Restaurant Month Returns To Auckland’s City Centre

Restaurant Month returns to Auckland’s city centre: over 100 special menus and events celebrating the past, present and future of dining

Foodies mark your calendars - between 1-31 August, Restaurant Month in the Heart of the City 2022 will showcase the world-class dining on offer throughout Auckland’s city centre.

Every day of August, well-loved dining establishments and well-kept local secrets will be serving up menus at three price points - $25, $40 and $55+ per person – so diners will be able to discover the myriad of city centre eateries through menus created especially for Restaurant Month.

One-off Extraordinary Evenings will include a night of nostalgia with New Zealand’s Godfather of fine dining Tony Astle who is teaming up with FISH’s Des Harris. While QT Esther’s celebrity chef Sean Connolly and Jiwon Do from Wellington’s iconic Hippopotamus will collaborate to serve up some spectacular French fare.

A ‘Kiwi road trip on a platter’ created by Rob Ede-Hope of Park Hyatt Auckland’s Onemata, a sustainable Pacific-inspired seafood feast by Tom Hishon and Uelese Mua of kingi - Cuisine’s Top Hotel Restaurant 2022 – and a formal Japanese omakase menu by Fred Wong in the revamped Commercial Bay hotspot PONI are a taste of what’s on offer in the 2022 Chef’s Table Series. This annual favourite offers diners a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect with some of the city centre’s top chefs through an evening of food and conversation, gaining an intimate glimpse into the chefs’ personalities, careers, and culinary inspirations. While those who fancy a winter party can check out Fiesta in the Lane, a night of food, wine and live music in Everybody’s and Imperial Lane.

This enviable line up of events also highlights the calibre of hotel restaurants in the city centre. Six hotels are hosting events this Restaurant Month – SO/Auckland, Hotel Britomart, QT Auckland, Pullman Auckland, Park Hyatt Auckland, and Hilton Auckland – so event goers and diners can treat themselves to a staycation in the heart of the city.

Steve Armitage, Heart of the City Interim Chief Executive says:

“Restaurant Month offers an exciting way for people to experience the depth of talent and breadth of cuisine on offer in the heart of the city. It’s also a great opportunity to support and celebrate our hospitality sector. Our dining scene is one of Aucklanders’ favourite things about the city centre, so what better time than Restaurant Month to get a group together and indulge your taste buds.”

People can experience a mix of academic and industry events, all designed to stimulate discussion, explore tastes, and showcase the potential of food, at the AUT Gastronomy & Culinary Winter Series programme, be served drag-inspired fare by Culprit’s Trolley Dollies and experience delicious food and drink matches with not only wine, but whisky and margaritas.

Returning favourites include the perfect excuse for a mid-week catch up- Social Hour, with some of the top bars in the city centre plating up their most ‘grammable’ combinations of creative cocktails and beautiful bites and the heady colours and spice of Bollywood Night at IVillage.

Notes:

More information on Restaurant Month 2022 in the Heart of the City, including a full list of participating restaurants, and all the events will be available from 4 July with all menus available to view from 18 July, https://heartofthecity.co.nz/restaurant-month

Restaurant Month is brought to the city centre by Heart of the City - Auckland’s city centre business association, committed to the growth and success of the city centre as a vibrant, accessible, safe and welcoming urban community. Heart of the City has been bringing Restaurant Month to Auckland’s city centre since 2011.

Lemongrass Productions is the Official Event Manager of Restaurant Month 2022

The event is supported by key event Wine Partner brands Nautilus Estate, St Clair Family Estate, Misha's Vineyard and Smith & Sheth along with water partners Sanpellegrino & Acqua Panna and Social Hour is presented by Federal Merchants & Co.

Access into the city centre has never been cheaper throughout the month of August, with half price public transport and parking starting from $2 per hour.

Restaurant Month Event schedule – overview

Chef’s Table Series:
Chef’s Table at PŌNI with Fred Wong - Wednesday, 3 August, 6pm $140 pp
Chef’s Table at Harbour Society with Marty Kindleysides - Wednesday, 10 August, 6pm $165 pp
Chef’s Table at Onemata with Rob Hope-Ede -Thursday, 11 August, 6pm, $180 pp 
Chef’s Table at kingi with Tom Hishon and Uelese Mua - Wednesday 24 August, 6 pm $175 pp
Chef’s Table at Esther with Sean Connolly - Friday, 26 August, 6pm $150 pp

Extraordinary Evenings:
Esther’s French Fling with Hippopotamus - Wednesday, 24 August, 6.30pm, $205 pp 
MASU Unleashed - Friday 12 August first tour starts at 5.30pm $240 pp 
A Night of Antoine’s with Tony Astle - Wednesday 31 August, 6.30pm $295 pp

Other events:

Fiesta in the Lane – Thursday, 18 August, 6 pm $18 pp 
Bollywood Night at I Village - Saturday, 27 August 2022, 6.30pm $120 pp via iTICKET

Flight of the Dry Aged - Tapestry Dining Pullman Hotel, Wednesday, 10 August 2022 5.30pm, 6.45pm, 8pm, $55 pp. Bookings via tapestrydining@pullmanauckland.co.nz

Margarita Masterclass - Ceviche Bar by Besos Latinos, Every Sunday 7, 14, 21 and 28 August 2022, 3pm – 4.30pm, $85 pp via Eventfinda

AUT Gastronomy & Culinary Winter Series 2022 – various events 16-26 August. Visit - aut.ac.nz/events/winter-series-2022 - to book

Vivace Whisky Dinner - Monday 15 August 2022, 4 courses - $100 per person. Bookings via info@vivacerestaurant.co.nz

Culprit Trolley Dollies #2 - Thursday 25 August, 5.30pm or 8pm (2 hour sitting), $160 pp. Booking via Culprit’s website

Taste of the City – walking food tours with Lincoln’s Table - Tour one: 2-5pm Saturday 6 August, Tour two: 2-5pm Saturday 13 August. Tickets $69 pp. To book go to http://www.lincolnstable.co.nz

© Scoop Media