Food & Drink

Restaurant Month 2024’s Best Menus At $30, $45 And $55+

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A chef at Advieh glazes a pita bread

The centrepiece of Auckland’s food events is officially back on the radar. Restaurant Month taking place for the entire month of August—a month we’ve never been so grateful to for having 31 whole days. 

Clear your calendars and get booking. Here are the best deals at $30, $45 and $55, plus the best deals for vegans and vegetarians, that you need to devour in Auckland’s Restaurant Month this year.

The Best Restaurant Month $30 Menus

Seoul Night

16 Fort Street, Auckland CBD

Pork noodle bossam dish, one of the best Restaurant Month deals.
Image credit: Seoul Night | Facebook

This Restaurant Month menu has extra bang for its buck because to find it you’ve got to locate and walk through a vending machine (yes, you read correctly). Crush that mission and you’ll find yourself in the whimsical wonderland of Seoul Night where you can take your tastebuds on a trip to Korea, one bite at a time. For just thirty bucks you can wrap your mouth around two flavour-packed courses—hot tip: don’t skip the culinary revelation that is rose tteokbokki aka rice cakes, sausage, seasonal vege in tomato and coconut sauce—washed down with a Roku gin cocktail. 

Kingi

The Hotel Britomart, 29 Galway Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD

Raw tuna Caesar salad, one of the best deals through Restaurant Month.
Image credit: Kingi | Facebook

It’s rare to walk out of Kingi having only thrown down thirty bucks but during Restaurant Month, you can. Be tempted by squid ink tagliatelle, wagyu bavette steak, raw tuna Caesar salad (pictured), or Waipiti venison moussaka, with a wine match. Exquisite. 

Palmer Bar

1 Albert Street, Auckland CBD

Toasting Restaurant Month with two peach-coloured cocktails at Palmer Bar. Image credit: Palmer Bar | Facebook

A three course dinner for $30, in this economy? Outrageous-ly good, that is. At Palmer Bar you’ll start with a seasonal vege tart followed by a main of triple-cooked pork belly with butternut pumpkin and gochujang. Finish up with a sweet kiss of ginger caramel amaretto bonbon. Pair with Prosecco for a little extra if that’s a bit of you. 

The Best Restaurant Month $45 Menus

Biang Biang

Unit 203, 246 Queen Street, Auckland CBD

Meaty hand-cut noodles at Biang Biang, one of the best Restaurant Month deals in 2024.
Image credit: Heart of the City | website

China’s Shaanxi province has a particular penchant for food so if you’re in the mood for noods, Xian Biang Biang is the spot to hit. One of Restaurant Month 2024’s best menus, you’ll score a delightfully crispy Rougamo flatbread or vege salad followed by a steaming plate of hand-pulled BiangBiang noodles topped with your choice of chilli, beef, or lamb in special sauce, plus a soft drink for $45 (for two people). 

Wander

2 Madden Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland CBD

A bartender makes drinks at Wander.Image credit: Wander | Facebook

Wander to… Wander (we had to) this Restaurant Month and you can live it up at lunchtime swapping forty-five bucks for a European-inspired entree + main or a main + dessert, both which include a Winter Roku G&T. Our pick? A wholesome soulful Buddha bowl followed by a crème brulee, you know, for balance. 

Kome Sake Bar 

One Queen Dining, Commercial Bay, Auckland CBD

Lit signage decor at Kome Sake Bar.
Image credit: Kome Sake Bar | Facebook

If you’re keen to just kick back with mates, catching up over a cold one (and some fried chicken wings, Tokyo-style), you’ll want to hightail it to Kome Sake Bar where you can sip on a glass of Chardonnay and graze on a sharing style Japanese dinner for two including edamame, salmon aburi sushi, beef aburi sushi, renkon chips, and—of course—chicken wings. Again, this is $45 for two people. Score. 

