For the third consecutive year, QT Wellington’s French-inspired signature restaurant Hippopotamus has earned a coveted Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence recognising its continued dedication to building a prestigious wine programme.
As one of only two restaurants in New Zealand to be recognised in the 2021 awards, Hippopotamus is featured in the international magazine’s annual Restaurant Awards dining guide alongside 2,900 top establishments across 72 countries.
Hippopotamus is one of 1141 restaurants to rank in the Best of Award of Excellence category. This category is reserved for those with showpiece wine cellars with more than 300 selections on offer with both vintage depth and regional breadth – with most wine territories represented.
Stocked with more than 900 different wines, the Hippopotamus wine cellar has an inventory of more than 6000 bottles. Since earning a Wine Spectator award in 2020, Hippopotamus rose to the challenges of an unprecedented year for the hospitality industry with a focus on increasing the inventory of aging wines. The experienced sommelier team, led by Florent Souche, meticulously test each wine prior to aging, and determine its release date based on how its tasting.
“Though Hippopotamus was in hibernation during 2020, our wine team kept innovating," says QT Wellington general manager Ian Charlton.
"We further expanded our wine list and launched a takeaway wine cellar for the first time, and reopened stronger than ever early this year. Earning this award is a testament to the hard work by our Head Sommelier Florent and the entire restaurant team.”
In addition to accessing selections from the Takeaway Wine Cellar, guests can now enjoy Hippopotamus’ full wine list for dinner and at the cocktail bar Thursday to Saturday evenings, and during high tea service on weekends.
To make a booking at Hippopotamus, visit qthotels.com/wellington/eat-drink/hippopotamus.
To peruse the Hippopotamus Takeaway Wine Cellar list and place your order with Head Sommelier Florent Souche, visit qthotels.com/wellington/offers/eat-drink/hippopotamus-takeaway-wine-cellar.
