Aosta Awarded a Bib Gourmand in the First-Ever MICHELIN Guide New Zealand.

We are thrilled to share some very special news: Aosta has been awarded a Bib Gourmand in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide New Zealand 2026 — part of the first MICHELIN selection ever announced in New Zealand.

When the Guide’s famously anonymous inspectors made their way through Aotearoa for the very first time, 110 restaurants across the country earned a place in the selection. To be among them — and to receive a Bib Gourmand, the inspectors’ recognition for exceptional cooking at an accessible price — is an honour we don’t take lightly. It’s a distinction awarded to places the inspectors would happily return to and pay for themselves, and that spirit of generous, honest cooking is exactly what we set out to offer every night on Buckingham Street.

A Story Written on the 45th Parallel

Aosta has always been about connection — between Arrowtown and Italy’s Aosta Valley, two alpine homes that share the 45th parallel. Under the guidance of Chef Ben Bayly and the daily leadership of Head Chef Josh Phillips, our kitchen honours nonna-approved Northern Italian traditions while letting Central Otago’s growers, foragers, and seasons lead the way.

The MICHELIN inspectors singled out our handmade pasta — including the aglio e olio, with its interplay of chilli, garlic, and olive oil — along with our take on tiramisu, laced with Baileys, amaretto, and salted caramel. Dishes like these are the heart of what we do: simple things, made with enormous care.

Grazie Mille

This recognition belongs to every member of our team — the chefs, the front of house, the dishwashers who keep the engine running — and to the farmers, growers, winemakers, and suppliers of Central Otago whose produce makes our menu possible. It arrives in a year that has already brought us two Cuisine Good Food Awards Hats, the Yellow Brick Road Regional Restaurant of the Year 2025, and the Clyth MacLeod Rising Talent award for our own Josh Phillips — and we’re as hungry as ever to keep earning your table.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who has pulled up a chair with us in Arrowtown. Whether it was your first visit or your fiftieth, you are the reason we light the stoves each day.

From all of us at Aosta — grazie mille. We can’t wait to welcome you back.

View Aosta in the MICHELIN Guide