Your chance to vote for Auckland's best BYO restaurant

Food Editor and Writer·Eat Well·

27 Feb, 2022 05:00 PM2 mins to read

Sammy Akuthota, Sam Low, Anna King Shahab and Anthony Suvalko, all judges in the Lazy Susan/Leftfield search for Auckland's best BYO restaurant. Photo / Supplied

Little Aosta opens in Arrowtown

As if the residents of Arrowtown weren't lucky enough (what with living in one of Aotearoa's prettiest towns and the plethora of amazing bars and restaurants on their doorsteps)… Now fine dining spot Aosta has opened a new, more casual bistro called Little Aosta right next door.

The new venue opened on Saturday and, under the tutelage of chef Ben Bayly and his team, is offering a family-friendly plates as well as takeaways. As with Aosta, the menu is inspired by northern Italian cuisine (Aosta is a small town in the very north of Italy, close to the Swiss Alps and the French border).

Expect a menu made for sharing - woodfired pizzas, comforting pastas, and grill plates for the table – all with local ingredients and perhaps a little Kiwi twist. Go to littleaosta.co.nz to see more.

Little Aosta has opened in Arrowtown. Photo / Sam Stewart

Cast your vote for Auckland's best BYO restaurant

The nominations are in and the finalists have been named. Now it's down to the public and the judges to decide which Auckland restaurant is the city's best BYO. In a collab between the fabulous foodie Facebook group Lazy Susans and Hawkes Bay's Leftfield Wines, more than 100 eateries have been considered.

Now just 12 remain – including Grey Lynn fave Satya, Otahuhu's Try It Out, Ponsonby's legendary Nishiki, Big Fish in Penrose, the locals' secret Bunga Raya in New Lynn and El Greco in Campbells Bay. The judges include Lazy Susans' Anna King Shahab (who you'll also see regularly reporting on food in our Monday Travel section), Instagram gastronome and champion barista Sam Low, and Sammy Akuthota of Sandringham's Satya Chai Lounge – and of course, you.

See the full list of finalists and cast your vote at leftfieldwines.com. Voting is open until March 9, and votes will put you in the draw to win a $500 voucher to dine at the winning restaurant.