Country dossier
Restaurants, hotels, bars and wineries across New Zealand in the En Primeur Club guide.
Accolades in New Zealand
Auckland carries the widest spread of serious dining in our guide, with the strongest concentration in Herne Bay, Parnell, Auckland Central, Mount Eden, and Ponsonby.
Herne Bay fine dining with a tasting menu, an exceptional wine program, and sommelier-led service. The restaurant’s French-inspired New Zealand cooking has a Michelin 1 Star (2026), and its La Liste score rose from 85 points in 2025 to 91 in 2026.
Auckland Central wine bar with seasonal small plates, an a la carte format, and an exceptional wine program with sommelier-led service. Apéro Food & Wine holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026), a Star Wine List award, and the Cuisine Good Food Awards Sommelier & Wine Experience of the Year.
Auckland Central fine dining with tasting menu, a la carte, and set menu formats. The restaurant has an exceptional wine program and a Michelin 1 Star (2026), and its La Liste score moved from 85 points in 2025 to 90 in 2026.
Ponsonby Japanese degustation with a tasting menu and a la carte service, a wine list, and a sake program. Chef Makoto Tokuyama's kitchen serves nigiri and sashimi courses. Cocoro holds a Cuisine Good Food Guide 3 Hat (2026).
Wellington has fine dining and a wood-fired steakhouse in Te Aro, a wine bar in Mount Victoria, and a modern European bistro in Wellington CBD.
Te Aro fine dining with set menu and tasting menu formats, a wine list, and a Michelin 1 Star (2026). The room has held its place at the serious end of Wellington dining for over two decades and also carries a 2026 La Liste score of 90 points.
Te Aro wood-fired steakhouse cooking with dry-aged steaks, an a la carte format, and an exceptional wine program. Charley Noble Eatery & Bar holds a Michelin Plate, a Cuisine Good Food Guide 1 Hat, and a Star Wine List award (2026). The drinks list includes craft cocktails, and the restaurant occupies the heritage Huddart Parker Building.
Rosella Wine Bar in Mount Victoria has a wine list and serves dishes inspired by Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African flavors. It holds a Michelin Plate (2026), a Star Wine List award (2026), and a Cuisine Good Food Guide Selection (2026).
Boulcott Street Bistro & Wine Bar in Wellington CBD serves modern European cooking with a set menu and a la carte service. Established in 1991 in a Victorian cottage, it holds a Michelin Plate (2026) and a Star Wine List award (2026). The wine list is weighted toward domestic producers.
Christchurch, Wānaka, Queenstown, and Glenorchy give the South Island a strong mix of wine-led restaurants, natural wine, and lodge dining.
Arts Centre dining with small plates, a la carte, and tasting menu formats, plus an exceptional wine program. It holds a Michelin Plate, a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence (2026), a Star Wine List award, and a World of Fine Wine 3-Star accreditation.
Merivale restaurant cooking with tasting menu, family style, and small plates formats, backed by an exceptional wine program and a natural wine focus. It carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026) and a Star Wine List award.
Kika in Wanaka serves contemporary Kiwi cooking with Italian accents and has a wine list. It holds a Michelin 1 Star (2026). It serves small plates and family style dishes with produce from its kitchen garden.
Frankton dining with a tasting menu and a la carte service, an exceptional wine program, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence (2026). The wine list has 875 selections spanning France, Italy, California, and Oregon. Sommelier Nic Chavez leads the program, and the restaurant also holds a Michelin Plate and a Star Wine List award.
Fidelio Cafe & Wine Bar in Blenheim pours boutique Marlborough wines; Ata Rangi in Martinborough and Greystone Wines in Waipara Valley produce Pinot Noir. Wharekauhau Country Estate in Palliser Bay, Wairarapa serves produce from its gardens and local farms.
Fidelio Cafe & Wine Bar is a Blenheim wine bar housed in the historic Blenheim Railway Station. It pours boutique Marlborough wines and serves tapas-style small plates, with classical music in the room. The bar holds a Star Wine List award (2026).
Martinborough winery with an organic focus and Pinot Noir from the Abel clone, planted on stony terraces. Ata Rangi began with a dairy farmer's move into viticulture and holds a Falstaff Winery 5 Stars award (2026).
Waipara Valley winery with certified organic farming and vineyard-fermented Pinot Noir. Greystone Wines holds a Falstaff Winery 4 Stars award (2026). The estate's limestone-rich vineyards have free-draining soils and a cool-climate growing season.
Palliser Bay, Wairarapa dining with tasting menu, set menu, and prix fixe formats, plus an exceptional wine program. The estate is a working sheep station and holds Relais Chateaux awards in 2025 and 2026. The kitchen uses produce from its own gardens and local farms.
