The A-List

Roll up, roll up. It’s time for this week’s New Zealand food news. Hot off the press (or should we say, toastie press) are all the tasty tidbits you need to know. 

Early mornings, midweek departures, or late-week getaways—you’ve got options no matter what your week looks like.

As per usual, mighty Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is pulling out all the stops. Here’s what’s on in Auckland this week, this month, and this year. 

Does life feel so hectic right now that you’re missing out on those magical moments with your special someone? Check out these romantic getaways and magical retreats within driving (or ferry) distance from Auckland.

You’ve made it—the weekend’s here and she’s a vibe

Welcome to the most fabulous corner of the internet—Urban List's destination for the picks of the beauty crop. This month, our fave haircare has a glow up, there's new scents galore, indie brands are having a *moment* and a new immersive beauty space. 

Auckland has some of the best Airbnbs around and we’re semi-obsessed (let’s be real, head-over-heels in love) with those secret urban dwellings that go above and beyond. 

Walking is one of the best ways to make the most of the City of Sails. So grab some sturdy shoes, make use of the kauri dieback wash stations and get amongst the beautiful coastlines, stunning waterfalls, urban strolls and native bush.

Laneway Festival 2026 lineup brings Chappell Roan, Wolf Alice, PinkPantheress, BENEE & more to stages across Australia and New Zealand.

No matter your budget—from cheap and cheerful to total baller—there’s all manner of top-tier eateries to sink your teeth into.

At Urban List, we've spent a lot of time thinking about what makes the difference between a good restaurant and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland's very best. 

From boutique to five-star luxury we've scoured town for la crème de la crème, so without further ado, here are the best hotels in Auckland.

Olivia Dean is returning Down Under in October 2026 to kick off our spring season with her honey-sweet vocals and soul-filled lyrics. Touring her upcoming album The Art of Loving, the singer has just announced her Australia and New Zealand tour dates. Here are all the details.

Let's give it up for Australian talent. There's no denying that a whole heap of the best fashion labels right now are Aussie born and bred.

Ho, ho, holy snowball. December is nearly here and it's time to get our Christmas party on. Is it just us, or did this year really sneak up on us?

Fancy a weekend at a waterfront beach house with a gated pool? Or sneaking away to the hinterlands for a farmstay filled with horses and cows? You decide.

If you didn't realise already, Father's Day is fast approaching. Well, actually, it's right around the corner—7 September, to be exact—there's your reminder. What makes matters tricky is how tough Kiwi blokes can be buy for. That's why I've come up with the very best list of gifts to get a Kiwi dad for Father's Day.

Make markets your favourite weekend morning ritual and kick on with mates for the night markets too. Here is our (extensive!) list of the very best Auckland markets.

Grab a pie and a pint, put your thinking cap on, and get ready to show off your obscure knowledge. Who knows? You might even come out on top. 

Pampering yourself doesn’t come much better than a sleek set of nails. 

We’ve taken the hard yards out of scoping out the very best massage places in Auckland, so that you can sit back and slip right into a state of bliss. Toodles, tension. 

Not only is yoga good for your body, but it also has amazing benefits for your mind too. In the busyness and craziness of life, taking up yoga is one of the best things you could do for your entire wellbeing.

Private dining is the ultimate fantasy—home-style dining (if your home’s hella plush) surrounded by all your favourite people, where tastebud tantalising dishes materialise in front of you, care of a top-tier chef. If I’m dreaming don’t wake me up.

It's the time of year when we resolve to go harder, to be better, to move faster, and to get stronger—no wait, that might just be Daft Punk. In any case, here's our ultimate guide to Auckland's best gyms. 

Here are eight epic day trips from Auckland for you to tick off one by one.

If there's one food trend that's defined 2025 thus far, it's Dubai or knafeh chocolate. What started as a candy bar bringing together pistachio cream, tahini, and kataifi (a type of shredded pastry) inside a crackable, paint-splattered chocolate shell, created by Sarah Hamouda of Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai—has inspired an infinte number of copcats across the globe, and just as many sweet treats (think cookies, pastries, even cocktails). 

Nothing cheers me up more on a cold Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland day (any day, to be fair) than wrapping my mitts around a mug of hot chocolate. Whether it’s a classic number done right, or a more adventurous drop laced with peanut butter or peppermint, served in an edible cup or even topped with bright pink fairy floss, sippin’ on a hot choccy is always a good time.

One of the side effects of becoming the Editor of Urban List is friends and strangers alike are always sliding into my DMs asking for recs (which I dig, by the way—she loves a flex). So I decided I should really be spilling my secrets here, for all of you, too. 

A bunch of workshops have popped up all over Auckland with every kind of class imaginable.

