Top restaurants in contention for Good Food Awards

Top restaurants in contention for Cuisine NZ Good Food Awards announced

The top 83 restaurants in the running to be named New Zealand’s best have been announced today in the lead-up to the Cuisine New Zealand Good Food Awards, Cuisine magazine’s annual restaurant awards.

In their 12th year, the Cuisine NZ Good Food Awards remain the only national restaurant awards, proudly presented by Vittoria Coffee.

More than 40 of New Zealand’s most talented and dedicated food and drink experts have anonymously assessed restaurants from all over the country. The top 83 contenders are being whittled down to just 12 category winners, including the Restaurant of the Year.

Cuisine magazine’s new editor, Kelli Brett, is impressed with the calibre of talent and innovation.

“It’s great we get to bring together the people responsible for New Zealand’s vibrant and evolving dining-out culture. Being relatively new to New Zealand’s food culture, I’m blown away by the level of skill, creativity and innovation the chefs and restaurateurs show. Narrowing down the top 83 is going to be incredibly difficult."

Restaurants are judged using the Hat System, acknowledged as the benchmark of quality in the New Zealand and Australian hospitality industry. The highest score is three hats, last year achieved by Auckland’s Kazuya, Sidart, The French Café and The Grove. A selection of category winners are also announced each year, with the coveted Restaurant of the Year title awarded to Lyttelton-based Roots in 2015.

This year a new award category has been added – Opawa Wine Best Drinks List – and the Best New Restaurant award has been divided into regional and metropolitan categories: Neighbourly Best New Regional Restaurant and Neat Meat Best New Metropolitan Restaurant. The other categories areSanpellegrino Best Metropolitan Restaurant, Negociants New Zealand Best Wine Experience, Stuff.co.nz Best Regional Restaurant, Monteith’s Best Specialist Restaurant, Whitestone Cheese Best Winery Restaurant, KenwoodRestaurant Personality of the Year, Ora King Salmon Innovation Award, Vittoria Coffee Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year.

Winners will be announced on 8 August 2016 at an awards gala dinner at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The Cuisine New Zealand Good Food Guide includes all 83 contenders and will be available in the September issue ofCuisine magazine.

For an exclusive opportunity to attend the 2016 Cuisine New Zealand Good Food Awards, purchase tickets by visiting cuisinegoodfoodawards.co.nz. Limited tickets are available.

Contenders for Cuisine Good Food Awards 2016:

Northland:
Duke of Marlborough

Auckland:
Apero
Artwok
Baduzzi
Beirut
Bracu
Cassia
Cazador
Cibo
Clooney
Coco's Cantina
Cocoro
Depot
Ebisu
EURO
Farina
Gusto at the Grand
Ima
Kazuya
Masu
Merediths
Non Solo Pizza
Orphans Kitchen
Phil's Kitchen
Ponsonby Road Bistro
Sidart
Soul Bar & Bistro
The Engine Room
The French Cafe
The Grill by Sean Connolly
The Grove
The Sugar Club
The Tasting Shed

Waiheke Island:
Poderi Crisci
The Shed at Te Motu
Te Whau

Waikato:
Alpino
Chim Choo Ree
Ember
Gothenburg
Palate Restaurant
Victoria Street Bistro

Tauranga:
Macau

Hawke’s Bay
Bistronomy
Elephant Hill
Mister D
Pacifica
Te Awa Winery Restaurant
Terroir at Craggy Range
Ten Twenty Four

Taupo:
The Bistro

Palmerston North
Nero

Wellington:
Capitol
Charley Noble
Field and Green
Floriditas Cafe and Restaurant
Havana Bar
Hippopotamus
Jano Bistro
Logan Brown
Ortega Fish Shack
The Larder
WBC
Whitebait

Nelson
Urban Oyster Bar & Eatery

Marlborough:
Herzog

Christchurch:
Black Estate
Chillingworth Road
Freeman's Dining Room
Harlequin Public House
King of Snake
Pegasus Bay
Pescatore
Roots
Town Tonic

Central Otago:
Amisfield
Bistro Gentil
Botswana Butchery
Fishbone
Madam Woo
Rata

Dunedin:
Bracken
No 7 Balmac

Ends

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