Auckland Central, Herne Bay, Parnell, Te Aro, Mount Victoria, and the CBD in Wellington hold many of the strongest wine-led rooms in our guide. On the South Island, Arts Centre and Merivale in Christchurch, Frankton and Queenstown Hill in Queenstown, and Wānaka Town also stand out for serious lists and tasting-menu dining.
Paris Butter in Herne Bay and Ahi in Auckland Central hold a Michelin 1 Star (2026). Logan Brown in Te Aro and Kika in Wanaka also hold a Michelin star.
Paris Butter in Herne Bay, Ahi in Auckland Central, Cocoro in Ponsonby, and Logan Brown in Te Aro serve tasting menus. Cellar Door Christchurch in Arts Centre and Gatherings in Merivale also offer that format, as do True South Dining Room in Frankton and Wharekauhau Country Estate in Palliser Bay, Wairarapa. Blanket Bay Luxury Lodge in Glenorchy serves a daily-changing degustation using local New Zealand produce.
Cellar Door Christchurch and True South Dining Room hold Wine Spectator awards in our guide. Cellar Door Christchurch in Arts Centre holds a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence (2026). True South Dining Room in Frankton holds that award for 2025 and 2026.
By Emmett Haley · Updated October 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
City atlas
New Zealand
Selected entries from the current guide for New Zealand.
Hastings, New Zealand
The River Lodges offer cottage-style stays within the vineyard itself, placing guests directly inside one of New Zealand's most geologically expressive wine regions. It is a rare combination of serious viticulture and unhurried rural retreat.
Auckland, New Zealand
On Herne Bay's Jervois Road, Paris Butter has built a following that extends well beyond Auckland's inner west. Chef Zennon Wijlens leads a kitchen rooted in New Zealand produce, and the restaurant's trajectory on La Liste, from 85 points in 2025 to 91 in 2026, marks it as one of the country's most closely watched dining rooms. Bookings are competitive; plan well ahead.
Auckland, New Zealand
On Parnell Road, Tala brings Henry Onesemo's cooking to one of Auckland's most established dining corridors. The restaurant earned 91 points in the La Liste Top Restaurants 2026 ranking, placing it among New Zealand's recognised names in contemporary dining. The menu structure and Pacific-influenced approach reflect a kitchen operating with clear editorial intent rather than crowd-pleasing breadth.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Cellar Door Christchurch holds a 3-Star World of Fine Wine accreditation and a Regional Winner title for Australasia, placing it among the South Island's most decorated dining addresses. Located on Hereford Street in the central city, it operates within a post-rebuild Christchurch scene that has become one of New Zealand's most compelling for serious wine-led dining.
Auckland, New Zealand
Ahi sits inside Commercial Bay's waterfront precinct and has earned consecutive La Liste recognition, 85 points in 2025, rising to 90 in 2026, for its Pacific seafood cooking. The menu draws from the surrounding ocean with a sourcing discipline that places it among Auckland's most credible fish-forward restaurants..
Wellington, New Zealand
Situated on Cuba Street in the heart of Te Aro, the restaurant applies a New Zealand culinary framework to fine dining, seasonal produce, Southern Ocean sourcing, and a wine program drawn from the country's most credible regions.
Wellington, New Zealand
The Ortega Fish Shack serves Fresh NZ Seafood Shack cooking in Mount Victoria, with an extensive wine list, craft cocktails, and a 2026 Michelin 1 Star.
Queenstown, New Zealand
A Shotover Street fixture with back-to-back Star Wine List recognition in 2025 and 2026, Toast & Oak sits at the intersection of Queenstown's après-ski culture and a more considered approach to the glass. The wine list earns its credentials in a town better known for craft beer and cocktail bars, making it a reliable address for visitors who want something beyond the standard resort-town pour.
Auckland, New Zealand
The French Café has held a position in La Liste's global top restaurants for consecutive years, scoring 76 points in both 2025 and 2026, a rare consistency for any New Zealand address. Sitting on Symonds Street in Eden Terrace, it represents the serious end of Auckland's fine dining scene, where European technique meets local produce in a format built for deliberate, occasion-driven meals.
Auckland, New Zealand
On Karangahape Road, Apéro occupies a warm, brick-lined space that sits at the serious end of Auckland's wine bar scene. Established by Leslie Hottiaux and Ismo Koski, it has built a reputation as a labour of love rather than a commercial formula. The wine list and atmosphere make it one of the more considered stops on K Road.
Auckland, New Zealand
Cocoro brings precision Japanese cooking to Ponsonby, sitting in Auckland's upper tier of fine dining with consecutive La Liste recognition, 83 points in 2025 and 81 points in 2026. The Brown Street address has become a reference point for Japanese cuisine in New Zealand, drawing a loyal following that books well in advance.
Auckland, New Zealand
Bistro Saine brings the French bistro tradition into Auckland’s dining conversation: casual in format, serious in intent, and judged by rhythm rather than ceremony. With its focus on French bistro cooking rather than tasting-menu theatre, it suits diners looking for a grounded European meal in a city better known internationally for Pacific seafood, Asian kitchens, and wine-country produce.
