Comparable to both ceviche and carpaccio, ‘crudo’ is technically a dish of raw fish or seafood, likely dressed with oil, citrus juice, and seasonings. And it seems there’s at least one iteration on every good menu in Auckland. In light of our new seasonal appetites, lusting for light dishes as opposed to hearty, soul-warming ones, we saw fit to glorify our favourites by way of the following list.

Euro’s Kawhia Kingfish Crudo
Carefully carved raw kingfish is marinated with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and topped with a green olive purée, ‘gentleman’s relish’ (aka garlic purée), fresh capers and pickled lemon. Garnished with fresh dill fronds, it’s a fresh vibrant dish that’s hard to beat. eurobar.co.nz

Azabu’s Big Glory Bay King Salmon Tiradito
Tiradito is a typical Japanese x Peruvian dish of raw fish, cut like sashimi and most commonly served with a spicy sauce and this one’s been on Azabu’s menu ever since they opened. Served with passion fruit, coconut cream, leche de tigre (a citrus-based marinade) and crispy spaghetti squash, it’s a tart, tangy and wholesome creation. azabuponsonby.co.nz

Amano’s Kingfish Crudo
For a moment, it transitioned to a delicious Trevally escabeche — a dish of fish or meat marinated and cooked in an acidic mixture and sometimes coloured with pimento or saffron — but now they’re back to their OG Kingfish Crudo. The much-loved dish currently comes paired with fennel, chilli and avocado. amano.nz

Williams Eatery’s Salmon Tartare
Here, they take glossy fresh salmon and dice it up into an enticing tartare dish, served with coconut yoghurt, roasted wakame and parsnip sorbet. It’s a flavour mashup that’s so good and unexpected, you just have to try it for yourself. williamseatery.co.nz

Soul Bar & Bistro’s Trevally Crudo
Taking the underrated trevally and rendering it into something truly spectacular, Soul adds the bright orange sour mojo sauce (inspired by recent guest chef Nina Compton), lightly dressed avocado and crispy quinoa into the mix. Not only is this dish visually stunning, but it’s quite something on the palate too. soulbar.nz