28 November 2022, 4:00 PM
Wānaka restaurant Kika has been selected for a list celebrating the best restaurants around the world.
The local restaurant is one of 16 New Zealand businesses to be featured on the 50 Best Discovery List, which is an extension of the internationally prestigious 50 Best Restaurants List.
To qualify for a spot on the 50 Best Discovery list, a restaurant (or bar) needs to receive a “significant number of votes” for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants or The World’s 50 Best Bars, World’s Best Restaurants Academy organisers said in a statement to media.
The ensuing list is a “diverse range of expert-recommended restaurants and bars across the world, offering everything from emerging talent and local favourites through to fine dining and fine drinking establishments,” the academy said.
Kika owner James Stapley. PHOTO: Supplied
Queenstown’s Amisfield was the only other restaurant from the region to make the list and it joins heavy-hitters like Auckland’s Depot, Christchurch’s The Last Word, and Wellington’s Crumpet.
Kika, a tapas restaurant, received praise for its “punchy flavours with locally sourced seasonal ingredients”.
Known for its innovative flavour combinations and its constantly evolving menu, the Dunmore Street restaurant is a mainstay among locals and equally popular with foodie visitors.
It is no stranger to accolades: Kika has made Cuisine’s prestigious top 100 list every year it has run since 2017, and this year also received a ‘hat’, something which is awarded to restaurants singled out for an exceptionally high standard.
Earlier this year Kika owner James Stapley told the Wānaka App support from locals had been crucial during the “incredibly difficult time” over the past few years
“I’m personally eternally grateful for the amazing support we have had by the Wānaka locals,” he said.
Kika has always strived to make delicious and interesting food, he said: “The food is simple but complex,” he said. “Lots of layers of flavours.”
Over the past six weeks or so Kika has been closed two days a week to give the team “a bit of a breather” and work on some new menu items ahead of the summer season.
Read more about Kika’s feature in the 50 Best Discovery list here.