Trivet

Wallace Mua is the name to know at Trivet. The JW Marriott Auckland restaurant is led by the chef named Chef of the Year at the 2026 LION Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence, and his menu gives the hotel dining room a clear point of view: modern Polynesian food made for sharing.

Start with the dish already carrying its own reputation. Trivet’s Chatham Island “Paua, Palusami, Vol-Au-Vent and Chives” won Heart of the City’s Iconic Auckland Eats 2026, bringing together paua, palusami and crisp pastry in a form that feels both familiar and unexpected. Around it, the menu keeps close to the coast, with Te Matuku oysters, New Zealand octopus carpaccio, mussel ceviche and market fish among the seafood-led plates.

There is warmth in the smaller details too: pigs’ ears with char-siu, house-made flatbread with coconut butter, BBQ Ulu i’a, and herbs grown in JW Marriott Auckland’s rooftop garden appearing across the dishes. Order broadly, share properly, and let the table fill.