Exciting times for 50 New Zealand restaurants: this year, 50 finalists have been announced for Cuisine’s NZ Restaurant of the Year Awards. Restaurants have been picked for their superb food, great wine lists and outstanding service.
In 2010 two new categories have been added: Best Specialist Restaurant (for excellence in seafood, ethnic or vegetarian cuisine) and Restaurant Personality of the Year (for brilliant service by an individual). There’s also a new judge. Kerry Tyack – head judge for the Monteith’s Beer & Wild Food Challenge, the New Zealand Sausage Competition and the 2009 Kapiti Chef Collection – is on board.
In the weeks to come judges will visit each of the lucky finalists as secret diners. They’ll look out for delicious food with top-quality ingredients, well-chosen wine lists, presentation, service and atmosphere to select eight category winners: Best Smart Dining and Best Casual Dining (metropolitan and regional), Best Neighbourhood Restaurant, Best Specialist Restaurant, Best Winery Restaurant and the Cuisine Restaurant Personality of the Year, plus an overall Supreme Winner. The winners will be announced on 16 August in Auckland, and the awards will be profiled in the September issue of Cuisine (on sale from 19 August). If you would like to check out the finalists for yourself, here’s a list of the lucky 50:
Northland
À Deco Kamo Road, Whangarei (2009 finalist)
Puretastes Restaurant Marsden Road, Paihia
Waiheke Island
Cable Bay Vineyards Nick Johnstone Drive, Church Bay
Auckland
Barolo Langham Hotel Symonds Street
Cibo St Georges Bay Road, Parnell (2009 finalist)
Clooney Sale Street, Freemans Bay (Runner-up, Best Smart Dining – Metropolitan, 2009)
Delicious Richmond Road, Grey Lynn (2009 finalist)
Dine by Peter Gordon SkyCity Grand Hotel (2009 finalist)
Harbourside Seafood Bar & Grill Ferry Building, Quay Street
Merediths Dominion Road, Mt Eden (2009 finalist)
Mondial Café & Bar Great North Road, Grey Lynn
O’Connell Street Bistro O’Connell Street, (2009 finalist)
O’Sarracino Mt Eden Road, Eden Terrace
Ponsonby Road Bistro Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Prego Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby (2009 finalist)
Red Elephant Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket
Rocco Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby (2009 finalist)
Soul Bar & Bistro Viaduct Harbour (Winner, Best Casual Dining – Metropolitan, 2009)
SPQR Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby (2009 finalist)
The French Café Symonds Street (2009 finalist)
The Grove St Patrick’s Square (2009 finalist)
TriBeCa Restaurant & Bar George Street, Parnell
Two Fifteen Bistro & Wine Bar Dominion Road, Mt Eden
South Auckland
Bracu Restaurant Main Road, Bombay
Hamilton
Palate Victoria Street (2009 finalist)
Mt Maunganui
Mount Bistro Adams Avenue
Taupo
Bistro Lago Hilton Lake Taupo, Napier-Taupo Highway
Hawke's Bay
Black Barn Bistro Black Barn Road, Havelock North
Elephant Hill Clifton Road, Te Awanga
Terrôir at Craggy Range Waimarama Road, Havelock North (First equal, Best Winery Restaurant, 2009)
Vidal Winery Restaurant St Aubyn Street East, Hastings (2009 finalist)
Wairarapa
Wendy Campbell’s French Bistro Kitchener Street, Martinborough (Runner-up, Best Casual Dining – Regional, 2009)
Wellington
Ambeli Majoribanks Street, Mt Victoria (2009 finalist)
Bisque on Bolton Bolton Hotel, Bolton Street
Gusto Bistro Jackson Street, Petone
Martin Bosley’s Oriental Parade (2009 finalist)
Matterhorn Cuba Street
Ortega Fish Shack & Bar Majoribanks Street
Red Ginger Tory Street
Nelson/Marlborough
Bouterey’s at 251 Queen Street, Richmond (Winner, Best Smart Dining – Regional, 2009)
Hopgood’s Restaurant & Bar Trafalgar Street, Nelson (Winner, Best Casual Dining – Regional, 2009)
Gibb’s Vineyard Restaurant Jackson’s Road, Blenheim
Canterbury
Pegasus Bay Winery Stockgrove Road, Amberley, Waipara (First equal, Best Winery Restaurant, 2009)
Pescatore The George Hotel, Park Terrace, Christchurch
Restaurant Schwass Ferry Road, Phillipstown (2009 finalist)
Saggio di Vino Victoria Street, Christchurch (Runner-up, Best Casual Dining – Metropolitan, 2009)
Central Otago
Botswana Butchery Marine Parade, Queenstown (2009 finalist)
North Otago
Riverstone Kitchen State Highway 1, 12 km north of Oamaru
Dunedin
Plato Birch Street (2009 finalist)
Two Chefs Bistro Lower Stuart Street