Ava Wardecki

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. 

From the top-notch suggestions you sent our way, we’ve rounded up the non-negotiable places to visit in Fiji.

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. 

Just a short flight from Australia's Eastern Seaboard, Auckland is close enough for a quick escape, but far enough to reset your rhythm—this is how to make the most of it in 72 hours.

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

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? 

We called on you—our tasteful readers—to give us all the goss on what should be at the top of our list on a trip to Fiji.

If you’re looking to woo someone special, celebrate a milestone or perhaps even pop a special question, our handpicked list of the most romantic restaurants in Auckland has your next date sorted. Food, wine, romantic vibes, views—they’re all here.

Forget the total routine overhaul, in 2025 we're making small changes that stack up to a better year. 

​Auckland is a mecca for hair salons and when it comes to choosing “the one”, selecting a hairdresser to entrust with your precious locks is a big freakin’ deal.

There’s a lot to love about music festivals in the Aotearoa summer. Racing between stages, dancing like no one’s watching, and snapping up some epic memories. 

These are the best festivals hitting Aotearoa this summer. 

We’ve all been there. Dashing into the supermarket in sand-crusted jandals, scanning the wine racks for this evening’s sip, onion soup sachets and cans of reduced cream gripped to your chest. 

Smattered across four and a bit floors, Westfield Newmarket is Auckland’s only rooftop dining precinct, shopping, eating and playing to take on such luxurious form. Where else can you window shop a designer bag, mid-pedicure, while being an escalator away from a round of rooftop fresh oysters?

You don’t want to be chained to your kitchen island in a booming pre-drinks party. There’s chins to wag, sunrays to soak up, and gossip to catch up on over a round or three.

It’s time to double-whammy that precious downtime the same way you “write minutes” for meetings that really could’ve been an email. Our trick? Hybrid venues and sleek multi-purpose experiences. Sure, cocktails and burgers are great, but paired with a raging film club or arcade game? That’s where the good stuff's at. 

Enter The Gin Experience aka Urban Botanica’s new choose-your-adventure-style sipping session.  

Juicy, creamy burrata dishes are ripe for the picking in Auckland. Some simple, some jazzed up. Some pocket-sized, some re-imagined as full-size mains. All very, very scrumptious. 

In the season known to wreak havoc on your skin and beauty rituals, it’s all about working smarter, not harder. Here are the holy-grailers to do the heavy lifting for your face, hair and body.

Popping that pretty question can be a nerve-racking time—we get that. What should be a piece of cake, however, is picking out that sparkling little something to seal the deal with. Here’s your definitive list of the best places to shop for engagement rings in New Zealand.

Commissioned by Auckland Transport, pockets of Māori mahi toi (art) are woven through the city centre. What starts as a functional project—say revamping infrastructure—becomes a powerful art project. 

We love wining and dining in Ponsonby at the best of times—but throw in some one-off creations, tasting menus, and special prices, and we really don’t need our arm further twisted. So grab your planner and round up your foodie friends, here are all the best events you need to devour this year at Eat Drink Love Ponsonby 2024:

There simply isn’t an occasion that doesn’t call for a beautiful bunch of flowers. 

Load up the roadie snacks and delve into the best camping spots within driving distance from Auckland to add your hit list this summer and beyond. 

Auckland institution Ada unleashes an epic indigenous-inspired menu under the leadership of a new head and sous chef.

Here’s where to get the best eyelash extensions in Auckland.

Between free bottomless popcorn, in-film snack deliveries and a Tarantino-approved space, we’ve found the very best of Auckland’s bustling boutique cinema scene. 

Get dreaming up those cheese boards and melty, cheese-laiden winter dishes—here are the best cheese delivery services in New Zealand. 

Is there anything more calming than falling leaves in autumn? Yes, they’re technically dead leafy corpses but they’re still Insta-worthy AF.

From trusty pies to tarts, slices, cakes and even the odd dumpling, here are the tried and true, best banoffee pies in Auckland.

Grab your tent and round up your posse, we’ve found the very best camping spots in Auckland. 

Get ready to give houseparty an entirely new meaning, here’s how to celebrate your birthday in isolation during lockdown.

Loaded hot dogs will always have a place in our hearts. So naturally, when we heard Good Dog Bad Dog has opened up a new space beyond the city centre, our hearts simply sang. 

From fanciful gold facials, to sub-zero shenanigans, through to full body treatments involving beautiful botanicals of the world, we’ve rounded up the most restorative, original, and quite frankly, best spa treatments in Auckland.

