Situated on Auckland’s luxurious Waiheke Island, Tantalus Estate has built a coveted reputation as one of the region’s top dining destinations, surrounded by lush vineyards and spectacular views.
Luke Parker, General Manager of Tantalus Estate, said it was an extraordinary honour for Tantalus to be recognised among the first restaurants in New Zealand to be awarded a Michelin Star. He said there was a great deal of pride, but also a sense of responsibility.
For Tantalus, the star has represented far more than what happens in the Kitchen, and Parker said it belonged to the entire team as it reflected years of care, consistency and belief in what Tantalus could become. While the estate was proud of what has been achieved, it is also viewed as an encouragement to keep questioning, refining and moving forward.
For Tantalus, the focus has been on creating a restaurant that feels true to its place, which has meant respecting ingredients, understanding where they come from and allowing the character of the Estate and Waiheke Island to guide what it does.
He added that Michelin recognition came as a result of the standards the team has set for itself over many years.
Tantalus is inseparable from the land around it. The restaurant sits within a working vineyard, surrounded by gardens, wetlands, olive trees and native planting.
Parker said that connection has influenced everything from the ingredients selected to the way the menu develops through the seasons. He also highlighted the work of Head Chef Axel Curtet-Latreille.
“Axel’s cooking pushes at the edges of French and New Zealand cuisine. His approach is technically precise, but always led by the ingredient and shaped by where we are,” he said.
“His signature dish is most certainly the pâté en croûte. It is a highly technical and layered traditional French pastry, which he reinterprets each season through different ingredients and flavours. This winter, it is made with pork, veal, venison, cranberries and hazelnuts.”
He added that it’s a dish that speaks clearly to his style; shaped by French technique, but continually evolving through New Zealand produce and the seasons.
“New Zealand cuisine is difficult to define as one particular style, and perhaps that is part of what makes it interesting.”
Parker said New Zealand is a country shaped by the ocean, with an extraordinary range of growing conditions and a strong connection to the land. New Zealand’s ingredients carry a very clear sense of where they come from, whether that was seafood from surrounding waters, produce grown throughout the country’s varied landscapes or animals raised on open pasture.
New Zealand chefs have also become increasingly confident in allowing those ingredients and the local brand identity to lead, added Parker. He said there is less need to imitate established European traditions and more confidence in drawing from them while creating something distinctly New Zealand-owned.
Parker believed that the arrival of the Michelin Guide felt timely because the New Zealand dining landscape has reached a level of maturity while still retaining its individuality.
“There is serious work being done here, but it does not feel like a copy of anywhere else.”
Tantalus Estate has been shaped over the past decade with the intention of creating something that belonged naturally within its surroundings.
The restaurant grew from that wider philosophy. It has continued to evolve as the land has matured, the team has developed, and its understanding of the estate has deepened.
Looking ahead, Tantalus Estate is focused on how it can grow more of its own produce on site, expand the Tantalus Estate gardens and allow what is grown there to play an even greater role on the menu.
Parker said that it was simply about reducing the distance between the garden and the kitchen, and would give chefs a closer relationship with the seasons, the soil and the ingredients from the very beginning.
Being awarded a Michelin Star has given the restaurant a renewed energy to keep developing what already makes Tantalus distinctive.
“Everyone, past and present, who has worn an apron, tended the land or worked quietly behind the scenes has contributed to this award,” Parker said.
He added that it reflected the collective care and effort of many people over many years, and the team was incredibly grateful to all of them.
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