Rest in peace the lunch we forgot to bring with us to work. May it die a swift death, comforted by that bygone pottle of cream cheese we’re 99% sure is harbouring its own community of spores but are too terrified to confirm. Whether your grand plans for meal prepping got derailed or you were pipped at the post by last-minute scatterbrain, it doesn’t sidestep the fact that when lunchtime rolls around, you’ll need a feed.
Don’t add insult to injury by subscribing to the idea you have to shell out $30+ to get a solid meal. The economy may be in dire straits but your bank account need not be—cheap eats are not a thing of the past. In fact, you can tuck into a lunch that’s quick and healthy for less than twenty bucks, even if you work in Auckland CBD. This is not a drill.
Here are the best places to grab a cheap lunch in Auckland CBD on a weekday.
Bowler
g03/85 Daldy Street, Auckland CBDl & Inside Les Mills, 186 Victoria Street West, Auckland
Image credit: Bowler | supplied
Look, when we commit to salad for lunch we expect it to be hearty. Monster-sized, even, and ideally brimming with greens, protein, rice and some sort of flourish—perhaps dukkah. Luckily, that’s exactly what Bowler does. And for $17.90 at that.
Gloria’s
Commercial Bay Ground Floor, 7 Queen Street, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Gloria's | Instagram
There are sandwiches, and then there’s Gloria’s next-level beasts between two slices of focaccia. Summon a sando loaded with mortadella, pesto and honey-kissed burrata for $18, or a grilled cheese—with three cheeses—for just $14.
Hazy Tiger
22 Durham Street West, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Hazy Tiger | Instagram
Score a vege bibimbap for $16 from neon Korean joint, Hazy Tiger, and you’ll revel in three kinds of namul (Korean veges), bulgogi and a hit of gochujang sauce. Not convinced? $16 could also get you sous-vide galbi jjim pork rib, a plate of steak frites with chimichurri or spicy beef soup because every item on their menu clocks in at $8, $11 or $16—praise be.
Omusubi Cafe Plat
29 Vulcan Lane, Auckland CBD
For $20 you could snap up four omusubi (aka Japanese rice balls) from Omusubi Cafe Plat selecting from a near entire rainbow of flavours and you’d return to your desk full and happy. But they’ve also just started doing mochi doughnuts in matcha or hojicha for $5 which we simply can’t skip so our ultimate order would be 1-3 rice balls, depending on how hungry you are, plus a mochi donut. Perfection.
Ima’s Cuisine
53 Fort Street, Auckland
Gouda, mozzarella, feta, and egg its own little bread boat? Say less. A paltry $8.50 spent at Ima's Cuisine and the rest of your day will be fuelled by khachapuri, a traditional Georgian cheese-filled bread. The crew only make several of these each day so you’ll have to get in quick.
You may also like:
- The Best Happy Hours In The Tāmaki For Drinking Done Right
- 50 Auckland Activities That Are Totally Free
- Date Ideas That Cost Less Than $50 But Aren’t Tacky
Zeta Greek Kitchen
10/23 Commerce Street, Auckland Central, Auckland
Mountains of salad, souvlaki for days, baklava and more, Zeta Greek Kitchen ticks all the boxes when it comes to a quick, cheap, healthy lunch any day of the week. And who wouldn't want to make a quick pitstop to the Greek isles between meetings? Grab a souvlaki wrap or one of their incredible Mediterranean salads for $19.90 or house a burger for just $17.90.
Sumthin Dumplin
12 O’Connell Street, Auckland CBD & Corner of Lorne & Wellesley Street, 18-26 Wellesley Street, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Sumthin Dumplin | Instagram
Hankering for dumplings? Satisfy that craving with a 10-pack from Sumthin Dumplin and you’ll be hangry no more. Plus, it’ll set you back a mere $19.50 (or $14.50 for 6). Choose from pork, beef and cheese, chicken and mushroom, three spice prawn, or tofu and bok choy.
Conscious Eats
University of Auckland Food Court, 34 Princes Street, Auckland CBD
If you’re UoA alumni, you’ll remember that even when you were skint you could fuel those all-nighters with a two-course hearty vegan lunch for just $5. Luckily for us, Conscious Eats continues to sling some of the best value plant-based kai around. While $5 fare might be a thing of the past, you can still wrap your mouth around more one heck of a plateful for the princely sum of $9.90. (And no, you don’t have to be a student to get amongst.)
Java
332 Karanagahape Road, Auckland
Image credit: Java | Instagram
Lunch for $10? In this economy? Hell to the yes. Indonesian eatery, Java, does a Kantin lunch special Tuesday through Friday from 12-3pm. Fill your plate with traditional Indonesian eats like beef rendang, crispy omelette, sambal eggs and fried chicken and it could cost you as little as $10. And if you've got special dietaries rest easy knowing there are options for vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free and other strict diets.
Hanoi Eatery
Queens Court, 16/368 Queen Street, Auckland CBD
Meeting ran overtime and you need lunch, stat? Snag a pork bahn mi from family-run Hanoi Eatery in Queens Court for just $13. Think: crunchy baguette, juicy pork, paté and refreshing pickled veges.
Revive
24 Wyndham Street, Auckland
Image credit: Revive | Instagram
With a plant-based menu that changes weekly, Revive has been churning out recession-whipping meals for years now. From curries, stroganoff and lasagne to salad boxes with free hummus, these generously-portioned dishes won’t cost you more than $19.90.
Tacoteca
City Works Depot, 1/90 Wellesley Street, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Tacoteca | Instagram
Throw down a twenty and you’ll score a pair of tacos from Tacoteca (at $9.50 each). Think: barbacoa lamb, cured beef flank steak slathered with drunken salsa, grilled fish, guajillo chilli-spiked pork, smoky cabbage or grilled mushrooms. Mix and match as your hunger dictates.
Want more like this? Check out:
- Our Ultimate Guide To Tāmaki’s Best Cheap Eats
- Your Cheat Sheet For Eating Cheap In The Capital
- Tāmaki’s Best New Restaurants Worth Dropping Coin At
Main image credit: Gloria's | Instagram.