Ah, the mighty degustation. Not only is it a chance to sample the crème de la crème of a restaurant’s dishes, it’s probs the only time you’ll be encouraged to eat nine courses in one sitting (those DIY Tim Tam degustations you have at home don’t count).

Kiss goodbye those roots and split ends the environmentally-friendly way, here are the very best of the sustainable salons in Auckland. 

We've found the very best parties in Auckland to watch the Melbourne Cup Races that could rival front row at Flemington Racecourse itself. Book your tickets and get betting, Cup Day is going to go off.

Great food at a great price? That, my friend, is the way to an Aucklander’s heart. Restaurant Month is officially here for 2020, bringing with it culinary creativity in the form of set menus and events from our favourite inner-city establishments. 

We gotta hand it to the Frenchies, they’ve got it goin’ on.

Tanning has certainly had a ‘glow-up’ of its own in recent years. In the last decade, we’ve said toodles to tanning beds and hello to a brand new era of bronzing. No longer are we taking a tangerine-toned gamble when stepping into the tanning booth. Nope, tanning has taken a far more natural turn (both in colour and ingredients), and Auckland’s salons are testament to this. 

From cheeses to chocolate, coffee to all things carbs, we’ve rounded up the gourmet outlets that are delivering premium goodies across the country during Level 3 and beyond.

Get ready to give houseparty an entirely new meaning, here’s how to celebrate your birthday in isolation during Level 4 lockdown.

To help your lockdown cellar stoking, we’ve handpicked a bunch of New Zealand wineries delivering nationwide during Level 4 lockdown (some of which, even for free). 

It’s thirsty work this lockdown business, isn’t it? Fortunately for Wellingtonians, there’s a fabulous handful of local boozy businesses delivering their goods to your door during level-4 lockdown. 

Sometimes in life you just need to escape to—or rather, under the water. There’s nothing like immersing in the deep waters of an underwater world to truly feel at one with nature, and to make a few scaly friends, of course.

You heard it here first, fellow health buffs. Cryotherapy is the—quite literally—coolest kid on the wellness block that you'll want to introduce to your wellness routine to. We’ve found the best place in Auckland to give it a whirl, so say hello to Cryo Health Solutions. 

A beach escape is always a good idea. Wind in your hair, sand on your skin and the sounds of waves crashing is sometimes all you need to reset and recharge. Take that relaxation to the next level and head to one of New Zealand’s lesser-known beach towns where you can be treated to glorious views and waves—without the crowds. Thankfully, our country is practically one big beach, with plenty of under-the-radar beach towns to plant your parasol and swim and sunbathe the days away.

Grab your tent and round up your posse, we’ve found the very best camping spots in Auckland. 

Bon appétit mes amis—it’s time to eat your way through our picks for Auckland’s Best French Patisseries.

From concept stores to luxury multi-brand retailers, here are the best boutiques in Wellington to find a unique addition to your wardrobe or a memento of a Wellingtonian getaway. Get ready to pop those tags. 

NZ Fashion Week is back in town fellow fashion lovers—and we’ve got the inside scoop on what this iconic event is bringing to the sartorial scene this year. 

From covetable rooftop terraces to decadent hidden cocktail dens, we’ve hand-picked Auckland’s best cocktail bars, for all your tippling and cheers-ing needs.

Get ready to pop some tags and swipe that credit card, here are the best vintage stores in Wellington for all your thrifting needs and desires. 

American Express Restaurant Month is back on the Auckland scene for the whole month, and we’re counting on its stellar line up of events to keep both our bellies and our social calendars full.

For the whole of August, Auckland inner-city eateries have whipped up a smorgasbord of set lunch and dinner menus for us lucky Aucklanders to sink our teeth into. 

From intriguing arthouse films to nail-biting thrillers, documentaries to multi-award-winning feature films, us lucky Aucklanders are in for all kinds of cinematic treats this year.  Overwhelmed by all the choices in this year’s programme? Fear not, here are the movies not to miss at the New Zealand International Film Festival 2019. 

Beaches, bars, boutiques—the North Shore has got it all. While we could write copious lists (well, love letters) for every aspect of this much-loved corner of Auckland, we’ll stick to what’s most important: the drinking spots. 

Non-deciduous? Uh-uh! We don’t need that kind of negativity in our lives. Give us falling leaves any day.

Get ready to sweat in sync—here are Auckland’s best group fitness classes.

The stages are set, the lines are learnt, the creative juices are well and truly flowing—the Auckland Arts Festival is back for it’s 11th glorious year.

With a variety of unique and exciting options on the Auckland workout scene, we’ve rounded up ten of the very best fitness classes to work yourself into a serious sweat and get those endorphins pumping. 

