First-ever Cult Awards – favourite places to eat & drink

Voting opened today [0900 June 15] with the public able to have their say on which are the best hospitality venues in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland as well as further afield. 

With 127 finalists from more than 100 venues vying for the best in 10 categories, there is a wide range of dining styles – from café brunches to fine food destinations.

“Dish Cult’s inaugural Cult Icon Awards will showcase people’s favourite places to go, and will not only put venues on the dining map for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, but also for the millions of Dish Cult users around the world,” Jordan Foord, Dish Cult CEO, says.

“These user-generated accolades are an innovative way to help hospitality owners draw in new clientele, and for the places shortlisted, it provides them with a good-news story to help promote what they offer their loyal fans.”

Dish Cult has quickly become an online go-to site for reviews and recommendations, making it one of Auckland’s favourite dining companions for great restaurant experiences. Powered by the commission-free booking service ResDiary, Dish Cult is the booking partner of more than 400 of New Zealand’s most popular dining venues. 

It initially launched in Auckland in November 2019, and in little more than two years has grown into a world-wide hospitality hub, expanding into 50 countries across the globe, featuring venues from more than 80 cities and locations.

Dish Cult New Zealand editor Grace Noles was joined by Joyce Lau of Food Review NZ and Ayaan Shaikh of Auck Eats to create the shortlist for the categories – Bottomless Brunch, Cafes We Love, Classic Kiwi Service, Cult Fave, Daily Kickstarter (breakfasts worth waking up for), Dessert to Die For, Favourite Signature Cocktail, Food Worth Travelling For, Hottest New Openings and Whānau Friendly.

It's now up to the people who love those 110 places to choose the winner of each category. Votes are open on the Dish Cult website and will be collated until midnight on Saturday, July 2. Those top 10 category winners will then vie for the supreme winner – the Cult Icon Award – an accolade decided by the three Dish Cult reviewers and announced on July 6, 2022.

“We created these awards to help encourage people to try places on the shortlist, because we know how hard it is for hospo right now. The category includes long-time favourites through to the hottest new places – and dining worth travelling for. It’s a showcase of incredible food and drinks, that we hope will tempt people into eating out more.”

The compiled shortlist would suggest that with 31 nominations, Ponsonby/Karangahape Road/Jervois Road area is Auckland’s favourite food haunt, however Auckland’s city centre, with the Viaduct and Britomart, features 27 times. But it isn’t only the central suburbs that make the list – there are loved locals in Albany, Clevedon, Howick, Mount Wellington, Whenuapai and Waiheke Island making the cut.

Knowing Aucklanders love to explore the rest of the country there are also 14 places with Food Worth Travelling For, from across New Zealand.

The Cult Icon Award winner will be announced in Auckland on July 6. And as well as winning an enviable list of places to eat and drink, all those who vote will go into the draw to win one of five $100 Amazon gift cards. 

The first-ever Cult Icon Awards:

• Voting: June 15 – July 2, 2022
• Winner named: July 6, 2022
• Hashtags: #dishcultnz #culticonawards

The full list of 2022 Cult Icon finalists:

Bottomless Brunch:

• Dr Rudi’s, Viaduct 
• ELMO’S, Ponsonby
• OhSO, Ponsonby
• Pilkington’s, Auckland CBD
• The Lula Inn, Viaduct
• Tucks & Bao, Newmarket
• Tucks & Bao, Takapuna
• Wu & You, Mount Eden

Cafes we love:

• Amano, Britomart
• Bestie, Karangahape Road
• Cornwall Park Café, One Tree Hill
• Crave Café, Morningside
• Dear Jervois, Herne Bay
• Fields Cafe, Albany
• Honey Bones, Grey Lynn
• Newbie, Newmarket
• Odettes Eatery, Auckland CBD
• Orphan’s Kitchen, Ponsonby
• Ozone Coffee Roasters, Grey Lynn
• Sugar at Chelsea Bay, Birkenhead
• The Farmhouse, Clevedon
• Williams Eatery, Wynyard Quarter

Classic Kiwi Service:

• Amano, Britomart
• Andiamo, Herne Bay
• Azabu, Mission Bay
• Baduzzi, Wynyard Quarter
• Bar Celeste, Karangahape Road
• Hēmi, Victoria Park Market
• Hotel Ponsonby, Ponsonby
• Ki Māha, Waiheke Island
• Lilian, Grey Lynn
• Ozone Coffee Roasters, Grey Lynn
• Prego, Ponsonby
• Soul, Viaduct
• SPQR, Ponsonby

Cult Favourite Dish:

