The story
Essence, a fine-dining restaurant at 2 Brunswick Street, Boydtown, Queenstown, earned three hats from the Cuisine Good Food Guide for 2026. The kitchen pairs New Zealand produce with European technique, and the room sits within the Roki Hotel.
Paul Froggatt, Director of Culinary, leads the kitchen. His years in luxury lodges shape a menu built on seasonality, precision and storytelling. Diners choose between the shorter A Taste of Essence or The Journey, a multi-course sequence where each dish builds on the one before.
Guide reviewers singled out duck with beetroot and cacao, and buckwheat with apple and miso, a dish that reads simply on paper but is carefully executed. The drinks list pairs inventive cocktails with classics, and the martini earned particular praise.
Recognition
Location
Nearby