If you\u2019re anything like our judges, you\u2019ll find it hard to narrow your list down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe standard is higher than it\u2019s ever been,\u201d says Mulligan. \u201cRestaurants have got through a tough winter and are now bringing joy to the plate with bright spring ingredients and optimism for the summer ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gibney, a food writer, photographer and cookbook author who spent 15 years working in the hospitality industry in Auckland, Melbourne and New York, says becoming a Viva Top 50 judge has been an exciting opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to be a part of the Viva Top 50 Restaurants for 2025. The high level of innovation, skill and heart we saw served up nightly in Auckland is incredibly exciting to share. I hope the list motivates readers to get out and experience it for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chef\/ owner Samir Allen from Gemmayze Street, the Viva Top 50 Restaurants Supreme Winner 2024. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s Supreme Winner was Gemmayze Street, and owner\/chef Samir Allen says the accolade was \u201ca surprising yet welcome recognition of the mahi we\u2019ve done for the past nine years\u201d.<\/p>\n
The team celebrated on the day of the awards announcement by going out for a staff meal, followed by a big party after their last service for the week. <\/p>\n
He says there was an immediate effect on the business after the news came out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely had an increase in bookings. A lot of people came in who had never tried Gemmayze Street before, along with people who had come through years ago and were keen to try us again.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were also lots of congratulatory messages from his hospitality peers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinning was a real morale booster for the whole team.\u201d<\/p>\n
A year on from the win, Allen is reflective.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a pretty hard year for everyone in hospo and everyone in general,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s been a crazy time … with so many institutions closing down, but at the same time [we\u2019re] feeling hopeful, with new blood on the horizon and a hunger for authentic experiences like Bar Magda and Sagrado Cantina. This, alongside an amazing love and passion from long-standing places like Apero.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t miss the Viva Top 50 2025 next week, but in the meantime, catch up on last year\u2019s list with the stories below.<\/p>\n