famous for miles around and the top-ranking reason to stop in Fairlie, this superb bakery turns out exceptional pies, including the legendary salmon and…
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Waiheke Island
Referencing the first three digits of Waiheke phone numbers, Three Seven Two's oceanfront location includes an outdoor deck and a shaded rear courtyard…
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City Centre & Britomart
Occupying a moodily lit basement, Cassia serves modern Indian food with punch and panache. Start with a pani puri, a bite-sized crispy shell bursting with…
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Taupo
Taupō's coolest cafe is just outside the town centre, filling an old plumbing store over two warren-like levels. Indoor plants drape over warehouse beams…
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Parnell & Newmarket
Pasture is unlike any other dining experience in the city. You'll need to book a few months ahead – the compact space has just two seatings per night and…
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Fiordland & Southland
Part tapas and cocktail bar, part chic fusion eatery, Louie's is a great place to while away an evening snuggled into a sofa or a fireside nook. The…
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The West Coast
To say this hip place is serious about sandwiches is an understatement. Everything's made to order and served on chunky slices of freshly baked bread,…
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Wellington
A Cuba St institution for caffeine-craving rebels, Fidel's cranks out eggs any which way, pizzas, panini and fab salads, along with the city's best…
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Westland Tai Poutini National Park
At the start of the Lake Matheson Track, this cafe does everything right: sharp architecture that maximises mountain views, strong coffee, craft beers and…
