Amano

On the ground floor of two Britomart heritage buildings, Amano’s expansive space houses both a 120-seat Italian-inspired restaurant and a bakery for takeaway.

Open all day, seven days a week, Amano has the feeling of a well-oiled machine – no doubt a key part of its ongoing success. It has high ceilings with exposed rafters and beams that show off the building’s heritage. Wood and marble give the space a feeling of grandeur, which is softened by the mother of pearl countertops, large dried floral arrangements hanging from the ceiling and the hive of activity visible in the open bar and kitchen.

From its bakery counter, accessed via a door to the right of the main entrance, it services the many CBD offices that surround it with coffee and pastries, fresh juice and loaves of sourdough, salads and sandwiches.

The main restaurant is also open from early morning for granola or breakfast risotto, or smoked fish pate on sourdough. For lunch and dinner, high-quality Italian fare emphasises seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. Though the menu changes, there’s usually a soft cheese entree with seasonal produce; a selection of sustainably sourced seafood; an impressive meat offering; and signature handmade pasta.

To drink, the beer line-up is heavy on New Zealand brews, and the extensive wine list spans both Italy and Aotearoa – plus some French and Spanish drops in the more premium cellar list. House cocktails are interesting – such as the one with kiwifruit, tequila, fino, chilli and horopito (a native plant) – and the bar staff do a mean Martini.