This listing is from 2022, profiles will be updated after the Restaurant of the Year event in mid-October.

There was a time when, and it feels relatively recently, the only sage travel advice you could universally give to anyone was don’t eat in your hotel restaurant – traditionally these places were stagnant pools of mediocrity born of a total lack of interest, spending half its time churning out bland club sandwiches for room service. Feel joy (and/or) jealousy then for the guests at the new Wynyard Quarter Park Hyatt who get to stroll through their lobby and into one of the city’s best new restaurants.

Firstly the space – a still-new feeling, richly coloured with honeyed-wood floors and ceilings with marble surfaces, leather booths, gold detailing and floor-to-ceiling windows facing out into the Viaduct. The open design is a nice change to Auckland’s normally cloistered kitchens, and you can easily imagine weary travellers sitting comfortably to watch the chefs at work (we once spent 10 minutes here watching a cauliflower get flayed and roasted).

The food is made from mostly local ingredients – fresh vegetables and tender meats. The mains are a little finicky so, for once, pay attention when the waiter asks if you’ve dined there before – you need to pick a protein, then a sauce. If you get a little overwhelmed we recommend the Pamu farms venison with truffle béarnaise, and the coastal spring lamb with mint and caper salsa verde. Both came in surprisingly generous portions so don’t overdo it on the starters and try to save room for dessert – the pastry chef, Callum Liddicoat is excellent and it would be a waste of a visit if you didn’t sample his work.

Special mention also to the wine list – it is breathtaking in its scope, with a focus on French wines that makes a nice change from the norm. If you get lost and the sommelier, Suraj, is on, you will be in  good hands.