Aosta is a restaurant at 18 Buckingham Street in Arrowtown, about 20 minutes from Queenstown. It serves Northern Italian cooking with subtle French influences, built around Central Otago ingredients. The restaurant was founded by chef Ben Bayly, who drew inspiration from time spent in Italy's Aosta Valley, and the kitchen is led by Executive Chef Josh Phillips.
Evenings are a more refined dinner service, while the daytime offering is a relaxed, home-style lunch or brunch. According to the restaurant's website, it is open daily for brunch (11am to 3pm) and dinner (5pm to 9pm); check the site for current hours.
The restaurant's website lists a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026), two hats at the 2026 Good Food Awards and Yellow Brick Road Regional Restaurant of the Year (2025). Josh Phillips is listed as Cuisine's Rising Talent 2025.
Walk-ins are welcome. Group bookings of more than six need advance notice by phone or email, and groups of eight or more choose from a set menu. At the time of writing the website noted that online booking was having technical difficulties, so phone or email is the safer route.
A good fit for small to mid-sized group dinners in Arrowtown; see Queenstown venues for other options in the region.
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