Every time I go to Arrowtown I’m sure there is always somewhere new to try. This time it was Aosta; a trendy, sophisticated Italian restaurant serving food inspired by the region that gives it its name. The similarities that exist between Aosta and Central Otago are highlighted on the menu: similar flora, fauna, seasons and latitude. The restaurant also makes a comparison of the countries’ shapes. It was very interesting and made me excited for the meal to come.

Andy and I had just arrived home from Europe (literally, hours before!) and so a great catch up was had with his family over some very tasty olives and some of the best bread I’ve had in a very longtime. The wine list had been crafted with taste: it was keeping me awake so I was pleased to see it flowing freely!

We’d all ordered differently (my favourite) so there was a good array of food arriving at our table. I’d opted for the monkfish wrapped in prosciutto and served with artichoke: I had never had monkfish before but it felt cooked to perfection. The lamb and lobster risotto were also beautiful meals – not just in presentation, but taste too.

I was full, but Janet and Pete talked highly of the tiramisu and I didn’t want to miss out! The tiramisu came out 3/4 complete and our waiter finished the rest off in front of us: repeated three times it made for quite the spectacle. We also tried the tamarillo sorbet which I thought was positively divine.

It’s a sophisticated restaurant and priced accordingly, however the food and service were outstanding making it well worth it. Everything about the meal was a pleasure and I knew that I would be sleeping extremely well that night!