A Michelin Moment for Commercial Bay
On 30 June, Aotearoa joined the global MICHELIN Guide for the very first time, marking a major milestone for the country’s dining scene and the Guide’s first expansion into Oceania. Across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, 110 restaurants were recognised in the inaugural selection.
For Commercial Bay, the night was especially significant, with four restaurants recognised: Ahi receiving One MICHELIN Star, and Origine, Advieh and The Lodge named MICHELIN Selected. It’s a fitting reflection of the talent, ambition and hospitality shaping the precinct’s dining culture.
Ahi
One MICHELIN Star
Ahi was awarded One MICHELIN Star, recognising its high-quality cooking and distinctive approach to modern New Zealand cuisine. The restaurant centres its menu around the wood-fired hearth, with chef Ben Bayly drawing on Aotearoa’s produce, culture and culinary traditions to create dishes with a strong sense of place. Seasonal ingredients, traceable sourcing and produce from Ahi’s own South Auckland garden all play an important role in the experience.
For Ahi, the recognition marks a significant moment for a restaurant built around telling New Zealand’s food story, one ingredient, producer and plate at a time.
Origine
MICHELIN Selected
Origine was recognised as MICHELIN Selected, joining the Guide’s inaugural list of restaurants whose cooking impressed its inspectors.
Led by chef Ben Bayly, Origine brings together the traditions and techniques of French cuisine with exceptional New Zealand produce. The result is a modern French brasserie that feels polished yet relaxed, with sweeping views across the Waitematā Harbour and a menu shaped by seasonality, provenance, and Bayly’s years cooking in France.
Advieh
MICHELIN Selected
Advieh was also named MICHELIN Selected, recognising its place within New Zealand’s inaugural MICHELIN Guide.
Under chef Gareth Stewart, Advieh draws on the bold flavours of the Middle East and Mediterranean, using locally grown and ethically sourced ingredients to bring those traditions into a distinctly New Zealand context. Vibrant, generous and made for sharing, the menu is matched by a lively dining room within InterContinental Auckland.
The Lodge
MICHELIN Selected
The Lodge rounded out Commercial Bay’s MICHELIN recognition, earning a place in the MICHELIN Selected list for 2026.
Led by award-winning chef Matt Lambert, The Lodge places some of New Zealand’s best seasonal produce at the centre of the menu. The cooking is grounded in simple, honest techniques that let the ingredients speak for themselves, with the Josper charcoal grill bringing depth and character to dishes ranging from premium seafood to beautifully cooked New Zealand meats.
Four restaurants, four distinct dining experiences and one milestone moment for Commercial Bay.
The inaugural MICHELIN Guide New Zealand puts Aotearoa firmly on the global dining map, and we’re proud to see Ahi, Origine, Advieh, and The Lodge recognised among the restaurants shaping what comes next.
Discover them all at Commercial Bay.
