SCORE: 19/20

Telling the New Zealand food story – and telling it well – is what makes Ben Bayly, Chris Martin and Lucile Fortuna’s brilliance shine. While many restaurants can create singular dishes that are memorable, the menu here has a synergy that transcends the individual to guide the diner on a genuine journey through the cuisine of Aotearoa. Although the food takes centre stage in the inspired hands of executive chef Mike Shatura, the production is backed up beautifully on every level. The service hits just the right note with staff who are knowledgeable, yet with not a whisper of pretension. The wine list is curated to weave into the tale and the breezy backdrop with views over the harbour reflects the essence of the Kiwi dining ethos. A kitchen garden where the team grows its own produce threads a rich sense of local terroir through the menu. Fresh-picked produce aligns with a seasonal geographic feast that stretches from grilled octopus sourced on the Bluff Coast, to red deer wild-shot on the flanks of Tapuae-o-Uenuku, to wood-fired duck breast from Cambridge served with nettle chimichurri and finally desserts such as a pineapple ice block made with Northland sugarcane. A stand-out performer from the start, it only seems to get better.