Forest

About Forest

Forest is an acclaimed vegetarian restaurant located on Dominion Road in Mount Eden, Auckland, independently owned and operated by self-taught chef Plabita Florence and restaurant host Kate Underwood. What began in 2019 as a creative pop-up and subsequently a cozy 16-seat dining room on Symonds Street relocated in 2023 to its current Dominion Road space, welcoming diners for full meals, casual snacks, thoughtful drinks, or late-night sweet treats.

The kitchen presents an inventive à la carte menu that evolves weekly, shaped by seasonal produce, fermentation, and in-house preserves. Guided by an ethos of environmental respect, Forest sources ingredients locally wherever possible and uses every element thoughtfully to minimise kitchen waste. The restaurant has garnered significant recognition, including 2 Hats at the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2024 and Metro Restaurant of the Year 2024.

Inside, the atmosphere is warm and imaginative, featuring both dining room and bar seating where guests can explore distinctive wine, craft beers, creative cocktails, and house-made sodas. Dishes are designed to be easily tailored to various dietary preferences, ensuring an inclusive dining experience centered on inventive plant-led cooking.

Inside Forest: Inventive Plant-Led Dining on Dominion Road

Forest is an imaginative celebration of vegetable-forward cookery situated along Dominion Road in Mount Eden. Founded by self-taught chef Plabita Florence and co-owned alongside restaurant host Kate Underwood, the restaurant has established itself as one of New Zealand's most inventive dining rooms. What originally began in 2019 as a roaming pop-up grew into an intimate 16-seat venue on Symonds Street, where a fresh three-course set menu debuted each week. In 2023, Forest moved to its roomier current location at 243 Dominion Road, evolving into an à la carte experience while preserving its playful, exploratory spirit.

The kitchen's philosophy rests on deep respect for the surrounding environment. Ingredients are sourced locally whenever viable and treated with meticulous care to generate as little kitchen waste as possible. Florence and her team frequently utilize botanical elements, whole fruits, house-made ferments, and scraps that traditional kitchens might overlook—such as fruit skins transformed into dusting sherbets or sodas, and surplus produce turned into complex preserves. This dedication to culinary craft has earned Forest significant critical acclaim, including Two Hats at the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2024 and the title of Metro Restaurant of the Year 2024.

The Seasonal À La Carte Experience

The offerings at Forest rotate continually, with modifications occurring every single week depending on immediate micro-seasons and whatever fermented or preserved stocks are at their peak. Diners are encouraged to drop in across a spectrum of occasions, whether settling into the dining room for a full sequence of shared plates, dropping by the bar for a glass of natural wine and small snacks, or dropping in late just to indulge in a creative dessert.

Snacks set the tone for the kitchen's combination of precision and comfort. The witloof taco fills a crisp leaf with a sweet corn nugget, lime mayo, and sharp pink pickles, while warm Florets Bakery focaccia is paired with an old wine butter. A warm cup of caramelized leek, balsamic, and brown butter broth delivers concentrated savory warmth. On the larger sharing plates, familiar staples receive adventurous twists: a Marmite-glazed hasselback potato comes dressed with olive cream, paprika, and chives, while golden fried halloumi is balanced by mustard butter greens, parmesan crisps, and a tangy pickle juice caramel.

Confection, Preservation, and Pourings

Desserts at Forest are renowned for their inventive botanical profiles. One of the kitchen's signature dishes is the deep-fried feijoa, rolled in a tangy feijoa skin sherbet and plated alongside sticky ginger cake and earl grey custard. Other playful confections include marigold ice cream served with sour kyoho grape gumdrops, as well as cinnamon jelly accompanied by brown sugar and soy sauce ice cream.

The drinks list mirrors the kitchen's sustainable ethos and curiosity. Cocktails feature adventurous culinary preparations, from a passionfruit hot sauce margarita to an orange and vanilla whiskey sour crowned with house-made orange peel sherbet. Non-alcoholic options are treated with equal reverence, notably the zero-waste feijoa skin and mint soda. Rounding out the cellar is a curated selection of organic, natural, and low-intervention New Zealand wines alongside local craft brews.

