In a twist you never saw coming, here at Urban List we spend a helluva lot of time frothing talking about the food. We’re in awe of what our local hospo legends whip up, whether it’s a newbie to the scene or a seasoned restauranteur bringing their latest new opening to life. So naturally, we’re keeping an ear to the ground for all the new restaurants, bars, cafes and bakeries worth your coin.
In this ever-evolving list you’ll get sound bites and musings from my recent chats with Urban List food writers Kathryn Steane (who's been leading the charge of all things Urban List eats for years now) and professional chef Vicki Young as we chat all things new and coming soon. Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, Insiders. It's free.
Here are the best new openings in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland right now.
THE BEST NEW OPENINGS RIGHT NOW AT A GLANCE
- Brunch: Juno
- Quick Lunch: Fitzroy Deli
- Feeling Snacky: The Vegan Treatory
- Date Night: Mea
- After Work Drinks: Portside
- Dinner: 269 Parnell
- Special Occasion: The College Hill Wine Room
- Affordable Eats: Good Luck Club
New Openings
Perch
23 Galway Street, Cnr Galway Street and Commerce Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Perch | Anna Kidman
Perch is back from hiatus and if you're anything like us, you'll be shocked to learn they're no longer doing dumplings. But in this new era of Perch, there's plenty to keep bellies full and, dare I say it, you won't even miss the dumplings. "Let’s just say, when the bowls arrived there were joyful expletives, especially around the portion sizes (massive) and the textures (poppin')." - AR
Get the full scoop on Perch 2.0
Fitzroy Deli
19 Shortland Street, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Fitzroy Deli | Michael White
The good folks who brought us Devonport's Dulcie have set up shop in central, this time with one helluva deli where the sandwiches are bigger than your face and you might just end up hooked on brisket for breakfast. "You know that episode of Friends where Ross loses it over someone at work stealing his sandwich? That'd 100% be me, should anyone try to mess with this sando". - KS
get the full scoop on fitzroy deli
Portside
Inside Tyler St Sport, 120 Quay Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Portside | Michael White
Materialising in the rooftop formerly known as Talulah, Portside is the slick hangout space with ocean views that'll keep you adequately hydrated with a 16-strong cocktail list and sophisticated snacks, to boot. "It's out with the flamingos, fish bowl cocktails and other relics of the Talulah days and in with juicy fried chicken drizzled in soy caramel and prawn toast dunked liberally in gochujang aioli." - KS
GET THE FULL SCOOP ON PORTSIDE
Bowler
186 Victoria Street West, Auckland CBD | G03 85 Daldy Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland
Image credit: Bowler | supplied
From the good folks who brought us Williams, one of Tāmaki's most frothed cafes (by restaurant royalty and hungry punters alike) comes Bowler, a bangin' salad and açaí bowl pitstop tucked inside Les Mills on Victoria Street and in Wynyard Quarter. "I was shook when Williams closed and nothing will ever be able to fill that void but a monster salad for less than $17 gets pretty damn close." - AR
Tyler St Sport
Britomart, 120 Quay Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Tyler St Sport | Michael White
Setting a new bar for sports bars (sorry not sorry), Tyler St Sport has an upmarket vibe and stacked eats including the mother of a cheeseburger you see above, dripping in bacon and bourbon jam. As a thirty-something-year-old female with an (at most) moderate interest in sports, I'll be honest—sports bars aren't usually my thing. If they were, however, this is where you'd find me: Tyler St Sport, the cracking new venue from Foley Hospitality. - KS
GET THE FULL SCOOP ON TYLER ST SPORT
269 Parnell
269 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland
Image credit: 269 Parnell | Wono Kim
If you're yearning to travel, you're in very good company at 269 Parnell. A striking market area peppered with vendors, it's around-the-world eats, no annual leave required. Somehow Kevin Harvey has managed to capture that gorgeous otherworldly, jaw-dropping hospitality at 269 Parnell, that atmosphere you normally have to be on holiday mode to fully realise. Plus, I'd eat my weight in Mayu's cornbread any day. - AR
GET THE full scoop ON 269 PARNELL
Mea
7/204 Quay Street, The Viaduct, Auckland
Image credit: Mea | supplied
The problem with being in hospo is when you create a critically acclaimed joint (ahem, Parasol & Swing) you’ve set the bar high for everything you do next. Then again, practically everything Jason Rosen and Adam Neal touch turns to gold and Mea is no exception. As soon as I stepped foot in this spirit-infused suntrap, two things were obvious. The first, that Jason Rosen and Adam Neal had pulled off yet another showstopping venture. The second, that the morning after would be dusty one—their cocktail list is very dangerous. - AR
Cāntīng
7 Queen Street, Level 1 Commercial Bay, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Cāntīng | Michael White
Nic Watt's latest venture, Cānting has transformed the old Poni digs in Commercial Bay into a sleek red and black restaurant and bar dishing modern Chinese fare. Order you fill and let your table's lazy susan do the hard yards—from steamed buns and spring rolls to a whole BBQ duck, spicy lychee margs and deep-fried icecream in caramel sauce. Their deep-fried ice cream, served atop a bed of silky, aged biju caramel sauce now officially sits at the top of my Last Supper List. - KS