We love Gypsy Caravan for a whooole lotta reasons. From flaming cheese to frozé, they’ve certainly earned a special place in our foodie hearts.

Stress—aint nobody got time for that!

Stress - aint nobody got time for dat!

Smash, thrash and thoroughly bash your rage away.

Not sure what to do this week? You’ve come to the right place! Wether you’re a total foodie, a self-confessed shopaholic and makeup buff, an art geek or someone who likes to get down and funky now and then—there’s aaaall kinds of shenanigans on to keep you busy this week.

Stress - aint nobody got time for dat!

With oodles of events on in all four corners of the city, there’s something to keep you occupied every day of the week. From open-mic stand up to wine-infused versions of your favourite hobbies—we’ve found some bangin’ activities to sinkyour teeth into.

Turns out Aussies aren't the only ones in the Southern Hemisphere to enjoy a spot of Dachshund racing. This month Chapel Bar & Bistro in Auckland is getting in on the action by hosting their 2nd Annual Sausage Dog Race!

So throughout the year us Aucklanders have been treated to a mighty fine range of events dedicated to our one true love: booze. On Sunday 15th of October this year, you’ll be wanting to head to the Food & Sake Expo as you sip yourself into a sake dream.

This week is full of a bunch of ultra cool things to do. So to help you navigate the myriad of things to do, we've rounded up some of the most hip and happening things to get amongst this week in Auckland. From tours to movie nights and a whole extravaganza dedicated to pirates, there's a little something for everyone this week! Go forth and enjoy, Aucklanders.

Fellow food-loving Jafas, Lewis Road Creamery have teamed up with Hundred Acre Food and together are bringing an entire dessert degustation our way for our eating pleasure!

When you're left pondering just what to do with yourself, we've gone and done the hard work for you and dug up some of the best things to do in Auckland this week. Dazzling stage shows, theatre extravaganzas, as well as booze-infused-spins on all of our favourite pastimes lie ahead for you this week. So get excited Aucklanders, this week's gonna be a banger!

We’re pretty darn lucky to live in a beaut of a city like Auckland. Right Aucklanders? Let’s be honest, we’ve been rather blessed by the city gods. Or rather spoiled rotten, tbh. Still, despite being constantly a stone’s throw away from gorgeous beaches, top-notch eateries, and dozens of little gems dotted here and there, us Aucklanders can’t help but wonder just how cool our little ol’ city would be with a few borrowed knick-knacks from around the world. 

Let’s be real, Aucklanders. Animals really are the way to our human hearts, there’s no denying it. Floppy-eared, fan-tailed, fluffy-pawed—whatever the creature, we love them all at The Urban List. So much so, that we’ve conjured up a little list of the best things to do in Auckland if you’re an animal lover (or, more of an obsess-er).

Hey, Aucklanders. We’ve got a little secret to share with ya. Trust us, it’s a goodie. 

Every country has its fair share of quirks—that’s a given. But when it comes to Aotearoa, it’s safe to say that our little country has quite the number of peculiarities and oddities—especially where our food is concerned.

Sometimes in life you just get hit over the head with the unbearable urge to sink your teeth into something delish. In our case, it pretty much happens every night. And, who can blame us when we live in a foodie-mecca city like Auckland?!

A new week is here, can we get a whoop whoop?! The dawn of a new week means the chance to get out there and make the most of what this city has to offer. Consider your week completley planned ahead with our wee round up of what's hot and happening this week. Enjoy, Aucklanders!

Oh the handy, humble, trusty bra. Lucky for us lingerie lovers, we know where they're giving away FREE bras this weekend!

Let’s face it, living like a wizard would be the best darn thing ever. Harry Potter’s childhood home is officially for sale and some lucky bugger is going to be able to get their wizard on!

Coming to Auckland is the one and only Hell Horror Fest NZ! Watch your back Aucklanders. Things are about to go bump in the night.

Presenting The Vegan Truck Stop! The lean, green and totally mean version.

Tanning has certainly had a ‘glow-up’ of its own in recent years. In the last decade, we’ve said toodles to tanning beds and hello to a brand new era of bronzing. No longer are we taking a tangerine-toned gamble when stepping into the tanning booth. Nope, tanning has taken a far more natural turn (both in colour and ingredients), and Auckland’s salons are testament to this. 

Auckland life can be a tough life. We feel you on that one hundy percent. The Outerlink’s constant unreliability to even show up, waiting an eternity to get a table at Dear Jervois on Saturday

Grab your sunnies, Aucklanders, because our city is turning the brightness up high. Waterlight Graffiti is setting up shop in our back yard: Aotea Square!

