Must-see restaurants in Auckland Region

  • Tantalus Estate

    Tantalus Estate

    Waiheke Island

    Up a winding driveway framed by grapevines, Waiheke's newest vineyard restaurant and tasting room channels an Iberian ambience, but the savvy and diverse…

  • Saan, Ponsonby.

    Saan

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Hot in both senses of the word, this super-fashionable restaurant focuses on the fiery cuisine of the Isaan and Lanna regions of northern Thailand. The…

  • Sidart

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    No one in Auckland produces creative degustations quite like Sid Sahrawat. It's food as both art and science but, more importantly, food to fire up the…

  • Nanam

    Auckland

    Modern Filipino food is the star at Nanam in the North Shore suburb of Takapuna. Dine on innovative updates of traditional Filipino food that made UK chef…

  • Gerome

    Parnell & Newmarket

    Greek cuisine is rare in Auckland, but Gerome's modern interpretation of traditional Hellenic flavours make it one of Auckland's best restaurants…

  • Cazador

    Auckland

    The Persian heritage of the Lolaiy family combines with game meat and foraged ingredients at Cazador. Decor such as stuffed animal heads is largely…

  • Gemmayze St

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Located amid the restored heritage architecture of St Kevin's Arcade, Gemmayze St presents a stylish update on Lebanese cuisine. Mint, orange blossom and…

  • Azabu

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Nikkei cuisine, an exciting blend of Japanese and Peruvian influences, is the focus at Azabu. Amid a dramatic interior enlivened by striking images of…

  • Three Seven Two

    Waiheke Island

    Referencing the first three digits of Waiheke phone numbers, Three Seven Two's oceanfront location includes an outdoor deck and a shaded rear courtyard…

  • Pasture

    Parnell & Newmarket

    Pasture is unlike any other dining experience in the city. You'll need to book a few months ahead – the compact space has just two seatings per night and…

  • Cocoro, Ponsonby.

    Cocoro

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Japanese elegance infuses everything at this excellent restaurant, from the soft lighting and chic decor to the delicate flavours of the artistically…

  • My Fat Puku

    Hauraki Gulf Islands

    Decent pies, big breakfasts and salads combine with good coffee and locally brewed beer at this spot with lots of outdoor seating and funky Kiwiana decor…

  • Apero

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Housemade terrines, sausages and charcuterie are the culinary stars at Apero, another Karangahape Rd establishment offering the perfect blend of eating…

  • Williams Eatery

    Viaduct Harbour & Wynyard Quarter

    Serving the residential precinct emerging around the Wynyard Quarter, Williams Eatery's always-excellent coffee partners with hotcakes and mandarin curd…

  • Lokanta

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Featuring the cuisine of the eastern Mediterranean, unpretentious Lokanta is a laid-back alternative to the trendier eateries along nearby Ponsonby Rd…

  • Ponsonby Central

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Restaurants, cafes, bars and gourmet food shops fill this upmarket former warehouse space offering everything from Auckland's best pizza and Argentinian…

  • Hello Beasty

    Viaduct Harbour & Wynyard Quarter

    Japanese, Korean and Chinese flavours are all filtered through a fun contemporary vibe near Auckland's Viaduct Harbour. Secure a spot with ocean views,…

  • Han

    Parnell & Newmarket

    Korean flavours continue to influence Auckland's dining scene, and Han's evolution from a food truck to a standalone restaurant is testament to the…

  • Tasting Shed

    Auckland Region

    Complementing its rural aspect with rustic-chic decor, this slick eatery conjures up delicious dishes inspired by the flavours of Asia, the Middle East…

  • Cotto

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Modern Italian cuisine shines at Cotto, a perpetually busy eatery along Karangahape Rd. On the shared-plates menu, highlights include spinach and goats'…

  • Odette's

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Nothing about Odette's is run of the mill. Not the bubbly light fixtures or the quirky photography, and certainly not the menu. How about lamb meatballs…

  • Engine Room

    Auckland

    One of Auckland’s best restaurants, this informal eatery serves up lighter-than-air goats'-cheese soufflés, inventive mains and oh-my-God chocolate…

  • Murray

    Auckland Region

    Cool beats, excellent coffee and top-notch soft-shell-crab tacos are all dispensed from this cool surf shack a short walk from the beach and Lion Rock…

  • Baduzzi

    Viaduct Harbour & Wynyard Quarter

    This smart and sassy eatery does sophisticated spins on meatballs – try the crayfish ones – and other robust but elegant Italian dishes. Cosy up in the…

  • Billy

    Billy

    Parnell & Newmarket

    A handy stop when visiting the nearby Auckland Domain and Auckland Museum, Billy is one of several Auckland cafes opened by hip young owners, pointing at…

  • Gypsy Caravan

    Gypsy Caravan

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Formerly a temporary pop-up eatery, the success of Gypsy Caravan has seen it graduate to being a permanent fixture along busy Ponsonby Rd. Seek out the…

  • Sip Kitchen.

    Sip Kitchen

    Parnell & Newmarket

    Relax and re-energise at this wholefood cafe a short walk from the best shopping precinct in Auckland. Organic teas and coffees are a speciality – try a…

  • The Annex

    Annex

    Waiheke Island

    Framed by fruit trees, this 1920s-era wooden cottage makes for a perfect stop away from Waiheke's busier tourist spots. A superior range of teas and…

  • Blue Breeze Inn, Ponsonby.

    Blue Breeze Inn

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Regional Chinese flavours combine with a funky retro Pacific ambience at this so-hip-it-hurts eatery. The waitstaff are sassy, the rum cocktails are…

  • Bird on a Wire, Ponsonby.

    Bird on a Wire

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    Tasty sandwiches and healthy burgers, seasonal salads and rotisserie chickens to take away. Select your baste of choice – Jamaican jerk or truffle butter,…

  • Shed at Te Motu

    Waiheke Island

    Secure a table shaded by umbrellas in the Shed's rustic courtyard. It serves shared plates imbued with global influences and delivered by the restaurant's…

  • Winona Forever

    Parnell & Newmarket

    Some of Auckland's best counter food – including stonking cream doughnuts – partners with innovative cafe culture at this always-busy eatery near good…

  • Giraffe

    Viaduct Harbour & Wynyard Quarter

    Giraffe combines a stylish but casual harbourside dining room with an intensely local and seasonal menu. The restaurant was named by owner Simon Gault's…

  • Mission Bay Pavilion

    Auckland

    Mission Bay has long been a mediocre dining destination, but this recent opening in the heritage Melanesian Mission building is definitely worth the…

  • Grounds Eatery

    Auckland

    Part of the Whoa! Studios complex in Henderson, the Grounds has pulled off the trick of being equally attractive to children and their parents. Handmade…

  • Kokako

    Auckland

    Housed in a high-ceilinged, heritage former post office, Kokako is one of Auckland's best vegetarian and vegan cafes. Cold brew and organic nitro coffee…

  • K'Road Food Workshop

    Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd

    A tasty work-in-progress – new eateries are also scheduled to open – the K'Road Food Workshop combines an interesting mix of good-value gourmet flavours…

  • Fortieth & Hurstmere

    Auckland

    Easily reached by bus from midtown Auckland, this brick-lined laneway off Takapuna's main shopping street features cool eateries serving up everything…

  • Poderi Crisci

    Waiheke Island

    Poderi Crisci has quickly gained a sterling reputation for its food, particularly its legendary four-hour lunches on Sundays ($70 per person). Italian…

  • Paradise

    Auckland

    Specialising in the sort of Mughlai cuisine you'd find on the streets of Hyderabad, Paradise serves a delicious array of curry and biryani dishes from…