Return

Return is chef Matt Lambert's restaurant on Ponsonby Road — a homecoming after a decade in New York, where he and his wife Barbara built The Musket Room into one of the city's most celebrated restaurants, earning a Michelin star within four months of opening and holding it for seven years.

At Return, seasonal New Zealand produce is treated with the same precision and intention — a small, considered menu built around individual plates rather than shared dining. The room reflects the same philosophy: a live-edge kauri bar, a travertine fireplace, and two distinct dining spaces, one bright and street-facing, one intimate and wrapped around the bar.

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm, with lunch service on Fridays from 12–2pm.