Restaurant Month is returning to Auckland’s city centre this August. Celebrating the past, present and future is a stellar line-up of world class dining establishments, exciting events and exceptional local talent.
The line-up of dining events comes at a time when the hospitality industry needs customer backing, due to the tough road of Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns contributing to lack of tourists, people working from home, commercial rent increases and difficulty finding staff with borders closed to migrant labour. The event schedule allows for a celebratory time triumphing some of the best the city has to offer.
Every day of August, well-loved dining establishments will be serving up menus at three price points - $25, $40 and $55+ per person. Diners can discover the myriad of city centre eateries through menus especially created for Restaurant Month and experience a mix of academic and industry events, all designed to stimulate discussion, explore tastes, and showcase the potential of food.
The month of great food will include the revival of Parnell’s legendary Antoine’s for a night of nostalgia. Tony Astle’s legendary fine dining French restaurant, nestled in Parnell Village, closed last year after almost five decades serving luxurious foods. Godfather of fine dining, Tony Astle is teaming up with FISH’s Des Harris for a one-off Extraordinary Evenings dinner event. The Restaurant Month event will see the return of Astle’s Confit Duck with Orange and Grand Marnier and Designer Bread and Butter Pudding for one night only.
Tony Astle
Ongoing difficulties, some as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, have seen a growing list of closures throughout the country. Renowned Auckland waterfront restaurant Euro last year closed its doors, citing Covid-19. Euro was known for its long lunches under the watch of celebrity chef Simon Gault. Gault was mentored by Tony Astle.
Great food at a great price is the way to an Aucklanders heart and after the industry was excluded from the Government’s re-activation package for Auckland, which intended to pump 37.5 million into Auckland’s economy through 100,000 discount vouchers for residents to use on certain activities, Restaurant Month is an opportunity for Aucklanders to give back to those restaurateurs still serving brilliance.
At Traffic Light Level Orange, there are no limits on the number of people who can be at a venue, with the exception of those that require a booking, and customers do not have to wear masks.
Other events include Jiwon Do from Wellington’s iconic Hippopotamus collaborating with GT Esther’s celebrity chef Sean Connolly to serve up some spectacular French fare, a sustainable Pacific-inspired seafood feast by Tom Hishon and Uelese Mua of kingi, and a formal Japanese omakase menu by Fred Wong in the revamped Commercial Bay hotspot PONI.
Returning favourite Social Hour is the perfect excuse for a mid-week catch up - with some of the top bars in the city centre plating up their most ‘grammable’ combinations of creative cocktails and beautiful bites and Culprit’s Trolley Dollies are serving drag-inspired food with wine, whisky and margaritas to match.
This year’s line up of enviable events also highlight the calibre of hotel restaurants in the city centre – making it the perfect staycation or time to visit Auckland (especially with borders opening July 31).
Six hotels are hosting events this Restaurant Month - SO/Auckland, Hotel Britomart, QT Auckland, Pullman Auckland, Park Hyatt Auckland, and Hilton Auckland.
