Michelin Guide’s NZ debut called ‘an absolute joke’ by chef

Thursday, 2 July 2026

Amisfield in Arrowtown received a Michelin star despite former executive chef Vaughan Mabee resigning in February after workplace misconduct allegations including assault.

Fifteen New Zealand restaurants received Michelin stars at Tuesday's inaugural ceremony, with Essence in Queenstown earning the only two-star rating.

Michelin inspectors only visited four cities, omitting food regions like Waikato, Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay from consideration.

A Michelin-trained chef is criticising the Michelin Guide after Tuesday night’s inaugural ceremony where it dished out stars to fifteen New Zealand restaurants.

Tala, Inati, Ahi, Ortega, The Estate, Rata, Logan Brown, Jano Bistro, Tussock Hill, Sherwood, Kika, Paris Butter, Mudbrick, and Amisfield all received a coveted Michelin star, while Queenstown’s Essence secured two.

Among the celebrations of winners were whispers and raised eyebrows as Amisfield in Arrowtown was awarded its star. The restaurant’s now former executive chef, Vaughan Mabee, resigned in February after 15 years at the establishment, against a backdrop of serious workplace misconduct allegations.

In a statement reported by The Press, Mabee said he had let his team, himself, and his family down, and “unreservedly apologised” for his “inappropriate behaviour” and for the “harm or offence” caused.

In May, Amisfield was also removed from Cuisine Magazine’s annual The Good Food Guide list of New Zealand's top restaurants and must-visit dining destinations.

Michelin Guide told Stuff that it wouldn’t comment on specific situations but clarified stars were awarded to restaurants and not chefs.

The restaurant told Stuff it was incredibly proud of its team and the recognition and is focusing on the future under head chef Sun Peng Er.

While Kristy Phillips, chief executive of Hospitality New Zealand, said the announcement “highlights the quality and depth of New Zealand’s food scene,” others in the industry were less impressed.

Michelin-trained chef Jack Crosti, formerly of Auckland restaurants Mela and Beirut, congratulated the winners on a “massive achievement” but called the event “an absolute joke,” arguing that the restaurants which earned one star were not operating at the same level.

“Some of those restaurants are clearly playing Champions League. Others felt like they were invited because Michelin needed to fill the table and didn’t want the room to look empty,” Crosti said in a Facebook post.

“When an award like Michelin comes in, it matters. It should lift the industry. It should recognise the right people. It should feel researched, considered, respectful and sharp. Instead, parts of it felt like a luxury brand tried to understand the local scene by scrolling Instagram and asking someone where the cool people eat.'

Crosti also questioned how the Michelin inspectors selected the restaurants to visit in the first place, asking: “Did Michelin actually understand what they were judging, or did they just arrive with a red book, a big reputation and a very confident Google search history?”

The critique raises a larger question: can a guide truly represent the depth of New Zealand's food scene when inspectors only visited four cities?

“It’s a bit of a cruel irony that the Michelin Guide, initially launched to sell more tyres, isn’t currently travelling to the likes of Waikato, Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay,” said food writer Anna King Shahab. “Such places are the food bowls of our land and home to plenty of Guide-worthy restaurants.”

King Shahab noted that the omission of Cocoro and Aryeh in Auckland, and Mapu in Christchurch, was surprising. “Without taking anything away from those awarded a Bib Gourmand, the selections appeared rather Euro-centric – Pho Yen and Eden Noodles are two places I’d love to see wearing a Bib.”

Thirty-five eateries were awarded a Bib Gourmand, which highlights places with high-quality food at great value.

Crosti said of the selection: “Honestly, what was that? Some good picks, yes. But also some selections that felt like someone opened Google, typed ‘restaurants Auckland good vibes,’ clicked the first few that looked photogenic, and called it research. Meanwhile, so many operators who genuinely deserved recognition were left out like they don’t exist.”

The government has spent $6.3m over three years to bring Michelin to New Zealand. Following the launch announcement, Tourism New Zealand estimated that the guide’s prestige alone would draw up to 36,000 additional international visitors to the country, specifically targeting lucrative luxury and culinary travellers.