Auckland, New Zealand
On Dominion Road, one of Auckland's most food-dense corridors, Forest operates in a register that sets it apart from the neighbourhood's largely casual offer. Chef Plabita Florence shapes a dining experience grounded in plant-forward cooking and deliberate pacing, placing it in a conversation with Auckland's more considered contemporary tables rather than the street's quick-service majority.
Wānaka, New Zealand
On Dunmore Street at the heart of Wānaka's compact central strip, Kika operates in a town that wears its alpine proximity as a sourcing advantage. Central Otago lamb, venison, and stone fruit define the region's agricultural identity as much as its celebrated Pinot Noir, and the stronger kitchens here build menus around that supply chain. Kika sits within that tradition, in a town increasingly confident in its own dining register.
Queenstown, New Zealand
True South Dining Room at 377 Frankton Road brings American farm-to-table cooking to Queenstown's fine dining circuit, backed by a wine list of 875 selections spanning France, Italy, California, and Oregon. Recognised with a White Star on Star Wine List, the program is led by sommelier Nic Chavez alongside chef Derek Piva. Lunch and dinner service makes it one of the more accessible options at this level in the region.
Wellington, New Zealand
Charley Noble occupies a character-laden corner of Wellington's Post Office Square, inside the heritage Huddart Parker Building. The kitchen works within a New Zealand ingredient tradition that connects the capital's dining scene to its coastal and agricultural hinterland. For a city that punches hard on food, it sits in the mid-to-upper tier where provenance and produce do most of the talking.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Gatherings sits in Merivale, one of Christchurch's most composed residential dining precincts, operating as a small, warmly run restaurant with a homelike atmosphere that sits apart from the city's larger, more formal venues. The format rewards guests who want proximity to the cooking and a pace that larger rooms rarely allow. For Christchurch diners weighing intimate neighbourhood options, it is a considered choice.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Rātā sits on Ballarat Street in central Queenstown, positioning itself within the tier of New Zealand fine dining that treats local sourcing as structural rather than decorative. It is a reference point for understanding how Queenstown's dining scene has matured beyond its resort-town origins.
Auckland, New Zealand
Dante's Pizzeria by Enis Baçova on Ponsonby Road brings contemporary Neapolitan pizza to Auckland in a relaxed, informal setting. The menu centres on high-crust pizzas in the latest generation of Neapolitan style, backed by a considered beer selection. For Auckland's Italian-leaning dining scene, it functions as one of the suburb's reference points for the form.
Auckland, New Zealand
Cazador in Mount Eden holds a 2-Star Accreditation from the World of Fine Wine London Awards, placing it among New Zealand's most recognised restaurants for ingredient-led cooking. The kitchen's sourcing philosophy draws on wild and farmed produce with a discipline that earns it serious attention beyond Auckland. A reservation is advisable well in advance.
Wellington, New Zealand
Established in 1991, Boulcott Street Bistro occupies a Victorian cottage on the edge of Wellington's CBD, making it one of the city's longest-running dining institutions. The setting, a heritage building set back from the commercial grid, frames a style of New Zealand cooking that draws on local sourcing traditions and a wine list weighted toward domestic producers.
Featherston, New Zealand
Set on a 5,550-acre working sheep station above Palliser Bay, Wharekauhau Country Estate sits in a tier of New Zealand lodge dining where the land is as much a part of the meal as what arrives on the plate. Chef Norka Mella Munoz leads the kitchen with a 4.8/5 member rating across 113 reviews, drawing on New Zealand's pastoral larder in a setting that combines mountain panoramas with direct ocean exposure.
Arrowtown, New Zealand
On Arrowtown's heritage-lined main street, Aosta occupies a position where Central Otago's ingredient culture meets a kitchen format designed around what the region actually produces. The restaurant draws from one of New Zealand's most concentrated fine-food corridors, where stone-fruit orchards, high-country lamb, and pinot noir vineyards sit within an hour's drive. For visitors to the Queenstown Lakes district, it reads as the area's resident serious-dining address.
Wellington, New Zealand
Rosella Wine Bar on Majoribanks Street in Mount Victoria is one of Wellington's recognised wine destinations, holding a 2026 Star Wine List award that places it among New Zealand's stronger wine-focused bar programmes. The Mount Victoria address puts it slightly apart from the central city bar strip, drawing a neighbourhood crowd alongside destination drinkers who come specifically for the list.
New Zealand
Selected entries from the current guide for New Zealand.
Taupo, New Zealand
Huka Lodge has operated on the banks of the Waikato River near Lake Taupō since 1924, growing from a trout-fishing camp into one of New Zealand's most decorated luxury lodges. Ranked #88 on the World's 50 Best Hotels (2025) and included in Tatler's Best Hotels Asia-Pacific 2025, it holds 25 suites across 17 acres, with rates covering a five-course dinner, breakfast, and airport transfers nightly.