Signature items

• Deep Fried Feijoa
• Marmite-Glazed Hasselback Potato
• Fried Halloumi
• Witloof Taco
• Marigold Ice Cream
• Feijoa Skin & Mint Soda

Menu

Wine

• Organico Pét Nat Field Blend — Sparkling natural wine
• Swift Marceline Blanc de Blanc Méthode Traditionnelle — Sparkling white wine
• Windrush Organic Sauvignon Blanc — Organic white wine
• Bostock Pinot Gris — White wine
• Scout Chardonnay — White wine
• Felton Road Bannockburn Riesling — Central Otago white wine
• Swift Cabernet Franc Rosé — Rosé wine
• Bryterlater Brambles Orange — Skin-contact orange wine
• Brood Sedure Pinot Noir — Red wine
• Seresin Beautiful Chaos Syrah — Organic red wine
• Decibel Gimblett Gravels Malbec — Hawke's Bay red wine
• Tettonica Pinot Nouveau — Chilled red wine

Snacks

• Witloof taco — Corn nugget, lime mayo, pink pickles
• Cup of caramelised leek, balsamic & brown butter broth — Warm savoury broth
• Little bowl of seaweed dusted fries — Served with toasted chilli goop
• Crunchy crudités & pickles — Served with creamy garlic pine nut dip
• Warm Florets Bakery focaccia — Served with old wine butter

Non-Alcs

• Feijoa skin & mint soda — House-made soda utilising fruit skins
• Yuzu 0% shandy — Non-alcoholic citrus shandy
• Good Sh*t ginger prebiotic soda — Sparkling prebiotic beverage
• CoAqua coconut water with lime — Refreshing coconut water with citrus
• Antipodes sparkling water 1L — Bottled sparkling mineral water

Cocktails

• Hibiscus negroni — House-crafted negroni with hibiscus
• Sour cherry gimlet — Tart cherry cocktail
• Passionfruit hot sauce margarita — Spiced fruit margarita
• Orange & vanilla whiskey sour — Served with orange peel sherbet
• Mandarin & marigold gin fizz — Floral and citrus gin cocktail
• Saison Fallen Quinces vermouth — Artisanal vermouth serve

Merchandise

• Crayon Tee — Printed on ecru AS 100% medium weight cotton featuring the restaurant crayon wall

Beer & Cider

• Garage Project Treehugger Pilsner — Craft pilsner
• Urbanaut Detroit IPA — India pale ale
• Liberty Juice Bro Hazy Pale Ale — Hazy pale ale
• Garage Project Fugazi Session Ale — Low ABV session ale
• Epic Superzero Non-Alc IPA — Non-alcoholic IPA
• Three Wise Birds Bach Life Dry Cider — Crisp dry apple cider

Sweet Treats

• Marigold ice cream — Sour kyoho grape gumdrops
• Whipped dark chocolate — Honeycomb, vanilla, yuzu oil
• Cinnamon jelly — Brown sugar & soy sauce ice cream, green apple sherbet
• Deep fried feijoa — Rolled in feijoa skin sherbet, sticky ginger cake and earl grey custard

Sharing Plates

• Crispy rosemary farinata — Burnt rhubarb, jalapeno, yuzu pepper
• Baby cos — Curry leaf ranch, spiced rice bubbles, crunchy nut chilli oil
• Marmite-glazed hasselback potato — Olive cream, paprika, chives
• Nasturtium harissa butter beans — Breadcrumbs, smoked onion, mint yoghurt
• Fried halloumi — Mustard butter greens, pickle juice caramel, parmesan crisps

Signature Creations

• Honeydew and rockmelon sorbets — Coconut water jelly, amaretto and melon seed syrup
• Persimmon ice cream sundae — Mandarin curd, peach skin sherbet, marigold honey
• Heirloom cherry tomatoes — Pickled melon balls, red onion agrodolce, fresh goat cheese, dill

Frequently asked questions

Where is Forest located?

Forest is located at 243 Dominion Road in Mount Eden, Auckland.

What days and times is Forest open?

Forest is open from 5:00 pm, Thursday through Saturday.

Do I need to make a reservation?

Walk-ins are welcomed whenever possible, but booking a table online is recommended to ensure a spot. Reservations open one month in advance.

Is the food at Forest entirely vegetarian?

Yes, Forest serves an à la carte vegetarian menu that changes frequently based on seasonal availability and preserved ingredients.

Can dietary restrictions and preferences be accommodated?

Yes, the menu is easily personalised to suit most dietary preferences, and the complete menu is offered across both the dining room and bar.

Who owns and runs Forest?

Forest is independently owned by self-taught chef Plabita Florence and restaurant host Kate Underwood.

Can I purchase gift cards or merchandise?

Yes, Forest offers digital gift cards through their website booking platform as well as official merchandise such as their Crayon Tee.

Tips

• {"body":"Tables can be reserved up to one month in advance online; while walk-ins are welcomed at the bar and dining room when space permits, reservations fill quickly.","title":"Book ahead for prime dining times"}
• {"body":"Forest is celebrated for inventive confections like the deep-fried feijoa in feijoa skin sherbet or marigold ice cream, making it a great stop even just for late-night sweets.","title":"Don't skip the signature desserts"}
• {"body":"Be sure to try drinks made with preserved kitchen ingredients, such as the house-made feijoa skin and mint soda or orange peel sherbet cocktail.","title":"Sample the zero-waste beverage creations"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Fully vegetarian menu that can be personalised for most dietary preferences."}