Destination Dining: New Zealand Showcases Sustainability at Kingi Restaurant
The Hotel Britomart in Auckland, New Zealand is home to a culinary jewel.
The Hotel Britomart is a 5-star, eco-luxury hotel in Auckland’s Britomart precinct, known for its sustainable design (New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star hotel), timber-lined rooms, and location amidst designer boutiques, restaurants, and historic buildings near the waterfront. Owned by Cooper and Company, it features locally sourced amenities, the sustainable seafood restaurant kingi, and blends contemporary design with the area’s heritage character, offering a smart, soulful stay in downtown Auckland.
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Situated on the ground floor of the historic Masonic Building, accessible from Tuawhiti Lane near the hotel lobby, kingi is an all-day dining spot focusing on sustainable, locally sourced seafood and produce, serving the hotel guests and the wider city. The celebrated sustainable restaurant now enters a new era, with a fresh menu that expands its sustainable ethos and showcases new independent growers and gatherers from all over Aotearoa.
Since opening in 2020, kingi has established a reputation for innovative and ethical cuisine, in a striking setting where a heritage building meets modern design. For the Southern summer, kingi has launched an exciting new menu that celebrates signature New Zealand flavors and showcases the breadth of Aotearoa’s bounty.
Alongside the sustainable seafood that kingi is known for, the new menu includes more sustainably farmed meats to extend the experience of Aotearoa’s culinary terroir. Diners can explore the new menu, divided by North and South Islands, with dishes featuring outstanding produce from both regions.
“The idea was to stay true to our sustainable ethos and to showcase more of what New Zealand has to offer,” says executive chef Andrew. “Our goal is to tell the story of Aotearoa though the food, so dividing the menu by where the produce is sourced from opens a conversation and gives our team the opportunity to tell those stories.”
“The new menu uses more lower North Island products and not just from the oceans and shorelines – we can now look at the best products from the land. There’s bountiful product everywhere, not just in the oceans and shorelines.”
One such dish is the new lamb rump, raised by Lumina Farms in Canterbury and served with cauliflower, wild garlic and asparagus, a beautiful meal for late spring and early summer. Another introduction is Cambridge-raised duck breast, which head chef Stefania Palermo describes as a European-style dish that appeals to the restaurant’s multicultural audience.
Making the most of New Zealand ingredients is also important to the team, who work with a local forager to source native wild plants like kawakawa, horopito and samphire. Kūmara is worked into a new take on gnocchi, with a bouncy consistency, served with zucchini and stracciatella – a classic Italian summer pairing – and a pumpkin-seed gremolata.
Classics like the mussels with nduja, crayfish taco and whole flat fish remain as fixtures, and the beautiful seasonal produce is complemented by a curated selection of local wines, beers and spirits, meaning every plate and glass has a deep connection to land or sea.
Where to go out and be gay
It’s safe to say that all of Auckland is very LGBTQ+ friendly. But Auckland’s main gay scene centers around Karangahape Road (K’ Road), known for its vibrant LGBTQ+ nightlife with iconic spots like Family Bar, Caluzzi Cabaret (drag shows), The Eagle Bar, and newer venues like Heaven. This gayborhood is a 10-minute ride share or a brisk 20-minute walk from Britomart.
The trendy Ponsonby area, about a half hour away by transport, also has a significant queer presence with venues like Garnet Station. These areas offer a mix of bars, clubs, cabarets, and dining catering to the diverse LGBTQ+ community, especially during events like Auckland Pride, held in February in the Southern Summer.
