Aosta

Tucked into historic Arrowtown, Aosta channels the alpine soul of northern Italy through a distinctly Central Otago lens. Executive chef Ben Bayly, winner of the Best Restaurant of NZ award 2024 for his Auckland restaurant Ahi, joins head chef Andrea Cattalini to shape a menu that is both authentic and quietly inventive. Their compass points to the Valle d’Aosta, while ingredients are gathered from the growers, breeders and vineyards of Arrowtown and the wider region.

The cooking is elegant and precise, with antipasti that balance purity and punch, think black olive focaccia dabbed with mascarpone and truffle, or bluefin tuna crudo brightened with citrus and kombu. Pasta is a daily pleasure, shifting between shapes and sauces; expect pappardelle tossed with pumpkin seed pesto one week and silky fettuccine glossed with parmesan and butter the next. A seasonal flourish appears in the form of an alpine tartare trolley, complete with elderberry, house mustard and crisp piadina.

To finish, indulgence takes a playful turn: the Aosta tiramisu layers baileys, amaretto and salted caramel, while a tiramisu doughnut nods to Wolf coffee and chocolate. The bar keeps tempo with a crystalline negroni bianco and the spritzy sole del sud, alongside wines grown on the land that surrounds the dining room.

Settle in for an Italian journey with Otago in its stride. Book in, bring an appetite, and let the mountains meet Milano on your plate.