(EXP) — Eat & Drink
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) — 318 listings
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)
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)
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)
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.
Auckland · Britomart
Wood-fired Italian and in-house bakery.
Wellington · Featherston St
All-day French bistro with a tight NZ-grower wine list.
Auckland · Mt Eden
Long-running family restaurant specialising in wild game.
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