Glenorchy, New Zealand
Positioned between the Humboldt mountain range and the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Blanket Bay is one of New Zealand's most architecturally serious lodge hotels, scoring 92.5 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Thirteen rooms, suites, and chalets keep the property deliberately intimate. Rates start from US$1,353 per night, with Queenstown airport approximately 55 kilometres away.
Auckland, New Zealand
A 2025 Michelin Key recipient on Richmond Road in Ponsonby, Hotel Fitzroy selected by Fable sits within Auckland's most design-conscious accommodation tier.
Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand
Bay of Many Coves sits at the end of a 30-minute ferry ride from Picton, accessible only by water or air, with 11 apartment-style rooms oriented toward a private cove in the Marlborough Sounds. At NZD $1,269 per night, it occupies the upper tier of New Zealand's small-footprint wilderness retreats, combining fine dining with direct access to dolphin swimming, kayaking, and some of the country's most celebrated sauvignon blanc country.
Tai Tapu, New Zealand
Otahuna Lodge is a turreted Queen Anne homestead built in 1895, set among heritage gardens twenty-five minutes from Christchurch. Seven suites retain original Victorian architectural detail, carved kauri, stained glass, ornate fireplaces, while the daily-changing four-course degustation draws from estate-grown produce. Rates start from USD 1,503 per night, positioning it among New Zealand's most architecturally serious private lodges.
Te Awanga, New Zealand
Rosewood Cape Kidnappers sits on the clifftop headlands of Hawke's Bay, where 22 suites and a four-bedroom Owner's Cottage look out over the Pacific across a working sheep and cattle station. Ranked among the leading two hotels in New Zealand and Australia by Travel + Leisure and within the top 20 globally by Condé Nast Traveller, it pairs a Tom Doak-designed golf course with wildlife sanctuary access at rates from NZD $2,064 per night.
Matauri Bay, New Zealand
Rosewood Kauri Cliffs sits on a cliffside above the Pacific at the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island, combining a David Harman-designed golf course, three private beaches, and 22 cottage suites across 4,000 acres of farmland. Ranked number one resort in Australia and New Zealand by Travel + Leisure and listed in Condé Nast's Best Resorts 2025, it represents the remote, design-led end of New Zealand luxury lodging.
Omarama, New Zealand
Set in the remote Ahuriri Valley on New Zealand's South Island, The Lindis is an eight-suite lodge that earned 93.5 points in the La Liste Top Hotels 2026 ranking and a place on Tatler Asia-Pacific's Best Hotels 2025 list. Its contemporary architecture reads as a deliberate counterpoint to the surrounding high-country terrain, while the kitchen draws from the property's own gardens and local producers.
Featherston, New Zealand
A 5,550-acre working sheep station above the cliffs of Palliser Bay, Wharekauhau Country Estate is a Relais & Châteaux member rated 94.5 points by La Liste (2026) and 4.8/5 by EP Club guests. Seventeen freestanding cottage suites combine open fireplaces, native New Zealand wool and clay-tile interiors with wide ocean views, while the Hauora Spa draws on Māori healing traditions. Rates begin from US$1,548 per night.
Auckland, New Zealand
Among Auckland's CBD hotels, The Hotel Britomart occupies a different register from the city's international chains. Rated 94 points by La Liste's Top Hotels 2026 and priced from around $251 per night, this 104-room waterfront property makes its case through handmade bricks, salvaged timber, and a seafood-focused all-day restaurant rather than through scale or spectacle.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Rosewood Matakauri occupies a privileged position on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, seven minutes from central Queenstown, with sixteen rooms and suites built around uninterrupted views of The Remarkables and Cecil and Walter peaks. Rated 96.5 points by La Liste in 2026 and named by Travel + Leisure among the leading five lodges in New Zealand and Australia, it belongs to a small tier of high-altitude retreats where the natural setting and interior quality operate at the same register.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Established during the Otago gold rush of the 1860s and occupying a prime lakefront position at 2 Marine Parade, Eichardt's Private Hotel operates at the quieter, more considered end of Queenstown's accommodation spectrum. Five suites in the historic building, supplemented by a penthouse, a self-contained villa, and lakefront apartment suites, place it well outside the resort-hotel tier.
Kaikoura, New Zealand
Positioned above the Kaikoura coast on New Zealand's South Island, Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses earns 92.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking, placing it among a small tier of remote lodge properties that prioritise architectural distinctiveness over resort-scale amenity. The tree house accommodation format, set against the Kaikoura Ranges, belongs to a tradition of high-country wilderness lodging that New Zealand has refined over decades.
Auckland, New Zealand
A four-suite hillside lodge above Owhanake Bay on Waiheke Island, Delamore Lodge earned 92.5 points in the La Liste Top Hotels 2026 ranking. Priced from NZD 1,154 per night, this eight-guest-maximum property pairs Mediterranean-inflected architecture with Maori design references, a full-service spa, and a kitchen that draws on the island's own vineyards and gardens.
