As its name suggests, Noble Rot is big on wine. The restaurant happens to have one of the biggest and most drinkable selections in the country, with 500 wines on offer, 80 of those by the glass. This is overseen by sommelier Maciej Zimny who has relationships with wineries across New Zealand and is able to access small-vintage productions. He is also well versed to offer advice on wine-matching to meals, a necessary skill when at a restaurant that arguably designs the food menus around the wine rather than the reverse. Duck, venison, eye fillet and lamb are among some of the meats featured as mains – full-bodied fare to match the wines. Accompaniments are another excellent feature of the menu where charcuterie meats and chicken-liver parfait are served with pickled root vegetables and breads.

IN BRIEF A wine list of merit in a buzzy, exciting atmosphere