Fifteen New Zealand restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars at the first Michelin Guide New Zealand restaurant awards, held at a ceremony in Auckland. The winning restaurants were in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and the Wānaka-Queenstown region. Michelin stars are important awards that recognise restaurants for very high-quality food and service.
In Auckland, the star winners included Tala, Ahi, Mudbrick, Paris Butter and Tantalus Estate Restaurant. Tala was the only Samoan restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star. Its co-owner and executive chef, Henry Onesemo, said the award was a great honour and showed that Samoan food belongs on the world stage.
Wellington restaurants Jano Bistro, Logan Brown and Ortega Fish Shack also received stars. In Christchurch, Inati and Tussock Hill were recognised. In the Queenstown area, Amisfield, Kika, Rātā and Sherwood received stars, while Essence became the only restaurant in New Zealand to receive two Michelin stars.
More than 30 restaurants also received Bib Gourmand awards for serving excellent food at good value. Hospitality NZ said the awards were an important moment for New Zealand’s hospitality industry. Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said the recognition showed New Zealand has outstanding dining experiences and could encourage more visitors to explore food across the country.
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