Dux Dine

An elegant seafood concept with plenty of Mediterranean charm, Dux Dine calls a historic turn-of-the-century villa it's home. Full of optimism and summer sun, this eatery is as colourful as it is whimsical.

It's made seafood and plant-based food its specialty, and so their beautiful decor follows suit, languishing in refreshing turquoises, oceanic greens, mellow yellows and beachy creams. It's the kind of atmosphere that deserves an ice-cold Aperol Spritz at all times of the year, where families and loved ones graze lazily on the sun-soaked patio outside and where lovers dream of stolen nights in Italian trattorias and Tuscan villas.

'Dreamy' would be an understatement and their menu only serves to fuel that sense of wanderlust that blooms around every corner. The mains consist of battered market fish, clattering buckets of fresh mussels, and the finest Akaroa salmon with understated accompaniments. If you prefer something light, their salads are bursting with nutritious grains, spritely dressings, fresh vegetables and melt-in-the-mouth seafood, perfect for endless summer evenings in the courtyard.

Their cocktails also serve up fizzy tastes of summer with the citrusy Bloody Hell Honey, pomegranate Pom Pom and party essentials like the Tutti Frutti. With a plethora of award-winning New Zealand wines too, Dux Dine is really as deluxe as it sounds and celebrates Aotearoa's seafood with all the grace and delicacy that it deserves.