Two New Zealand restaurants have topped tables of the best fine diners in the world, taking first and second place in Australia and the Pacific.
The Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards have sifted through hundreds of thousands of gourmet reviews across 51 countries and six continents. In the search for crème de la crème, two Auckland restaurants have risen to the top.
The Grove in St Patrick's Square was named the number 1 restaurant in the Pacific and 13th in the world, with praise won for the modern Kiwi cuisine of Michael and Annette Dearth.
Close on their heels was number 2 restaurant Sails Restaurant on the Westhaven Marina.
Amid the "sea of masts" views of Auckland Harbour Bridge and Rangitoto Island, you'll find the 14th best restaurant in the world. The culinary institution on the Waitemata Harbour was also named 2nd best restaurant in the Pacific.
Roast duck breast at Sails Restaurant, Auckland. Photo / File
With Ben Bayly's new restaurant, Ahi landing at number 3 and Nicke Honeyman's Paris Butter in Herne Bay at 4, Auckland dominated the list of New Zealand's fine dining restaurants.
Japanese restaurant Tatsumi was the only restaurant outside the super city to break into the top 5, joined by other Queenstown fare The Bunker (6) and Jervois Steak House (9).
Malo (7) in Havelock North was the only restaurant outside the major cities, captained by the cooking of Dutch expat Bert van de Steeg.
Novelty diner Christchurch Tramway Restaurant rounded out the top 10 fine dining experience as a surprisingly popular and unique perspective.
The Grove, Saint Patrick's Square, Auckland has been named the best restaurant in the Pacific by Tripadvisor. Photo / File
Tripadvisor said that there were some unusual challenges to compiling this year's list, with lingering challenges to hospitality from the Covid 19 pandemic. Some countries were entirely closed to foreign tourists through the entire evaluation period.
"More than half of consumers in a recent survey told us that food is the most exciting component of their trip," said Tripadvisor's VP and GM of hospitality, Lauren Murphy.
For a second consecutive year, the top Fine Dining restaurant in the world was named as The Old Stamp House Restaurant in Ambleside, United Kingdom.
While there were no Kiwi or Australian restaurants in the top 10 World Best of the Best list, The Grove was the top rating restaurant for the region.
The top Australian restaurant was named as Tasmania's Wild Harvest, in Grassy.
Tripadvisor's top 10 Fine Dining Restaurants in New Zealand
The Grove - Auckland Central (#13 in the World)
Sails Restaurant -Auckland Central (#14 in the World)
Top Restaurants in the World: Tripadvisor's Best of the Best
The Old Stamp House Restaurant - UK Oro Restaurante - Brazil Madonnina del Pescatore - Italy Martin Berasategui - Spain El Xato - Spain Ristorante Villa Crespi - Italy Les Plaisirs Gourmands - France Sachi Heliopolis - Egypt Auberge Du Vieux Puits - France Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 - UK
