Mr Wright said although the award added to a string of accolades, this was one of the most important.
"It might turn out to be the biggest we've ever won," he said.
Because it was based on customer reviews, it made them feel they were on the right track.
"We've always prided ourselves on being a very customer-focused restaurant and never really worried about fashions."
Mr Wright said his staff, numbering about 27 including a beekeeper and a gardener, were amazing.
"Everyone who works here deserves this as much as me and Cregh, we certainly couldn't do this without them, it's very much a team effort."
In March, Herald writer Carroll du Chateau gave the restaurant a 10/10 review, saying it "occupies a category of its own for ambience, cuisine, wine and a brilliant team of French waiters who make you feel a million dollars".
The French Cafe's fourth place TripAdvisor rating meant its contemporary European cuisine was rated ahead of many Michelin-starred heavyweights.
"When I go down that list and I see all the people who are below us or with us they're all the people I truly admire," Mr Wright said. "I feel very privileged to be on it."
Born in England, Mr Wright trained in London working in some "very fashionable restaurants" and doing time at hotels, Michelin-star restaurants and with world-class chefs such as Marco Pierre White, before moving to New Zealand in his early 20s.
The French Cafe has won countless domestic awards, including the supreme award in the 2013 Restaurant of the Year Awards.
Top 5 Travellers' Choice Restaurants in the World
1. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain (790 reviews)
2. Midsummer House, Cambridge, England (546 reviews)
3. Maison Lameloise, Chagny, France (378 reviews)
4. The French Cafe, Auckland, New Zealand (421 reviews)
5. Alinea, Chicago, USA (543 reviews)
Top spot's a Viva favourite
The French Cafe has long been a Viva magazine favourite.
The restaurant's crispy duck is one of its signature dishes. Photo / Richard Robinson
The owners, husband and wife Simon Wright and Creghan Molloy Wright, are renowned for their attention to detail and excellent food and service. This consistent quality is a key component of their success, along with the fact that they keep adapting - adding a private dining room and honey-producing bees to their bow in recent years.
As Viva's food editor, Nici Wickes has had the pleasure of dining there a number of times. "It doesn't surprise me that the French Cafe is included in this list," she says. "They are absolutely world class and have everything you look for in dining out: stunning cuisine, impeccable yet approachable service and an environment where you feel utterly cared for from the moment you arrive to when you reluctantly leave."
