Restaurants in New Zealand
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White Lady
The lady in white stealthily materialises after dark, or is it that everyone's too drunk to notice her arrive? This mobile burger bus has been frying-up fast food to late-night boozers since the '50s. The burgers are exxy, but monstrous and greasy and best enjoyed while bathed in the neon glow of the late-night city.
reviewed
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Fidel’s
A Cuba St institution for caffeine-craving, upbeat left-wing subversives. Eggs any-which-way, pizza and amazing salads are pumped out of the itsy kitchen, along with Welly’s best milkshakes. Revolutionary memorabilia adorn the walls of the funky interior; decent outdoor areas too. A superbusy crew copes with the chaos admirably.
reviewed
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Shoreline
A spiffy, modern cafe-bar-restaurant right on the beach. Punters chill on the sunny deck, lingering over panini, pizzas, pasta or fresh fish, but you can also just pop in for coffee and a jumbo muffin. Erratic winter hours; take-away booth out the back.
reviewed
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Café Ujazi
Ujazi folds back its windows and lets the alternative vibe spill out onto the street. The superb coffee, substantial breakfasts and sparkly staff are a great hangover remedy. Try the rewana special – a big breakfast on traditional Maori bread.
reviewed
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Chow
Home of the legendary blue cheese and peanut wonton, Chow is a stylish pan-Asian restaurant-cum-bar: a must visit for people who love exciting food, interesting decor, and the odd cocktail. The perfect place to share food and conversation. The hip Motel bar is adjacent.
reviewed
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One Red Dog
A bustling, upmarket brewery pub, popular for late-night weekend drinks. On offer are gourmet pizzas, pastas, calzones and salads. Families take the early dinner sitting and young 20-somethings create a fun, upbeat atmosphere.
reviewed
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Midnight Espresso
The city’s original late-night cafe, with food that’s hearty, tasty and inexpensive – heavy on the wholesome and vegetarian. Sit in the window with Havana coffee and cake, it’s the quintessential Wellington cafe experience.
reviewed
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Hell
Demon gourmet pizzas are themed after all things evil for around NZ$9-NZ$17. Try the seven deadly sins range or the vegetarian 'purgatory'. Delivery available.
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Café Melba
Old school through and through, this dim and moody café has businessfolk clustered at its teeny tables both inside and out on Vulcan Lane. At breakfast, there is Eggs Benedict done three ways: veg, regular and with salmon. Or dip your spoon in delectable stewed fruit or porridge. Later at lunch, the menu moves to bagels and curries.
reviewed
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Agnes Curran
Beyond the compact courtyard, Agnes Curran café embodies the kind of homely comforts that encourage staying a while. An obviously homemade melting moment or lamington with tea or coffee tastes better surrounded by vintage-style kitchen gear and pottery. Quiches, pies and filled baguettes mean you can stay on for lunch.
reviewed
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Two Fat Indians
Closed until further notice.
Drawing backpackers and locals alike, this polished twin-room eatery lives by the tagline 'The art of pint and curry'. The extensive menu pleases both carnivores and vegetarians, and includes palak kofta (spinach dumplings) and a reliable chicken tikka masala, all with matching beer recommendations.
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Sheinkin
Sheinkin stands out amongst the other eggs-and-coffee joints in Auckland's CBD due to its stellar Israeli-inspired food, quality coffee and unhurried atmosphere. They do a fabulous tasting plate, soups and salads and there is plenty of glossy reading material to peruse while you wait for your bagel.
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Toto
A comprehensive list of Italian and NZ wines accompanies Toto's choice of fine Italian fare. And dinner ain't over in the Montecristo Room till the fat lady sings, with set menu and opera singing available Saturday. Movie and music nights also feature.
reviewed
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Stone Oven
On weekends you’ll want to get in early or get ready to queue for the breads, pastries, cakes and baked goods. Perfect for scoffing in situ, or away from the madding crowd.
reviewed
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Caffe Roma
Closed until further notice.
