Best restaurants revealed
One hundred restaurants across the country are celebrating as they find their names on the list of finalists for the Cuisine Good Food Awards, announced today.
Cuisine editor Kelli Brett says they deserve to enjoy their success.
‘‘Making [the finals] is wonderful.
‘‘It’s a celebration of their incredible work and ability to shine in a really, really tough and highly competitive industry.’’
The awards’ chief judge, Kerry Tyack, says most interesting to him was a change he saw in the differences between metropolitan and regional restaurants.
‘‘What we typically see on offer in urban areas we are now seeing appear in regional areas. Travelling Kiwis don’t all just come home to the cities, they go to the regions and they are demanding more variety. Restaurants are popping up to meet that demand,’’ he says.
‘‘Whereas the trends used to be led by the urban restaurants, now the regional restaurants are much more in tune with what is going on and are adopting them.’’
Brett agrees that regional restaurants ‘‘are stepping up’’, and the spread in the 2017 list underlines that.
Judging has been under way around the country for months. The judges have narrowed these finalists down to 100; the next step will be the awarding of ‘‘hats’’ (a rating system of 1, 2 or 3) and, at an awards dinner in early August, announcing Cuisine’s verdict on the industry’s very best individuals and businesses.
THE TOP 100 FOR 2017 Northland
Duke of Marlborough, Quay; Apero, Amano, Artwok, Augustus Bistro, Azabu, Baduzzi, Beirut, Bracu, Cassia, Cazador, Cibo, Coco’s Cantina, Clooney, Cocoro, Culprit, Depot, Euro, Gemmayze Street, Gusto at the Grand, Hallertau, Harbourside, Ima, Kazuya, Masu, Merediths, O’connell Street Bistro, Orphans Kitchen, Pasta e Cuore, Pasture, Phil’s Kitchen, Ponsonby Road Bistro, Saan, Sidart, Soul Bar & Bistro, The Engine Room, The French Cafe, The Grill by Sean Connolly, The Grove, The Sugar Club, True Food & Yoga, White + Wong’s; Poderi Crisci, The Shed at Te Motu, Tantalus Estate; Alpha Street Kitchen & Bar, Chimchooree, Crudo, Hayes Common, Palate, Victoria Street Bistro; The Bistro, The
Waiheke Island Taupo Auckland Waikato
Brantry;
Macau; Bistronomy, Pacifica, Elephant Hill, Malo, Te Awa Winery Restaurant, Terroir;
Social Kitchen; Pinocchio; Amaygen; Capitol, Chameleon, Charley Noble, Field & Green, Hillside Kitchen & Cellar, Hippopotamus, Jano, Logan Brown, Noble Rot, Ortega Fish Shack, Shepherd, WBC, Whitebait;
Hopgood’s Restaurant, Urban Oyster Bar & Eatery;
Arbour; Black Estate, Chillingworth Road, Gatherings, King of Snake, Pegasus Bay, Roots, Saggio di Vino, Twenty Seven Steps; Fleurs Place, Riverstone Kitchen;
Amisfield, Botswana Butchery, Fishbone, Kika, Madam Woo, Rata, Sherwood; Bracken, No 7 Balmac, Two Chefs Bistro.
Bay of Plenty Hawke’s Bay
Taranaki Nelson
Marlborough Canterbury North Otago Central Otago
Wairarapa Manawatu Wellington
Dunedin