Russell, New Zealand
Perched above the Bay of Islands on a 75-acre private estate, Eagles Nest offers four architect-designed villas for a maximum of 22 guests at any one time. The 2025 World Travel Awards named it Oceania's Leading Villa Resort. Access requires a short car ferry crossing to the Russell peninsula, placing it at genuine remove from the Northland mainland.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Roki Collection sits on the edge of Lake Wakatipu in central Queenstown, 15 suites of stacked schist and glass framing glacial water and the Southern Alps beyond. Michelin Selected in 2025, it operates at the quieter, service-intensive end of the town's hotel market, where a jet-black Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a 15,000-bottle wine cellar, and anticipatory logistics handling place it in a different tier from the larger resort properties nearby.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Nine freestanding villas on a private terrace above Lake Wakatipu, minutes from central Queenstown. Azur sits in the smaller, more intimate tier of South Island luxury lodges, where the format, self-contained residences, en-suite breakfast, complimentary town transfers, is designed around the natural setting rather than resort amenities. Views of the Remarkables anchor every villa.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Set within one of Central Otago's oldest vineyards along State Highway 6, Gibbston Valley Lodge and Spa occupies a position that most Queenstown properties cannot replicate: genuine wine country immersion, 24 timber-clad villas, a vinotherapy spa, and BioGro-certified Pinot Noir production, all within reach of the town itself. For travellers who want the high country without sacrificing access, the address does real work.
Auckland, New Zealand
On the waterfront edge of Wynyard Quarter, Park Hyatt Auckland is Auckland's most architecturally considered large-scale luxury hotel, with 195 rooms dressed in New Zealand wool, timber, and custom Māori panels, four dining spaces, a 25-metre infinity pool, and harbour views that frame the Waitematā at every turn. Room rates from NZD $278 place it in the upper tier of the city's hotel market.
Rotorua, New Zealand
On a forested peninsula above Lake Tarawera, with the Tarawera volcano framing the horizon, Solitaire Lodge occupies one of the more geographically singular positions in New Zealand's lodge circuit. Ten rooms, rates from NZ$1,835 per night with breakfast and dinner included, and a kitchen built around local seafood, garden herbs, and North Island produce make this one of the Rotorua region's most self-contained retreats.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Built around a 150-year-old stone homestead on what was once a sheep paddock near Lake Hayes, Stoneridge Estate has taken four decades to reach its current form: ten suites and cottages set against formal gardens and the Remarkables range. A chapel, wine cellar, and outdoor hot tubs complete a property that sits in a distinct tier of New Zealand country-house lodging, priced from NZD $884 per night.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Winner of New Zealand's Leading Boutique Hotel at the 2025 World Travel Awards, The George occupies a calm, art-filled address on Park Terrace opposite Hagley Park. The hotel pairs a considered urban design with a restaurant recognized for progressive New Zealand cooking, and The Residence villa adds a separate award-winning tier for guests seeking added privacy.
Auckland, New Zealand
A 640-room property on Grafton's high ground, Cordis Auckland sits in the upper tier of New Zealand's city hotels, recognised by La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels list with 91 points.
Auckland, New Zealand
On a site that once housed the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, SO/ Auckland occupies a sixteen-story tower in the Britomart district, two minutes from the Waitematā Harbour. The hotel's 130 rooms, rooftop bar, fifteenth-floor restaurant with local dishes by Chef Roy Giam, and underground spa in a former gold vault place it in Auckland's design-led urban tier. La Liste ranked it 91.5 points in its 2026 Top Hotels list.
New Zealand
Selected entries from the current guide for New Zealand.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Cellar Door Christchurch holds a 3-Star World of Fine Wine accreditation and a Regional Winner title for Australasia, placing it among the South Island's most decorated dining addresses. Located on Hereford Street in the central city, it operates within a post-rebuild Christchurch scene that has become one of New Zealand's most compelling for serious wine-led dining.
Queenstown, New Zealand
A Shotover Street fixture with back-to-back Star Wine List recognition in 2025 and 2026, Toast & Oak sits at the intersection of Queenstown's après-ski culture and a more considered approach to the glass. The wine list earns its credentials in a town better known for craft beer and cocktail bars, making it a reliable address for visitors who want something beyond the standard resort-town pour.
Auckland, New Zealand
On Karangahape Road, Apéro occupies a warm, brick-lined space that sits at the serious end of Auckland's wine bar scene. Established by Leslie Hottiaux and Ismo Koski, it has built a reputation as a labour of love rather than a commercial formula. The wine list and atmosphere make it one of the more considered stops on K Road.
Auckland, New Zealand
Opened in June 2024 on Birkenhead's Hinemoa Street, Bon Pinard is a sleek, intimate wine bar that has built a loyal following on Auckland's North Shore. A ten-minute drive from the CBD, it rewards the trip.
