MAPU Test Kitchen at 8A London Street, Lyttelton, is an experimental kitchen rather than a restaurant, run by chef Giulio Sturla as a place to try new things. Guests sit on bar chairs around the kitchen and watch the food cooked in front of them, while Giulio tells the stories behind the ingredients, the people who grow and harvest them, and the recipes. The food is in-season and locally sourced, with a foraging focus on the Banks Peninsula. The menu is eight courses plus snacks, and it changes with the seasons.
Each evening is a ticketed event for up to six guests, booked through Ticket Tailor. Tickets are non-refundable and apply to the whole party. Changes need at least one week's notice in writing, and transfers are not guaranteed. Dietary requests should be sent by email before tickets are bought. Three drink pairings are offered: non-alcoholic, with handcrafted fermented drinks; wine, from New Zealand and international producers; and a library pairing of bottles from private cellars. There are two other restaurants within a kilometre, the nearest being London Fish & Chips and Chinese Lyttelton, 0.1 km away. Our pick in Lyttelton for a slow, intimate evening of cooking and conversation.