If owner and head chef Kyle Street is guilty of anything, it’s of being a champion, rather than the vision conjured by the restaurant name. The evidence lies in this upstairs, loft-style site which is a comforting study in excellence. It starts with the service which is a high point in attention and knowledge throughout. This is a restaurant that would be well worth visiting four times a year, or more, at each change of season as the menu truly reflects the shift in ingredients on hand in the local market. For an absolute ripper of a way to begin a meal, try the shiitake milk buns with sensational fermented Kumeū mushroom butter. Kyle sure knows how to lift the ordinary to the extraordinary. We note some really innovative presentation here and flavours which are thoughtfully teased and not overworked. Culprit makes for fun dining with a group or a slick meal for two in the heart of the city, and certainly delivers big bang for buck with regard to quality. Congratulations to team Culprit for taking home the Cuisine Good Food Award 2023/2024 for Greenstone Creek Metropolitan Restaurant of the Year.