Christchurch, New Zealand
A Level 1 Victoria Street address that earned a place on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2010, Bubba's Bar sits at the sharper end of Christchurch's drinking culture. For a city still consolidating its premium hospitality tier, this is one of the more consistent reference points.
Auckland, New Zealand
Tucked below street level on Customs Street in Britomart, Caretaker operates as one of Auckland's most committed underground bar experiences, built around dim lighting, a Sunday jazz program, and bartenders who work to specification rather than from a fixed menu. It belongs to a small tier of city bars where the drink you receive depends entirely on the conversation you have at the counter.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Double Happy on Lichfield Street earned a place on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2009, positioning Christchurch inside a global conversation about serious cocktail craft at a moment when New Zealand's bar scene was still finding its register.
Blenheim, New Zealand
Housed in the historic Blenheim Railway Station on Sinclair Street, Fidelio Café & Wine Bar brings a rustic-modern sensibility to the heart of Marlborough wine country. The setting frames a drinks program that sits naturally alongside the region's serious viticulture scene, making it a reference point for visitors who want a glass in a room with genuine character rather than a tasting room aesthetic.
Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington's most influential cocktail destination since 1963, Matterhorn seamlessly blends European sophistication with local creativity. This well-known venue features an innovative 42-strong cocktail menu, atmospheric design by Allistar Cox, and the well-known Falling Water cocktail that has achieved international recognition across New Zealand's luxury bar scene.
Wellington, New Zealand
Puffin Wine Bar occupies a converted warehouse space at The Intrepid Hotel on Ghuznee Street, positioned at the edge of Wellington's Cuba Street dining corridor. The bar sits inside a building with Cadbury Chocolate heritage, giving it an industrial character that few Te Aro venues can match. It operates as a natural entry point into one of New Zealand's most concentrated dining and drinking precincts.
Wellington, New Zealand
Rosella Wine Bar on Majoribanks Street in Mount Victoria is one of Wellington's recognised wine destinations, holding a 2026 Star Wine List award that places it among New Zealand's stronger wine-focused bar programmes. The Mount Victoria address puts it slightly apart from the central city bar strip, drawing a neighbourhood crowd alongside destination drinkers who come specifically for the list.
Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Tantalus Estate sits on Onetangi Road in the heart of Waiheke Island's wine country, combining estate-grown viticulture with a drinks programme that takes the island's produce seriously. The setting, rolling vines, open-air architecture, and harbour-adjacent light, places it firmly in the premium tier of Waiheke's dining and drinking scene, where the glass in your hand is expected to reflect the land beneath your feet.
Dunedin, New Zealand
The Cellar Dunedin, located at 4 Hanover Street in central Dunedin, holds a 2026 Star Wine List award, placing it among New Zealand's recognised wine-focused venues. In a city where the drinking culture skews toward craft beer and student-oriented bars, a wine-anchored address at this level occupies a distinct position. It is the kind of place that draws those who come to Dunedin specifically for something more considered.
Matakana, New Zealand
On the road toward Leigh, The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room has become one of the Matakana region's most recognisable craft beer destinations. The on-site brewery and relaxed Smoko Room format place it within New Zealand's broader movement toward destination tap rooms where the beer itself drives the visit. It draws both day-trippers from Auckland and locals who treat it as a regular stop on the Matakana Coast circuit.
Auckland, New Zealand
Blue on Franklin fits Auckland’s modern bistro register: produce-led cooking, a city dining rhythm, and a format that works for readers who prefer regional ingredients over ceremony. The appeal is less about spectacle than about how a contemporary New Zealand kitchen can translate coast, pasture, and season into a relaxed urban meal.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Atlas Beer Cafe sits on Steamer Wharf with lake and mountain views that shape the experience as much as the drinks list. The bar occupies a position in Queenstown's craft-focused tier, where the beer selection and waterfront setting draw a cross-section of locals and visitors. It is a reliable anchor point on Beach Street for anyone tracing the town's bar scene.
Dunedin, New Zealand
Emerson's Brewery occupies a deliberate position in Dunedin's drinking culture: a locally rooted craft operation at 70 Anzac Avenue that draws on the city's cool-climate character and long tradition of unpretentious, quality-focused hospitality. For those tracing New Zealand's craft beer arc outside Auckland, Dunedin Central is a logical stop, and Emerson's is a central reference point in that conversation.
Frankton, New Zealand
Good George Dining Hall occupies a converted space on Somerset Street in Frankton, operating within the Good George brewery ecosystem that has made Hamilton a reference point for craft beer in the Waikato. The venue sits at the intersection of brewery dining and neighbourhood hospitality, where the drinks programme carries as much editorial weight as the food. For visitors arriving from Auckland or Rotorua, it functions as a practical and credible first stop in Hamilton's broader drinking scene.