Often voted Christchurch’s best spot for breakfast, a relaxed attitude at Caffe Roma means goodies such as salmon with hash browns are available until 3.30pm every day.
reviewed
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Flying Burrito Brothers
Let it all hang out at this lively Tex-Mex cantina. Quesadillas, tortillas, tacos and tostadas laced with avocado and chilli, plus bocaditos (small bites, like tapas) and a kids menu, too. The extensive (and informative) tequila menu and premium margaritas will give you lift-off.
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Espressoholic
A serious supporter of coffee addiction is this grungy café, with chipped black tables and colourful graffiti art. Espressoholic keeps late hours (midnight or later), keeping punters happy with a good veggie selection, cool music and courtyard.
reviewed
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Bushmans Centre
The Bushmans Centre is an overly rustic cafe-shop with a pathological distrust of possums, animal rights activists and Aucklanders. Inside is a souvenir shop and the Bushmans Museum, laying on blokey bush humour with a 20-minute video on local industry, anti-possum displays and some giant eels. The cafe offers snacks like possum jerky, possum pie and possum pâté. Outside in a paddock are chamois and thar that look happier than the caged possums inside.
reviewed
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Bodhi Tree
Closed until further notice.
Christchurch’s only Burmese restaurant is also one of the city’s best eateries. Don’t come expecting bold flavours from neighbouring Thailand, but look forward to subtle food crafted from exceptionally fresh ingredients. Standout dishes include the le pet thoke (pickled tea leaf salad) and the ciandi thoke (grilled eggplant). Meat and seafood also feature. Dishes are entrée-sized so drum up a group and sample lots of different flavours. Bookings are essential.
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Chocolate Fish
Much is made of this café being a favourite with film stars working in Wellywood, but it's good enough without such validation. It's a colourful, quirky place in Scorching Bay, east of the city (for the scenic route, take Oriental Pde all the way around Evans Bay, a total of 13km). Sit outside right on the beach (good for swimming) and tuck into a bumper breakfast, perfect panini or hunk of cake. Expect to wait for a table on sunny weekends.
reviewed
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Cafe L’Affare
Cafe L’Affare is the centre of a small empire, from which its own beans are roasted and distributed. Its Professor Brainstorm–emporium interior is a hive of activity, with speedy baristas, crowded communal tables and a disco ball. At weekends, kids aplenty add to the cacophony, but everyone adds their cheery thanks to snappy service and wicked brekkies of eggie excellence.
reviewed
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Kai Kart
Owned by a mussel farmer, the seafood at this tiny caravan of cuisine is exceptionally fresh. The sweet-as-sweet blue cod could be the best fish you’ll ever have, and the mussels with spicy satay sauce aren’t far behind. Park yourself in an interior booth, grab an outside table, or eat your goodies on the beach. Don’t blame us if you’ve finished them before you get there.
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Arbitrageur
The hardest thing about the chi-chi Arbitrageur experience is pronouncing the name. Everything else is terribly polished. A clever colour-coding system will help you match your meal with a drop from the extensive wine selection, and there's a menu of well-priced nibbles and meals. Live jazz Friday and Saturday night rounds off a sophisticated experience.
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SPQR
This ivy-covered Ponsonby Rd hot spot is well known for good Roman-style, thin, crusty pizzas and excellent Italian-influenced mains. The surrounds are a stylish blend of the industrial and the chic, the lights low (bring your reading glasses!), the buzz constant and the staff smooth and camp all at the same time.
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Duo
Just off Invercargill’s main drag, the elegant Duo has good-value lunch specials (all $15) and a more expensive evening menu. Standout menu items include smoked salmon, herb-and-feta-crusted pork steaks, and oven-baked blue cod. The wine list travels mainly to nearby Central Otago for some hard-to-find boutique tipples.
reviewed
