Auckland’s Best Restaurants

The best restaurants in Auckland create a scene reminiscent of a young person who has just entered their prime. A massive wave of immigration, primarily from Asia, has blown open the culinary scene, allowing $10 Sichuan spicy dumpling joints to coexist with innovative high-end, ten-course tasting-menu joints.

If you’re looking for things to do in Ponsonby to satisfy your inner foodie, there’s a concentration of first-rate restaurants in Britomart and around the base of the Sky Tower, and if you want good authentic Asian food, the enclaves of Dominion Road (largely Chinese) and Sandringham (Indian) can’t be beat.

Masu

World-class modern Japanese cuisine from an internationally acclaimed chef, but without the intimidating atmosphere.

Masu is ideal for anyone who enjoys Japanese flavors but is open to new twists on the theme. Black cod, grilled lamb cutlets, and crayfish spicy miso tacos are all popular. The menu says you’re eating high-end Robata-style Japanese sharing plates made with the best of New Zealand ingredients, but the attentive slick service, massive space, and badass fitout – complete with the theatre of a very open kitchen – make you wonder if you’re in New York, London, or Melbourne.

Gemmayze Street

In a fantastic heritage arcade, a vibrant, modern upscale Lebanese eatery.

Gemmayze Street is ideal for those who enjoy sharing dishes with bold Middle Eastern flavors. Plates like octopus with pickled green chilli, coriander, pomegranate, and squid ink, or duck with red cabbage, fig, onion, are as good for a fun date as they are for a group.

Depot Eatery

A lively all-day eatery known for its excellent oyster bar.

Al Brown is one of New Zealand’s most well-known chefs, and this stylishly casual restaurant has been consistently packed since its inception. Fresh, seasonal New Zealand produce and flavors are elevated with international influences to create interesting, but unpretentious, shared plates. There is frequently a wait, but it is well worth it. The lamb ribs with skordalia and cumin paprika oil are delicious, as are the hapuka sliders with pickled lemon mayo and watercress.

Sidart

Sid Sahrawat’s high-end Indian food is a glorious combination of art, science, and gastronomy, and is arguably one of the best degustations in town. But don’t worry, aesthetics haven’t come at the expense of taste – it’s the whole gorgeous package. Ideal for a special occasion.

Sidart is the place to go for the best of what Auckland has to offer. If you don’t have the money for a degustation, you could go to Sidart’s sister restaurant, Cassia. There’s a more casual à la carte modern Indian menu there.

Pasture

A ten-course dining experience for food connoisseurs. An unforgettable Auckland evening.

There are only 25 seats available, and the menu is limited to a ten-course degustation served by the chefs themselves. You’ll taste flavor and texture combinations you’ve never had before, with a focus on traditional techniques like open fire cooking, fermenting, pickling, and preserving. Ed and Laura Verner enjoy connecting land, sea, producer, and diner for the ultimate foodie experience.

Azabu

The place where Japanese and Peruvian cuisines coexist in sweet, sweet harmony.

Have you ever had tuna sashimi tostadas? Or how about a charcoal black meringue topped with poached pear and yuzu ice cream? At Auckland’s Azabu, this is your chance. This one-of-a-kind fusion restaurant is sleek and decorated in industrial cool, with a lively atmosphere (and delish cocktails).

Paradise

This cheap and cheerful restaurant in Auckland’s Little India is all about the biryani and excellent curries.

If you breathe in the intoxicating aroma and look out the window at the spiced grilled meat and chefs slinging fresh naan, you might think you’re in Hyderabad. The biryani is popular among locals, but the curries, particularly the eggplant with tamarind, are also delicious. There is also a separate buffet and takeaway service (complete with free meals for those in need).

Mr Zhou’s Dumplings

Mr Zhou’s, one of Auckland’s favorite dumpling spots, caters to everyone from hipsters to large family groups. With your pillowy packages of meat or tofu goodness, order a side of their excellent cucumber salad.

The dumpling wars have been raging in Auckland for some time, but places like Mr Zhou’s remain perennial favorites (Barilla and Eden Noodles are also popular just a few streets away on Dominion Road, Auckland’s Asian food capital). A dozen pork and fennel dumplings bathed in your ideal combination of black vinegar, soy sauce, and chilli is a quintessential cheap and cheerful Auckland experience.

Apero

Apero is ideal for an after-work drink and small bites as well as dinner with friends. Crowd favorites include Leslie’s rustic sausage and goat’s cheese croquettes with Kamahi honey.

Going to Apero is like meeting up with those food-obsessed friends who also have a fantastic wine cellar. This small casual spot with wooden tables and exposed brick is run by a couple who have worked for years in Auckland’s best restaurants. It serves first-rate European sharing food. Leslie is a French culinary genius, and Mo is a wine clairvoyant, knowing exactly what to pour for anyone who walks through the door.

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