MAPU Test kitchen

We rarely review and were honestly a little nervous. But my goodness this food rocked and the delivery from Giulio in an intimate setting, amazing. For sure the best food experience I have had in NZ, and maybe anywhere!!

We had an unforgettable experience at Giulio’s Test Kitchen. It is one thing to enjoy a delicious meal created by a highly acclaimed an decorated chef. But to have this very intimate experience, where Guillo prepares the food right in front of you and shares his thought process that went into creating each dish, is truly exceptional. Each course was highly creative, innovative and delicious. No need to call out any particular dish in this review, because you will very likely be served something different. Guilio also served wonderful wines (international and local) - generously.

simply incredible. this was likely the highlight of my entire 15-day travels through NZ, and a delightful entrance into the south island. chef Sturla created something really special here. limited seating (4 of us all together + chef the night we went). we got their a tad early and explored the garden where a large portion of the ingredients for the night’s meal come from. we then proceeded to the dinner where chef prepared a truly exquisite selection of tastings that rivalled some of the best 3-star Michelin restaurants i’ve been to. culinary highlights: (from memory as i don’t have the exact menu or names of the fish, etc.) the homemade breads the incredible fish the asparagus the banana pasta the duck + eggplant 😍 the petite fours + the non alcoholic pairing was fantastic! (i think maybe there was a shiso fermented thing that i would have drank a bucket of if available) the best part of the experience aside from the actual incredible food was hearing as the chef prepared the plates, how he thinks about food, the ingredients, and how it all ties in together at MAPU. oh, and the chairs were also very comfy. highly recommend if you find yourself in or near Lyttelton (Christchurch is a very short drive). 💯

Today (28 December 2023) Giulio & his Venezuelan assistant Alberro created a culinary masterpiece with matched wines and non-alcoholic drinks for my 96 year old mother Natalie and my 11 family members & my best friends at the communal kitchen at my mother’s aged care facility in Cashmere, Christchurch. It was a 6 course culinary luncheon, a custom made chef d'oeuvre that was unique and truly memorable. Giulio took into account several dietary restrictions and the care and innovation that was put into the menu was extraordinary and superlative. I take my hat off to Giulio of Mapu, in fact I take off 3 hats and award him the highest honour. What a gentleman, what an outstanding chef! Thank you Giulio for making this such a memorable day and you did this on your birthday! Bravissimo! Salut! Kudos! You are amazing! 👏🏽👍🏽🙌🏽👌🏽🍾

Amazing vegetarian food. Photo does not do justice unfortunately. Banana noodles was an experience

Absolutely fantastic experience. My husband and I ate at MAPU a couple of weeks ago on our honeymoon and it was one of the highlights of our 2-week trip to NZ. Everything we had was extremely thoughtful, inventive, and--most importantly--delicious. As for beverages: I had the wine pairing and my husband had the non-alcoholic mixed drink pairing, and we felt both pairings were fantastic (each presented unique offerings). It's clear Giulio pours a ton of passion and knowledge into his work. We loved hearing about his concept and the preparation that went into each course. We had a lot of fun getting to know our fellow diners as well--overall it felt like a dinner party that was exceptional in every way! We can't wait to return.

Fantastic culinary adventure, with incredible attention to detail and creativity. Must recommend friends

Unbelievable experience, can't recommend it enough! Giulio is an artist, but so down-to-earth. The food was great, and so personal. Plus excellent wines and non-alcoholic alternatives.