Michelin postcode snub? Chef asks why Piha was left off the map

Michelin marked its New Zealand arrival with a giant logo in the sand at Piha Beach – but a highly rated restaurant just 500m from that photo op has discovered it wasn’t even eligible for inclusion in the prestigious guide.

“On Friday we received confirmation that Piha was not in the Michelin inspection zone,” said Lucas Parkinson, chef and owner of West Auckland restaurant, Aryeh.

“Part of me is relieved that we didn’t fail. Part of me is frustrated that, 35km from the CBD, we were excluded.”

Tourism New Zealand – which is spending $6.3 million on three years’ worth of guides for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin – said today it did not set the exact geographic boundaries for inspections and could not confirm what they were.

“We do not have information about the boundaries as determined by Michelin Guide, as this information is not shared with destination partners,” a spokesperson said.

It did confirm it had produced the Michelin logo sand art image at Piha to mark the announcement the guide was coming to New Zealand.

“As the destination marketing organisation for New Zealand we often use our unique landscapes to help tell stories about New Zealand on the world stage. The decision to create this image at Piha with sand artist Kenrick Smith was made in this spirit.”

The Michelin Guide logo loomed large on Piha Beach as part of Tourism New Zealand's announcement of a three-year partnership with the restaurant guide.

Michelin refused to provide the Herald with the specifics of its inspection zones, beyond a statement that said inspectors were “actively exploring the culinary landscape” across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

“To preserve the integrity and anonymity of the inspection process, the Michelin Guide does not share details about specific restaurants, locations visited, or the areas explored by our inspectors”.

Parkinson told the Herald he received confirmation that Aryeh was not included in the inspection zone as part of an email exchange that had begun when he inquired about invites to the inaugural ceremony.

Aryeh, on the road into Piha, is about 45 minutes from Auckland's CBD. Photo / Babiche Martens

Aryeh, opened as a seasonal restaurant in 2023, holds one hat in the current Cuisine Good Food Guide and was scored 16 out of 20 (“great, plan a visit”) by Viva critic Jesse Mulligan. Its menu is described as hyper-seasonal with an emphasis on local and sustainably harvested ingredients.

The restaurant is situated on the main road into Piha.

Parkinson said he’d taken the Michelin beach art that had landed on his doorstep as “a taonga” but, in a video released on social media late last month, he also confirmed Aryeh hadn’t made it on to the Michelin invite list.

“Do I think Michelin coming to New Zealand is a good thing?” Parkinson asked.

“Yeah, it’s good to put your Formula One cars on a Formula One track and see how they do. It’s good to see how we stand up next to the world ... it just hurts to not be invited and to be representing everything that they said they were looking for.”

The first Michelin Guide New Zealand (announced in Auckland last Tuesday) recognised 110 restaurants. All of the Auckland recipients were either based in the central city, nearby suburbs or Waiheke Island but Wellington’s selection included a restaurant from Paraparaumu Beach and, in Queenstown, the guide’s reach extended almost 70km to cover Wānaka restaurants.

Parkinson noted the original Michelin guide – produced by the French tyre company in 1900 – was aimed at encouraging diners to take road trips.

“If you got in an Uber and left from the Sky Tower, you’d be in Piha in 45 minutes.”

Parkinson said he didn’t want to “poke the beast” but, at the same time, Piha’s exclusion was “confusing” and he had contacted Michelin again, post-awards, to directly ask whether Aryeh and Piha had been included in the judging process.

“After the awards came out, I just wanted to know for sure ... It was a very brief reply but I am grateful to them for confirming.

“It’s like, okay, I can dispel that fear of failure.”

Lucas Parkinson says his restaurant Aryeh is about 500 metres from Piha Beach, which featured in launch publicity for the Michelin Guide. Photo / Babiche Martens

The prospect of gaining a Michelin star was “not so much about ego”, Parkinson said, as the potential financial boost that might have followed any recognition.

“After calling my friends who have got stars, they’re like ‘yeah bro, bookings have gone nuts’.”

Parkinson, who will reopen Aryeh in August, said he had invested heavily in staff last summer to ensure the restaurant was Michelin-ready.

“I can only hope for next year they open up more regions and do include entire cities, instead of just neighbourhoods of cities.”

Parkinson congratulated all of the restaurants included in the inaugural guide, saying it was a huge achievement.

“And I hope this brings added prosperity and stability to their establishments.”

Kim Knight joined the New Zealand Herald in 2016 and is a senior reporter on its lifestyle desk.