Forest

Called Te Wao Nui, it's divided into six ecological zones: Coast (seals, penguins), Islands (mainly lizards, including NZ's pint-sized dinosaur, the tuatara), Wetlands (ducks, herons, eels), Night (kiwi, naturally, along with frogs, native owls and weta), Forest (birds) and High Country (cheekier birds and lizards).

Midway through the year, Plabita Florence opened the doors to the newest iteration of her intriguing, plant-based restaurant Forest, taking up residence in a charming space on Dominion Road. Here, you’ll find an array of innovative, plant-based cuisine that uses unexpected flavours and unique ingredients to harness the potential of vegetarian food in a way that is entirely her own. Florence maintains her seasonal focus, with an emphasis on sustainable, waste-conscious dining, and as such, you can expect the likes of whole, ‘upside-down broccoli’ or bakery sourdough served warm with ‘old wine butter’.

Serving up the ultimate plant-based fare, not only is Forest the best vegetarian restaurant in Auckland right now, it's also one of Auckland's best restaurants overall. Independently owned by chef Plabita Florence and operated in collaboration with Kate Underwood, every dish is a plateful of art and constantly evolves with the flow of the seasons so you'll want to put this one on rotation. Their deep-fried feijoa season is a highlight of the annual culinary calendar and be sure to wrap your mouth around their beer-glazed purple kumara with marmite cream.

_When this issue went to print, the standout dessert on the menu at Forest was a fantastical sherbet glassful of Kyoho grape sorbet, marigold leaf jelly and grape skin oil — which is, in our opinion, an ideal way to end a meal. The menu at this Dominion Rd restaurant changes regularly, however, so it’s likely they’ve moved on to entirely new dessert options by the time you read this. However, whatever they are, they seem to be consistently served in great stemmed glass bowls and are consistently great to eat.

Plant-based restaurant Forest is the vision of chef/owner Plabita Florence, housed in a purple-hued dining room on Dominion Rd. It’s a space that feels a bit like a friend’s living room, says Plabita, whose a la carte menu changes weekly. On offer recently was deep-fried halloumi with caramelised onion gravy, celery honey and apple (the only dish on the menu that couldn’t be made vegan), and roasted kūmara with rosemary and “Marmite cream”.

Forest is a plant-based restaurant boasting an ever-evolving a la carte menu. Operating from 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday, Forest is a testament to environmental stewardship, sourcing ingredients locally and minimising waste. Embracing a plant-based ethos, much to the delight of vegan diners, most dishes can be tailored to vegan preferences.

Initially starting out as a pop-up restaurant, Forest has found it's forever home on upper Symonds Street, Auckland City. A lesser-known, but a truly worthwhile plant-based restaurant, Forest has values and a menu we can all get behind. Their focus is both creating delicious dishes, and the impact they have on the environment.

If there’s one restaurant that has made its name for its seasonal awareness it would be Forest. The plant-based kitchen, helmed by Plabita Florence, turns out dishes dictated by seasonal stocks. The desserts and drinks list often incite fanfare – the deep-fried jelly served throughout autumn earned the restaurant many fans.

This small vegetarian and vegan restaurant serves a three course set menu that changes weekly. Expect a combination of flavours with the likes of baked kumara, artichoke semifreddo, sugar snaps, and plenty more creative dishes. Add a refreshing cocktail and you’ll be in your element!

Having started life as a set-menu restaurant on Symonds Street, Plabita Florence’s 30-seater is now on Dominion Road. The focus is still on creative dishes with a low-waste, vegetarian ethos – and it’s evolved to à la carte ordering with a breakfast menu, too.

Forest may be one of Auckland’s only semi-formal vegetarian restaurants, but owner and chef Plabita Florence hopes it is so much more than that.

Find your inner caveman and forage for wild food on a day out in the native forest. Overnight deep forest camping also available.