A Chef's Guide To… Auckland, New Zealand

Chef and wine bar owner Leslie Hottiaux shares her top tips for eating and drinking in NZ’s biggest city.

- Leslie Hottiaux

It’s fitting that Kiwi chef and one-time San Pellegrino Best Young Chef Pacific winner Leslie Hottiaux talks so much about community and neighbours. Apero, the Auckland wine bar she opened with maître d’ partner Ismo Koski, is a cosy hangout that welcomes and comforts guests and locals with homely French flavours. Hottiaux believes that the people you break bread with are as important as the bread you break, as demonstrated by her guide to New Zealand’s City of Sails.

Refined Japanese

Cocoro is my absolute favourite restaurant. Makoto Tokuyama is such a talented chef who cooks refined Japanese cuisine – the sashimi platter is next level. It has an amazing wine and sake list, which turned me into a sake drinker. I love that you can go here for a big-splurge and celebration or just pop in for a low-key lunch. It really is my special place.

A French affair

If chefs are visiting me in Auckland, I’ll take them to lunch at Maison Vauron. The chef – one of my old head chefs – is from France, but he loves to cook old-school dishes. Terrines, rillettes, whatever the plat du jour may be on that day; everything on the menu is awesome. While you eat, you’re surrounded by wine which you can literally pull off the shelf and drink with lunch.

Korean made modern