NZ city applauded on New York Times' travel rankings for 2023

Auckland has been ranked fifth on the New York Times' list of the 52 places to go in 2023, with its foodie scene earning special praise.

The supercity was topped only by London, Japan's Morioka, the US' Monument Valley and Scotland's Kilmartin Glen.

"Sorry, Wellington," the article reads, calling Tāmaki Makaurau the culinary capital.

And "pastries that rival France's best" from Little French Pastry are high on the list of reasons for Auckland's appearance on the list, along with the offerings at Hugo's Bistro, Cazador, and Omni.

"Restaurants that have been germinating while the country's borders were closed are now ready to be sampled by all."

Other Auckland highlights mentioned in the article include "a side of adventure tourism" and "the city's famous multiculturalism".

It comes after plenty of recent international praise for the city: Condé Nast Traveller included Auckland on its list of the 23 best places to go in 2023 in November, Kingsland was named one of the coolest suburbs in the world in October and Karangahape Rd's Sri Pinang was named one of the best eateries in the world in September.

Wellington was named one of 2023's top travel destinations by Rough Guides in December.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited's head of visitor economy Annie Dundas said making the list is "extraordinary".

"Auckland in the last few years has seriously earned its culinary stripes, there are just so many extraordinary restaurants and cafes, food trucks, and so on, and it's just really nice to see it recognised - and it's a genuine reason to visit Auckland," she said.

"We started off '22 with being on Lonely Planet's list as the number one city to visit...and so this is just a further accolade."

Dundas also pointed to Auckland's hotels and activities, and said "we're no longer a gateway city".

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"Of course, we are a gateway - but there is so much more to do in our city.

"We feel very lucky and feel this is the right time for us to be getting out and sharing our message with the world."