Johanna Thornton

1 week ago | nzherald.co.nz | Johanna Thornton

By Johanna Thornton Thursday Apr. 17, 2025VivaWhat’s going on in food? Johanna Thornton has the latest in new openings, events to book and exciting collaborations. Quinn Bar wins an award for colour A relative newcomer to Auckland’s CBD, Quinn Bar is an intimate (it fits around 40 people), design-forward cocktail bar where mood, lighting, and colour combine in layers of blue.

2 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Johanna Thornton

Johanna Thornton has reached a tipping point with the share plate phenomenon – and she wants to know who’s with her. I was at a popular Ponsonby “fusion” restaurant when a familiar dance played out between the well-meaning waiter and me. It was an innocent inquiry not long after I’d sat down, and one I’d heard many times before. “Have you dined here before?” “No,” I bristled, knowing what was coming next. “Then I’ll just explain how the menu works,” says the waiter.

2 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Johanna Thornton

How does it feel to be named by global food and wine experts the number three restaurant in the world? Amisfield’s Vaughan Mabee says he’s “honoured and very proud”. This week, Queenstown fine dining restaurant Amisfield placed third in Food & Wine’s third-annual Global Tastemakers Awards. The outpouring of congratulations from all over the world has been “nothing short of awesome”, says executive chef and Masterchef NZ judge Vaughan Mabee.

3 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Johanna Thornton

Kol restaurant on 23 Ponsonby Rd is closing. Photo / Babiche Martens With the news that Sid and Chand Sahrawat are closing their restaurant Kol, some have unfairly labelled its address – 23 Ponsonby Rd – ‘cursed’, after a string of short-lived ventures in recent years. But it hasn’t always been that way. Johanna Thornton charts the many brilliant incarnations of Ponsonby’s iconic corner colonial house. It has all the makings of a great location.

3 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Johanna Thornton

Few places can claim to be legendary, but Huka Lodge has long held that status as the Grande Dame of New Zealand’s luxury lodges. Now, after an ambitious nine-month overhaul, it’s back – and more stunning than ever, writes Johanna Thornton. Huka Lodge has always been synonymous with luxury, but after an extensive nine-month renovation, it’s entered a whole new era of elegance.