Viva – Aotearoa's leading voice on style, food, drink, beauty and more, published by The New Zealand Herald – is gearing up for the fifth annual Viva Top 50 Restaurant Awards, celebrating the best places to dine for 2025.
The highly anticipated list, curated by Viva’s Dining Out Editor Jesse Mulligan and new judge Kelly Gibney, will spotlight the 50 best restaurants in Auckland, including the coveted Top 10 and Supreme Winner.
As Auckland’s definitive dining guide, the Viva Top 50 Restaurant Awards have become a trusted guide for food lovers and a celebration of the city’s hospitality scene.
Jasper Fulcher, NZME Managing Editor – Lifestyle, says the awards have become a cornerstone of Viva’s editorial calendar.
“Viva’s Top 50 is more than a list - it’s a reflection of Auckland's exceptional food culture. Each year our judges bring together expertise, curiosity and passion to uncover the restaurants shaping the city’s dining experience.”
Jesse Mulligan, Viva’s Dining Out Editor, says the 2025 list marks a new era for Auckland dining.
“This is the fifth year of our Viva Top 50 Restaurant Awards and the standard is higher than it's ever been. Restaurants have got through a tough winter and are now bringing joy to the plate with bright spring ingredients and optimism for the summer ahead. I'm so excited to be working with Kelly as a guest judge. She is my favourite recipe writer in New Zealand and her forensic knowledge of cooking techniques and ingredients has made this the most thorough list yet.”
Kelly 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.
“I'm 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.”
Last year’s Supreme Winner was Gemmayze Street, and Viva readers – along with the wider hospitality industry – are eagerly awaiting who will take the top honour this year. Readers will also get the opportunity to nominate their favourite restaurants using the hashtag #vivatoprestaurants on social media, emailing viva@nzherald.co.nz, or commenting on the main article.
Stay tuned to Viva.co.nz and @nzhviva for the announcement of the Viva Top 50 Restaurants for 2025 on 19 November.
ENDS