The New Zealand cuisine is of recognised quality, built on exceptionally fresh products: pasture lamb and beef (the country has more sheep than inhabitants — around 25 million sheep for 5.2 million New Zealanders), exceptional seafood (Bluff oysters, green-lipped mussels, paua, crayfish), world-class wines (Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Central Otago Pinot Noir), quality dairy (the country is the world's 6th milk producer). Modern cuisine draws on Māori, British, Polynesian and Asian heritages to offer an original Pacific fusion cuisine.
Essential dishes: hāngi (traditional Māori festive steam-cooking in an earth oven with stones heated over fire — meat, root vegetables, must-try in Rotorua at a cultural evening), the lamb roast (Sunday roast lamb, signature British dish), the whitebait fritters (omelettes with small seasonal fish from the West Coast), fish & chips (ubiquitous, local fish — snapper, terakihi, blue cod), the pavlova (giant meringue topped with whipped cream and fruit — origin disputed with Australia, but New Zealanders claim invention in 1929), the lamington (sponge cube coated in chocolate and coconut), hokey pokey ice cream (vanilla ice cream with caramel chunks — absolute national flavour, try at Tip Top), meat pies (national snack available in supermarkets at NZD 4-7).
Local fruits and produce: kiwifruit (national fruit since the 1960s, exported massively, in season May to September), feijoa (oval green fruit with fragrant flesh, in season March-May), manuka honey (honey from manuka flowers, recognised antibacterial properties, high prices — NZD 20-100 per jar), abalones (paua) (iridescent shellfish from rocky coasts), crayfish (local lobsters, Kaikoura specialty).
New Zealand wines are the country's pride. Marlborough (South Island, around Blenheim and Renwick) produces the world's most recognised Sauvignon Blanc — the 1980s invention of the 'Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc' style (Cloudy Bay, Dog Point, Greywacke, Allan Scott) revolutionised the global market. Central Otago (around Queenstown and Wanaka) has become one of the world's great Pinot Noir regions (Felton Road, Mount Difficulty, Rippon, Akarua) — dry continental climate, schist soils, among the most southerly vineyards on Earth. Other regions: Hawkes Bay (Chardonnay, Syrah, Bordeaux blend), Martinborough near Wellington (Pinot Noir), Waiheke Island near Auckland (boutique vineyards, wine tourism experiences). Cellar tastings: NZD 5-15 for 5-6 wines, often refunded on purchase.
The coffee and brunch scene is exceptional. Wellington is considered one of the best coffee cities in the world — the flat white (extended espresso with micro-foam milk, of New Zealand origin according to local legend) is served everywhere. Iconic Wellington cafes: Customs, Flight Coffee, Memphis Belle. In Auckland: Atomic, Allpress, Coffee Supreme. Brunch (avocado toast, eggs benedict, French toast) is the Sunday social institution.
Craft beers have multiplied: Garage Project (Wellington), Yeastie Boys, Tuatara, Panhead, Emerson's (Dunedin). Expect NZD 9-13 per pint in a pub. New Zealand whisky (notably Cardrona Distillery near Wanaka) is emerging as quality production. On restaurant pricing: coffee/brunch NZD 15-25/person, casual lunch NZD 20-35, restaurant dinner NZD 50-90, fine dining NZD 100-200 (Wellington: Logan Brown, Hippopotamus; Queenstown: Rātā by Josh Emett, Sherwood; Auckland: Cassia, Sid at The French Cafe).
Read also
- North Island — Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua, Hobbiton: the populated, geothermal and cultural half.
- South Island — Queenstown, Milford Sound, Aoraki/Mt Cook, Christchurch: the wild, alpine half.
- Wellington and the southern North Island — The capital, Te Papa Museum, Cuba Street, Martinborough wines and the southern coast.
- Queenstown — World capital of adrenaline: bungee jumping (invented in 1988), jet boat, skydive.
- Milford Sound — The iconic fjord of Fiordland National Park, UNESCO-listed, a must-do cruise.