New Zealand’s inaugural NZ MICHELIN Guide has been unveiled, featuring 110 restaurants across the country and a starring role for the South Island with Queenstown’s Essence named the country’s only two-star restaurant.
Essence, in Queenstown, is the sole New Zealand restaurant to earn two MICHELIN Stars in the guide’s first Aotearoa New Zealand edition, unveiled on 1 July 2026.
Three more Queenstown venues, Rātā, Sherwood and Amisfield, each collected one MICHELIN Star, alongside Wānaka’s Kika, taking the two-destination haul to five starred restaurants.
A further eight restaurants across the region were awarded Bib Gourmand status for quality dining at good value: Aosta, Francesca, Muttonbird, Sundays and The Cow in Queenstown, and Bombay Palace, Paloma Taqueria and Treehouse in Wānaka.
Why this matters for selling New Zealand
New Zealand is consistently the second most popular outbound destination for Australians, and Queenstown already sits at the top of many trans-Tasman itineraries for scenery, snow and adventure.
The NZ MICHELIN Guide recognition gives travel advisors a new reason to package food-and-wine escapes into the South Island, particularly for clients after a short-haul luxury or celebration trip.
Thirteen restaurants in Queenstown and Wānaka were included in the official NZ MICHELIN Guide selection, giving advisors a broad spread of price points to build around.
The national table
The guide, backed by Tourism New Zealand, followed months of anonymous inspections across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
In total, 110 establishments were recognised nationally: 15 with MICHELIN Stars, 35 with a Bib Gourmand and a further 60 in the official selection.
Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism Chief Executive Mat Woods said the results reflected the region’s growing reputation as a food and wine destination.
“To see five restaurants receive MICHELIN Stars, including New Zealand’s only two-star restaurant, is an extraordinary achievement and one the entire region can celebrate,” he said.
“Food and drink have become defining reasons people choose to visit our region. Alongside our spectacular scenery and experiences, our restaurants are helping shape Queenstown and Wānaka’s international reputation as a world-class destination.”
Tourism NZ invites Aussie to dine
Tourism New Zealand has launched ‘An Invitation to Dinner‘, an integrated tie-in campaign featuring 12 video invitations from growers, producers, chefs and restaurant teams across regions, including Auckland, Rotorua, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Marlborough, Kaikōura and Fiordland.
The campaign is supported by media, influencer and trade activity, including famil activity for 40 guests from 13 markets across the four MICHELIN Guide regions, plus an industry toolkit to help operators align their own food and beverage experiences with the campaign for international audiences.
Tourism New Zealand said it remained on track to reach 3.7 million international visitor arrivals by 30 June 2026 with official arrivals data due in August 2026.
KARRYON UNPACKS: A short-haul destination Aussies already love now has MICHELIN status, giving advisors a new hook for celebration and luxury itineraries beyond other travel experiences. With the food-and-wine angle backed by an international guide, the South Island is an easier upsell than ever.
