Aosta (Arrowtown)

I've dined at quite a few Michelin and hatted restaurants worldwide and I really expected more from a 2 hat place. We had their chef selection dinner menu. The one standout was the Cervo /Venison which was an absolute joy to eat, perfectly balanced and intriguingly complex with the parsnip puree, parsnip chips and elderberry jus. The second best dish was the wallaby tartare mostly because I've never had wallaby before. But apart from that, their octopus and tomato tagiatelle was disappointingly claggy and sticky/gluey in the texture, and the octopus was chewy and way over salted which was a shame. The kingfish crudo also was heavy on too many salty elements and not enough acidity. The tiramisu sabayon was slightly grainy and apart from the theatre display there was nothing memorable about it. Ambiance was warm but not intimate enough, table settings are super close to each other and we were crammed right next to the fireplace where another table was sitting perpendicular, so close that another guest's hair was almost touching our table when she leaned back. We asked to move to the table next to us, which we were told was "reserved" but stayed empty the entire night from 5.30 to 8pm. This kind of service is just shocking for 2 hat restaurant. Service was brisk and professional but not personalised except when they assembled the tartare and tiramisu dishes in front you... All in I wouldn't return, it doesn't live up to 2 hats. Except for their deer (cervo) dish which was the one saving grace and a dish I would gladly eat 10x over.

We had such a great experience at Aosta. We had the degustation set menu and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The Chefs were kind enough to alter the menu slightly as my wife is pregnant, which was very appreciated. Christopher our waiter was really great. We enjoyed his explanations of all the items, but also his interesting story of how he moved there from Italy. Really enjoyed this Aosta. Recommend

Had an awesome birthday dinner here! All staff members were lovely, the food was on the next level, loved the idea of a tasting menu - you can try various positions in their smaller versions and explore (still left super full and happy). Highly recommend if you're looking for some quality Italian cuisine far away from Italy!

Beautifully showcased and presented dining experience. Luca and the team were an absolute delight to have serve our table throughout the evening. The chefs curated an exquisite combination of flavours utilising ingredients from across NZ. The food looked beautiful and tasted even better. A dining experience I will remember for a long time.

Had such a wonderful experience at Aosta in Arrowtown, and a big part of it was thanks to our waiter, Luca. We are from Valle d’Aosta in Italy, so we know and truly appreciate good Italian cuisine—and everything was absolutely delicious. The vodka pasta, in particular, was incredible… definitely the kind of dish you can’t help but finish with a “scarpetta”! Luca made the evening even more special. He explained every dish beautifully, with passion and attention to detail. He was friendly, engaging, and highly professional—we could clearly see how much he loves his job and how much effort he puts into it. Honestly, in all our time in New Zealand, we haven’t experienced service as good as his. We also loved how some of the dishes were finished and assembled at the table, allowing the aromas to come through and giving us a real connection with what we were about to eat. The atmosphere was warm and very enjoyable. Thank you, Luca, and the entire team, for such a memorable evening. We’ll definitely be back!