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Winter Special

Fort Greene have made us get into sandwiches in a big way. With seasonal ingredients and super fresh bread, Fort Greene are building wickedly delicious sammies, full to the brim with yummy bits and bobs—think fish fingers and mushy peas, lamb kibbeh pattie, or cheesy fried halloumi. Fort Greene’s hand-cut cassava chips (complete with aioli) are also a must order. 

Want a workout but don’t wanna slave away in a gym? Check out ActivZone in Glenfield. In case you couldn’t guess, it’s a zone where you get active! Here you can get amongst inline and roller skating, table tennis, indoor soccer, inline hockey, bike polo and more! The space can also be hired for private events so if you’ve always wanted to host a roller disco, now’s your chance! 

With a creative and vast range of sushi and hot food, Umi and Umiya Japanese Cuisine is a great place to enjoy Japanese food. It’s a pick-your-own style of food, so you can create your ideal combination of flavours. Fresh and tasty, the sushi rolls are a hit, particularly at just $1 each!

This Northcote Point bistro is an institution, far away from the busy Auckland city. Sitting on a corner on Queen Street (Northcote, not CBD), The Engine Room hums away with the noise of its patrons devouring twice-baked goats cheese soufflé, veal schnitzel, and duck confit, among other irresistible items. The service is sharp and friendly—the kind when you’ll never find your water empty and any indecision will be put to rest by their willing menu advice. So listen to them when they suggest the profiteroles.  

Saigon Crafts on Jervois Road in Ponsonby is a conduit for Vietnamese culture here in Auckland City. Working directly with Vietnamese crafts people and artists, Saigon Crafts imports hand-made quality gifts that truly are one-of-a-kind.

Som Tum on K Road dishes up a host of Thai and Vietnamese dishes that are sure to satisfy your craving. Som Tum has gathered a cult-like following, and its location in Mercury Plaza adds to the overall ambiance and gives restaurant-goers a food hall experience. 

Head back to the 1950s and visit Ellice Road in the heart of the CBD.  A bright and airy social lounge it’s decorated in vintage style and rather than just sit around drinking, you can play pinball, shoot some darts or play some pool. Serving street food – think burgers, wood fired pizza, and foot long dog – and craft beer, Ellice Road is a great spot to unwind after work. 

Snuggled in amongst the Herne Bay shops is Five Loaves Eatery, a constantly bustling, white-tiled café chock full of mouth-watering cabinet food and a full kitchen for those opting for hot, cooked fare. The coffee is consistently delicious, and the ever-changing offerings in the cabinet keep the locals coming back to check out the new items.

Café on Kohi—another Hip Group café that truly lives up to Auckland hospitality royalty’s reputation. One of the city’s best cafes to enjoy ocean views, Café on Kohi is a café and bar rolled into one. Offering a fresh, exotic café menu during the day and an interesting bar menu at night – we could be tempted to stay for a fair few hours! Grab yourself the Provenance Plate filled with the sustainably farmed meats from their Kumeu butcher, and a bottle of something delicious from the extensive wine list and you have yourself a perfect day in the sun. 

Take the name of this establishment as a social direction and grab all your friends, as this is not the type of place you want to dine solo! Non Solo Pizza has all the ambience and flamboyancy of your traditional Italian restaurant (the only thing missing is a chef tossing the pizza base in the air). With 10 sections to this novel of a menu there is so much more than pizza, with gnocchi and delectible fish options coming at you from all angles—get amongst your Parnell evening Italia style.

Woodfired pizzas are Stumpy’s speciality, made with thin crispy bases, fresh ingredient, and a whole lotta love. Located on Mt Eden’s never-ending Dominion Road, Stumpy’s does delivery, or catch them at one of Auckland’s events in one of their food trucks. Salty Sailor and Tom & Cherry are some of the best pizzas in town. 

This city’s got soul and Soul Bar And Bistro is the best place to lap it up. Located on the Viaduct, this bar and restaurant is for Aucklanders who like a bit of elegance, but don’t take themselves too seriously. From snazzy business lunches over seafood and Sav, to after work cocktails and even big nights on the town, Soul is sure to impress. 

Al Volo Pizzeria is authentic Italian pizza at its finest. Run by a Italian family in Mt Eden, this pizza spot is one of Auckland’s best restaurants for everything cheesy, carb-laden and delicious. Traditional pizza lovers can’t go past the ‘Al Volo’ pizza—buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, fresh rocket, olive oil and parmigiano, and the Calzone Ripene with smoked, cured ham, spinach and shaved photo is an absolute treat. 

