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Auckland

Restaurants in Auckland

  1. A

    Prego

    This friendly and stylish Italian restaurant covers all the bases, with a fireplace in winter and a courtyard in summer. And on the subject of bases, the pizza is pretty damn fine, as are the inventive Italian mains.

    reviewed

  2. B

    Raw Power

    Vegetable-shaped salt-and-pepper shakers, superbright walls and the freshest ingredients entice punters to this upstairs eatery, popular with visiting vegetarian/vegan rock royalty. Grab a window seat if you can.

    reviewed

  3. C

    Ponsonby Village International Food Court

    The city’s best food hall, only partly due to its location at the heart of the Ponsonby strip. There's Italian, Japanese, Malaysian, Chinese, Turkish, Thai, Lao and Indian on offer but we rarely go past the excellent Vietnamese and Indonesian.

    reviewed

  4. D

    Baci Lounge

    Round padded booths are nestled among the shelves at this very appealing bookshop-cafe. Devour delicious counter food (salads, paninis, fancy pies, gluten-free slices) and literary greats all at the same time.

    reviewed

  5. E

    Monsoon

    Monsoon is a low-key local. Come with a rabble of friends or on your lonesome for zingy curries and saucy mains. Bring your own booze, or take your dinner away with you: Monsoon does BYO and takeaway.

    reviewed

  6. F

    Ponsonby Road Bistro

    Portions are large at this modern, upmarket restaurant with an Italian/French sensibility and first-rate service. Imported cheese and wine are a highlight, and the crispy-based pizzas make a delicious shared snack.

    reviewed

  7. G

    Eight.Two

    Hollowed out of an old villa, this dazzlingly white dining room offers a similarly breezy menu and a great wine list. Catch the Birkenhead ferry from the city for a memorable night out.

    reviewed

  8. H

    Delicious

    The name doesn’t lie. Foodies flock to this neighbourhood eatery for simple but first-rate pasta, risotto and gnocchi. They don’t take bookings so expect to wait – it’s usually busy.

    reviewed

  9. I

    Urban Cafe

    Its urbanity highlighted by an industrial aesthetic, this chic cafe serves spicy Baghdad baked eggs (with lentils and Turkish bread), daily pasta dishes and enticing sweet stuff.

    reviewed

  10. J

    Rosehip Cafe

    The name fits: it’s near the Rose Gardens and it’s pretty darn hip. The cooked meals are a tad pricey but the food’s delicious.

    reviewed

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  12. K

    Zarbo

    This very sophisticated and capacious version of the local deli stocks gourmet provisions and has fantastic salad selections. There's plenty of seating for in-house feasting.

    reviewed

  13. L

    MacGregor Brothers

    The wonderful internal features of this petite art-deco shopfront have survived, making this a great spot for a quality coffee and cake served on fine china.

    reviewed

  14. M

    Tabou

    Elegant and refined but informal and friendly, Tabou is the French restaurant you wish was in your neighbourhood. It doubles as a bar later in the evening.

    reviewed

  15. N

    Molten

    Under the volcano’s shadow, Molten oozes neighbourhood charm and erupts with flavour. The consistently excellent menu is extremely well crafted, taking advantage of the latest seasonal produce to create innovative, beautifully presented meals.

    reviewed

  16. O

    Ima

    Named after the Hebrew word for mother, the menu is a harmonious blend of Israeli, Palestinian, Yemenite and Lebanese dishes. Excellent coffee, too.

    reviewed

  17. P

    Ice It

    Away from the hordes on the main street, this café isn't all about sweet treats. There are healthy wraps and cooked meals to choose from too.

    reviewed

  18. Q

    Rasoi

    Lip-smackingly good (and delightfully cheap) vegetarian thali and South Indian food can be found here, together with lassi and Indian sweets.

    reviewed

  19. R

    Alleluya

    To the bohemian denizens of K Rd, Alleluya means good coffee, moreish cakes and lots of vegetarian options. It's situated at the end of the city's hippest arcade, with windows offering a wonderful snapshot of the city skyline.

    reviewed

  20. S

    Tanuki's Cave

    Tucked away below a more formal restaurant, this hip sake bar serves delicious grilled skewers and other Japanese snacks.

    reviewed

  21. T

    Reslau

    Spilling into the Elliott Stables laneway, this tiny cafe–wine bar literally has a trolley-load of delicious snacks and light meals, not to mention excellent coffee.

    reviewed

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  23. U

    C'est Fromage

    Head down to this French deli, where you can munch into delicious baguettes or stock up on cheese and charcuterie.

    reviewed

  24. V

    Fridge

    Serves excellent coffee, gourmet pies, healthy salads and wraps, and drool-inducing cakes.

    reviewed

  25. W

    Theatre

    Once the grand entrance to a long-gone theatre, this narrow vaulted corridor has been transformed into a supremely cool licensed cafe serving excellent coffee, cooked breakfasts and made-to-order sandwiches and bagels.

    reviewed

  26. X

    Teed St Larder

    Polished concrete floors, beer crate tables and colourful oversized lampshades set the scene at Newmarket's best cafe. There are plenty of enticing cooked items on the menu but it's hard to go past the delicious sandwiches and tarts beckoning from the counter.

    reviewed

  27. Y

    Satya

    17 Great North Rd K Rd Hugely popular, this humble-looking and humbly priced eatery has the best dahi puri (chickpea, potato and yoghurt on a pappadam) and masala dosa (crêpe filled with potato-and-onion curry) in town.

    reviewed