Dunedin New Zealand Eats Ivan Laguna Dunedin

Dunedin Awards

Playful eye-catching design, al fresco dining and casual New Zealand-inspired eats in North Park.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner daily, Brunch Sat.-Sun.
Dunedin, San Diego, CA


Dunedin Restaurant Review:



About the restaurant & décor: Named for a New Zealand coastal town, this neighborhood gem celebrates Kiwi culture, cuisine and community. Creative whiz Michael Soriano's striking design features a hand-carved wooden wall (homage to Dunedin’s famed rock), hanging greenery, cozy fire pits and Maori culture.

Likes: Al fresco dining; great neighborhood feel.
Dislikes: None.

Food & Drinks: While grass-fed meats dominate the eclectic menu, it goes way beyond pub food. Start with the savory meat pies in a flaky pastry and then order up the famed portabella fries --- thick and meaty in a light crust with rosemary dipping sauce. The juicy lamb burger comes piled high with beets and blue cheese and a blanket of emerald green mint jelly. Selections range from well-executed pub fare like sausage rolls and beer-battered fish-n-chips to ahi niçoise salads, calamari and habanero fried chicken (aka fried biddy). Brunch is a boozy and awesome al fresco affair with clever dishes such as fried green tomatoes with a poached egg, burrata, frisée and pine nuts, or a béchamel bread pudding croque madame plumped up with ham, Gruyère, potatoes, roasted tomatoes and eggs, all nicely paired with a blood orange mimosa. Champagne cocktails and sexy sangría are signatures sippers of Dunedin --- we like the mint Prosecco sangría with fresh strawberries. Beer connoisseurs have a choice of 20 craft beers spilling from the taps or beer cocktails; stout topped with framboise is aptly called a Chocolate Truffle. Staff is friendly. Sister restaurants include Queenstown, Raglan Public House and Bare Back Grill.