The Vegan Treatory
In Ponsonby Central, 136/146 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Image credit: The Vegan Treatory | Wono Kim
Ponsonby Central’s landed a cookie shop. But it's not just any cookie shop—it's from the folks behind The Vegan Treatory. That's right, where previously you could only get your vegan cookie fix online, or at the occasional factory pop-up, the Treatory's set to have permanent digs. Cookie monsters, assemble. The struggle is definitely real and short of buying one of everything they've got—which would be totally reasonable—their gateway classic choccy chunk's a good intro, or their oatmeal choc chunk. - AR
GET THE full scoop ON THE VEGAN TREATORY
Farm House Cafe
400 Papakura-Clevedon Road, Clevedon, Auckland
Image credit: Farm House Cafe | Wono Kim
You've frothed their cinnamon buns, their gluten-free scones, and—let's be real—every single other thing they offer. The only thing better than Hill House? A second iteration. And that's exactly what's Farm House Cafe is all about. Don't leave without an iconic cinnabun for the road—their homemade dough is super soft, specked with cinnamon and slathered in a generous ratio of cream cheese that's sure to run down your arm. - VY get the full scoop on farm house cafe
The College Hill Wine Room By David Nash
1/43 College Hill, Freemans Bay, Auckland
Image credit: The College Hill Wine Room By David Nash | Jono Parker
If fine wine luxury's a bit of you (it is), you'll want to head to The College Hill Wine Room by David Nash, glass-first. A mammoth offering encompassing a wine bar, retail offering, private dining room and Chef's kitchen, plus subterranean wine storage vaults—it's the first of its kind in Aotearoa. When I first met David Nash it was quite by chance and rather champagne-fuelled which, as it turns out, set the scene perfectly for what was to come—an immaculate wine room with a subterranean wine vault. Enter, glass-first. - AR
get the full scoop on the college hill wine room
St. Marg's
Karangahape Road
Image credit: St. Marg's | Wono Kim
St Marg's has emerged from the ashes of the ol’ Thirsty Dog, complete with lush olive-green banquette seating lining sun-facing windows, pops of indoor greenery, organic cotton and rice paper lamp shades. And at dusk she transforms into golden hour—the perfect spot to chase the evening sun while you sip on a cocktail or two before diving, mouth-first, into the likes of venison pie, potato dumplings, and BBQ chicken with sesame-celeriac puree. The family pie recipe here is sensational. Those in the pastry world who know how to make these details the original way are few and far between, and this one really is a knock-out. - VY
get the full scoop on st. marg's
Juno
Unit 3/2 Henry Tayler Rise, Milldale, Auckland
Image credit: Juno | Wono Kim
Adding yet another aesthetically on-point eatery to their portfolio, The Runo Group continues to deliver. The bangin' brunch spot remains true to the central tenets of Runo: hearty servings, meticulously crafted atmosphere and bold flavours. If Wes Anderson hung up his director's hat and opened a cafe, it'd be the kind of place with pastel margaritas, diabolically cool wallpaper, and eggs benedict topped in fluffy, candyfloss-coloured hollandaise. - KS
Good Luck Club
7/30 Walters Road,Takanini, Auckland
Image credit: Good Luck Club | Michael White
Two words: Pour-over cheese. Yep, Good Luck Club is putting the sizzle in the South Auckland eats scene with doughnut burgers, crispy fried chicken and a hecking great load of fries. This modern-day diner has all the whimsical nostalgia of childhood milkshakes with comfort diner food that's all about being fun and playful. - VY
get the full scoop on Good Luck Club
Pssst, Here's What's Coming Soon...
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Kinfolk Cafe & Eatery
88 Te Oneroa Way, Torbay, Auckland
Image credit: Kinfolk | Michael White
From the people who started Fields Cafe in Albany (among others) comes Kinfolk Cafe & Eatery, a relaxed, community-forward eatery to fill up at and then hit the beach or amble through the weekend markets. They're launching on Sunday 23 March and, to celebrate, they've teamed up with Coffee Supreme and Oatly for a day of complimentary caffeination. Full scoop coming soon but in the meantime, you can have a cheeky peek here.
Takapuna Surf Club
Rooftop, 111 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna
Image credit: Takapuna Surf Club | Jake Dennis
We've been waxing lyrical about Queens Rooftop ever since it opened in Commercial Bay. In fact, we reckon it's the best restaurant in Auckland CBD right now. The team's next venture has just opened and it's a rooftop garden bar. Full review coming soon.
Fankery
Mystery Location
Image credit: Fankery | Instagram
Cathy Fan has been amassing an enormous following for her online fusion (soon to be bricks-and-mortar) bakery, Fankery. And it's easy to see why with the likes of mochi-stuffed burnt Basque cheesecake, stretchy cookies and epically ornate, themed creations like the darling fresh cream daifuku she whipped up one Halloween in the form of perfect little pumpkins.
Want more? We think you'll absolutely devour The Feed.
Main image credit: Fitzroy Deli | Michael White.