Queenstown restaurant, Amisfield, has been named in the top 100 restaurants worldwide, the first for any New Zealand restaurant.
Amisfield, the renowned restaurant and winery nestled just outside Queenstown, has been named to the prestigious extended list (No. 99) of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, making it the first New Zealand restaurant ever to be recognised among the world’s culinary elite.
This is a monumental achievement for both Amisfield and the wider Oceania dining scene, celebrating one of the world’s most unique and nature-rooted culinary experiences.
With this latest accolade from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Amisfield has now stepped fully onto the global stage, bringing the wild soul of New Zealand to the attention of the international culinary community. It is a place where crunchy duck beaks meet duck liver ice cream, and where flavours are drawn from indigenous knowledge, Nordic precision, and raw, untamed nature.
From its family-owned beginnings, Amisfield has grown into a destination that unites food, wine, and landscape in a way that is both intimate and expansive.
“This recognition is not the result of a single moment,” said owner John Darby.
“But of decades of quiet progress, of learning from the land, and of building something enduring. It’s a proud moment for everyone who has been part of the Amisfield story.”
That story is told daily by a talented team of chefs, foragers, hunters, winemakers, sommeliers, and storytellers who craft one of the world’s most distinctive fine dining experiences. The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Vaughan Mabee, whose approach is defined by innovation, respect for nature, and a dedication to New Zealand’s wild larder.
Mabee’s team serves a highly seasonal and super local tasting menu, each dish grounded in the local landscape, often incorporating foraged and hunted ingredients that honour indigenous knowledge and New Zealand’s rich food heritage.
“This recognition is about so much more than one restaurant,” said Mabee.
“It’s a win for our whole country, for our producers, our winemakers, our hunters and our stories. We’ve always believed that the bottom of the world has something to say. Now the world is listening.”
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