If you’re the kind of person who likes a generous dose of awesome with your ice cream, then Giapo is the place for you. There’s no trace of rainbow sprinkles or magic shell at this Gore Street joint. Giapo, the gelato making whizz behind the store, is responsible for the ridiculously epic looking (and tasting) creations.

Stephen Marr’s Lucy and the Powder Room is the ultimate haven for beauty lovers, and the perfect getaway for a girl’s day out. Head into Newmarket and indulge amongst the beautiful and feminine décor and offerings. The menu of services at Lucy and the Powder Room includes waxing, makeup application, facials and spray tans.  Allow yourself to be pampered, and in the lap of luxury at Lucy and the Powder Room.

Auckland isn’t short of excellent noodle establishments, but Ponsonby’s Chop Chop is one of the best noodle-centric restaurants in town. Chop Chop is another joint venture by restaurateur Mark Wallbank and chef extraordinaire, Che Barrington. Get your booty on a stool at the Chop Chop bar and order a bowl of steaming hot ramen, or crispy fried chicken with crazy hot sauce. 

Celeb chef Nic Watt was on to the good thing when he opened MASU Japanese bar and restaurant in the Federal Street dining precinct. At the heart of MASU is a robata grill. Here, the contemporary Japanese dishes are cooked in a traditional style over the hot coals of the grill and served up right before your eyes. The menu includes a selection of smaller dishes designed to be shared with mates and dates. You can’t leave MASU without trying the highly praised lamb cutlets with gochujang hot pepper, pickled onions and carrot. Trust us on this one.

There’s not much we can fault Fred’s Espresso on. This Ponsonby Road café and soda bar is full of yum, honest food, great coffee, slurpingly good milkshakes, and some of the friendliest staff you’ll encounter in the area. Stop by Fred’s for an early morning feed, or afternoon catch ups. 

Grills AND Shakes? Yes please! This Kingsland gem of a restaurant specialises in charcoal chicken, flatbreads, and flame-grilled skewers, plus just a casual 69 milkshake flavours. Located in a home-like building on New North Road, a night a Grill & Shakes must start with cheesy mozzarella dippers and finish with a shake or two. 

The Espresso Workshop bunch are serious about making really great coffee. Their Britomart café is full of coffee enthusiast baristas who spend their days creating beautiful, smooth-as-silk coffees. Pop into Espresso Workshop for your cold brew fix and a bagel. 

Coffee lovers, you’re spoiled for choice at Grey Lynn’s Postal Service. Using their own beans, Kokako is all about helping people find their favourite brew, be it espresso, filter, cold brew, or the trusty flat white. Stop in for a light lunch of broccoli, cumin feta, and quinoa fritters (drizzled in cashew aioli—yum!), or grab an energizer sandwich, one of our favourite loaded sammies. 

Coffee from a Kombi? Genius! Takapuna’s hospitality hub, Forteith & Hurstmere, is home to our favourite quirky coffee spot, Kombi Coffee. The 1966 Kombi serves some of the city’s best coffee, milkshakes made from all-natural flavours, homemade pies (coconut and kumara is uh-mazing), and other irresistible treats. Pop in and say hello. 

Ramen is having a moment, and there’s no better place to get on board the buzz than Ramen Takara in Brown’s Bay. They have soul warming, noodlelicious bowls of ramen, made fresh daily using local ingredients as well as all our Japanese favourites—edamame, karaage chicken and beef tataki. Hands down one of the best ramen spots in Auckland, and won’t break the bank. 

Ice cream is one of life’s most decadent pleasures, and Sweet Val’s Ice Cream hits the sweet spot. Their Pop Up Ice Cream Parlour is a New Zealand first, with the Sweet Val’s peeps churning made-to-order ice cream from scratch. Using liquid nitrogen and no egg, gluten or dairy (vegan options, too), Sweet Val’s flavours include hazelnut hokey pokey, chocolate coconut rough with cocao nibs, and coconut and vanilla bean, amongst other delicious flavours. Turn it into a sundae with “Chocolate Fush” or Popcorn & Salted Caramel Sauce—two of our favourites.

