Auckland NZ’s ‘culinary capital’ top five in New York Times’ 52 Places for 2023

'Sorry, Wellington' the New York Times has crowned a new Kiwi culinary capital. Photo / AR, Unsplash

The New York Times has published their annual list of 52 places to visit in the coming year, and at the top of their picks is the “Kiwi capital of culture” - no it’s not Wellington.

Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland landed in number 5 on the prestigious travel guide for “pastries that rival France’s best” and North Island adventure tourism.

New Zealand based Times travel writer Brian Ng said the city deserved to be recognised as the country’s top destination for dining, thanks to its “famous multiculturalism” and culinary influences. Top picks for eating out in Tamaki Makaurau were Hugo’s Bistro on Shortland Street, Omni in Mt Eden whose head chef is ex Yardbird in Hong Kong and Little French Pastry, tucked away in Pt Chev.

The neighbourhood bakers “serve up mille-feuille rivalling Paris’s best,” according to the Times.

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Of course Auckland was just one submission for a year’s worth of travel. The 52 Places list provides one destination a week for globe trotters and, in 2023, ranges as far afield as Accra - Ghana’s buzzing cultural hub - and the “living museum of resilience” that is Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Number 1 on the list of locales was London, United Kingdom. Ahead of the Coronation of Charles III and a new airport link to the capital and historic metropole make 2023 the year to be in Blighty, says the New York Times.

Meanwhile, for those who abhor crowds number 2 was Morioka, Japan, just 2 hours’ bullet train ride from Tokyo. As the country enjoys a return to international travel the Times says this Prefecture, which is “often passed over or outright ignored”, is the place to find some Zen-like calm.

Autumn at Morioka Castle, in Iwate prefecture, Japan. Photo / 663highland, Creative Commons

Unlike previous years the paper will not be sending a writer to visit all of the locations on the 52 places list.

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Back in 2020 52 places editor Amy Virshup said that “the world has changed. So has 52 Places.” In the face of criticism of the carbon debt of sending a writer, the paper moved to relying on local travel writers and experts to help pick the list.