Oceania's Best New Restaurant 2025

Aryeh is a coastal beachside restaurant in Piha, New Zealand, serving modern NZ cuisine, founded by Executive Chef Lucas Parkinson. The name "Aryeh," meaning "lion" in Aramaic, pays homage to Piha's iconic Lion Rock and reflects the establishment's ethos of strength and sustainability 

Chef Parkinson, raised in Auckland and trained globally, previously owned Ode in Wānaka, a multi award winning restaurant renowned for its sustainable and hyper-local cuisine. After Ode's closure, he gained international experience in France with close friend Chef Nick Honeyman at Le Petit Leon, which inspired him to adopt a seasonal business model for Aryeh. This model includes flexible rent agreements based on turnover, reducing financial strain during off-peak seasons.

Aryeh's menu showcases New Zealand's finest produce, including organic meats, wild-shot game, and sustainably sourced seafood. The restaurant collaborates with local growers, farmers, and fishermen to offer a delicious seasonal dining experience .

 Aryeh provides a unique dining experience that celebrates local ingredients and sustainable practices such as a plastic free kitchen and low waste menus, sustainable cocktails, organic NZ wines and organic NZ spirits, all in a breathtaking natural setting.