Kiwi restaurants named among world's best on list of 1000 best eateries

Sid Sahrawat of Sidart Restaurant. Sid art has been named as on of the top 1000 restaurants worldwide. Photo / Michael Craig

Eight New Zealand restaurants have been named in a prestigious list of the world's 1000 best eateries.

La Liste is a restaurant guide compiled from hundreds of guidebooks and online review sites to list the world's 1000 top restaurants.

Seven of the Kiwi restaurants to crack the list are in Auckland - The French Cafe, The Grove, Sidart, Kazuya, Cocoro, Merediths and Baduzzi - with Christchurch's Roots also making it.

Sidart owner and chef Sid Sahrawat is stoked that his restaurant has made the list for the second year in a row.

"It's a very important list to be a part of. For all the restaurants included it's an amazing achievement," he told the Herald.

He noticed the benefits of being included in the list almost immediately.

"Last year there was a dramatic increase in terms of the reservations straight away, the emails were a lot busier and there were a lot more overseas reservations."

Last year there were four Kiwi restaurants on the list, and Sahrawat said doubling that number showed the high quality of the fine dining scene in New Zealand.

"I think it just goes to show how good New Zealand restaurants are becoming, and it's just going to keep getting better."

Sahrawat has just returned from a trip to Melbourne, and said Kiwi cuisine now compares to the best from across the Tasman.

"The quality of the restaurants now I think are as good as any other overseas. I really think that we're on par with what's happening around the world now."

My Kitchen Rules NZ judge Ben Bayly is executive chef of two restaurants on the list, The Grove and Baduzzi. He told the Weekend Herald he was "so proud" to be associated with two establishments which were included.

"It's a tough gig running a restaurant, everyone's a food critic, there's not too many other jobs in this world where you get judged so much."

Baduzzi is a newcomer to La Liste while The Grove makes a repeat appearance. Bayly was quick to credit the staff at Baduzzi for getting the restaurant into the world's top 1000.

He echoed Sahrawat's call that New Zealand restaurants are of a similar standard to the very best internationally.

"I came back from London eight or nine years ago and there weren't that many good restaurants.. and I think the dining scene has exploded here, it's exploded so fast that the world hasn't caught up with how good we are, I think next year there could be double that again.

Bayly said Auckland was a "little city becoming a big city real quick".

"People appreciate what good food is, and restaurateurs can see an opportunity. If you're going to open a restaurant now you better be bloody good or you're going to be shut.

"People are really motivated to do a good job. There's some good operators here."