What's Happening

Wellington's fourth supreme win in the five years of Cuisine's New Zealand Restaurant of the Year competition has cemented the city as New Zealand's gastronomic capital, according to awards judge and Cuisine food editor Lauraine Jacobs.

Iconic Cuba Street establishment Logan Brown was last night named Supreme Winner of the 2009 awards, completing a culinary hat-trick for the capital. Matterhorn - also on Cuba Street - took out the title last year, while Martin Bosley's was the 2007 winner. Cafe Bastille won the award in its inaugural year in 2005. Lauraine said Wellington's culinary community was vibrant and its success stemmed from the industry's tight knit network. "They all get on and they all know each other."

The announcement came on day two of Wellington's inaugural two-week gourmet festival, Wellington On a Plate. Positively Wellington Tourism Chief Executive David Perks said all of the past three award winners were part of Wellington On a Plate's central event, DINE Wellington, offering delectable set menus at irresistible prices. "There are a further 40 restaurants involved in the event so there's plenty on the menu and, who knows, next year's winner could be one of them."

Producer and farmers' markets along the waterfront on Sundays, the award-winning Moore Wilson Fresh, gourmet walking tours and sitting between two of New Zealand's finest wine regions, make Wellington an incredible culinary tourism destination. "It's definitely best you leave the diet at home when visiting Wellington, although of course being so compact and with so many natural walkways close to the city - you can always walk it off," Mr Perks says.