Auckland, New Zealand
On Ponsonby Road's most-trafficked strip, Lime Bar occupies the kind of address where the street does half the work. The bar sits within Auckland's most cocktail-literate neighbourhood, where the competition runs deep and a well-made drink is expected rather than celebrated. That context makes it a useful reference point for anyone mapping the Ponsonby drinking scene.
Auckland, New Zealand
Perch Britomart occupies 23 Galway Street in Auckland's Britomart precinct, one of the city's most concentrated blocks for serious drinking. The bar is positioned within a neighbourhood that has reoriented Auckland's after-dark habits over the past decade, making it a reference point for spirits-forward programming in the central city.
Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland's rooftop drinking scene has matured well beyond sunset sundowners, and Rooftop Restaurant & Bar sits at the more considered end of that shift: an all-day venue built around a Share & Connect concept that pairs food with mixology and live music. The format positions it closer to a program-led social space than a conventional bar, which makes it a different proposition from the city's ground-level wine and cocktail rooms.
Christchurch, New Zealand
On High Street in Christchurch Central, Smash Palace has long held a reputation as one of the city's most characterful drinking spots, occupying a slot in the casual, no-ceremony end of the bar scene. The format leans toward cold beer, direct service, and an atmosphere that reads more neighbourhood institution than polished cocktail bar, a counterweight to the city's glossier post-rebuild venues.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Smiths Craft Beer House on Shotover Street sits at the centre of Queenstown's drinking circuit, offering a focused craft beer format in a town better known for its adventure tourism than its tap selection. The physical setting and range of pours make it a reliable stop for those working through the town's bar scene after a day on the slopes or the lake.
Te Aro, New Zealand
On Courtenay Place, Wellington's most-trafficked bar strip, The Library operates as one of Te Aro's more considered drinking rooms. The name gestures at something quieter than its surroundings suggest, and the cocktail programme reflects that register: measured, reference-heavy, and built for repeat visits rather than first impressions.
New Zealand
Selected entries from the current guide for New Zealand.
Wānaka, New Zealand
Rippon Vineyard sits on the western shore of Lake Wānaka, where schist soils and high-altitude cold nights define some of Central Otago's most site-specific wines. The setting alone draws visitors, but the wine keeps them paying attention.
Hastings, New Zealand
The River Lodges offer cottage-style stays within the vineyard itself, placing guests directly inside one of New Zealand's most geologically expressive wine regions. It is a rare combination of serious viticulture and unhurried rural retreat.
Martinborough, New Zealand
Ata Rangi is one of Martinborough's founding organic estates, established in 1980 and now. The name translates as 'new beginning,' a phrase that has proven accurate: what began as a dairy farmer's pivot to viticulture now sits among the Wairarapa's most respected addresses. The estate's boutique scale and organic credentials place it in a distinct tier within New Zealand fine wine.
Bannockburn, New Zealand
Felton Road Wines belongs to Bannockburn’s severe, high-contrast wine country, where organic and biodynamic farming is part of the regional argument rather than a lifestyle accessory. Its setting in New Zealand’s far southern vineyard belt, framed by mountains and four estate vineyards, makes the land the main subject: altitude, light, dry air, and farming discipline come before cellar theatrics.
Kumeu, New Zealand
The estate is the country's most closely watched address for Burgundian-influenced Chardonnay, drawing visitors who arrive expecting restraint, site-specificity, and a tasting experience calibrated around terroir rather than spectacle.
Blenheim, New Zealand
Cloudy Bay Vineyards sits on Jacksons Road in the heart of Marlborough, where the Wairau Valley's stony soils and intense UV light shaped one of the wine world's most recognisable Sauvignon Blanc addresses.
Rapaura, New Zealand
Wairau River Wines sits on Rapaura Road at the heart of Marlborough's most concentrated stretch of premium viticulture. The estate's position in the Wairau Valley puts terroir expression at the centre of everything poured here, from Sauvignon Blanc to deeper reds shaped by the valley's distinctive alluvial soils and long ripening season.
Waipara, New Zealand
Greystone Wines sits at the heart of North Canterbury's limestone-rich Waipara Valley, where a cool-climate growing season and free-draining soils produce wines of marked precision. For those exploring the region's serious wine identity, Greystone is a logical anchor point.
Wellington, New Zealand
The estate represents a strand of New Zealand viticulture where site and soil drive the conversation, with terroir expression taking precedence over intervention. For travellers combining Wellington's wine country with the city's broader dining scene, Bosman is a serious reference point.
Napier, New Zealand
Positioned on the Te Awanga coastline south of Napier, Elephant Hill operates at the intersection of Hawke's Bay viticulture and produce-driven cooking. The restaurant draws directly from the region's growing reputation for ingredient provenance, placing locally sourced seafood, meat, and vegetables alongside an estate wine list that reflects the same coastal terroir. It belongs to a small tier of New Zealand winery restaurants where the kitchen program is as deliberate as the cellar.