• Best Ugly Bagel, Auckland CBD - King Salmon Bagel
• Crave Café, Morningside - Benediction
• Depot Eatery, Auckland CBD - Fergus’ Bone Marrow
• ELMO’S, Ponsonby - Truffle Shuffle Pizza
• Federal Delicatessen, Auckland CBD - Toast Reuben
• Hello Beasty, Auckland CBD - Prawn & Crab Toast
• Homeland, Westhaven - Turkish Eggs
• Omni, Mt Eden - Katsu Sando
• Onslow Auckland CBD - Crayfish Eclair
• Orphan’s Kitchen, Ponsonby - Southland Cheese Roll
• Pici, Karangahape Road - Cacio e Pepe
• Prego, Ponsonby - Prego Pie
• Sneaky Snacky, Auckland CBD - Donut Burger
• Soul, Viaduct - Macaroni & Cheese with Ham
• The Blue Breeze Inn, Ponsonby - Choc Pot

Day Kickstarter – Breakfasts worth waking up for:

• Chuffed, Auckland CBD
• Dear Jervois, Herne Bay
• Hello Friends + Allies, Epsom
• Homeland, Westhaven
• Lola Café, Mt Wellington
• Odettes Eatery, Auckland CBD
• Orphan’s Kitchen, Ponsonby
• Ozone Coffee Roasters, Grey Lynn
• Patch Café, Hillcrest
• Rosie, Parnell
• The Garden Shed, Mount Eden
• Urban in East, Howick
• Wander, Wynyard Quarter
• Woolfy’s, Highbrook
• Wren Café, Remuera

Dessert to die for:

• Cibo, Parnell - Cibo’s Famous Pavlova
• Depot Eatery, Auckland CBD - Cookie Skillet
• Duck Island, Ponsonby - Hand-crafted Ice Cream 
• Elisabeth, Kingsland - Elisabeth’s Gateaux
• Gemmayze Street, Karangahape Road - Sablé Tart
• Hapunan, roaming food truck - Ube Ice Cream Donut
• Pici, Karangahape Road - Cheesecake with EVOO
• The Blue Breeze Inn, Ponsonby - Choc Pot
• The Caker, Karangahape Road - Degustation Cake
• The Pie Piper, Auckland CBD - Banoffee Cream Pie

Favourite signature cocktail:

• Andiamo, Herne Bay - Herne Bay Gimlet 
• Bedford & Soda Liquor, Ponsonby - Hawaiian Time
• Bellini, Auckland CBD - Rosa Bellini
• Clipper, Ponsonby - Pan Am Cocktail
• Coop’s Corner Pub, Auckland CBD - Mulled Margaritas
• Dr Rudi’s, Viaduct - Campo Viejo Sangria
• Hotel Ponsonby, Ponsonby - G&T On Tap
• INCA, Ponsonby - Frozen Margarita
• Kiss Kiss Eatery, Mount Eden - Go-Go Mango
• Lillian, Grey Lynn - Pisco and Pineapple/Pear
• Odettes Eatery, Auckland CBD - Bloody Mary
• Scarlett Slimms & Lucky, Mount Eden - Fish Bowl
• Soul, Viaduct - Pornstar Martini
• The Glass Goose, Auckland CBD - Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
• The Good Luck Coconut, Wynyard Quarter - Jungle Book

Food worth travelling for:

• Amisfield, Queenstown
• Chop Shop, Arrowtown
• Francesca’s Kitchen, Christchurch
• Luke’s Kitchen, Coromandel
• Ombra, Wellington
• Pegasus Bay, North Canterbury
• Plato, Dunedin
• Plume, Matakana
• Rata, Queenstown
• Roxie’s Red-Hot Cantina, Mount Maunganui
• Shed 5, Wellington
• The Bunker, Queenstown
• The Oyster Inn, Waiheke Island
• The Shed te Motu, Waiheke Island

Hottest new opening:

• Bali Nights, Grey Lynn
• Bar Magda, Newton
• Fat Belly Deli, Ponsonby
• Fat Kitty Café, Dominion Rd
• Green Door Pizza, Auckland CBD
• INCA, Ponsonby
• Lucky 8, Ponsonby
• Milenta, Freeman’s Bay
• Mumbaiwala, Ponsonby
• Nanny’s Eatery, Kingsland
• Picco Eatery, Glendowie
• Taco Medic, Ponsonby
• The Bridgman, Mount Eden
• The Broken Lantern, Mount Eden
• The Fox, Viaduct

Whānau friendly:

• Akarana Eatery, Orakei
• Albert’s Post, Mount Albert
• Archie’s Pizzeria, Newmarket
• Beaufort & Co, Oteha
• Charlie & George, Stonefields
• Circus Circus, Mount Eden
• Coco’s Cantina, Karangahape Road
• Cornwall Park Café, One Tree Hill
• Fields Cafe, Albany
• Hallertau, Clevedon
• Hallertau, Riverhead
• Morningside Tavern, Morningside
• Percy, Māngere
• Sugar at Chelsea, Birkenhead
• The Parkhouse, Whenuapai