Depot Eatery is many things—a cracking bar, an oyster-lovers paradise, and one of Auckland's best restaurants. Perched high on the hill in Auckland's CBD this little all-rounder is a warm and welcoming recluse for wine lovers and foodies alike. Freshly shucked oysters are the star of the show, but it's hard to put a foot wrong when ordering from the epic share plates. Chef Al Brown has created a seasonal menu with a strong focus on New Zealand produce, and the result are pretty darn delicious. Depot also does breakfast with a tidy little menu including beignettes, bacon and egg doonas, and coffee served from 7am.  

Give us a plate of pork buns, and we’re happy campers. Give us a plate of Blue Breeze Inn pork buns, and we’ll demolish them within seconds—they’re that frickin’ tasty. Sitting snug in Ponsonby Central, this modern Chinese restaurant is the beautiful brainchild of chef Che Barrington, and restaurateur Mark Wallbank. Their staff rock around in kitschy Hawaiian shirts (and manage to somehow look pretty cool), and their cocktail menu is a delicious Rum Diaries-meets-Tiki fever mix (you can even take the tiki mug home!). The giant chocolate lava pot is tops, so leave a bit of room for that. 

The Roaming Dive is an Auckland food truck fave serving po’ boys, sliders, and damn tasty sides. But wait, there’s more! The Roaming Dive have just introduced a revolutionary slider concept (because sliders are prone to revolution, don’t ya know)—the DIY DIVE, SLIDER STATION. Yep, The Roaming Dive will rock up at your event with a huge box, full to the brim with buns, meat, salads and condiments, so your guests can get stuck in and make their own.

This gourmet Mt Wellington burger joint is famous for it’s always delicious Burger of The Week. Big J’s uses handmade patties, fresh ingredients and sauces to create burgers, toasties and hot dogs. Rally up the troops and get to Big J’s for a burger feast, STAT! 

Talk about snazzy! SPQR is a legendary Ponsonby restaurant known for its vino-fuelled, Italian long lunches (they also offer an unbeatable working lunch, 7 days a week) and dinners. As the place to see and be seen in Ponsonby, SPQR attracts some of the hippest people in town, but if you’re simply looking for a brilliant, modern take on Italian classics (pasta, pizza, and to die for tiramisu,) you’ll find it at SPQR.  

Auckland food truck icon, The White Lady can smash out 200 orders within an hour! The burger flipping skills of The White Lady crew have been honed for over 60 years, making them the oldest food truck in Auckland. Located in downtown Auckland, The White Lady serves up burgers, toasties, and milkshakes every night of the week. 

If you ever smell freshly baked crumpets in Auckland, follow your nose—you’ll end up at Kraken Crumpets, the cutest food truck in the city. These handmade crumpets are topped with sweet and savoury mixtures such as apple crumble, and Nutella banana. Never had a savoury crumpet before? Now you can! Kraken Crumpets make a salmon and cream cheese one, and it’s wonderful.

BBQ, barbeque, barbecue—no matter how you spell it, there’s no denying that it’s one of the tastiest cuisines (can we call it that?!) out. Auckland food truck, Dixie Barbecue, is dishing out delicious American barbecue fare. Whether you’re in the market for a ridiculously tasty sandwich, or simply want a tray of super tender meat, Dixie Barbecue is sure to impress.

In 2013, three friends brought their love of New York-inspired hotdogs to life with Brooklyn Dog—one of the best food stalls in Auckland. With a focus on free-range, prime sausages made from top-notch ingredients, Brooklyn Dogs are showing Aucklander’s what’s up in the world of hawt dawgs. We’re digging The Brooklyn Classic—a pork shoulder, prime beef sausage with secret spices. Yum!

Beautiful coffee and tasty, no-fuss food—Caffetteria Allpress caters for all your fuelling needs. The Freemans Bay café offers Allpress coffee in every form, including single origin filter and almond milk for all you gluten-free folk. Caffetteria Allpress will also serves ‘pretty damn good for you’ muesli and yoghurt for breakfast, or head there for an Italian sammie at lunch. 

No. 1 Pancake offers some of the best pancakes in Auckland. There’s always a smile from the staff as they serve these Korean hotteok … delicious, warm and fluffy stacks to beat the three o’clock hunger pains or for a tasty lunch.

Sushi and Sake? Yes Please! Sake Bar Nippon brings you traditional Japanese cuisine served fresh and delicious. Bringing friends? Why not order a sharing platter from the party menu. After, why not try a variety of traditional sakes, all made with strong exotic flavours of Japan. Sake Bar Nippon's dining experience is one to revisit ASAP! 

