Ode Conscious Dining restaurant head chef and co-owner Lucas Parkinson said it had been a "tumultuous year" full of anxiety and there were moments he feared the restaurant would never open again.
"We got set back maybe nine times, so to be constantly on edge that we were about to open and then to get a setback from council or insurance again was really mind-contorting.
"It now seems almost surreal that it is actually happening."
The fire, early on August 12 last year, is believed to have started among tea towels, fresh from a dryer and stored in a linen bag under the bar area.
The fire spread, causing extensive damage to the upstairs restaurant in Post Office Lane off Ardmore St.
Only the previous day, the editor of Cuisine magazine had rated the organic restaurant 15.5 out of 20, the equivalent to one Michelin star and described it as one to watch in 2019.
Mr Parkinson said he was very "excited but also anxious" about reopening.
"I am a little out of kilter for not cooking for an entire year, but it is in my bones, so I'll be fine.
"I have been in the kitchen for the last three days, I'm feeling good.
"We have got a really solid team, and I feel supported, so I think it is going to go really well here."
Mr Parkinson said Ode Conscious Dining would now be open for breakfast and brunch as well.
The vision of showcasing local organic New Zealand produce remained the same although "elevated".
"Our aim is to continue to be a model for sustainable restaurants, in the hope that we can inspire other restaurant owners around New Zealand and the world," he said.