The Best Restaurant Month $55 Menus

Ghost Street

Basement Floor, 27 Galway Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD

A dimly-lit table setting at Ghost Street.
Image credit: Ghost Street | Facebook

This subterranean restaurant serves punchy flavors in unrivaled atmospheric surrounds. If you’re looking for a next level feed, this is it. At $55 per person it isn’t cheap, but it’s certainly worth it. For Restaurant Month 2024 Ghost Street’s pulling out all the stops with a limited edition menu showcasing food from Chengdu and Xi’an. From fried wonton skins and sesame noodles with ‘strange flavour’ sauce (love it), to mapo tofu in chilli oil and Mātangi brisket, this is a two course sharing style dinner you won’t be forgetting anytime soon (unless, of course, you go all-out on the Sichuan negronis—no judgment here). 

Advieh

Intercontinental Auckland, 1 Queen Street, Auckland CBD

Lamb neck shawarma from Advieh, one of the best deals this Restaurant Month.
Image credit: Heart of the City | Facebook

Look, nobody goes to Advieh expecting to not shell out a bit of cash but it’s worth it. If you like your meals fancy and full of flavour you’ve got to sink your teeth into Advieh’s Restaurant Month menu while it’s here. $55 will secure you a three course lunch or throw down $85 and you’ll get a sharing style dinner worthy of royalty with the likes of chicken liver parfait, lamb neck shawarma, half dry aged duck, rhubarb mille feuille and rose custard katifi pastry. Prepare for plated art. 

Cassia at SkyCity

90 Federal Street, Auckland CBD

A delectable Indian spread from Cassia, one of the best places to hit this Restaurant Month.
Image credit: Cassia at SkyCity | Facebook

This one’s for when you’re feeling baller but if we’re going to throw our hard-earned dollars at anyone, we’re hell-bent on it being Sid Sarawat’s crew. Book into Cassia at SkyCity and for $95 per person you’ll enjoy top-tier Indian fare and while you’ll likely recognise some of the names—tandoori chicken, garlic naan—the reality’s unlike anything you’ve tasted before.

The Best Restaurant Month Menus For Vegans And Vegetarians

Ghost Donkey

Commercial Bay, 7/21 Queen Street, Auckland CBD

Somebody picks up a slice of quesadilla and the mozzerella reluctantly acquiesces. Image credit: Heart of the City | website

Got a hankering for Mexican? Make a beeline for Ghost Donkey. The neon red-lit tequila cave is always a good time and this Restaurant Month it’s even better. A sly thirty dollars will snag you a quesadilla verde stuffed with roasted capsicum, spinach, corn, charred spring onion, and gooey mozzarella, and a frozen marg spiked with Sauza gold tequila for good measure. Cheers to that. 

East 

Sudima Hotel, 63-67 Nelson Street, Auckland CBD

A plant-based spread from East, one of the best deals this Restaurant Month. Image credit: Heart of the City | website

If you haven’t hit the totally plant-based East yet (or even if you have), Restaurant Month’s the perfect time to do so, especially if you want to curry favour with a plant-based date. For just $45 you’ll snag a two course lunch or dinner plus a glass of Two Rivers Juliet Riesling. You’ll start with crispy pineapple cups and black shiso salted edamame followed by your choice of Pad Thai, Massaman curry, or mung bean noodle salad. And if you’re still hungry there are cheeky little extras and some very enticing-looking desserts you can opt to tack on for just a little bit more. 

Cafe Hanoi

Tuawhiti Lane, 27 Galway Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD

Fresh and vibrant Vietnamese food by Cafe Hanoi, one of the best spots to hit this Restaurant Month. Image credit: Cafe Hanoi | Facebook

We’ve always got time for Cafe Hanoi. Fresh, vibrant Vietnamese fare in airy surrounds and don’t get us started on those globe lampshades. While not normally a plant-based restaurant (although always brimming with plenty of options for diners who are), the team’s whipped up a two course vegan sharing lunch or dinner menu which you can summon to you and a mate’s plate for $55. The delectable lineup includes rice paper rolls, a crispy turmeric rice pancake, lemongrass-doused spiced tofu and grilled eggplant, and Hanoi style grilled ‘pork’. Dress it up with any extras or drinks your hearts’ desire. Their spicy marg is a joy, just sayin’.

Want more of the good stuff? Check out Restaurant Month's full list of menus here.

Main image credit: Advieh via Heart of the City | Facebook.

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