Cuisine NZ Restaurant of the Year Awards 2010
The standard of New Zealand restaurants is going from strength to strength, as shown by the number of finalists in this year’s Cuisine NZ Restaurant of the Year Awards climbing from
40 to 50.
And 26 of the restaurants are first-time finalists, including Barolo at the Langham Auckland, Hawke’s Bay’s Elephant Hill and Black Barn Bistro, Wellington’s Ortega Fish Shack & Bar and Dunedin’s Two Chefs Bistro.
Now in its sixth year, the Cuisine NZ Restaurant of the Year Awards, proudly supported by Mercedes-Benz, is the only national restaurant competition in New Zealand.
Two new categories spice up the 2010 awards: Best Specialist Restaurant recognises excellence in niche dining such as seafood, ethnic and vegetarian; Restaurant Personality of the Year will celebrate spectacular service by an individual.
Cuisine is delighted to announce Kerry Tyack as new head judge. Tyack, also head judge for the Monteith’s Beer & Wild Food Challenge, the New Zealand Sausage Competition and the 2009 Kapiti Chef Collection, has a wealth of experience in food and wine, and is regarded as one of the most experienced food and restaurant judges in the country.
“These are undoubtedly the most important restaurant awards in New Zealand,” Tyack says. “Where some competitions can be won ‘on the day’, this is assessed in the restaurant, over a period of time, by more than 20 of the country’s food and wine experts and a highly respected international judge.
“We have an impressive line-up of finalists. And it’s not just about big-city dining – this year we see a greater number of provincial finalists, with Paihia and Mt Maunganui making the list for the first time in the history of the awards.”
Editor of Cuisine, Sarah Nicholson, says the new award for a restaurant personality is an exciting addition. “Great service, which is unobtrusive, intelligent and efficient, can make or break a dining experience, no matter how good the food is, so we want to acknowledge that.”
Judges will visit each of the final 50 restaurants anonymously in pairs to select eight category winners: Best Smart Dining (metropolitan and regional), Best Casual Dining (metropolitan and regional), Best Neighbourhood Restaurant, Best Specialist Restaurant, Best Winery Restaurant and the Cuisine Restaurant Personality of the Year, plus an overall Supreme Winner.
Returning this year is the month-long “Dining with the Stars” opportunity. During July, 43 finalists will offer specially created, fixed-price menus matched with wines from New Zealand’s most-awarded winery, Villa Maria Estate, silver sponsor for the second year.
Cuisine also welcomes San Pellegrino as the bronze sponsor of the awards.
A full list of finalists is available in the July issue of Cuisine, on sale Monday 28 June.
The winners of the Cuisine NZ Restaurant of the Year 2010 Awards will be announced on 16 August at an exclusive event for the restaurant industry in Auckland. The awards will be profiled in the September issue of Cuisine, on sale from 19 August.
NOTE Last year’s Supreme Winner and winner Best Smart Dining – Metropolitan, Wellington’s Logan Brown, was ineligible this year as co-owner Al Brown is now Cuisine’s senior food writer.
Cuisine NZ Restaurant of the Year Finalists 2010
Please note: * symbol indicates a participant in Dining with the Stars
NORTHLAND
À Deco *
Kamo Rd, Whangarei
2009 finalist
Puretastes Restaurant *
Marsden Rd, Paihia
WAIHEKE ISLAND
Cable Bay Vineyards
Nick Johnstone Drive, Church Bay
AUCKLAND
Barolo *
Langham Hotel, Symonds St, City
Cibo *
St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell
2009 finalist
Clooney *
Sale St, Freemans Bay
Runner-up, Best Smart Dining – Metropolitan, 2009
Delicious *
Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn
2009 finalist
Dine by Peter Gordon *
SkyCity Grand Hotel, City
2009 finalist
Harbourside Seafood Bar & Grill *
Ferry Building, Quay St, City
Merediths *
Dominion Rd, Mt Eden
2009 finalist
Mondial Café & Bar *
Great North Rd, Grey Lynn
O’Connell Street Bistro *
O’Connell St, City
2009 finalist
O’Sarracino *
Mt Eden Rd, Eden Terrace
Ponsonby Road Bistro *
Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby
Prego *
Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby
2009 finalist
Red Elephant *
Khyber Pass Rd, Newmarket
Rocco *
Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby
2009 finalist
Soul Bar & Bistro *
Viaduct Harbour, City
Winner, Best Casual Dining – Metropolitan, 2009
SPQR *
Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby
2009 finalist
The French Café *
Symonds St, City
2009 finalist
The Grove *
St Patrick’s Square, City
2009 finalist
TriBeCa Restaurant & Bar *
George St, Parnell
Two Fifteen Bistro & Wine Bar *
Dominion Rd, Mt Eden
SOUTH AUCKLAND
Bracu Restaurant *
Main Rd, Bombay
HAMILTON
Palate *
Victoria St, Hamilton
2009 finalist
MT MAUNGANUI
Mount Bistro *
Adams Ave, Mt Maunganui
TAUPO
Bistro Lago *
Hilton Lake Taupo, Napier-Taupo Highway
HAWKE’S BAY
Black Barn Bistro
Black Barn Rd, Havelock North
Elephant Hill
Clifton Rd, Te Awanga
Terrôir at Craggy Range
Waimarama Rd, Havelock North
First equal, Best Winery Restaurant, 2009
Vidal Winery Restaurant *
St Aubyn St East, Hastings
2009 finalist
WAIRARAPA
Wendy Campbell’s French Bistro *
Kitchener St, Martinborough
Runner-up, Best Casual Dining – Regional, 2009
WELLINGTON
Ambeli *
Majoribanks St, Mt Victoria
2009 finalist
Bisque on Bolton *
Bolton Hotel, Bolton St, City
Gusto Bistro *
Jackson St, Petone
Martin Bosley’s *
Oriental Parade, City
2009 finalist
Matterhorn *
Cuba St, City
Ortega Fish Shack & Bar *
Majoribanks St, City
Red Ginger *
Tory St, City
NELSON / MARLBOROUGH
Bouterey’s at 251 *
Queen St, Richmond
Winner, Best Smart Dining – Regional, 2009
Hopgood’s Restaurant & Bar *
Trafalgar St, Nelson
Winner, Best Casual Dining – Regional, 2009
Gibb’s Vineyard Restaurant
Jackson’s Rd, Blenheim
CANTERBURY
Pegasus Bay Winery
Stockgrove Rd, Amberley, Waipara
First equal, Best Winery Restaurant, 2009
Pescatore *
The George Hotel, Park Terrace, Christchurch
Restaurant Schwass *
Ferry Rd, Phillipstown, Christchurch
2009 finalist
Saggio di Vino *
Victoria St, Christchurch
Runner-up, Best Casual Dining – Metropolitan, 2009
CENTRAL OTAGO
Botswana Butchery
Marine Parade, Queenstown
2009 finalist
NORTH OTAGO
Riverstone Kitchen *
State Highway 1, 12 km north of Oamaru
DUNEDIN
Plato *
Birch St, City
2009 finalist
Two Chefs Bistro *
Lower Stuart St, City 
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