(EXP) — Eat & Drink

Sea, soil, and a strong opinion on coffee.

A small country with deep food culture — Pacific seafood, South Island lamb, Māori kai, and a café scene that rivals anywhere on earth.

(Field notes) — The Edit

New Zealand eats local because the country is small enough that everything is local. Crayfish caught that morning, lamb from a farm two valleys over, vegetables from a market garden you drove past on the way in.

(01)

What to try

Bluff oysters in season (March–August), green-lipped mussels from the Marlborough Sounds, whitebait fritters on the West Coast, hāngī (earth-cooked feast) at a marae or restaurant, paua, kina, and a properly long lunch in wine country.

(02)

The coffee thing

Wellington is the spiritual home of the flat white — the country has more cafés per capita than almost anywhere else, and standards are high. Order a flat white (espresso + microfoam) or long black; don't expect drip coffee.

(03)

Restaurants worth booking

The country's top restaurants are clustered in Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and Napier. Book one or two ahead of arrival; most other meals can be walked into. Lunch is often better value than dinner at the same kitchens.