Cuisine Magazine announced the winners for this year's restaurant awards. Please excuse the incomplete formatting, I have to get ready for the swanky do tonight, where they are formally announcing the winners. I'll get the website links and contact details for the other restaurants over the next couple of days.
Winners
Supreme Winner
Merediths, Auckland (and Best Smart Dining Metropolitan)
365 Dominion Road
Mt Eden, Auckland
Phone: 09 623 3140
Lunch: Friday 12pm - 3pm
Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday 6.00pm - 10.30pm
“In the last 12 months, Merediths has become one of the country’s most exciting dining experiences,” says Cuisine editor, Sarah Nicholson. “The food is cutting edge without being confusing; on the plate there is colour, contrast and a strong sense of self.” International guest judge Joanna Savill agrees: “Each plate is such fun – full of little buried treasures.”
Best Smart Dining Regional
(brought to you by Vittoria Coffee)
à Deco, Whangarei
70 Kamo Rd
Kensington
Whangarei
Phone: 09 459 4957
Lunch: Fri from 12.00pm
Dinner: Tue – Sat from 6.00pm
“Also the winner of this category in 2010, à Deco continues to deliver a sophisticated and delicious experience. Style and substance really come together here. It’s like embarking on a glorious ocean liner, complete with full art deco trimmings. The flavours are great and it’s unashamedly Kiwi, with touches of nostalgia.”
Best Casual Dining Metropolitan
(brought to you by Sanpellegrino)
Arbitrageur, Wellington
125 Featherston Street,
Central Business District
Wellington 6011
Phone: 04 499 5530
Monday - Friday: open from 12.00pm
Saturday: open from 6.00pm
“Arbitrageur has a buzzy atmosphere and slick surrounds. Dining at its polished copper tables, surrounded by sparkling chandeliers, makes you feel like you’re in a chic European bistro. Chef-owner Chris Green delivers assured, French- and Italian-inspired flavours and the cellar, home to 600-plus offerings, is a definite highlight.”
Best Casual Dining Regional
(brought to you by Electrolux)
First Equal: Riverstone Kitchen, North Otago
1431 State Highway 1
RD 5H
Oamaru
Thursday - Monday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Thursday - Sunday 6.00pm - late
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Phone: 03 431 3505
“Riverstone Kitchen – Supreme Winner of the Cuisine NZ Restaurant of the Year 2010 – continues to impress with its strong sense of place. It’s a cafe by day, casual restaurant by night, delivering well-cooked, unpretentious food paired with superb service. Much use is made of local produce, including a good deal from the restaurant’s own garden.”
Best Casual Dining Regional
(brought to you by Electrolux)
First Equal: Palate, Hamilton
170 Victoria Street (cnr of marlborough st and victoria st. south)
Hamilton
Phone: 07 834 2921
Monday to Saturday: from 6.00pm
Closed Sundays
“Mat McLean produces standout food with a strong commitment to localism (his attention to detail extends to raising his own Wagyu beef). In the six years since he opened Palate, he’s raised the bar for regional dining throughout New Zealand.”
Best Specialist Restaurant
(brought to you by Plumm Glassware)
Cocoro, Auckland
56a Brown St
Ponsonby
Auckland
Phone: 09 360 0927
Open Tuesdays - Saturdays
Lunch: 12.00pm - 2.00pm
Dinner: 5.30pm - 10.00pm
“Chef Makoto Tokuyama fuses Japanese cuisine’s exacting techniques, delicate flavours and exquisite presentation with intrinsically Kiwi ingredients. The chic, intimate dining room is the perfect backdrop, while knowledgeable service (and a killer sake list) rounds out a very rewarding experience.”
Best Winery Restaurant
(brought to you by Whitestone Cheese)
First Equal: Pegasus Bay, Canterbury
Stockgrove Rd
Waipara
RD 2 Amberley 7482
North Canterbury
Phone:03 314 6869
Thursday - Monday 12.00pm - 4.00pm
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
“The setting at Pegasus Bay is one of the finest in the country, whether you’re seated by the dining room’s roaring fire or enjoying al fresco views of the lake. The menu highlights the best of the Canterbury region, perfectly complemented by the winery’s best.”
Best Winery Restaurant
(brought to you by Whitestone Cheese)
First Equal: Black Barn Bistro, Hawke’s Bay
Black Barn Road
RD12 Havelock North
Hawkes Bay
Phone: 06 877 7985
Open for lunches Wednesdays - Sundays from 12.00pm
“There’s a wonderful feeling of being in the heart of the vineyard at this Hawke’s Bay winery restaurant. Grapes trail overhead in the courtyard, while the light-filled dining room boasts wonderful views, and the locally focused food is a highlight.”
Cuisine Restaurant Personality of the Year
(brought to you by Villa Maria Estate)
Jonny Schwass, Christchurch
“After his restaurant was destroyed in the February earthquake, chef Jonny Schwass threw himself into helping his city rebuild. From donating his services to fundraising events throughout the country, to keeping his brand alive through cooking in people’s homes, his commitment and drive made him the standout contender for this award.”
Runners-Up
Best Smart Dining Metropolitan Runner-Up
Ambeli, Wellington
18 Majoribanks Street
Mount Victoria
Wellington
Phone: 04 385 7577
Lunch by reservation only
Tuesday-Friday: 11.30am - 2.00pm
Dinner
Monday - Friday: 6.00pm - 12.00am
Saturday: 6.00pm - 3.00am
Sunday: 6.00pm - 11.00pm
“Owner Shae Moleta’s passion shines through in every detail of Ambeli. His wit, vivacity and superb wine knowledge are backed up by chef Josh Evans’ inventive and appealing menu.”
Best Smart Dining Regional Runner-Up
Boutereys Bar & Restaurant, Nelson
251 Queen Street
Richmond
Nelson
Phone: 03 544 1114
Tuesday - Saturday: from 4pm
Closed Sundays, Mondays and public holidays
“Matt Bouterey sends his chefs out to local farms to harvest the produce for his restaurant and his team makes as much as possible in-house. The smart menu is a showcase of the Nelson region’s best.”
Best Casual Dining Metropolitan Runner-Up
Ponsonby Road Bistro, Auckland
165 Ponsonby Road
Ponsonby
Auckland
Phone: 09 360 1611
Monday to Friday: from 12.00pm
Saturday: from 5.30pm
“Ponsonby Rd’s chicest eatery, this eponymous bistro is sophisticated, buzzy and welcoming, with great food and polished service. It will keep you coming back.”