News and Views

Posted by Website Admin on June 20, 2019

Auckland’s top 5 restaurants: Visitors vote!

In April, Auckland’s Metro Magazine announced the winners of the Metro Peugeot Restaurant of the Year Award 2019. Twelve judges fanned out across the city to discretely dine at restaurants on their raydar. 

Pasture, the Supreme Award winner is a six-seat fine diner where you are served by three chefs in an open kitchen. Runner-up Cazador is a family run restaurant serviing Persian and Spanish inspired food down the Mt Roskill end of Dominion Road.
 
Best newcomer is Waiheke’s 372 (named after the island’s area code) on Onetangi beach.
And restauranteur of the year are the Sarawats, owners of Sid Art, Cassia and Sid at the French Cafe.

So we decided to compare the views of the local expert judging panel against what visitors (and locals) think based on Trip Advisor reviews. The results are vastly different.

Here’s the top 5 restaurants according to diners (not judges) for 2019:

Paris Butter, 166 Jervois Road, Herne Bay
Chef Nick Honeyman and his team create innovative French cuisine using locally-sourced New Zealand ingredients. The restaurant’s NZD$110 tasting menu is popular with diners raving about the venison tartare, potato veloute and poached pear dessert. Definitely worth the uber fare from town. 

The Grove, St Patrick’s Square, Wyndham St
Named as one of the top 10 restaurant’s in the world, owner Michael Dearth is riding a wave of success with this fine dining option. Guests mention the knowledgeable wine sommelier, the chef’s exquisite degustation menu (with vegetarian options) and the New York-styled interior offerring pretty views of the city skyline. Popular dishes include the spinach and cashew ravioli and the mushroom brioche.

One Tree Grill, 9 Pah Road, Epsom
This suburban bistro continues to impress diners with its “great food, great staff and great wine.” It’s cozy booths are a perfect foil to a chilly winter’s night. As is the seared scallops, Hereford eye fillet and pork belly with crackling. 

Sid Art, Three Lamps Plaza, Ponsonby Road
A close contender for third spot, Sid Swarawat’s Sid Art serves up Indian-fusion fine dining. Guests describe “a unique experience with smooth attentive service.” Each dish is delicately infused with heavenly spices like coriander or cumin. The restaurant is highly regarded for it’s focus on vegetarian dining with a fabulous range of options.

Kazuya, 193 Symonds Street, Uptown
Top pick last year, Kazuya is a chic, contemporary restaurant offering Japanese-influenced European dishes. Chef Kazuya uses the unique process of slow-roasting meat and also traditional Japanese methods for preparing fish. Guests love the restaurant’s intimacy highlighting dishes like the taro and rosemary infused starter and to finish, the chocolate and salted caramel dessert.

It’s great to see a range of cuisines feature on Trip Advisor’s top 5 restaurants especially as Auckland is one of the most diverse cities in the world. 

We reveal great inner-city restaurants on our Taste Auckland walking tour. Or you can choose to include an optional lunch at the end of our Hello Auckland tour. The city offers an endless array of delicious eats and treats.