1. Bisque on Bolton (Wellington) : Before New Zealanders got proper restaurants, we dined at hotels. These were mostly owned by the two big breweries, who regarded food service as nothing more than a tiresome burden, imposed as a condition of their liquor licences. 2. Ella Café & Lounge (Auckland) : I can’t forget Stella, the very cool little restaurant that occupied this spot on the Ponsonby strip in the late 90s. 3. Red Elephant (Auckland) : Consistency of food and service provide a major incentive to return to any restaurant and my recent visits to Red Elephant have only confirmed its high standing in this regard. 4. Sézn (Christchurch) : Sezn was once two shops in a rather drab suburban shopping strip on the corner of two busy roads. In previous restaurant incarnations it was the Cocoa Club and Trilogy. Chefs have come, been fęted and gone. 5. Speargrass Inn (Alexandra) : The historic Speargrass Hotel near Alexandra in Central Otago has had a new lease of life since Jackie van der Voort and James Russell bought it late last year. 6. The Mulberry (Auckland) : Gastro pub. Such an ugly term. It sounds like a digestive disorder. It was coined in the early 90s when The Eagle in Clerkenwell, London, kicked off the trend of serving decent food in pubs. Good idea; bad name. 7. Tinakori Bistro (Wellington) : As one of the oldest, wealthiest and most conservative suburbs in Wellington, Thorndon basks in all the little culinary luxuries which, as the French would say, make life agreeable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Reviews |Restaurant of the Year Awards  Connection Failure |