Auckland’s International Beer Day is a legit thing and not a dream! Yep, that’s right, a whoooole day dedicated to our fave refreshingly frothy bevvie. We’re amped to say the least.

A brand spankin’ new week is here and we’ve got an inkling that it’s going to be a goodie. Auckland foodies, make-up junkies and artsy-fartsies, get amped because there’s something for everyone this week!

We’ve searched far and high and are bringing you the crème-de-la-crème of things to do in Auckland. There's everything to keep you your creative juices flowing this week, read and see!

This October, us lucky Aucklanders will be treated to a taste of Italy, right in our very own backyards. That’s right, Festival Italiano is back for another year and is bringing the very best of the boot-shaped country all the way to Aotearoa!

We’ve rounded up exactly how and where to get raclette in Auckland. Raclette is the totally genius way of smothering your fave winter foods in a blanket of rich, melty cheese. Enjoy!

Another week is upon us, Aucklanders! We've rounded up our top picks of things to do in Auckland that we guarantee will be a blast!

Do you find yourself with an ever growing collection of clothes but yet still seem like you can’t find anything to wear? Then we’ve got the scoop on an event that’s perfect for you.

Oh Ponsonby, you sure are one of a kind. Brimming with all sorts of cool places to shop, eat and drink, you really do have a special place in our hearts.

Drop everything and get yourself to K’ Road ASAP, because you sure as hell are not gonna want to miss out on Auckland’s latest crazy creation.

There’s never a dull moment in Auckland, and this week is no exception! Turn off the Netflix, crawl out of bed, wriggle out of your PJs and head on out to some of the hip-and-happenin’ things going on in our big city.

When it comes to putting together a killer outfit, there’s no denying that French women are the absolute masters of this fine art. Whether she’s strutting around the markets, chillaxing at the park or unwinding over a café crème with her gal pals—the French woman sure knows how to look effortlessly chic, no matter the occasion. So to help you channel your inner French gal, we’ve put together a handy little guide that will have you looking as if you’ve stepped off the streets of Paris!

Aucklanders, there’s no excuse for staying in this week. Okay? Absolutely no excuse. With a so many epic things on this week, staying home is, quite frankly, not an option. 

There’s no better feeling than getting your hands on some super cool, fresh and funky threads. But when your bank balance is looking a little bleak, you can always count on outlet stores to have your back.

Oh Auckland, you’re a gift that keeps on giving! This week we’re in for a treat with everything from curry and coffee to musicals and morning raves.

Aucklanders, get ready. The pop-up we’ve all been waiting for is finally setting up shop in our city and it’s promising to be our new hidey-hole this winter! 

It’s no secret that Chinese food has a special place in our foodie hearts. So when we heard that a brand-spanking new Chinese eatery is coming to town, we were jumping with joy!

So you’ve mastered the art of cooking the perfect two-minute noodles. Now it's time to take your cooking to the next level and broaden your recipe repetoire!

Auckland, you're a glorious city with supply of watering holes serving up the most splendiforous stirred and shaken bevvies. It can be a bit difficult when you need to find something else to do that doesn't involve a drink. That's when we come in!

PSA: Heaven exists on earth and we’ve found it! It smells a little like freshly cooked crepes and sounds like corks popping—oh and did we mention it’s coming to Auckland?!

​We’ve all got a pesky habit or two that we wouldn’t mind getting rid of—as well as a few we’d be stoked to pick up.

Auckland is loaded with awesome places to hit up for a bite to eat or a drop to drink, and we love rounding up these places to share them with our fellow Jafas. We’ve rounded up a bunch of places that bring next-level awesome to our big city’s gastro scene.

The weekend is finally here and you know what that means, it’s time to treat yourself. We vote putting on your eating pants and heading out for a bite in our big city. Which one you ask? Well, we’ve got you covered with this week’s round-up of places to wine and dine.

We love a good bargain as much as the next person does—especially if it’s to do with food. That’s why, when we found out that our Ponsonby fave, Little Easy, does $10 burgers, we dropped everything and hopped, skipped and jumped on over to try it for ourselves. 

Auckland is full of weird and wonderful experiences for foodies. If you love that sort of thing, then you’ll be stoked to know that Dinner In The Dark is coming to one of our fave restaurants, Vivace! 

Our city is full to the brim with top-notch bars and eateries perfect for kicking back and unwinding, while we brace ourselves for the week ahead. Here's a round-up of our top spots to hit up this weekend for a tasty weekend feed.