Little Bird is the face of the raw and organic food movement in Auckland. Walking in the bustling doors of the Unbakery on Summer Street in Ponsonby is a treat in itself, even before cracking into the extensive offering of mouthwateringly sweet morsels, all of which are dairy, gluten, and refined sugar free.

Naomi and Ulala are the sisters behind coffee roastery ARK Coffee on Takapuna’s Lake Road. Founded on a love for the caffeinated bean, ARK offers brewing classes, tasting sessions, and bloody brilliant cup of coffee. A giant roaster sits in the middle of the store, so you know the beans are fresh as can be. ARK’s long black is an absolute treat, and the serene, welcoming atmosphere will have you coming back for more. 

One of our favourite slightly snazzy but reasonably cheap eats in Auckland is Parkside Cafe & Vietnamese Cuisine in Mt Albert. Their dishes are made for sharing and packed with the fresh, lively flavours of Vietnam. Parkside’s green papaya salad with homemade jerky beef will make you one happy diner, as will their Hanoi style grilled pork and fried tofu in spicy tomato sauce. Oh, and they also do Kiwi-style brunch—get amongst.  

Curry in a hurry? Chawlas Indian Restaurants delivers right to your doorstep. This restaurants chain is uber popular in India, so you know the curries are authentic, full of flavour, and not going to break the bank. Chawlas’s onion bhaji (spiced onions coated in chickpea flour and fried) are the ultimate entrée, and Rarra chicken is an adventure for the senses. Make sure you order a couple of rotis and naans to mop it all up. 

Bonz Cajun Kitchen are introducing Aucklanders to a mashup of American barbecue and authentic Cajun cuisine in Elliott Stables. Their menu is made for sharing—think buffalo wings, Cajun snapper sliders, and jambalaya. Bonz Cajun Kitchen’s babyback ribs are rubbed with a Kentucky spice blend and lathered in their homemade barbecue sauce—you’ll won’t to bring your appetite for this one, and maybe a couple of wet wipes.  

With so many restaurants on Dominion Road, it can be a hard job deciding which ones are worth going to, but Barilla Dumpling is a must. Serving up lip-smacking dumplings (of course) and plenty of other options to satiate the hungriest of bellies, Barilla Dumpling is one of Auckland’s best cheap eats. 

If you’re on the shore and craving a truly delicious Korean feast, make your way to Biwon Korean Barbeque. Situated on Link Drive in Wairau Valley, Biwon specialises in grilled meaty goodness, which you cook yourself. Each table comes complete with a mini extractor fan, so you can grill your marinated beef without setting of the smoke alarm. Biwon’s bibimbap is also worth a try.

In a mad rush and forgot to eat brekky? Or walked out the door without your lunch and your tummy is rumbling? Greedy Guts is the answer. In the heart of Auckland City, it’s a small space that’s big on personality—and delicious food. You’ll be spoiled for choice with their ever-evolving menu.

We think we’re in love. Goodnight Cocoa has seduced us with their rich, chocolatey hot cocoa, and it has warmed the cockles of our hearts. Dan and his partner, Ali, are the lovely couple behind this gorgeous little pop-up (often found at The Street Food Collective). They serve unbelievably moreish homemade smores, and cocoa topped with a scoop of chocolate ice cream—yum! Find where they are on Facebook and go say hello! 

Nestled in the metropolitan crux of central Auckland burb Grafton, Ceremony Company is taking the sandwich zeitgeist to new heights. With a delectable array of lovingly crafted creations (best devoured with a double shot of Flight Coffee goodness), the aptly named Ceremony is just as the name depicts—a warm space and place for like-minded individuals to stop and take a moment to celebrate the simple things done well.

Shut the Front Door is about the coolest name, for a homewares store, that we’ve ever heard. And tell you what, if the interior of our house was this awesome, we would want to shut the front door and stay at home forever. Shut the Front Door has one of the best assortments of homewares, furniture, nic nacs and just about anything you can think of, but cooler. In our minds, Shut the Front Door is one of the best home stores in Auckland.

Soft shell crab stuffed in a brioche bun? With a side of tater tots? Weirdough & Tuck knows what’s up. This City Works Depot eatery is from the Scratch Bakers crew, who have made lunch time in the city all that more delicious. We’ve come up with our own breakdown of the name Weirdough & Tuck—weird (or more so, interesting) types of dough, in a trendy form of tuck shop. 

