AUCKLAND

Milford’s Kitchener Road precinct is worth your attention – newcomer Bunty’s has popped up (alongside Tokki) where chef Blake Allnutt offers delicious burgers as well as a sit-up- and-take-notice drinks list. Remuera’s favourite Italian restaurant, Spiga, has a new treat in store with Spiga Pantry offering cheese, charcuterie, handmade pasta and sauces and ready-made meals alongside artisan pantry goodies. Perfect Circle, what a great name for a bagelry – find them at Fenchurch St, Glen Innes. Get to Garnet Rd in Westmere for ‘totally unauthentic’ tacos and more, as pop-up Ragtag moves into its first bricks-and-mortar establishment with Dan Freeman at the helm. Jonathan Yo of Malaysian eatery Sim’s Kitchen in Onehunga has taken a new direction with Beni, an upmarket Japanese dining spot in Fort St. Cyber Toast showcases Korean-style toasties loaded with omelette, cheese, cabbage and secret- recipe pink sauce – go along to Commerce St to try. New-ish spot Squisito offers Mediterranean flavours to the locals of Herne Bay with tastes from Italy to Spain, Portugal to North Africa. New bakeries are popping up all over town just now and this new Ponsonby pretty pink cutie, Manis Bakery is definitely worth a look for the pistachio croissants alone.

TAURANGA

There’s huge excitement in town as Simon Wright (ex French Café and Gather & Roam) takes on the kitchen at Clarence Bistro.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI

Chef Perrin Yates (ex Clarence Bistro) is showing his casual, beachy side with Deckchair Café and Sundowner Bar on the beachfront at the Mount. See more details on this article.

GERALDINE

Congratulations to Joe McKenzie who has become owner-manager of Café Verde after working there as a chef for the past two-and-a-half years.

QUEENSTOWN

From the group behind Little Mez, Margo’s and Little Blackwood comes a new eatery, Odd Saint – grab a seat in the sunny courtyard and order up big from a menu of classic dishes inspired by the worldwide travels of co-owners James Ace, Bert Haines, Matt Tobin and Jamie Orr-Tobin. Queenstown’s Coronation Bathhouse has been reinvented as the Bathhouse Lakefront Restaurant (pictured below) by a team including restaurateur Ben Bayly, local businesswoman Vicki Onions and executive chef Steven Sepsy.