Taste the World

without ever seeing an airport

Over the centuries, the world’s best flavours have deviated towards New Zealand and flourished on our shores.

FRENCH GASTRONOMY

If your favourite dreams are full of French camembert and crème brûlée, turn these fantasies into a reality in Akaroa: New Zealand’s only French-founded town. This sleepy, oceanside nook has French street signs and arguably the best lemon crepes this side of the equator. The Little Bistro serves a mean ratatouille (enough to raise more than one French eyebrow) and the Sweet As Bakery, albeit Kiwi in name, is a French-inspired bakery renowned for its fresh bread and croissants.

Akaroa Butchery

© akaroa.com

ASIAN EXCELLENCE

We all know Asian food is superior in New Zealand, notably because as relatively close ‘neighbours’ (by our standards anyway) Asian flavour has flooded into Aotearoa by osmosis. Tuck into traditional dishes at Wellington’s Taste of Home, a Chinese street-food eatery with home-made noodles stretched on site. Wellington is overflowing with authentic Asian eateries; from hawker food to sushi, a myriad of South East Asian flavours and a Qilin Tea House, your every mealtime could be Asian inspired.

ITALIAN GELATO

Sure, you can eat real Italian gelato at Giapo, an Auckland-based gelateria run by a dynamic Italian duo, but why not go one better and join their make-your-own master class? Made famous by their outlandish ice creams, showcasing selfie sticks, finger puppets and colossal 70-centimetre cones, the masterclass invites guests into the kitchen. Gather a group of friends, decide on the type of ice cream you want to make and get to grips with the tools of the trade, including liquid nitrogen. With try-as-yougo tastings and a unique dining experience once you’re done, it’s both tasty and sociable – just how the Italians like it.

Hot chips & ice cream, Giapo, Auckland

© Giapo

Pani Puri ice cream, Giapo, Auckland

© Giapo

LOUISIANA CRAYFISH

Crayfish dish at Nins Bin, Kaikōura

© ChristchurchNZ

Kaikōura crayfish is not so much a substitute for Louisiana-famed crayfish, it’s a contender. In the Deep South, crawfish boils are a longstanding tradition whereby kilos of the crustacean are poured directly from the boiling pot onto tables covered with potatoes, corn and garlic – no cutlery allowed. In Kaikōura, where the name directly translates to ‘eat crayfish’, the best place to gorge on shellfish is roadside. Iconic coastal shacks such as Nins Bin operates out of a caravan fronting the ocean, while the Seafood BBQ Kiosk straddles Fyffe Quay, with long lines of people queuing for its offerings.

German Beer

In the 1840s, when German settlers were living in Nelson Tasman, they prodded the soil and found that the area was ideal for cultivating hops. Almost a century and a half later, the region remains the only place in New Zealand where hops are commercially grown; earning Nelson its title as ‘Craft Brewing Capital’. Mixing both German and Aotearoa hop plants, the 26 establishments that make up The Nelson Beer Trail litter the landscape from the waterfront to the foothills. Hire a bike and discover a wide range of diverse breweries, many of which are locally owned and family ran.

Beer stack, Marchfest, Nelson

© Steve Hussey Photography

GLOBAL GLUTTONY

Eat Streat in Rotorua does exactly what it says on the tin. A short but lively laneway brimming with a wide range of food and drink venues, the retractable roof and thermally heated footpath allows for year-round alfresco dining. Flavours from around the globe congregate here, including Indian, Italian and Thai, as well as foodies’ faves such as stone grill, steakhouse and your classic all-rounders serving everything from pork belly to burgers. AMERICAN DINERS Once you’ve perused over 100 shiny classic cars inside Hamilton’s number one tourist attraction, the Classics Museum, mosey on down to the on-site Jukebox Diner. This 1950s-themed restaurant features an impressive doorway disguised as a threemetre Wurlitzer Jukebox. Inside, the decor is spot-on, with a black and white check floor, red leather chairs and pictures of rock ‘n’ roll legends such as Elvis. And Betty Boop.

Dining in Rotorua

© Destination Rotorua

AMERICAN DINERS

Once you’ve perused over 100 shiny classic cars inside Hamilton’s number one tourist attraction, the Classics Museum, mosey on down to the on-site Jukebox Diner. This 1950s-themed restaurant features an impressive doorway disguised as a threemetre Wurlitzer Jukebox. Inside, the decor is spot-on, with a black and white check floor, red leather chairs and pictures of rock ‘n’ roll legends such as Elvis. And Betty Boop.