The residents of Point Chevalier are a little bit blessed to call Twisted Tomato their local dining option. Having nailed the difficult mixture of classy and cool, which comes with being a smart-casual establishment, Twisted Tomato provides Aucklanders with yet another reason to dine out. Twisted Tomato’s casual ambience is paired with a menu that is bound to awaken each and every taste bud. We hear that the Gnocchi gives the potato a whole new lease on life.

Epsom is home to the sweetest little deli and café, Raven & Cook. Well known in the area for its working lunches, sweet treats and incredible sausages rolls. Raven & Cook provide a catering service, and we tell you what, any event that has Raven & Cook’s food is a good event to us! 

RAD in Mt Eden prides itself on its swanky ‘Strada’ coffee machine, the use of Flight Coffee, and having some of the best baristas in Auckland. And they should, the coffee is a stride ahead of many other Auckland cafes and the ambience is, well, rad. RAD focuses on all things cool, even their freshly prepared lunch rolls have cool names (our fave is ‘It’s Ham’mer Time’). The menu is innovative and interesting but the kitchen behind RAD know what they are up to, and pull it off ‘radically’. 

We all love a cheeky mimosa, and this one is not quite as cheeky as it seems. Mimosa, located in seaside suburb Takapuna, focuses on all things good for that bod of yours. The Japanese-inspired menu is made up of primarily organic and gluten free ingredients. Mimosa’s Fair Trade Organic coffee is superb, and their cabinet is packed to the brim with various treats. Thanks to Mimosa, these treats cater to most dietary requirements—yay!

Grey Lynn has slowly developed, over the last few years, as a neighbourhood to entertain the tastebuds. Speaking of entertaining, Dilecta is the perfect place to take that date, or stop by for some after work drinks and nibbles on a Friday. Dilecta serves up high-end food, without the prestigious atmosphere or prices. With a menu straight out of the Mediterranean, Dilecta could be our new favourite romantic dinner spot. We hear they make a divine salted caramel tart, though that might not be something to share.

This little café in Westmere, named after Betty Catroux, exemplifies simplicity and elegance. With a white interior Catroux allows us to focus primarily on the vibrant cabinet, packed full to the brim. The salads are always fresh and the Paninis always innovative. Catroux’s brunch menu is top-notch with everything that’ll make you feel a little bit better about yourself; free-range eggs, eight-thirty coffee and fresh baked bread from Pukeko Bakery. And if you enjoy the cakes so much, you can order the whole. They are so delicious you can probably eat them whole, too.

They say to not judge a book by its cover, sometimes it is the same for the culinary world too. Pokpok is no palace from the outside, and the inside is more ‘shabby chic’ than chic. In saying that one should not let décor remove from good, fresh, authentic food. Pokpok knows exactly how Thai food should be prepared and executed, and then they spice it up with a surprise twist or two. We recommend trying Pokpok’s famous black sticky rice pudding and coconut ice cream, it’s simply to die for.

Goodness Gracious me! We’ve finally come across a café with a name to match the expression of its regulars. Goodness Gracious is a bit of a hidden gem, stowed away on New North Road. Notorious for its bagels, which are both perfectly doughy, yet provide a satisfying crunch. We like to imagine the Goodness Gracious bagels are straight out of New York—‘The Kranksy’ could have fooled us. A little bit of New York style goes a long way.

The Indochine Kitchen on Fort Street combines two of our favourite things: Vietnamese food and tapas. What better way to spend a night out with friends or a lover, than sharing plates of fresh seasonal produce tied together with authentic flavours? Indochine Kitchen will momentarily whisk you away to Vietnam, through exhilarating taste explosions. For the best Vietnamese in Auckland, explore Indochine Kitchen’s taste escape to South East Asia.

Franc’s dub themselves ‘the purveyors of all things yummy’ and we can't fault them on that. Franc’s is tucked away in Takapuna and offers three separate, but equally mouth-watering menus. C’mon, who can fault a smoky pork sliders and popcorn shrimp with an ice cold beer, or perhaps you’re after buttemilk waffles with chocolate milkshake—because why the hell not. If that isn’t enough for you, Franc’s has its very own brew. 

The Lunchroom takes that image of a crusty staff room and turns it into a lunchtime haven for the workers in Auckland CBD. This unique café is stacked under the many floors of The Power Insurance Tower and offers more than any ‘lunchroom’ we’ve ever come across. The Lunchroom has a dining area with walls of windows, allowing you to people-watch to your heart's content. The Lunchroom offers up fresh juices, nutritious breakfast options and innovative lunch items. For something delicious to break up the working week, look no further than this glass box in the sky.