If you’re anything like us, the description “home-style New Zealand cuisine” leaves you a bit confused and scratching your head. Well, we highly recommend you educate at The Musket Room, a charming gem tucked away in downtown Manhattan. Think organic, farm-to-table ingredients (often grown in the restaurant’s backyard garden) with hints of Old World British cuisine and a heavy Pacific Rim influence. With beautifully plated dishes that are as bursting with unexpected and bold flavors as they are Instagram ready, it’s no wonder this spot earned a Michelin star within months of opening. If you’re in the mood for something gamey, try the gin-infused deer or the duck with turnip and huckleberry. Want something lighter — with just enough flakey crust to make it feel like a guilty pleasure? You can’t go wrong with the vegetable tart with almonds and blue cheese. And, if you’re up for a true Kiwi experience, make sure to check out the cocktail menu. Our favorite: the Ramuti Punch, which combines pineapple, rum, cinnamon, citrus and allspice. It’s like a tropical vacation in a glass, without the jet lag and the around-the-world flight.

Photograph by Emily Andrews