The Cuisine Good Food Guide Awards For 2026 Have Been Announced, Here’s All The Winners

For over 22 years, the Cuisine Good Food Guide has been celebrating the very best of New Zealand's hospitality scene. This homegrown guide travels all the nooks and crannies of Aotearoa to find our finest restaurants, and the Good Food Guide hats system, ranging from one hat to three, has become synoynmous with quality dining in NZ. 

Following the launch of the Michelin Guide in New Zealand in June, this year's Good Food Guide feels more important than ever. While awards like Michelin help take our food to the world (and bring the world here to eat it), Cuisine's guide takes things local, getting to the restaurants truly eaten at and celebrated by everyday New Zealanders. Expanding beyond just the four cities acknowledge by Michelin, Cuisine's Good Food Guide travels from Cape Reinga to Bluff in search of the country's best. 

“At a time when international attention is turning towards New Zealand dining, that national
perspective has never felt more important," explains Cuisine owner and editor Kelli Brett. "Michelin’s arrival has shone a welcome spotlight on restaurants in four of our cities, but Aotearoa’s food story stretches much, much further than that. Exceptional hospitality exists throughout all of our regions and small towns."

This years guide recognises a whopping 400 restaurants across New Zealand, from the hills of the Manawatū-Whanganui region to the coastline of Otago, with 110 awarded hats. The category awards, meanwhile, see the country's best restaurant gong go to Essence by Roki in Queenstown, chef of the year awarded to Henry Onesomo from Tala in Auckland, and restaurant personality of the year to Lisa Levy of Inati in Christchurch. Here, we've got the inside line on all the restaurants to win one, two or three hats, alongside all the category award winners. Make this your 2026 hit list. 

Read on for the full list of winners at the 2026 Cuisine Good Food Guide awards. 

Special Awards

Restaurant Of The Year: Essence By Roki, Queenstown

Chef Of The Year: Henry Onesemo, Tala, Auckland

Metropolitan Restaurant Of The Year: Parro, Auckland

Regional Restaurant Of The Year: Arc, Wānaka

Specialist Restaurant Of The Year: Alma, Auckland

Casual Restaurant Of The Year: Margot, Wellington

Hotel Restaurant Of The Year: Bistro Saine, Hotel Indigo, Auckland

Restaurant Personality Of The Year: Lisa Levy, Inati, Christchurch

Innovation & Design Award: Conor Mertens, Elephant Hill, Hawke’s Bay

Sommelier & Wine Experience Of The Year: Mo Koski, Apéro, Auckland

Drinks List Of The Year: Bar Magda, Auckland

Long Term Player: Ortega Fish Shack, Wellington

Outstanding Dessert Experience: Plabita Florence, Forest, Auckland

Luxury Lodge Chef Of The Year: Taylor Cullen, Sugarloaf at Flockhill, Canterbury

New Restaurant Of The Year: Return, Auckland

Rising Talent: Pier Italiano, Toast & Oak, Queenstown

Champion For Change: Tony Stewart, Shared Table, Fair Food, Auckland

Global Champion: Toby Archibald, Quarter Acre, Dallas, Texas, USA

Legend Award: Rex Morgan, Wellington

Three Hats

Ahi, Auckland

Cocoro, Auckland

Craggy Range Restaurant, Havelock North

Essence By Roki, Queenstown

Paris Butter, Auckland

Tala, Auckland

Two Hats

Alma, Auckland

Aosta, Arrowtown

Apéro, Auckland

Arbour, Blenheim

Baduzzi, Auckland

Bistro Saine, Auckland

Capitol Restaurant, Wellington

Cazador, Auckland

Culprit, Auckland

Embra Restaurant, Taupō

Forest, Auckland

GOAT, Auckland

Graze, Wellington

Hello Beasty, Auckland

Hillside, Wellington

Inati, Christchurch

Jano Bistro, Wellington

Kazuya Restaurant, Auckland

Kika, Wanaka

Lillius, Auckland

Logan Brown, Wellington

Londo, Christchurch

Mapu, Lyttelton

Metita, Auckland

Mr Morris, Auckland

Onslow, Auckland

Ortega Fish Shack, Wellington

Palate, Cambridge

Prego, Auckland

Return, Auckland

Sherwood, Queenstown

Solera, Mount Maunganui

Soul Bar & Bistro, Auckland

Spiga, Auckland

Sugarloaf at Flockhill, Lake Pearson

Tempero, Auckland

The Bistro, Taupō

The Chefs Table at Blue Duck Station, Ōwhango

The Engine Room, Auckland

The French Café, Auckland

The Green, Hamilton

Toast & Oak, Queenstown

One Hat 

50-50, Wellington

Aarth, Auckland

Advieh, Auckland

Alpino, Cambridge

Arc Wanaka

Aryeh, Auckland

Bar Magda, Auckland

Barulho, Auckland

Bianca, Auckland

Black Barn Bistro, Havelock North

Botswana Butchery, Queenstown

Boulcott Street Bistro, Wellington

Bracu, Auckland

Cardrona Distillery, Wanaka

Cellar 495, Hastings

Cellar Door, Christchurch

Central Fire Station Bistro, Napier

Charley Noble, Wellington

Cucina, Oamaru

Depot, Auckland

Duo, Auckland

Esther, Auckland

Farina, Auckland

Fino, Queenstown

First Mates Last Laugh, Auckland

Floriditas, Wellington

Gatherings, Christchurch

Gemmayze Street, Auckland

Gilt, Auckland

Gravity Cellars, Mahana

Harvest, Blenheim

Highwater, Wellington

Hopgood’s & Co., Nelson

Hugo’s Bistro, Auckland

Jervois Steak House, Queenstown

Koji, Wellington

Lilian, Auckland

Margot, Wellington

Masu by Nic Watt, Auckland

Milenta, Auckland

Miro, Christchurch

Mister D Dining, Napier

Nanam, Auckland

No 7 Balmac, Dunedin

Palliser Kitchen by Norka, Martinborough

Parro, Auckland

Pavilion Bar and Kitchens, Queenstown

Ragtag, Auckland

Restaurant Ari, Hastings

Rothko at Sculptureum, Auckland

Sage at Paroa Bay Winery, Paroa Bay

San Ray, Auckland

Tantalus Estate, Auckland

Terra Restaurant, Paihia

The Butcher Baker, Auckland

The Lodge, Commercial Bay, Auckland

The Runholder, Martinborough

Three Seven Two, Auckland

Tussock Hill, Christchurch

Wallingford Homestead, Wallingford

Wharekauhau Estate, Ocean Beach

White + Wong’s, Viaduct, Auckland

Main Image Credit: Essence By Roki | Supplied