Directory Search

Neighbourhood dining doesn’t get much better than Meadow, a laidback local with an elegant edge in Meadowbank. It’s one of the best eateries in the area, with a farm-to-table menu, and seasonal ingredients fresh from the restaurant’s very own Clevedon farm.

Brows gotten a bit bushy? On Brow House on Britomart’s Galway Street can fix that. On Brow House know no brow (and person) is the same, so the Galway Street team work their eyebrow shaping magic to find the perfect shape for you. On Brow House are firm believers in au naturel looking results, and with a focus on ‘brow solutions’, you’re guaranteed to end up with gorgeous, easy to maintain eyebrows. 

There was once a time when eyebrows were nothing more than hairy lines sitting above your eyeballs. On Brow House on Quay Street understand that things have changed, and one’s brow game must be strong. As one of the best beauty bars in Auckland, On Brow House Quay Street is dedicated to Browography—a semi permanent brow tattoo, giving you beautiful, natural looking brows using a fine calligraphy like pen. They're also open on Saturday by appointment. 

When solo fitness training isn’t cutting the mustard, head to the award-winning Fit Fit Fit in Grey Lynn. Fit Fit Fit offers a range of classes, expert advice and personal training. Join the Fit Squad boot camp crew, get trained by specialist trainer in Fit Bodies, stay in shape during pregnancy with Fit Bumps, or bring your bub along for the Fit Mums class. A Fit Fit Fit membership will also give you 24-hour access to some of the best exercise equipment in the city! 

The booty kicking team at AndFit like to look at the bigger picture when it comes to fitness. You won’t find any treadmills or ab machines at this family-owned CrossFit gym. Instead, you’ll be squatting, throwing, and swinging yourself into shape, one functional movement at a time. AndFit will also guide you through a nutrition plan, and with no contract or joining fees, it’s one of the best fitness deals in town. 

For a curated collection of houseplants and flowers, look no further than new Auckland florist and interiors store, Flora Rose Studio pop up on Jervois Road. A collaboration between Gemma Yeoman of Flora n Fauna Styling and Rosie Holt from Rose Tinted Flowers, it’s the Auckland store to find the perfect gift this Christmas. 

Word of warning—you’ll probably want everything in Indie Home Collective, so it’s best to just roll with it and buy all the things). Stylist Claudia Kozub and partner Neel Giri have handpicked all pieces that land in their Newmarket store, as well as designing a few items on their own. And they’ve completely nailed it. Whether you’re on the look out for rugs, kitchenware, lamps, or prints, Indie Home Collective is one of the best homewares stores in Auckland, and their eclectic collection of goodies is the perfect place to start. 

Shopping can sometimes feel like a mini mission, but Flo & Frankie make it considerably less daunting by packing fashion, design, lifestyle and homewares into one beautiful Newmarket store. We’re not surprised that it’s one of the best all-in-one shops in Auckland.

For all you curry fans looking to branch out from ye ol’ butter chicken, it’s time for a visit to Satya. The South Indian restaurant focuses on bold flavours and dishes, many of which won’t feature on your standard curry menu. Satya’s Pani Puri, crispy wheat shells filled with potato, chickpea and tamarind water, are mind-blowing little mouthfuls of deliciousness (trust us, we’re addicted), and their South Indian lamb curry is best mopped up with a couple of parathas.  

There’s nothing like a bouquet of flowers to brighten up your day, and Rosie Holt of Rose Tinted Flowers makes some of the prettiest arrangements in town. Inspired by her florist mother, Rosie has jumped on the entrepreneurial bandwagon, and is now one of the best florists in Auckland creating gorgeous, dreamy bouquets.

Milford is morphing into quite the hip North Shore suburb, and Little King is one of its best cafes. Located on Kitchener Road, the eclectically decked out Little King features every brunch fiend’s favourite nosh. From extra fancy eggs benedict, to creamy balsamic mushrooms and bacon, we understand if you’re tempted to lick the plate clean.

When the greasy $4 takeaway pizza isn’t cutting it, go eat yourself silly at one of the best pizza joints in Auckland, Dante’s Pizzeria. The flagship Ponsonby Central store is known for its authentic, Neapolitan style pizza—something any true pizza enthusiast will appreciate.

Inner city eateries, shuffle over; the Auckland burbs are serving up an assortment of exceptionally tasty cuisine. One of our favourite spots is Mt Albert’s Chinoiserie, a lively little haven of Taiwanese street food, namely $8 Gau Bao—pillow-like steamed milk buns jam packed with goodies such as braised pork belly, fried squid, and the newest member of Chinoiserie’s Bao family, chicken karaage. Wash them down with Chinoiserie’s selection of top-notch beer, wine, and cocktails. 

