By Rob McFarland
Seafood diner Kingi is nestled in New Zealand's first 5 Green Star hotel, Britomart.
KINGI
Situated on the ground floor of New Zealand's first 5 Green Star hotel (The Hotel Britomart), Kingi continues the sustainability focus by only buying from independent fishermen/women who harvest their catch ethically or through regenerative farming. So, you might start with plump Waiheke oysters and dry-aged kahawai from Hawke's Bay, then move onto crispy buttermilk blue cod wings from the Chatham Islands. Open from breakfast till late, seven days a week, it's a beautiful and versatile space, with a bar crafted out of a 38,000-year-old slab of swamp kauri and a dazzling chandelier fashioned from 1400 pieces of recycled glass. See kingibritomart.com
AHI
Credit: Manja Wachsmuth
Don't be put off by its incongruous location inside a CBD shopping mall, Ahi delivers an unexpectedly upscale dining experience. Headed up by multi-award-winning TV chef Ben Bayly, the menu is unashamedly Kiwi, showcasing high-quality regional produce, such as wagyu from Canterbury and crayfish from Southland, imaginatively paired with sides like coal-baked beetroot and pickled pikopiko (a native fern). Not only is the food exquisitely presented (you'll take a lot of photos), but it's also served in a lovely, light-flooded space full of native timber with views of Auckland Harbour. See ahirestaurant.co.nz
HOMELAND
Credit: Alex Wallace
After spending more than 30 years wowing diners in the UK, celebrated Kiwi chef Peter Gordon has returned home to do the same in Auckland. Subtitled "The Food Embassy for Aotearoa and the Pacific", Homeland is an all-day restaurant, a cooking school and an outlet for regional produce. It's a bit out of the way, located on the western fringe of the CBD's Wynyard Quarter, but it's worth the detour to see one of the country's best chefs in action. The food is honest and unpretentious, with highlights including Turkish eggs with whipped garlic yoghurt and Gordon's revered three-cheese scones. See homelandnz.com
MR MORRIS
Credit: Anna Kidman
Universally praised (gushed over might be more accurate) since its opening in November 2020, Mr Morris is the brainchild of Kiwi chef Michael Meredith, whose last venture was the award-winning fine-diner Merediths. There's a similar level of playful innovation here (black pudding instead of chocolate in the "pain au black pudding" and duck liver parfait served on a cracker of crispy chicken skin) but it's a more relaxed experience, served in an intimate timber-clad setting in the buzzy nine-block Britomart precinct. Our advice? Order the five-course tasting experience and watch Meredith work his magic in the open kitchen. See mrmorris.nz
ESTHER
Credit: QT Hotels
Once upon a time, a hotel's inhouse restaurant was a venue of last resort. Not anymore. When QT launched its first Auckland property in November 2020, it did so with celebrated chef Sean Connolly (of Adelaide's Sean's Kitchen fame) at the helm of its signature eatery, Esther. An inviting, homely space with an impressive open kitchen (check out the enormous bespoke oven), the restaurant specialises in Mediterranean cuisine made using local produce. Be whisked to a sun-soaked Amalfi patio by linguine with lemon and saffron or to a Cycladic beachside taverna thanks to baked saganaki with honey. See estherrestaurant.com
ONEMATA
Completing the trifecta of notable new hotel restaurants, Onemata is the flagship eatery at Auckland's first Park Hyatt, a striking seven-storey property on the western edge of Viaduct Basin. Like all the restaurants on this list, it aims to showcase NZ's enviable bounty of seasonal produce. Starters range from seared tuna tataki to a rich paua risotto but the real showstoppers are the steaks, which are cooked to perfection in the kitchen's impressive open hearth. While the venue is open all day, it's best experienced at night, when you can savour the food along with mesmerising city skyline views. See onematarestaurant.co.nz
Rob McFarland was a guest of The Hotel Britomart, Park Hyatt Auckland and Auckland Unlimited (aucklandnz.com)
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