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Cloudy Bay Vineyards has unveiled SAKU, a new Japanese dining experience designed to deepen the estate’s visitor offering and strengthen Marlborough’s position as a premium food-and-wine destination.
Opening this month at the Rapaura estate, SAKU is the latest venture from Nari Jahana and Bo Jeong, the team behind Blenheim favourite SASA. Meaning “to bloom” in Japanese, the restaurant draws inspiration from the surrounding vineyard landscape, pairing refined Japanese dishes with Cloudy Bay’s signature wines.
Estate director Yang Shen says SAKU adds “a vibrant new layer of hospitality” to the winery, offering guests a fresh way to explore the connection between local produce, seasonal flavours and Cloudy Bay varietals.
The menu has been created to complement the estate’s wines, with dishes such as Haku kingfish carpaccio matched with Cloudy Bay Chardonnay, and Cloudy Bay clams steamed with sake paired with the 2025 Sauvignon Blanc. The focus is on simplicity, seasonality and balance — a hallmark of Japanese culinary craft.
Chef Nari says Marlborough’s spirit of freshness makes it a natural home for SAKU. “We want to express that through food that’s elegant and full of life, in harmony with Cloudy Bay wines.”
SAKU will operate seven days a week for lunch and dinner throughout the summer season, closing mid-May before reopening in September.
Bookings and details: https://www.cloudybay.com/en-nz/visit-us/marlborough/
