Tuck your napkins into your collars and prepare for a feast: the results are in for the 2021/22 Cuisine Good Food Awards, an annual industry celebration regarded as the country's pre-eminent hospitality awards list.
Seven Christchurch establishments hit the list this year, an impressive tally of local restaurants and bars going toe-to-toe with big hitters and celebrity chefs from Auckland and Wellington.
Now in its 16th year, and the only nationwide restaurant awards programme of its kind, The Cuisine Good Food Awards are viewed globally as the authority on the dining scene in New Zealand.
The full list of 135 restaurants spans from Russell to Dunedin and showcases the incredible strength of Aotearoa's restaurant industry. Christchurch shines in the list with seven placements, as well as a category winner in Tussock Hill Cellar Door Restaurant - one of three in the One to Watch (Rising Talent) category.
Below are the fabulous Christchurch restaurants featured on this year's list, AKA your very own dining out to-do list.
gin gin, relocated to New Regent Street in 2021, boasts luxe Art Deco-style decor, glorious gin cocktails and a small menu of creative dishes, heavily featuring seafood.
Miro is housed in an atmospheric heritage building on Oxford Terrace and serves up the ultimate brunch experience – say hello to breakfast cocktails, a set bubbles & brunch menu, and pastries baked fresh daily.
Mapu is an experimental kitchen in Lyttelton, where you don't order from a menu, but sit and chat with friends and Chef Giulio Sturla as he prepares creative in-season, locally produced food before your eyes.
Inati, located in Hereford Street, is a fine dining chef's table experience, highlighting food from the earth, land and sea with seasonally inspired tasting plates and 'middle of the table' large plates designed for sharing.
Hali, a vibrant bar and bistro in The Crossing, is the sister restaurant of Inati, offering a unique food journey involving a good deal of premium seafood, beverage pairings, and cheese platters.
Gatherings in Merivale has a strong emphasis on artisan, seasonal and sustainable food, with an entirely pescatarian menu designed for whole-table sharing.
Bar Yoku in The Welder is a cosy den of Japanese cuisine, inspired by Tokyo's small laneway bars, with a garden to relax in and cocktails with house-made botanical infusions.
The March issue of Cuisine magazine is on sale 14 February
To see the full list of Cuisine Top Restaurants and awards, visit cuisine.co.nz