Nevis, New Zealand
Akarua Winery brings Central Otago’s alpine viticulture into a quiet cellar-door format: estate tastings, vineyard views, and a portfolio led by Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, sparkling wine, and dessert styles. The draw is terroir rather than theatre, with a 50-hectare Bannockburn estate, sustainable production philosophy, and a relaxed seated pace suited to visitors who want conversation as much as a glass.
Wānaka, New Zealand
Akitu belongs to the quieter, site-specific side of Wānaka wine: a small Central Otago estate devoted entirely to Pinot Noir, with a 12-hectare vineyard at 380 metres in the Upper Clutha Basin. The draw is not breadth but focus, from estate Pinot Noir to Pinot Noir Blanc, framed by mountain and vineyard views rather than cellar-door theatre.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Alan McCorkindale Limited belongs to the quieter side of Christchurch-area wine travel: a small Waipara Valley producer shaped by limestone soils, cool-climate varieties, and a European-influenced cellar language. The draw is not spectacle but terroir literacy, especially for drinkers interested in Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and sparkling styles from North Canterbury.
Blenheim, New Zealand
Allan Scott Family Winemakers gives Marlborough’s cellar-door culture a relaxed, estate-level expression: family ownership, vineyard views, and a tasting format that suits visitors who want context without ceremony. The draw is the link between the region’s cool nights, sunny days, gravelly soils, and a broad portfolio spanning Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, rosé, and sparkling wine.
Hastings, New Zealand
Alpha Domus Winery is a small, family-owned Hawke’s Bay cellar door in Hastings, working from a certified-organic, single-vineyard estate in the Bridge Pa Triangle. Expect a relaxed tasting format, aviation-themed labels, Bordeaux varieties, Syrah, Chardonnay and aromatic whites, with the land and climate doing more of the talking than cellar-door theatre.
Queenstown, New Zealand
Amisfield Wine is a serious Central Otago stop for travellers who want the region’s Pinot Noir story told through both cellar-door tasting and a polished bistro format. The draw is the estate scale, organic production, Lake Hayes setting, and a kitchen that treats wine pairing as part of the main event rather than an add-on.
Auckland, New Zealand
Ara Wines is a Marlborough-focused producer with an Auckland presence, built around cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Rosé from a single-estate river-terrace site. The draw is not cellar-door theatre but terroir clarity: sustainable farming, a large estate footprint, and a portfolio that includes Ara Zero alcohol-removed wines.
Nelson, New Zealand
Aronui Wines gives Nelson’s Upper Moutere a culturally grounded, site-led expression: Māori-owned, sustainably farmed, and built around single-vineyard wines from Whenua Matua. The appeal is less cellar-door theatre than a clear reading of clay soils, cool-climate aromatics, and a boutique production scale under the Kono Beverages and Tohu Wines umbrella.
Havelock North, New Zealand
Askerne Estate Winery fits the relaxed Hawke’s Bay cellar-door tradition: estate-grown wines, a casual vineyard setting, and a format that works for mixed groups rather than formal collectors only. The Havelock North estate is strongest as a terroir-led stop, with Tuki Tuki Riverbed soils, coastal influence, and a broad portfolio spanning aromatic whites, reds, rosé, sparkling, and dessert wine.
Amberley, New Zealand
Ataahua Wines reads Amberley through Waipara’s terraces: a small family-run estate working with Syrah, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay on clay loam and river-terrace soils. The appeal is less cellar-door spectacle than land literacy, with sustainable farming, a quiet vineyard setting and a portfolio shaped by North Canterbury’s dry, structured wine country.
Blenheim, New Zealand
Auntsfield Estate is a heritage-led Marlborough winery in Blenheim, rooted in an 1873 vineyard and a single-vineyard production model. The draw is not scale or spectacle, but a quiet estate setting where Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Rosé are framed through glacial soils, family stewardship and the region’s early colonial wine history.
Cromwell, New Zealand
Aurum Wines belongs to the quieter, soil-led side of Cromwell wine travel: a small organic estate in Lowburn where Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and rosé are framed by cottage-garden calm rather than cellar-door scale. The draw is terroir expression, with certified organic viticulture, a family-run structure and a private tasting format that suits visitors who want Central Otago explained through vineyard, garden and glass.
Auckland, New Zealand
Babich Wines gives Auckland a grounded expression of New Zealand wine history: family-run, century-old, and tied to Henderson Valley rather than cellar-door spectacle. The appeal is terroir and continuity, with Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Albariño and blends framed by sustainable farming and a retail-shop visit format.
Waikari, New Zealand
Bell Hill Vineyard is a small Waikari wine estate shaped by limestone, close planting and a Burgundian reading of North Canterbury. Its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sit at the serious, allocation-led end of New Zealand wine, with BioGro organic certification, biodynamic farming and a working-vineyard feel rather than cellar-door theatre.
