If variety is the spice of life, then discerning food lovers could do far worse than a degustation menu.
A culinary term that means to carefully appreciate the taste of something, degustation typically features multiple courses of different types of food, designed to excite the palate and delight the senses. It’s a gastronomic delight – best enjoyed with matching wine.
These are some of New Zealand’s best restaurants offering degustation and tasting menus.
One Tree Grill, Epsom
One Tree Grill’s legendary six-course degustation menu is prepared in-house and updated daily. With three intial courses, a choice of a main and then 2 dessert courses it offers choice as well as impeccable food for $110 per person. You can add 5 matching wines for $59.
The French Café, Symonds Street
Winner of multiple awards including 3 hats from Cuisine magazine’s Good Food Awards this restaurant has a delightful tasting menu that features kingfish ceviche, smoked duck and organic lamb among its highlights. They have a vegetarian version as well. The French Café’s tasting menu costs $155 per person, plus an additional $85 for matching wines.
Cocoro, Ponsonby
Although the degustation’s origins are in France, new-style Japanese restaurant Cocoro boasts a seafood focused degustation menu that features 9 delicate courses including traditional Japanese dishes including sashimi and sushi, tempura and chawanmushi.
At just $98 per person it is one of the more affordable degusations around. Enjoy it with sake, wine or a combination of both for an additional $85.
Merediths, Auckland
Mount Eden restaurant Merediths has a range of degustation menus: a five or eight-course menu Wednesday to Friday for $80 or the full nine course option on Saturdays for $150. As part of their focus on giving back to the community on a Tuesday night you can Dine by Donation for 3 courses with the costs of the food (around $65) donated to the monthly allocated charity.
Kazuya, Auckland
Degustation is a serious business at Kazuya, where its extravagant nine-course degustation menu changes with the seasons. It’s only available with advanced reservation and is intended for all guests at the table. It costs $165 per person.
Clooney, Auckland
Finally, no list of the best restaurants for degustation in Auckland would be complete without Clooney, one of Metro’s top 50 Auckland restaurants. Its 13 course tasting menu offers both a meat, pescatarian or vegetarian version and costs around $170 with the ability to add a beverage match for a total of $270.
