Forest

Hyperlocal produce and a mission to reduce waste is what drives plant-based restaurant Forest. While it started as a 16-seat, one-woman show on Symonds Street, chef-owner Plabita Florence realised that single-handedly making every dish on the set menu wasn’t sustainable.

Forest opened the doors to its 30-seat Dominion Road space in July 2023. It’s a peaceful environment, with a patterned, deep green ceiling, comfortable brown banquettes and plants in several corners.

Now, the menu’s an à la carte offering that changes weekly based on seasonality and what the team has been able to preserve. You might eat crowd favourites such as upside-down broccoli with green olive mayo; purple kūmara with Marmite cream, peas, capers, paprika and rosemary; and warm ginger pudding with coconut canelé ice-cream and sherbet.

The move to Mount Eden brought morning opening hours and a daytime menu of treats and sandwiches run by Ashleigh Payne (ex-The Caker), along with Kokako coffee.