284 Trafalgar Street, Nelson
Phone: 03 545 7191
www.hopgoods.co.nz
Owners: Kevin & Jane Hopgood
Open for Dinner: Monday – Saturday, 5.30pm – till late

Wild Tomato Dine Out Awards 2010

Voted Best Restaurant, Nelson

Article written by Monica Mead

It’s refreshing in this age of long -distance chefs/restaurateurs to call and find the namesake on premise. Seemingly a small detail, but when fulfilling the restaurateur’s vision – from kitchen to plate to table – owners who still have a hand in the pot are always going to come out on top in terms of quality and service. These are the hallmarks behind the success of Hopgood’s, now in its fifth year of serving a grateful public.

And Kevin Hopgood was only happy to acknowledge that he knows which side of his bread is buttered and by whom. “It makes us feel really proud, because the local business is our main focus,” he said of winning as best in Nelson for the third year. “That’s what matters most to us, – what the public thinks. Once you go into winter, it’s the locals who take care of you. I’m really, really happy. That’s made my day. Thank you!”

And obviously Nelson readers like what they’re eating, because along with a wine list that would make Michael Cooper crow, co-owners Kevin and Jane Hopgood employ local ingredients in a menu that is at once creative, thoughtful, and well executed well without being ostentatious. A tasteful, convivial atmosphere may bring you in, but signature dishes such as the twice -cooked pork belly and crispy duck salad keep us all coming back.