Located opposite bustling Ponsonby Central is Le Vietnamese Kitchen, a gorgeous Auckland restaurant focused on fresh and fabulous Vietnamese Cuisine. Chef David Cao is responsible for dishes such as crispy Saigon rolls, Hai San Om To Dat (a traditional Vietnamese seafood hot pot), sticky caramelised pork belly, and papaya salad—a flavour explosion in every bite! No Le Vietnamese Kitchen experience would be the same without a Le Viet Iced Tea, so make sure you order a few rounds. 

This Kingsland space has gone from motorcycle showroom to a hub of Californian-inspired noms, thirst quenching tipples, and on point indoor-outdoor flow. Tuck into Citizen Park’s beef brisket nachos, a handful of Lousiana chicken wings, and a Sexy Mexy Margarita (or five). Whether you’re in need of a new 5pm wine down restaurant, or place to long lunch in Auckland with your crew, Citizen Park won’t disappoint. 

Ain’t nothing better than a burger. Britomart’s Better Burger has gone back to basics with cheap and cheerful burgers, hand cut fries, and slurplingly good shakes. One of the best burgers in Auckland, everything they use at Better Burger is as fresh as can be, with produce coming from local farms, and honey buns baked daily. Moolah running low? Their hamburger clocks in at just five bucks! We’ll take 10, please. 

Neat Auckland café, Geeks On Sainsbury has injected a bit of geekiness into Morningside. Run by Dear Jervois barista veteran, Tom Hong, Geeks On Sainsbury is the kind of spot you’d happily waste a couple of hours sunning yourself, or perched on their old school benches, munching through the stellar menu. The sunflower seed crusted pork salad, and layered potato eggs bene are a must—and we’d be impressed if you managed to stop at just one coffee. 

Ohhhh Mexico. With four locations dotted across Auckland, it’s where you should go when you need a hit of sangria, tacos, and out-of-this-world fried chicken. This Ponsonby Mexican restaurant is a rad space. Quirky Mexicana artwork covers the walls (in the on-trend abstract gallery style), and their tequila menu seems to never end—a win in our books. 

Ooh la la! Petit Bocal has brought Sandringham its very own slice of France. Meaning ‘little jar’ in French (doesn’t have the same ring to it in English, huh?), this dinky Auckland bistro is known for its buttery, flaky pastries, rustic brunches, and a gorgeous dinner menu, dotted with French-inspired fare.

Rotisserie chicken: It’s a wonderful thing, and Bird On A Wire is showcasing the bird in the most delicious way possible. Located in Ponsonby, Takapuna, Queen Street and Ormiston, the chicken-focused hubs are serving juicy, free-range chooks in sandwiches, burgers, and super fresh salads and soups. With finger-licking sauces such as Jamaican Jerk, Salsa Verde, and Korean BBQ, who knew a chicken roll could be so damn good?

Since taking over the skeletal remains of an old Morningside lunch bar, Auckland cafe The Mustard Kitchen has been filling its cabinets with real, honest, made-with-love goodies six days a week. Grab a hearty, homemade pie, or seasonal salad, and soak up the sun on the DIY swappa crates outside. It’s also the place to go for your 3pm Kokako coffee and caramel slice boost.

Inner-city Urchin and Amber has vamped up the classic Kiwi fish n’ chips concept with a whole lot of awesome. Situated in the 150-year-old Queen’s Ferry Hotel, this new Vulcan Lane gastro pub offers everything from smoked kahawai eggs bene for breakfast, fully loaded sammies and salads for rumbling lunch bellies, plus all our old-school favourites, like chip butties, hotdogs, and shakes.

We can thank Dry & Tea for bringing the popular blow wave bar concept to Auckland. With three central locations—Newmarket, City Works and Britomart—getting your hair did is now easiest than ever.

Morningside’s Crave Café is the brainchild of a handful of Sandringham locals. Over food and a few bevvies, they decided that the neighbourhood needed a bit of help in tackling poverty, and the result is a cracking Auckland cafe. Not only is Crave Collection a charitable organisation that gives everything back to the community, but they've also got a winner of a menu and the best creamy mushrooms in town, and a gelato spot where no two days are the same. 

Miss Moonshine’s is the place to go when you’re in the mood for fall-off-the-bone short ribs, or a slightly naughty ball of deep-fried mac 'n' cheese. The former Ponsonby joint has relocated to Silverdale and is all about wood smoked, slow-cooked meat inspired by the pitmasters of the American barbeque scene.