From the pig head candy bar to the “lick the bowl” foie gras dessert, this innovative small plate spot keeps re-thinking how we eat. Patterned wall paper, a cool marble bar, and mid-century modern chairs give this hallway of a restaurant an adorably twee feel, but the menu (equally small) gives chef Max Petty plenty of latitude to bring his mad-scientist style to dishes like cauliflower chilaquiles and geoduck. For the most up-to-date and local, stick to the tasting menu, which runs six to nine courses down a rabbit hole of absurdity and fine-dining.

Hippopotamus is pretty much the only fine dining restaurant left in Wellington city. A place where you will find fine French fare under the hand of Laurent Loudeac, the long-time Executive Chef. A place where you should dress up to enjoy the luxurious and artistic atmosphere. And a place where you will feel unhurried in your own secluded bubble. Although the service has been softened a smidge from fully formal, you will still feel you’ve had a special experience after dining at Hippopotamus, with Laurent and team having won many awards, including the inaugural Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge in 2015.

Drawing on classic Italian techniques and local luxury ingredients, this tasting-menu-only restaurant offers a crash course on what fine-dining should be like, in a city where the term is treated like poison. The lavishly decorated restaurant goes over the top with everything from decor to service--right down to the truffles. Come ready to indulge in short rib tortellini with bone marrow roasted beets and smoked sturgeon zabaglione with Osetra caviar. Open your mind to geoduck in your Frutti di Mare, your prosciutto being made from goat, and you're in for a parade of dishes that will wow you with both flavor and innovation.

See Naomi's blog post: https://tinyurl.com/ycxjsbn2

Bariloche's finest restaurant is perched on the edge of Lake Gutiérrez where the food and the views compete harmoniously. The husband and wife team serve innovative, delicious plates featuring local ingredients. The signature dish is "Cubanitos", Cigars of Patagonian lamb. It is slightly out of the way but well worth it.

The Ristorante Pila Vecia in Isola della Scala specializes in rice based specialties and is known for producing some of the most delicious risotto. From starters and desserts to risotto tasting menu and à la carte menu all is prepared in their open air kitchen. Adjacent to it is the Pila Vecia, the ancient mill of 1650 run by the Ferron family since five generations. The mill produces the famous Rice Nano Vialone Veronese I.G.P and other varieties of rice, such as Carnaroli, Venus, and Ermes.They also produce gourmet products such as rice breadcrumbs and rice croutons, pasta with rice flour, as well as a range of gluten-free sweets. Guided tours, cooking lessons and educational walks takes place at this historic site of Pila Vecia.

Umberto an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in the Long Island are known for their signature dish the Grandma Pie. It is a family owned restaurant and was established in 1965 by Umberto Coreo. Grandma pie was initially prepared in-house by the homesick emigrated Italian Americans.  But in no time it became famous and Umberto was the first one to sell it commercially. It is a rectangular/square pizza cooked in an olive oil-coated pan, covered with a layer of mozzarella and in uncooked canned or fresh tomatoes. The cheese goes directly on the dough with the sauce on top. It is tossed in the oven immediately after being stretched on the pan, giving it a slightly denser and crispier crust.

Although a little out of the central business district in one of the city’s suburbs, The Larder is the only restaurant in Wellington with two chefs hats (the Australian equivalent of the Michelin Star system). Chef owner Jacob Brown is passionate about nose-to-tail eating. The maître d is his partner and wife, Sarah Bullock, who was named the NZ Restaurant Personality of the Year for 2016. At their award-winning restaurant, expect interesting dishes beautifully executed.

Marketed as a diner, Five and Dime tends to slide under the radar. So folks are often surprised by the excellent wine and tapas bar. Interesting share plates include spring courgette and asparagus with smoked labneh cheese, Lebanese smoked sausages with house-made condiments, fried bread with bacon ice cream, and chocolate shortbread petit fours. Don’t miss their Lebanese brunches every weekend.

For a delicious charcuterie platter tailor-made to your preferences, and the biggest selection of wines in Wellington, head to Noble Rot wine bar in Swan Lane, off Cuba Street. Because Noble Rot uses the Coravin system, there are multitudes of wines available by the taste or glass that would otherwise be too expensive to try. And with four of Wellington’s hospitality stalwarts behind the venture, the food is quality too.

Star Noodle is the best place to enjoy Asian fusion in Maui. Open since 1210, the restaurant serves unique and flavorful food and the atmosphere is lively and fun. There are a variety of options on the menu, from bentos and shared plates to ramen and desserts. Try their unique and unusual Lahaina fried soup. It’s not a soup at all, as the name suggests, but a stir-fried dish with house-made fat rice noodles, ground pork, bean sprouts and green onions. And fans rave about the malasadas for dessert.  A Hawaiian favorite, the Portuguese confection is a deep-fried doughnut rolled in sugar.