What were your favorite food experiences in Auckland?
Finally, what was it like to attend the Michelin Guide awards ceremony?
What were your favorite food experiences in Auckland?
SS: Where do I start? The purple kumara taco with smoked butternut squash from Kingi’ s chef menu and the elevated crispy heirloom carrot corndog from Ahi’ s“ New Zealand Story” menu were definitely near the top. The highlight for a unique outing was the Velskov Food Forest, where our host Mamakan guided us through foraging, eating and cooking the landscape in the landscape. We learned about the benefits of not just nourishing our own gut microbiome, but the environment around us. We worked together to prepare a seasonal meal
with native ingredients like mushrooms and edible flowers, alongside Pita, an incredible Māori storyteller and co-host. No trip to Auckland is complete without a ferry ride to Waiheke Island, home to vineyards, beaches, stunning views, little shops and friendly owners, like Timmy Smith, who let us sample her refreshing organic herbal teas. Claire from Ananda Tours joyfully guided us around her home island with expertise. The wine tastings and food pairings at both Casita Miro( their homemade focaccia dipped in paprika-infused olive oil is to die for) and the iconic Mudbrick vineyard were incredible and absolutely gorgeous. To cap off a perfect day, we took a helicopter back to the city with INFLITE Experiences for unbeatable views.
Finally, what was it like to attend the Michelin Guide awards ceremony?
SS: Unbelievable! I was honored to attend and celebrate the country’ s rich food culture. After a year of anonymous inspections, the recipients were announced at the New Zealand International Convention Centre. Overall, 110 restaurants were featured in the inaugural selection: one got two Michelin stars, 14 got one Michelin star, 35 were Bib Gourmand and 60 were Michelin Selected.
Several of the chefs and restaurants we enjoyed during the previous week were honored, including Ortega Fish Shack and Highwater Eatery in Wellington, Kingi and Ahi in downtown Auckland and Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant on Waiheke Island. The afterparty was fun, and to no one’ s surprise, it was packed with creative bites from several of the restaurants that just won. I loved the bright green harakeke tart created by Chef Shaun Clouston of Logan Brown Restaurant and Bar in Wellington. Plus, I got to meet the Michelin Man— he’ s surprisingly handsome in person.
The ceremony was the perfect dessert to a week my palate will never forget. I didn’ t think I could fall in love with New Zealand more that I already had, but I was wrong. I highly recommend using a travel advisor to plan your journey, because they’ ll help you make the most of your time there. You simply don’ t want to miss a thing … but if you do, you’ ll just need to go back— like I do.
Michelin Guide Awards
LUXURY TRAVEL 2026 17