Palate back in top 50 for sixth consecutive year

Three Hamilton restaurants have been named in Cuisine’s top 50 NZ restaurants of the year, including the newly relocated and refurbished Palate.

Palate has been open since 2005 on Victoria Street, but the move this year has placed the restaurant in a more relaxed atmosphere, by the riverside on Alma Street.

It has been named in Cuisine’s top 50 every year since 2007, and this year it is accompanied by Victoria Street Bistro and Chim-Choo-Ree.

Palate owner and head chef Mat Mclean, who trained at Wintec,  is happy to see other local finalists, after Palate was the only Hamilton restaurant to make the top 50 in 2007.

“I think we’ve got more than Dunedin…When we first made the list we were the only one and I think Dunedin had about four.”

Some categories in the competition have changed this year. The Best Casual Dining Regional category that Palate came first equal in last year, along with Best Casual Metropolitan, Best Smart Regional and Best Smart Metropolitan categories, no longer exist.

Instead there will be overall Best Regional and Best Metropolitan restaurants. Chef of the Year and Best New Restaurant are two new categories this year.

Mr Mclean says Palate’s relocation has definitely enhanced the restaurant, but it is hard to compete with the country’s top restaurants within the first few months of reopening.

“Obviously if we don’t perform I will be bitterly disappointed, but it’s a long road,” he says. “We have just moved here. My real focus will probably be next year.”

The new Palate has four different sections to it; a dedicated bar and snacks section, different casual and formal areas, and a degustation section.

The whole restaurant opens onto a deck for warmer months and diners have a view of the Waikato river through the shrubbery.

“What sets us apart? You could be anywhere sitting here, it’s very relaxing.”