Restaurant Association of New Zealand general manager, Nicola Walsren, tells Bailey the Viaduct was "Auckland's first real hospitality precinct" and says it created a domino effect now seen in the dining hubbubs of Ponsonby and Britomart.
Meanwhile, the Hipgroup's co-founder, Jackie Grant, is praised as being "at the heart of Auckland's culinary revolution" after starting Cafe on Kohi in 2004 and latterly establishing her nose-to-tail Italian restaurant, Amano.
Bailey quips: "If Auckland's food scene was slow to build, it's currently evolving at a rapid-fire pace."
And as another boat race appears on the horizon, Bloomberg predicts Auckland is sailing into a fresh boom in hospitality opportunities with several new developments underway including the massive mixed use development, Commercial Bayand hotel brands such as Park Hyatt and Sofitel, both moving in ahead of the 2021 America's Cup.
The article includes a list of top dining spots, from restaurants Depot, Ostro, Masu and dessert mecca Milse, to popular weekend markets such as the "ritzy street food" of Parnell's La Cigale and Ponsonby Central, described as "akin to New York's Chelsea Market".