Let's get one thing straight—pilates may be a great tool for rehab but that doesn't mean it's cruisy.

Sick of being a passive bystander in a movie theatre? Perhaps it’s time to become the lead in your own story.

While your Spotify may be overflowing with a cracking collection of music, nothing beats the sweet, sweet sound of live music.

Cue the Macklemore flashbacks. It's clear that thrift shopping—correction, op shopping—is f**kin’ awesome. Especially in Auckland, with the best op shops per capita, so we say. 

For tasty kai with bangin' views, make a beeline for the Auckland Viaduct. 

Takapuna is one of my favourite suburbs in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Not only is it home to one of the most popular beaches on the North Shore, it also boasts a long list of amazing places to eat and drink and that's a combo that makes this food writer very happy indeed.

We’ve plucked, tinted and shaped our way to bring you the very best brow bars in Auckland. 

There’s something about dancing I just can’t get enough of. Whether it’s dancing in the moonlight, dancing in the dark or dancing in the rain, there really is nothing greater.

From chic patisseries and pretty pink ice cream parlours to boujee burger joints, Ponsonby's got it all.

With its top-notch eateries and unrivalled views of the Waitematā Harbour, Wynyard Quarter is one of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s most beautiful spots. 

We live for new openings (especially the kind that involves food) and know you do, too. Fortunately, Auckland is the city that just keeps on giving when it comes to new restaurants, bars, cafes and bakeries—we really are a lucky bunch.

Whether payday is a distant memory or you simply don’t want to spend your life savings on a meal, don’t go running for those two-minute noodles just yet. There are plenty of cheap eats in Auckland that are minimal on coin but maximum on deliciousness.

Korean food has officially taken over Auckland—and we're not mad about it. Whether you're in it for fiery Korean fried chicken, bubbling bowls of stew, or sizzling hot BBQ, this is your go-to guide to the best Korean restaurants in Auckland.

Matariki is here and it's time to feast. 

Few things in life come close to the excitement of receiving jewellery. The box, the silky lining, the glamour of it all—nothing compares. Here are a few of our favourite jewellers in Tāmaki Makaurau for you to chase that thrill. 

Fear not, breakfast-lover—you’re about to have the ultimate list of the best breakfasts in Auckland right at your fingertips.

We've rounded up the best of the best bars, with oldies, newbies and everything in between. No matter the specifics, all of these places have one thing in common: they're a damn fine spot to sink a drink.

Whether you’re a matcha convert or you’re curious about the vibrant green tea that's taken the world by storm, Tāmaki Makaurau has you sussed. Let's find your perfect match-a. 

Skip dinner altogether and go straight into a sugar-glazed euphoria.

Let’s be honest, Mother Nature is one amazing lady. She’s the mastermind behind some of life’s finest things: beaches, waterfalls, mountains, forests…the list goes on. 

We’ve looked high and low and we’ve scouted the best places to eat if you’re gluten free—because there’s no need to miss out.

We love Japanese food an awful lot here at the Urban List. And who’s to blame us? From sushi to sashimi to sake, Japanese cuisine delivers deliciousness on all levels.

Tattoos are a universal art form used as a form of self-expression and tribute and as the world’s most tattooed nation, it's no surprise we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a tattoo studio in Auckland.

Whether you'd love to spend your weekend gazing at art-adorned walls with a quizzical look on your face thinking ‘what the heck is that!?’ or simply elevate your mind by marvelling at stunning artwork then we have found the best places for you.

Ahhh brunch, the perfect blend of breakfast and lunch we just can’t get enough of, which is lucky because the brunch game is strong in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Doughnuts are having a moment—and that’s totally fine by us. Whether you like them dusted with sugar, oozing with chocolate custard or stuffed with cream, there’s something for everyone in this doughnut lovin’ city of ours. We’ve rounded up the best places to get the best doughnuts in Auckland. Dough-not delay, try one today.

If you’re curious about anything (or everything), get yourself along to one of Auckland’s many incredible museums and prepare to expand your mind. From ancient relics to impressive architecture, lush outdoors to lifeforms past and present, Auckland has no shortage of intriguing historic collections to get amongst.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why settle for the usual smashed avo when you can take a morning trip around the globe—no passport required?

We all deserve a bit of relaxation time now and again, let’s face it. Tired? Needing a pick-me-up? Feel like treating yo'self? 

As the adage goes, if the zombie apocalypse comes after leg day, the ‘fittest’ will be the first ones to go. That said, when your survival odds rest on your ability to head for the hills (and actually make it there), it makes sense to put the leg work in today.

Bargain bevvies, a bar snack or two and some quality yarns make for the ultimate after-work wind-down.