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WELCOME

Top Tastes is designed to help you find the best food and beverage venues and products; whether you want delicious fish chips, beautiful café food in a winery setting, finely crafted formal dining, food ideas, wine reviews or cocktail recipes this is your guide to the best New Zealand has to offer.

Top Tastes was created by Neil Hodgson and managed by him, he has invited other writers to contribute to the site, this means more regional information will be added as time goes by. You will find a range of opinions, reviews and recipes from people who know their stuff when it comes to food and beverage.

Only reviews written by this select group will be published on the site (you are welcome to leave comments of course) so you will be able to trust the review – no fake reviews, no ranting, just good information to help you choose great things to eat and drink as well as the best places to eat out.

THE LATEST REVIEWS

Red16

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Red16 is a little haven in New Street, originally set up as Japanese style sushi restaurant, Sachi Sushi was designed as a calm relaxing space to enjoy beautiful seafood sashimi and sushi. When the owners sold it became Rhythm & Brown, a cool little cocktail lounge and now that it’s Red 16 the relaxed ambiance of the Japanese restaurant is still front and centre. They serve a range of craft beers, real ales, local & international wines and cocktails with delicious tacos and

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Foxy Boxy - the ultimate gift boxes

there are lots of local options, be it wine or gourmet treats to enjoy over a few days I think a food and beverage gift is a lot better than a trinket that will never be used.
Read more

Red16

Red16 is a little haven in New Street, originally set up as Japanese style sushi restaurant, Sachi Sushi was designed as a calm relaxing space to enjoy beautiful seafood sashimi and sushi. When the owners sold it became Rhythm & Brown, a cool little cocktail lounge and now that it’s Red 16 the relaxed ambiance of the Japanese restaurant is still front and centre. They serve a range of craft beers, real ales, local & international wines and cocktails with delicious tacos and
Read more

FEATURED ARTICLES

Foxy Boxy - the ultimate gift boxes

there are lots of local options, be it wine or gourmet treats to enjoy over a few days I think a food and beverage gift is a lot better than a trinket that will never be used.
Read more

Red16

Red16 is a little haven in New Street, originally set up as Japanese style sushi restaurant, Sachi Sushi was designed as a calm relaxing space to enjoy beautiful seafood sashimi and sushi. When the owners sold it became Rhythm & Brown, a cool little cocktail lounge and now that it’s Red 16 the relaxed ambiance of the Japanese restaurant is still front and centre. They serve a range of craft beers, real ales, local & international wines and cocktails with delicious tacos and
Read more

Victory Square - Fish & Chips with a twist

ple who arrived in New Zealand with just the clothes on their backs as refugees from Bhutan ten years ago; since then they have worked hard, bought a house and now own a business.
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Nelson Chardonnays and Colin Harrison Trophy winner

For the last couple of years Old House Vineyards has been placed second in the competition with fruit grown on their vineyard in Old House Road and turned into delicious wine by winemaker Pat Stowe. Owners, Ian Bathgate and his wife Jeanne relocated from the U.K. with their two sons several years ago and bought a former Spencer Hill vineyard.
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The perfect spicy croquettes by Ben Smith

was great to be able to order click-and-collect or contactless delivery food when we were under level 3 conditions and I hope you supported your local restaurants and takeaway businesses, they worked hard to ensure we were able to enjoy their food in a safe manner.
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Lockdown in Christchurch

We also know how much the hospitality sector hurts during Covid lockdowns so when Level 3 restrictions kicked in we decided to do what we would do at home, buy at least two or three click & collect meals each week from a restaurant, café or takeaway place in Christchurch to support the sector. I hope you’re doing the same in Nelson.
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TOP WINES TASTINGS

CONTRIBUTORS

We’ve put together a team of experts who have a passion for writing about food and beverages.

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Joelle
Thomson
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Neil
Hodgson
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Phil
Parker

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Aaron Ballantyne

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Simon
Wood

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Bev
Wood

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Angie
Atkinson

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Nick
Widley

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Wellington Wine & Food Society Inc
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