Roxy

Of all the smart new restaurants opened in Auckland in the past year, Roxy leads the pack. The fitout is industrial chic, with a two-storey atrium-style feel, all exposed brick and concrete and steel, the space beautifully filled with more than 100 little lights. The service, led by the impeccably graceful Gary Olasz, combines old-world skills and charm with enormous enthusiasm for New Zealand food and wine.

And the food, in the hands of Sean Marshall (formerly of Matterhorn in Wellington), is full of inventive, succulent delights. Marshall handles molecular elements with aplomb, but they’re an entertaining sideshow to his main concern, which is the creation of glorious flavour combinations: razorback pig with celeriac, wild greens, apple and gingerbread; rabbit with carrot and cardamom, native celery, shiitake, sherry and barley. Simply delightful. As for his “fish soup”, our Best Dish winner, it’s a revelation.

A favourite dish: “Fish soup”.
$$$$$  |  D  |  V  |  FR  |  C  |  G  |  B  |  BM  |  GB      what’s this?

WINNER
Best Dish
FINALIST
Best Drinks List
FINALIST
Restaurant Personality of the Year: Gary Olasz